What is Kabbalah?

Kabbalah is an ancient spiritual wisdom that is over 4,000 years old, and it is meant for absolutely everyone. No matter what your country of origin, gender, religion, or culture, Kabbalah offers insights and practical wisdom that can transform your life.

The literal translation of Kabbalah means “to receive.” Kabbalists teach that every human being was created to receive complete joy and fulfillment.

Kabbalah is an ancient spiritual wisdom which teaches the individual and the world as a whole how we can improve our lives. We believe at the core of the world’s great religions and spiritual traditions are truths that we call the wisdom of Kabbalah. Our goal at The Kabbalah Centre is to disseminate this wisdom as much as possible to improve not only our individual lives but also the collective and the world as a whole.

Kabbalah is a wisdom to be experienced, not just studied, and that is what makes every person’s experience unique. One of the main universal principles of Kabbalah is that there are no coincidences. Everything has a reason and purpose – including you! How, then, do we find our purpose? How can we know we’re on the path our soul is meant to take? How can we live a life of purpose and meaning? How do we live joyously? Can we all positively impact others and thereby the world?

This is Kabbalah.

Understanding and utilizing these teachings help you experience life with the knowledge that things don’t happen to you, they happen for you.

Whatever your life aspirations, Kabbalah gives students the opportunity to grow in unprecedented ways, to transform every area of their lives so they can step into their full potential and become the person they were born to be. We are here to fulfill our highest purpose and share that light with others. In doing so, we cultivate a new paradigm of global spirituality through which people of all beliefs and backgrounds can come together in mutual respect, dignity, and love for humanity. That is how we change the world, together.

The Kabbalah Centre is focused on making these ancient teachings accessible and practical for the modern world, as well as removing all financial barriers from those wishing to enhance their lives and the world. This has been the focus of the Kabbalah Centre since its founding in 1922 by Rav Ashlag, a revolutionary kabbalist who spent decades translating and modernizing this deep wisdom for all, fusing spirituality and science in his writings. His work would become the basis for our courses, Kabbalah 1, 2, and 3. Rav Ashlag also translated the Zohar, a foundational kabbalistic text, from Aramaic to Hebrew, making it accessible to even more people.

Over the next 47 years, Kabbalah still remained hidden to most of the world, despite Rav Ashlag’s and his beloved successor Rav Bradnwein’s efforts. In 1962, Rav Brandwein met Rav Berg. The two studied together closely for seven years until 1969 when Rav Brandwein left this physical world. Rav Berg was stricken with grief, but one month later, he met Karen Berg. That was the moment Kabbalah’s history was forever altered.

Together, Rav and Karen Berg set out to make the wisdom of Kabbalah understandable, relevant, and available to all people in a quickly evolving modern world, without exclusion. Despite continuous obstacles, Rav and Karen Berg successfully defied thousands of years of religious restrictions, opening the doors for everyone to study Kabbalah. During their lifetimes, the two most unlikely people to change the world passionately led over 40 centres worldwide with the goal to bring peace to the world through spiritual unity. Today, their son Michael and his wife Monica co-direct the Kabbalah Centre and continue to bring this revolutionary wisdom to millions of people in every corner of the globe.

At the age of 16, Michael Berg began a ten-year process of translating the Zohar to English, making the most esoteric, hidden, and foundational text of Kabbalah available to study by anyone with a desire to learn and grow. Today it is also available in Spanish and is being translated into even more languages. Self-proclaimed change junkie, Monica Berg challenges everyone she meets to take this deep wisdom and make it real and palatable, constantly inspiring change and growth.

Kabbalists emphasize the importance of taking in this wisdom from our books, classes, and teachers and applying it to our thoughts, deeds, and relationships. Our actions give wisdom meaning. The work we subsequently do in the world is what impacts others. Our classes, programs, and events work because Kabbalah is an experiential approach that leads every student to unique life changes through study and connection.

That is the purpose of spiritual study.

Through the evolution of technology, it has never been easier to study Kabbalah. Whether you need a quick, bite-sized inspiration or an hour to dive deep into your soul and reflect on how you can bring more to the world, there is something for everyone at any level. Whether spirituality has been part of your life for years or you are just dipping your toes in the river of life, you can tune in once a week to Michael and Monica’s podcast, Spiritually Hungry, or the Weekly Energy Boost, and find new and greater ways to live a life of change, transformation, and happiness. And that’s just the beginning of the journey.