The following article appears on the CBS2/WCBSTV website, and is about the “Kabbalah Center”. (It was slightly edited by YWN, and additional information ported following the article.)
Numerous secular ‘pop-stars’, and major league ball players, have reportedly become acquainted through their interest in Kabbalah, an ancient form of Jewish mysticism.
Jews have been studying Kabbalah since it started about 800 years, but the organization that these “celebrities” are connected with, the Kabbalah Center, has taken the Jewish tradition and made it accessible to everyone.
“Kabbalah is esoteric or deeper teaching of the Torah, which is the Old Testament. It refers to a separate receiving of teaching that just sheds light on what the Torah means on a deeper level. Simple as that,” said Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn.
Einhorn says not all Jews study the Kabbalah – it’s basically another tool used to get a deeper understanding of the religion.
So what is the Kabbalah Center, which has a midtown office on 48th St.?
The center has basically taken ideology from Kabbalistic teachings, and turned it into a spiritual movement.
Rick Ross has been studying controversial religious groups around the world for more than 25 years. He feels the Kabbalah Center is nothing more than a religious spiritual empire.
“The Kabbalah Center is really not recognized within the organized Jewish community. It’s really more of a family business, run by Philip Berg, his second wife Karen, and their two sons,” said Rick Ross. “In my opinion, the Kabbalah center can be seen as a cult.”
“If the family doesn’t go along with the loved one’s involvement with the Kabbalah Center or spouse doesn’t follow along into the Kabbalah Center, they may break up a family, they make break up a marriage,” added Ross.
According to the center’s website, the organization began in the 1920’s. It only became well known recently, thanks to some high profile members.
Ross feels the Kabbalah Center takes advantage of people financially.
Critics of the Kabbalah Center say it teaches a watered down version of the true Kabbalistic teachings.
CBS 2 HD says they tried to contact the Kabbalah Center in New York and Los Angeles, but they declined a request for an interview.
The following is the statement on the Kabbalah Center’s website:
The Kabbalah Centre is a spiritual and educational organization dedicated to bringing the wisdom of Kabbalah to the world. The Centre itself has existed for more than 80 years, but its spiritual lineage extends even further — to Rav Isaac Luria, in the 16th century, and through Rav Luria to Rav Shimon Bar Yochai, who revealed the principal text of Kabbalah, the Zohar, more than 2000 years ago.
The Kabbalah Centre was founded in Jerusalem in 1922 by Rav Yehuda Ashlag, one of the greatest kabbalists of the 20th century. When Rav Ashlag left this world, leadership of The Centre was taken on by Rav Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein. Before his passing, Rav Brandwein designated Rav Berg to continue the lineage of Kabbalah as Director of The Kabbalah Centre. And today, some 30 years later, co-directs The Centre together with his wife, Karen.
Although there are many scholarly studies of Kabbalah, The Centre understands this wisdom not as an academic discipline but as a way of creating a better life. Through The Kabbalah Centre, the practical tools and spiritual teachings of Kabbalah are accessible to everyone for personal change and transformation. This is the foundation of everything we do.
A Message (“Tzedakah fundraiser”) from Yehuda Berg Co-Director of The Kabbalah Center (Tsunami):
Los Angeles, California, January 3, 2005 — We are deeply saddened and moved by the unfortunate disaster that has killed over one hundred and fifty thousand people and has left another 5 million homeless and destitute. The deadly occurrence has not only destroyed the countless coastal communities of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Eastern Africa, Thailand, and other areas, but could potentially lead to a generation of suffering previously unknown to humankind.
In response to this crisis of epic proportion, The Kabbalah Centre is joining the many world relief organizations in their efforts to address the most immediate needs of these countries. To that end, we are committed to sending Kabbalah Water, Zohars and other needed supplies to the affected areas, particularly to the people of Indonesia.
It is a fact that a lack of portable drinking water is a primary cause of further suffering and death by those who have survived the initial tragedy. With this in mind, The Kabbalah Centre has already taken action to deliver containers of Kabbalah Water to this part of the world. As of Monday, January 3, The Kabbalah Centre has shipped nearly ten thousand liters of Kabbalah water to Indonesia and has distributed thousands of Zohars to the people of Thailand. Of course, this is only the modest beginning of a much larger ongoing effort.
We believe that our mission at The Kabbalah Centre mandates that we respond to this crisis in a truly humanitarian way—one consistent with our belief that we are all mutually responsible for the chaos suffered in the world. Therefore, we have made it our goal to raise up to $1,000,000 to package, ship and distribute Kabbalah Water and Zohars to those in desperate need of these healing items.
If you would like to participate in this monumental undertaking please contact (number removed by YWN), or click here to make a donation.
The clock is ticking, so please join the effort to save thousands of lives.
In addition to this tremendous outpouring of material support, we also urge all people to meditate for all of humankind. We suggest you meditate daily on [A “shem hamiforash” was written here], the 72 Name of God for Healing, to relieve the severe pain and anguish of those affected by this disaster.
Through our collective consciousness, we can transform chaos into Light, so that those who have endured this tragedy may be comforted and so that these disasters no longer plague humanity.
