AboutRobert Waxman Expertise Any questions relating to ancient or modern Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism. Also, any questions relating to comparisons between Kabbalah and other religions or philosophies. Questions about spirituality including cosmology, numerology (gematria), hidden meanings of the Bible, what happens after death, the purpose of life, the eternal validity of the soul, the importance of the inner voice and parallels with modern science.
Experience Author of "Kabbalah Simply Stated" published by Paragon House. The book is distributed in 12 countries. Author of "The Seven Fundamental Propositions of Kabbalah" and "The Power of AWE!". Studied Kabbalah with Rabbi Azriel Abraham of Jerusalem from 1985 -1998. I've been teaching Kabbalah since 1999 as a series entitled, "Kabbalah According To The Scholars" (Scholem, Kaplan & Tisby). Thousands have attended my classes over the years. I have (4) on-going classes in Sarasota, FL and many private students by phone. Many guest speaking presentations are given throughout the year. At my last speaking engagement in Greenacres, FL at Temple Beth Tikvah, over 650 people attended. Please see my current biography at: www.kabalist.com
Organizations President of The Kabbalah Education Network.
Publications (3) Books, many original articles that can be found on the internet (ezine, netterweb, searchwarp, etc.) "Beyond Madonna - Kabbalah according to the Great Scholars" and "Beyond The Da Vinci Code", see: www.robertwaxman.org for more articles.
Education/Credentials Graduate of American University in Philosophy and Psychology. Graduate work at Columbia University. Currently pursuing PhD in Philosophy of Religion. Graduate of The School of Practical Philosophy in NYC and certified by The American Seminar Leader's Association. Host of the Kabbalah WebRing on the internet.
Awards and Honors Many certificates of appreciation from various organizations where I've given presentations.
Past/Present clients Longboat Key Education Center, The Open Center, Unity of Sarasota, Center For Positive Living, (5) Jewish Community Centers in South Florida, many synogogues, churches, interfaith groups and religious/philosophical organizations.
Expert: Robert Waxman Date: 3/16/2008 Subject: Numbers and zodiac
Question I was reading a book on basic Dictionary on Kabbalah and my Name Christopher came out to 13 and the book denotes 13's meaning as unusual and desires love and unity. My zodiac sign is Taurus which comes out to Gevurah which means power/Judgement. I've always struggled with anger issues and desire for stability as I read is part of the negative side of Gevurah well the anger part anyway . Are there anybooks that you can recommend that can delve deeper into this subject?
Christopher
Answer Hi Christopher,
Thank you for your questions.
You are right about the challenging side of Gevurah (also known as Geburah and Din). Certain aspects of this sephira symbolize the attributes you mentioned, along with the concepts of severity and strength.
We learn some our greatest lessons from Gevurah which helps us to overcome our tendencies of being selfish, prejudiced, restrictive and divisive. If you're having anger issues, you may want to concentrate on the qualities of Chesed (mercy) which symbolizes the polar opposite of Gevurah. Chesed's qualities include compassion, love, kindness, expansiveness, and being of service to others. By balancing the best qualities of both sephirot, you will overcome anger, and live a more peaceful life by manifesting the qualities of the sefirah Tiferet (beauty, spiritual balance, integration of mercy and compassion). The consciousness of Tiferet will provide the stability you are seeking.
Here are a few books to consider for studying the qualities of Gevurah and the sephirot:
1) "God Is A Verb" by Rabbi David Cooper;
2) "Sepher Yetzirah" by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan;
3) "Personal Kabbalah" by Penny Cohen and;
4) "Kabbalah" by Gershom Scholem.
Concerning the next part of your question, Gematria (Kabbalistic numerology) is a fascinating and complex subject. As you know, every Hebrew letter is also a number. Correspondences and analogies from words and phrases (with the same mathematical totals), can provide insights into our personal lives, hidden meanings of the Bible, and the state of the human condition.
Your number 13 is especially interesting, because 13 is the age for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah. At age 13, we become responsible for our thoughts, words and actions as expressed in the world. This number symbolizes transformation to a higher adult consciousness and the responsibility that goes with it.
Also, the great philosopher Maimonides offers 13 principles of faith, and there are 13 attributes of God's mercy found in the Mishnah. Most importantly, the gematria for the words echad (one) and love (ahava), both total 13 individually.
Here are a few books to consider on the aspect of gematria that you are interested in:
1) "Your Name Is Your Blessing: Hebrew Names and Their Mystical Meanings" by Elaine Blech;
2) "The Secrets of Hebrew Words" by Benjamin Blech;
3) "The Book of Letters: A Mystical Alef-Bait" by Lawrence Kushner and;
4) "The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet" by Michael L. Munk
As for Kabbalistic astrology, Ezekiel's Merkabah plays an important role in understanding the Sun's position in the Zodiac (Mazzaroth). The four faces in the chariot of the Merkabah symbolize the four fixed points of the Zodiac:
This concept of the Merkabah formed the basis for early Kabbalah, known as Merkabah Mysticism. It is a fascinating study of the Sun's sidereal cycle, and a method of conveying time measurements, as the Earth views each constellation for 2,160 years in a cosmic processional.
Here are a few books that correspond with the basis of your question:
1)"Astrology and Kabbalah" by Z'en Ben Shimon Halevi;
2)"Your Fortune in Your Name or Kabalistic Astrology" by Sepharial
3)"Above the Zodiac: Astrology in Jewish Thought" by Matityahu Glazerson and;
4) This book has not been released yet - but, I like the author:
"Cosmic Navigator: Design Your Destiny With Astrology and Kabbalah" by Gahl Sasson.
Christopher, I wish you all the best, and hope this information has been helpful for you....Bob Waxman
