Kabbalah Amulets and Art

There is a lot of spiritual art and craftwork using Kabbalistic principles as inspiration, but only a few sites that actually create customized or individualized Kabbalistic Amulets in either artistic or traditional form. Most people purchase standardized jewellery containing the sacred names of G-d, or specific prayers, and these would be more than adequate for the purpose of the general protection they offer. If a person found themselves in certain circumstance in need of a particular spiritual solution, they would then require a more powerful amulet designed to their specific requirements and containing their name.

One of the more interesting sites that delivers such a service is KabbalArt at http://www.kabbalart.com.au
They provide customized and artistic amulets that not only offer various forms of spiritual protection, but add to the aesthetic environment of your home or business.

By Darren Stein.

For at least two-and-a-half-millennia, the nine Muses of Ancient Greek mythology have provided the artistic explanation for the inexplicable inspiration that has driven so many artists, musicians and poets. Many a time has the frustrated dramatist beseeched his goddess for assistance, or given offerings of thanks to she who has bestowed upon him the favour of renown. Modern theatres continue to decorate their establishments with Neo-classical tributes to the Muses, and many publishing houses adopt titles from their names in the hope that it will continue to bring them success.
Jewish tradition, one might be interested to know, also credits the divine presence with the gift of creativity. The same inexplicable download that fills the artist with inspiration is described in the bible in Exodus 31:3-4, where G-d inspires the artist Bezalel with the necessary knowhow and creativity to create the Temple Artefacts:
"and I have filled him [Bezalel the Artist] with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze,to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship." (Exodus 31:3-4)
In this verse, the Hebrew for "skill", "ability" and "knowledge" correspond to the Kabbalistic spheres of Chochma (Wisdom), Bina (Understanding) and Da'at (Knowledge), all of which stand below the pinnacle of the Divine presence the Tree of Life in the form of Keter (The Crown of God) - the ultimate of all Creators.
The Kabbalistic artist, Darren Stein, has tried to capture this theme through his painting, "The Kabbalistic Muse" which can be viewed below.
The painting details the top rung of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life - The Crown of G-d (Keter) referring to the first line of Genesis in Hebrew as the ultimate form of Creation; Wisdom on the right (Chochma), Understanding on the left (Bina), Knowledge shown by the anonymous and timeless artist (Da'at) and Creativity (Tifferet) displayed by the two Seraphs that adorned the Holy Ark that held the Ten Commandments. It demonstrates the muse-like qualities of the artist, referring to G-d's gift of creativity to the artist, Bezalel, who created the sacred artefact for the Temple in Exodus (31:3-4).
In their morning prayers, Jews recite a special supplication for insight, requesting the first three spheres from the Kabbalistic Tree of Life referred to above:
"You graciously endow man with wisdom and teach insight to a frail mortal. Endow us graciously from Yourself with wisdom, insight, and discernment. Blessed are You, G-d, gracious Giver of wisdom."
So, Judaism too, credits an outside source with the gift of divine inspiration. Like scholars and artists of the past, we too ask our monotheistic G-d to reward us with these capabilities on a daily basis and credit G-d as the source of our talent and achievement.

Announcing a brand-new offer. Purchase any amulet or artwork from KabbalArt and receive a "FREE" Red-String Kabbalah bracelet with beautiful Hamsah pendant and Eiyin Rah (for protection from the Evil Eye).

I would like to strongly recommend an excellent article about the spiritual and protective powers of the Mezuza by Dr. Alexander Poltorak at Chabad.org. Dr. Poltorak's essay provides a broad overview of the various sources of the purpose and nature of Mezuzas, from the Tanach, Talmud and Kabbalah, as well as commentary by Rabbis and Sages both new and old. Anyone who doubts Orthodox Judaism's belief in the protective nature of particular prayers and amulets need only read this article about a ceremonial artefact which we are commanded to place upon our door posts. In fact, it would be correct to say, that a Mezuza should be in place before considering the purchase or application of additional amulets, given the general protective nature that these afford. Kabbalistic amulets would add to the power of the Mezuza by focussing on a particular issue not covered under the general ambit of the Mezuza, e.g., business success, love, marriage, pregnancy, etc.

