Q&A: Kabbalah and Prayer
Kabbalah and Prayer
Question
Hello Rabbi,
1. How should one have intention in prayer, and which books do you recommend for learning about prayer?
2. What is your opinion of Kabbalah, and of Leibowitz’s view of it?
Answer
1. I don’t understand the question. Are you asking for advice on how to improve in this area, or what the required content of the intention is? The content of the intention is understanding the meaning of the words and intending to fulfill one’s obligation (and according to Rabbi Chaim of Brisk, also the intention of standing before God). As for practical advice—I’m not really qualified.
2. My impression is that it is a collection of spiritual intuitions, many of which are beneficial and offer an interesting way of looking at our world and at the Torah.
Discussion on Answer
Obviously Kabbalah.
See also the Rabbi’s view here as well (in those same words):
https://mikyab.net/%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%A7%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%98%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%AA/
He was joking.
Who was joking, the Rabbi or Leibowitz??
Yishai.
And now they’ll ask: who was joking, Gil or me?
What is a collection of spiritual intuitions—Kabbalah or Leibowitz?