About a year ago I was asked a question on the Quora site. Here is the question and what I answered:
Q. Where are some places where I can study Kabbalah (not including the Kabbalah center)? Where are some places where I can study the Torah? I am an Indian Christian in NJ looking to learn Kabbalah and the Torah.
A. I would encourage you not to learn Kabbalah for a number of reasons.
First of all, unless you learn the introductory works well, then you’re going to end up being a bigger idol-worshiper than when you began. These introductory works are not printed together with the Kabbalistic works, but they are critical for understanding even the abc’s of Kabbalah. There is a sharp statement that is attributed to one of the well known medieval commentators, that “the Jews have one, the Christians have three, and the Kabbalists have ten”.
I don’t believe that you are going to find anyone who is going to work with you through these introductory works, and even if you do, I still don’t recommend it.
When I, as a Rabbi, yes, asked permission from my Rabbis to learn Kabbalah, they laid down several conditions and this was one of them, that I work through these introductions well, before opening up any Kabbalah work, and also to learn only with someone who has been through all of the material already. This is much different than the way we learn Talmud, together with a learning partner, where even though I have never seen this particular tractate and neither has my learning partner, still there’s nothing wrong with doing that. Kabbalah is different.
Additionally, I imagine that you are going to learning in English, or you wouldn’t be asking this question in this forum. That already is a very very big minus, threatening to make your learning unsuccessful even though you might not realize it. These advanced Torah works should be learned only in the original Hebrew.
Additionally, most people who are looking for the spirituality of Torah and the, let’s call it the mysticism of Torah, will usually be more than satisfied, and more than satiated from works from Chazal (the Talmudic sages). They see “Jewish Mysticism” translated as Kabbalah, and they decide that this is what they are looking for. But it’s really not. They will just get confused and bored by all of the calculations at the best, or get mixed up and confuse G-d Almight-y with Zeus at the worst, but they’re not going to find what they were looking for originally.
What they are more looking for is from the more Aggadic works of Chazal that talk about high ideas and ideals.
Additionally, the Kabbalistic works themselves bring that a person needs to be holding by a certain level of observance before entering this limud, this learning. Otherwise they are doing themselves more spiritual damage then good. I sort of don’t want to go into this here, but it is likely that you are not holding by what is demanded.
I can tell you that I spent a couple of years learning with a learning partner in the big-time well-known Kabbalistic Yeshiva in Jerusalem. But as of late with all of my activity online, I backed off, and I have been learning almost none of the Kabbalistic works over the last couple of years. I’m simply afraid.
Additionally, non-Jews are really not supposed to be learning Kabbalah. It wasn’t written for them. Indeed, the verse in Psalms even expresses itself that any of the oral law only Jews are supposed to be learning, all the more so kabbalah.
I wish you much success is finding your spiritual fulfillment, and in tapping into the Torah, G-d’s Word, is a successful way. And in making a real connection with G-d Almight’y which will bring you lasting spiritual completion for you and your children as much as is humanly possible. And to have much material and spiritual success, to be healthy wealthy and wise, and I wish you much joy from your family.
G-d bless you.
