R. Chaim Vital

Rabbi Chaim became famous as one of the greatest kabbalists.

Rabbi Chayim Vital ("Vital," from the Latin vita, life, has the same meaning as the Hebrew chayim) was born in the city of Safed in the Holy Land. His father Rabbi Joseph was a learned and pious man, who was a maker of tefillin; his tefillin were famous a...

Rabbi Chaim is reknowned for his compilation of the Arizal's teachings

Nissan 30 is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of the passing) of the famed Kabbalist Rabbi Chaim Vital (1542?-1620), author of the mystical work Eitz Chaim. Rabbi Chaim was the leading disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the "Holy Ari," 1534-1572) and the transcribe...

The Torah Concept of Reincarnation

"Behold, the people shall rise up as a lioness..." Which nation is as strong as Israel? When the morning light begins to shine, it rises and strengthens itself like a lion for the devotional service of his Master with many songs and praises, studying Tora...

Come and see: "Whatever your [left] hand finds to do, do it with your strength." (Eccl. 9:10) That means that a person needs to include the left [associated with the sefira of gevura] within the right [hinted at by the term "strength" ...

"But the Levite, he shall do the service of the Tent of Meeting..." (Num. 18:23) Rabbi Aba opened [his discourse to explain this with the verse:] "he that sits upon the circle of the earth [and its inhabitants are as grasshoppers]." (Isaiah 40:22) Come an...

Come and see: when Shabbat enters and that flame [the Great Wind, the source of all harsh judgments (as described here)] is hidden [in the Great Depths], then all the flames of the harmful fires are hidden and subdued. And even the fire of Purgatory rests...

Come and see: on the sixth day [i.e. Friday], when evening comes [i.e. at day's end], that blaze of fire [the kelipa Storm WindIn the prophet Ezekiel's vision of the Divine chariot (Ezekiel 1:4) in which he saw and described the forces that conceal G-dlin...