WHO IS MICHAEL BERG? (WIKIPEDIA):
Michael Berg (born June 29, 1973, in Jerusalem, Israel) is a teacher, author, and Co-Director of the Kabbalah Centre. He is the son of Philip Berg and Karen Berg the current Deans of The Kabbalah Centre, and brother of fellow Kabbalah teacher Yehuda Berg.
Michaels Rabbinical status was gained at Yeshiva Kineset Yechezkel however is most widely known as an author and teacher on the subject of Kabbalah. Michael translated the entire Zohar into English, which is distributed in a 23-volume set which includes the original Aramaic text and English commentary. Michael is also the author of a number of popular books about Kabbalah, including The Way: Using the Wisdom of Kabbalah for Spiritual Transformation and Fulfillment and The Secret: Unlocking the Source of Joy and Fulfillment.
Michael is also known for his monthly New Moon lectures, in which he and his wife, Monica Berg, discuss the energy of the upcoming month. These lectures are broadcast to most Kabbalah Centre branches and study groups world-wide.
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20 Responses
Philip Berg is a phony and a lowlife shaigetz. He left his wife and ten kids alone to welfare and married his then goyishe secretary Karen. He uses the kabalah which he picked up from his first wifes uncle for enrichment while he treated his first family as dogs. His kabalh center has nothing to do with religion and his followers are not frum at all. He is like any goro and should not be mentioned in a frum website.
He is b”h clse to gehinum already. Karen will also have her mise sof
Its so stupid we cant even talk.
phillip is a known ousvorf in the world of descent people
this whole thing is one big bizayon to write about. Any torah true Jew knows this phenomenum of clebrities studying kabbalah is one big stupidity. Anyone who knows why this is being brought up now, ie. A Rod etc. knows that the excuses of Kaballah is a stupid excuse at the most. These things happen daily in the goyishe velt even before Kaballah existed.
Why in the world would Yeshiva World News “dignify” this apikoirus with such an article! I am really shocked at your poor judgment. While Rav Ashlag himself was quite controversial, at least he was an ehrlicher yid and made an important contribution by translating the Zohar Hakodosh into Hebrew. Unfortunately, the Centre has become a major חילול השם.
A certain female celebrity “pop star” made the study of Kaballah popular by celebrities and others. A major league ball player now joined this cult. His wife claims that he was brainwashed by this celebrity. The female “pop star” claims that Kaballah has changed her for the better making her a less self centered person.
It’s tragic that the holy Zohar is desecrated by people with such morally corrupt lives as these.
belzer/#1, Thank you. You are right.
Jewess , you are correct. She used to be a material girl and now?! Was that an improvment?
Now that it is in the news klal yisroel needs to distance itself from that mokom as far as it can. Anyone interviewed or asked a question about it should say that the place is not affiliated nor does it represent jewish teachings.
First study and know the Torah. When you are a boki and shomer kol haTorah kuloh,then begin to styudy Kabbolo with yir’as Shomayim. All else is phony.
I once talked to Rav Yaakov Hillel shlita who most gedolim consider the leading halahic authority in kabbalah today regarding taking action against the centre as they have polluted thousands of people just alone here in LA and he said we should leave them alone and basically just ignore them. They are extremely powerful, especially in London and in Los Angeles and are known to issue writs and sue anyone who even slightly challenges them (including websites). I think we should all take Rav Hillel’s advice and just leave them alone.
I would like to share with the readers part of an email I received from the Kabalah Center this Erev Sh’vuos.
Dear Friend,
Join thousands of students from all over the world for an all-night event to raise the immortality rate for the entire world:
Live Streaming from Los Angeles
with RAV and KAREN BERG
Sunday Night June 8 at 9:30 PM
and the email goes on with the information etc.
Do you understand that they are openly mechalel Yom Tov???, and certainly causing other Jews to do the same?
Be careful what you say.
Rabbi Immanuel Schohet in Toronto called them a cult and said Karen was a shicksa and they sued him.
It was in court for a long time.
I think he issued some sort of retraction.
It dragged on for a long time.
And as the kaballah says,
“Ve hamayven yavin”
Belzer #1 is right, i actually know the family and thats exactly what happened. By writing about such a person all your doing is publicizing him and thats not what YW should be doing! But overall YW is still king. Keep up the good work.
Joseph/ I was his neighbor right before he left. A chaya Raa
I also fail to see the significance of this feature for us. In general I feel YWN is missing somehow a clearer perspecdtive as to what news is brought to the haimishe Oilem.
I personally have burned berg’s [english] books under the guidance of my Rabbis.
As far as their printing of the Zohar with Perush Sulam, our Rabbi did not want it in the Bet Midrash, even though it is an exact [photo]copy of the Zohar with Perush Sulam.
Unfortunately, there are many cults plaguing the Orthodox Jewish community. There are many self-help groups that are viewed as cults by experts which are spreading through our communities……
A good comparison to this “kabbalah” cult is the Church of Scientology cult.
Is there nothing else to print about in this column? It is totally unneccesary to mention anything at all about the entire topic. He should have been put in cherim for what he did to his wife and family.He created a cult from which he makes millions. I firmly believe that you should remove the entire article. it is a bizayon to have this on your website.
As a goy I certainly have learned a lot of new and interesting words by following this thread. Rambam warns against this approach to esoteric knowledge doesn’t he?