Beginners Start Here

Wondering where to begin learning the complex and mysterious inner dimensions of Torah, known as Kabbala? Our Introductory folder is a great place to start. It has three sections:

The articles in "What is Kabbala?" folder explain just that, and also why we need to study Kabbala and who can do so.

The "History" section presents a number of timelines, articles on the development of Kabbala and others that answer several common misconceptions.

In the "First Steps" section, many basic mystical concepts and terms are defined and explained, from a few different perspectives.

The articles listed below have been made into a "Kabbala for Beginners" tutorial. These articles will introduce you to the basic concepts elaborated in Kabbala, help you find your bearings and prepare you for the great journey that lies ahead. After completing this tutorial, you will be familiar with the basics of kabbalistic thought, its revelation and development. Then as long as you have a teacher to guide you further, you will be well prepared to wend your way further into the inner secrets of Jewish mysticism. To access the tutorial, go to the first article in the list, Kabbala: A Brief Definition. After reading it, follow the link at the bottom of the page to the next article in the tutorial series.

In the "What is Kabbala" section:
Kabbala: A Brief Definition
The Need to Learn Kabbala
Uniqueness of Jewish Mysticism
Two Categories of Kabbala
Mysteries and Truth

In the "History" section:
The Transmission of Kabbala
Revealing the Concealed
The Time Has Come

In the "First Steps" section:
Power(s) of the Soul
Transforming Worlds
Levels of Soul Consciousness

The "Worlds" article series, beginning with
Worlds 1: Oneness and the Infinite

The "Sefirot" article series, beginning with
Sefirot 1: Worlds and Emanations

The above articles are highly recommended - there are many more interesting articles in the Introductory section, so don't feel you have to limit yourself to these.

In addition, please visit our series introducing the Zohar: The Rose, beginning with Introduction to the Rose.

Also, in the "Safed Teachings" section, the "Ari Basics" series is quite worthwhile and approachable, beginning with Ari Basics: Introduction.

When you are ready to supplement your online journey with offline reading, check out our Recommended Reading Lists. Bon voyage!