A question I received: How do Kabbalists feel about humor? Are there any Kabbalistic jokes?

My Answer: In the first year out of the 12 I’ve spent next to Rabash (Kabbalist Baruch Ashlag), I was quite surprised to see how much he loved humor, jokes, wittiness, discoveries, unexpected situations, and unconventional points of view.

Such things are easy for a Kabbalist to relate to, because he always remains young! Why? Because the soul is constantly growing, and a Kabbalist’s spiritual growth makes him feel like a child. Regardless of how it might appear on the outside, a Kabbalist does not become full of himself, but actually becomes simpler than others in this world.

While maintaining a youthful soul, it’s also characteristic for a Kabbalist to undergo a perpetual inner revolution – searching, disagreeing with himself, analyzing, and making decisions above his own self or reason.

A Kabbalist watches his earthly (egoistic) nature from the side, from the perspective of the Upper nature – the “point in the heart” or the quality of bestowal, the way the Creator looks at him – and tries to justify that perspective.

A Kabbalist experiences constant, inner contradictions, and they are not resolved by conciliation or accord, but by championing that which is “against you” (bestowal) over that which is “you” (reception).

So jokes, humor and wit, are ways to reconcile the irreconcilable – all of these (with the exception of the primitive kind) are built upon life’s contradictions, and hence they resemble spiritual situations, which are familiar to a Kabbalist.

By the way, I heard that someone was collecting jokes from me (or about me)…

My Current Mood: cheerful

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