The original essay is about 10 000 words long with references and can be found at:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/310889/jewish/The-Protective-Power-of-Mezuzah.htm

veryone recognizes the "Star of David" or in Hebrew, "Magen David", as the central symbol for Judaism and the Jewish people, much like the Cross has come to symbolize Christians and Christianity, or the Crescent Moon - Islam and Muslims. But what in fact are the origins of this symbol and has it always been a Jewish Icon.

The Magen David or so-called "Star of David" which appears between the blue and white fields on the Israeli Flag or which was proscribed by the Nazi's to identify Jews during the Holocaust, is a symbol surrounded by myth and misinterpretation. Firstly, the word "Magen" in Hebrew, does not in fact mean "star", but "shield". This has led many to suggest that the Shield of King David was decorated with a six-pointed star or hexagram. There is, however, no textual evidence for anything of the sort, and all references to the "Shield" of David are figurative and not literal. Among numerous examples are:

"G-D is my strength and my shield, in Him has my heart trusted, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song will I
praise Him". (Psalm 28:7)

"G-D is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in Him I take refuge; my shield, and my horn of salvation, my high tower.
(Psalm 18:3)

"But You, O G-d, are a shield about me, my glory, He who holds my head high". (Psalm 3:3)

The "shield" or Magen in the case of King David is thus not a literal piece of wood or metal armor, but G-D who defended David against danger or harm. Therefore, the hexagram or six-pointed-star bears no historical or textual foundations.

The first recorded instance in which the Magen David was used as a symbol for a group of Jews was in 1354 when King Charles IV proscribed a flag to identify the Jews of Prague which included both a hexagram and pentagram on a red field. In fact, apart from a few examples of the hexagram appearing in a decorative motiffs in the 3rd Century CE, the pentagram as a Seal of Solomon appears to bear more numerous references in both the architectural and textual record, and was more likely to be a common symbol of the Jewish People despite its appropriation by Wiccans and those who have misapplied it to some form of Satanic purposes in the contemporary context. The Menorah and pentagram feature prominently on Judean coins and within the decorative motiffs of the pre-Roman period, and there is archaeological evidence that the pentagram was used as a seal by the Hasmonean dynasty, if not, according to legend, by King Solomon himself.

Kabbalistic use of the hexagram emerges out of the triangular nature of Magen David, which is used to increase or diminish spiritual energies and a general principle of Kabbalah. Contemporary scholars such as Franz Rosenzweig claim that the top triangle strives upward, toward G-D, while the lower triangle strives downward, toward the real world, suggesting that the intertwining makes the triangles inseparable, like the Jewish people. Scholars claim that the three sides represent the three types of Jews: Kohanim, Levites and Israel, while some note that there are actually 12 sides (3 exterior and 3 interior on each triangle), representing the 12 tribes. While these theories are theologically interesting, they have little basis in historical fact.

In the biblical period, the Menorah (Seven branched candelabra) was more commonly used as a symbol for Judaea and is likewise, the coat of arms for the modern state of Israel. The Menorah was believed to be designed by G-D and given to the craftsman, Bezalel, to forge out of a single piece of gold taken from the contributions of every Jewish person during the Exodus from Egypt. The Seven arms represent the Seven Days of Creation, the Menorah itself is an artefact that was used in the sacred Temple, and upon its base were the icons of the Twelve Tribes, all of which account for the unity of the Jewish people, making it a more appropriate symbol for their religious and historical origins.

We can thus demonstrate that despite the Kabbalistic concepts embedded in the use of multiple triangles in the so-called "Magen David", the hexagram has not been a symbol of the Jewish people beyond the last two-centuries. The Pentagram and Menorah have historically had greater claim to the status as Jewish symbols of representation, but none-the-less, the cultural, historical and political realities that have emerged during the contemporary period have enshrined the image as one which represent Jewish people-hood.

A relative sent me this file displaying how one can find all the Hebrew Letters within the following font structure which forms a part of the Magen David. You can make up you own minds as to whether it is coincidence or design.

It is interesting how all the letters can be found.

