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Haim David Zukerwar
Spiritual Structure of Reality


Abstract

1. Who are we?
2. How do we perceive?
3. Where does reality begin and end?

1. Who are we?
When we try to apprehend our essence, to come to our Self, we perceive that thought dilutes before the question "who am I?" This happens because our inner Self is in itself "part" of the essence of the whole of reality. In the same way as water held in a container melts and unifies with the sea when it is returned to the ocean, each soul is an immanent part of the Infinite Essence.

When the book of Genesis narrates the Creation of man, it is mentioned like this:
"... make man", "…formed man" and "…created man"
Genesis, 1:26, 2:7, 1:27

In the book of Prophet Isaiah, we also find the following verse:
"Everything that is called in My Name by Me, I created it, formed it and I also made it"
Isaiah 43:7

Made refers to the material-sensory consciousness, or the World of Action, according to Jewish spiritual tradition and to the soul level called in Hebrew Nefesh.
Formed indicates the emotional consciousness, or the World of Formation, that refers to the soul level called in Hebrew Ruach.
Created refers to the World of Creation and is connected with the soul level called in Hebrew Neshama, the type of thought activated by free will.

Nefesh, Ruach and Neshama indicate three of the five basic and general aspects that embrace the totality of the soul according to Jewish tradition.

2. How do we perceive?
The material aspect of reality is a sensory expression, a tangible projection that reflects the spiritual-intelligible. Based on this analogy, the Sages and the Prophets structured a spiritual language, its teachings and texts.

The senses as well as the mind are the soul's instruments. Senses give to living beings a bodily consciousness of themselves. But the mind establishes relations beyond the self.The proper consciousness to be developed is the component that establishes the relationship between me-you. That is, the human potential for evolution, or the spiritual, which embraces the sensory and the emotional as well as the rational in order to allow us to perceive the connection with the whole reality.

3. Where does reality begin and end?
Spiritual energy is a force without body and is called in Jewish tradition Or, that is to say, Light. Or is the spiritual energy before being covered by our material-sensory world, before human senses are able to perceive it. The Jewish Sages always saw the world as potential Spiritual Light, Or, which man reveals, perceives and activates through his altruist actions or Mitzvot. These are the conscious actions that activate the Light of the soul unifying men among themselves and with the One and Only, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, the Infinite Creator.

Themes:
- Language and consciousness.
- Sensory reality, intelligible reality.
-"Orchad of Wisdom" Pardes, four levels of reading reality:
Pshat, Remez, Drash and Sod.
- Body – soul, matter – consciousness.
- Four types of intelligence: rational, emotional, mental and spiritual.
- Altruism: the language of the consciousness.

 


La estructura espiritual de la realidad

1. ¿Quiénes somos?
2. ¿Cómo percibimos?
3. ¿Dónde comienza y termina la realidad?

1. ¿Quiénes somos?
Cuando intentamos aprehender nuestra esencia, llegar a nuestro Yo, percibimos que el pensamiento se diluye ante el interrogante de ¿quién soy?
Esto sucede porque nuestro yo más interior es «parte» de la esencia de toda la realidad, y como el agua contenida en un recipiente al ser devuelta al océano se funde y unifica con el mar, de la misma manera cada alma es parte inmanente de la Esencia Infinita.

Cuando en el libro del Génesis se relata la Creación del hombre, se menciona de esta manera:
“(...) hizo al hombre, formó al hombre y lo creó.”
Génesis, 1:26, 2:7, 1:27

También en el libro del Profeta Isaías encontramos el siguiente versículo:
"Todo lo llamado en Mi Nombre por Mí, lo creé, lo formé y también lo hice".
Isaías 43:7

Hizo: alude a la conciencia material-sensorial, o al Mundo de la Acción, según la tradición espiritual judía y al nivel del alma denominado en hebreo Néfesh.
Formó: nos indica la conciencia emocional, o el Mundo de la Formación, que hace referencia al nivel del alma denominado en hebreo Rúaj.
Creó: refiere al Mundo de la Creación y está conectado con el nivel del alma denominado en hebreo Neshamá, equivalente al pensamiento que discierne en la voluntad.

Néfesh, Rúaj y Neshamá indican tres de los cinco aspectos básicos y generales que abarcan la totalidad del alma según la tradición judía.

2. ¿Cómo percibimos?
El aspecto material de la realidad es una expresión sensible, una proyección tangible que refleja lo inteligible espiritual. En base a esa analogía los sabios y profetas estructuraron el lenguaje espiritual, sus enseñanzas y textos.

Tanto los sentidos como la mente son instrumentos del alma. Los sentidos le otorgan a los seres vivos conciencia corporal de sí. La mente en cambio establece relaciones más allá de sí. La conciencia a desarrollar sería ese componente que establece la relación entre yo-tú. Ese es el potencial humano de evolución, lo espiritual, que abarca lo sensorial y lo emocional pasando por lo racional hasta poder llegar a percibir la conexión con toda la realidad.

3. ¿Dónde comienza y termina la realidad?
La energía espiritual es una fuerza sin cuerpo y es denominada por la tradición de Israel Or o sea Luz. Or es la energía espiritual antes de revestirse en nuestro mundo material-sensorial, antes de que los sentidos humanos puedan percibirla. Los sabios judíos siempre vieron al mundo como un potencial de Luz Espiritual, Or, que el hombre revela, percibe y activa a través de su acciones altrusitas o Mitzvót. Estas son las acciones conscientes que activan la Luz del alma unificando a los hombres entre sí y con el Uno, sin segundo, HaKadósh Barúj Hú, el Creador Infinito.

Temario
- Lenguaje y conciencia
- Realidad sensible, realidad inteligible
-“El Prado de la Sabiduría” Pardes cuatro niveles de lectura de la realidad:
Pshat Remaz Drash y Sod.
- Cuerpo – alma, materia - conciencia
- Cuatro inteligencias: racional, emocional mental y espiritual
- Altruismo: el lenguaje consciente del alma

 



Biography
Rabbi Haim David Zukerwar is the director of “The Jewish World Explorium.” He also organizes and leads centers for the transmission of Jewish Wisdom, as “Milui” (1990) and “Halel” (1994) in Jerusalem.

He was born in Montevideo (Uruguay). He is a musician and a recognized scholar and lecturer of Jewish Inner Wisdom, the Kabala. In Jerusalem he deepened his rabbinic knowledge of the Sefardi Midrash and the Kol Yehuda Tzvi, and made contact (1988) with his teacher Rabbi Mordechai Shainberger Shlita, one of the greatest world specialists in the Zohar and in the writings of the great kabalist of Safed, Itzhak Luria Ashkenazi.

Rabbi Zukerwar is author of several books published in Israel, Spain and Brazil and has written hundreds of articles. He has also composed symphonic music and chamber music that has been interpreted in Europe, USA, Japan and Latin America. Rabbi Zukerwar is often invited as guest lecturer in universities and educational institutions of Israel, Europe and South America.


 

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