Qabala

 Qabala is the ancient mystical tradition of Jewish theosophy. It is said it originated when Moses instructed his chosen ones at Mt. Sinai. With the methods passed and taught to them, Jewish mystics and sages explored the hidden meanings and secrets of the Torah (the Jewish sacred text) using various methods and techniques such as gematria (numerology), notarikon (acronyms), and temurah (letter permutation).

Qabala flourished during the medieval period especially in Spain and France especially, where many influential Qabalistic texts emerged. One of them is the Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation) thought to have been written by the patriarch Abraham. The book describes the creation of the world through the foundation of 22 Hebrew letters. Then, we have the Sefer ha-Bahir (Book of Illumination), where the ten attributes and emanations of God called sefirot are studied.  And the controversial Sefer ha-Zohar (Book of Splendor) of Rabbi Moses de Leon. This book deals with Qabalistic cosmology and theology.

Qabala also spread like wildfire to other regions and cultures, such as Italy, Germany, England, and Egypt. These places became the study centers of the many famous men, like Newton and Leibniz who are made captive to Qabala's beauty and splendor. Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician spent years studying it and came to the conclusion that "The Old Testament is a Gematria."

Tree of Life from Portae Lucis by Joseph Gikatilla, 1293 A.D.

Qabala continued to evolve and schools of various thought were established that adapt to different historical and social contexts. In the 16th century, Isaac Luria, a Jewish mystic from Safed (Israel), developed a new system, known as Lurianic Qabala. His new system of Qabala emphasized the concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world) and the role of human beings in restoring divine harmony. In the 18th century, Hasidism emerged within Judaism whose founder, Israel ben Eliezer, was widely revered as Baal Shem Tov, which means the Master of the Good Name. His school stressed the importance of joy, devotion, and mystical experience. Hasidism incorporated many Qabalistic teachings and practices into its doctrine and rituals.

Qabala has attracted many followers and practitioners from different backgrounds and faiths. It has also been adapted and modernized by various authors and organizations, such as Dion Fortune, Aleister Crowley, Israel Regardie, Gershom Scholem, Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi, Aryeh Kaplan, Madonna, Philip Berg, Michael Laitman, and others. It is still alive and more relevant today not only as a system of knowledge but also as a way of life for those who seek to understand themselves and their relationship with God and the universe.

What is the difference between Qabala and Kabbala?

The spelling doesn't matter; perspective and preference do. Qabala is used as respect to the original and authentic source of the tradition, while others prefer Kabbala to reflect the current and dynamic development of the tradition. Some people use both spellings interchangeably, while others use one spelling exclusively. We have no authoritative answer to this question. It is a rather personal and subjective one.