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We learn from Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef Z"l, as well as R' Hamburger Shlit"a, and the rest of the non-Chassidic, non-Lurianic world that it is improper for one unlearned in sha"s and halachah to learn kabbalah. If the rabbi at a shul brings kabbalah in his dvar Torah, is it proper to leave the shul for the duration of the drash?

Thank-you to Hacham Gabriel, whose blog inspired my question.

msh210
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Noach MiFrankfurt
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  • is it a kosher Rabbi? would he be embarassed if you left? – ray Apr 18 '14 at 12:57
  • It's a fromm schul, albeit chassidic. However, I am unsure how derech eretz and learning something which may be assur work together. – Noach MiFrankfurt Apr 18 '14 at 13:02
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    The word "proper" is vague. Do you mean to ask whether it would be the preferred thing to do rather than subjecting yourself to improper education, or do you mean to ask whether it would be deemed tolerable despite the fact that you recognize it to be disrespectful? – Seth J Apr 20 '14 at 03:25
  • Related: http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/17759/is-it-halachically-wrong-to-avoid-the-rabbis-sermon – Seth J Apr 20 '14 at 03:25
  • Whether the subject matter actually over-rules the common position of remaining in the beit knesset during a dvar Torah. – Noach MiFrankfurt Apr 20 '14 at 14:52
  • As I understand it, though learning Kabbalah without being learned in Shas and Poseqim is prohibited, reading [in the Zohar, for example] without understanding is allowed (and even considered meritorious). Wouldn't hearing the rabbi at a shul bringing kabbalah in his dvar Torah (which one would think is knowingly targeted at the potentially unlearned) qualify as permitted reading, rather than prohibited learning? There might be a better question with regard to being at a Shi'ur given at a Yeshivah (where a certain background would be expected on the part of the participants). – Tamir Evan Dec 04 '14 at 19:55
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    Play a drasha speaking of kabbalah, this is not the study of Kabbalah is like if someone speaks of the Goedel theorem without demonstration or deep theoretical consideration; or speaks of M.R.I or without explaining the basic principles of physics on from whitch these things are based. Basically there is no problem. You just try to understand what he means to you. – kouty Mar 04 '16 at 08:04
  • this sounds disrespectful – Dude Nov 20 '22 at 14:04

1 Answers1

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It is insanely unlikely that a Rabbi who gives a kabbala speech is being megaleh sisrei torah be'pharhesya.

Saying over the words of the Zohar or the Ari without understanding them is approximately equivalent to pontificating on the meaning of life while bungee jumping.

Kabbala is a feeling, it is not an intellectual pursuit, therefore a technical rendition of how sephiros relate to each other without understanding the real world application of the concept of sephiros is an excercise in futility, not a glimpse into God's mind.

pcoz
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