I have always been puzzled by the sudden explosion of New Age retailers selling everything from Native American dream catchers to statues of the Buddha. In particularly, I was intrigued by the booming sales of semi-precious stones which they claim possess various abilities and resonances relating to physical and psychological healing. Scientific sceptics have of course dismissed the matter, but I was surprised to find a number of references to similar beliefs within the Torah, Talmud and Zohar.

The most obvious of these references can be found in relation to the "Ephod", the breastplate worn by the Cohen Hagadol (High Priest) in the Jewish Temple, containing twelve separate stones, each of which represented a different tribe.

"And you shall set it with four rows of mounted stones; the first row: a ruby, an emerald, and a topaz. The second row: a carbuncle, a sapphire, and a quartz crystal. The third row: a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst. The fourth row: a chrysolite, an onyx, and an opal. These stones shall be placed in gold settings. The stones shall contain the names of the twelve children of Israel, one for each of the twelve stones; each one's name shall be engraved as on a signet ring, to represent the twelve tribes." (Ex. 28: 17-21)

In reality, the only fact which is known with absolute certainty is the colour of each stone, not the exact type of stone which relies on some interpretation about those available to the Israelites at the time. Although absent from the Biblical passages, this is recorded by the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 2:7) where it is stated that each tribe's stone on the breastplate matched the background colour of its flag under which they camped throughout the Exodus.

Thus even if some doubt exists with regard to the scientific classification of the gems themselves, we can still be certain as to their appearance based on the Midrashic description of their colours:

1. Ruby (Red) - Reuben
2. Jade or Topaz (Green ) - Shimon
3. Agate (Red, White, and Black Striped) - Levi
4. Carbuncle (Bluish-Green ) - Judah
5. Lapis-Lazuli (Blue ) - Issachar
6. Quartz Crystal (Clear ) - Zebulun
7. Turquoise (Blue) - Dan
8. Amethyst (Purple ) - Naftali
9. Agate (Grey ) - Gad
10. Aquamarine (Blue-Green ) - Asher
11. Onyx (Black ) - Joseph
12. Opal (A Stone Possessing All the Colours) - Benjamin

The Sefer Gematriot (43a-44b) takes these a step further, and in fact assigns either healing or fortune properties to the twelve stones in the Ephod.

1. Reuben's ruby is said to assists with fertility and the prevention of miscarriage.
2. Simeon's Jade or Topaz apparently cools the body.
3. Levi's stone rejuvenates the body, sharpens the eyes, and makes men wise.
4. Judah's carbuncle is believed to give the wearer bravery and protection in battle.
5. Issachar's sapphire provides understanding and medicinal intuition.
6. Zebulun's emerald encourages successful trade and helps the wearer sleep peacefully.
7. Dan's stone allows one to see another's true intentions.
8. Naptali's Agate helps to ground and a balance a person.
9. Gads' amethyst produces bravery and valour in battle.
10. Asher's beryl helps speed up one's metabolism.
11. Joseph's onyx helps one win friends and influence people.
12. Benjamin's Opal helps one keep secrets and confidences.

Apart from these, two stones regarded as Oracles, the Urim and Tumim ("illuminator and verifier"), possibly made from Sardonyx, were inscribed with the sacred Name of G-d and inserted in the folds of the Breastplate. It caused the letters inscribed on its stones to light up in response to queries posed by the leaders to indicate a positive or a negative response from G-d when asked a particular question.

"And [Joshua] shall stand before Elazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of the Urim before G-d: by this word shall they go out, and by this word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him." (Numbers xxvii:21).
Additional examples can be found in I Samuel. XI: 18 when Saul commanded the Priest, "Bring hither the ephod", along with similar references in Ezekial. XXI: 26; Zecheriah.X. 2.

Furthermore, the healing capabilities of stones are referred to in both the Talmud and Zohar, indicating that the Patriarch Avraham (Abraham ) had a healing stone which hung around his neck with which he was able to heal people (Talmud Baba Basra16b).
So the New Age concept of crystals and gems imbuing magical qualities that are able to heal the body or change one's fortune, are in fact built upon a tradition that goes back almost three-thousand-years, and one which is not in fact incongruous with the Jewish teachings of the Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah. So feel free to go out and buy yourself that emerald pendant. It will help you get a good night's sleep and improve your career prospect the following day.