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Kabbalah cult

• Cults , • Gossip , • Superstitious Folly

David Rowan in the Evening Standard writes of an enterprising rabbi who has turned the Kabbalah into a money maker.

In his flowing robes and unkempt beard, Berg resembles a typical suburban rabbi. Yet the vast international empire he runs with his wife Karen takes millions of pounds each year in donations, lecture fees and merchandise sales, from £50 "energising" necklaces to £1,200 prayer accessories.

When Berg blesses ordinary spring water, it apparently becomes "infused with kabbalistic meditation . . . for healing, well-being and rejuvenation" - qualities that are neatly marketed in his exclusive make-up range, which includes a "restoring night cream" at £80 and a £91 eye-cream.

Secrets of a celebrity sect

Richard Evans Lee
September 13, 2003 •
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I'm a happily gay Progressive Christian, and I agree with the above : Attempts to save my soul are fruitless and offensive, hatred and ignorance are never fine, and self serving idealogues are almost as dangerous as the generation of "Surface Feeders" (people who accept everything and never probe beyond what's readily visible) our nation is breeding...Wake up people!

Posted by: TJ | November 4, 2003 3:17 PM

Hey, I'm a 26 year old Kabbalist. I've been a student for years now. I find it hard as a Kabbalist to criticize anyones spiritual progression, but here are some things I disagree about Rav Bergs Kabbalah Centre. The study of the Kabbalah is mostly about personal transformation and growth, along with trying to develope a relationship with the creator. The Kabbalah Centre takes alot away from the traditional teaching and values of the Jewish faith. There is truth that you do not necessarly have to be Jewish to study Kabbalah but as a Jew myself, I would not see the value in trying to study the inner meaning of the Torah unless you have a love for the Jewish faith. The fact that they sell Kabbalah water is an outrage and such acts give the Kabbalah a bad name. It's not like we see Christian walking around drinking Holy Water! People of the Jewish faith belive the Hebrew letters hold a special power and over the years they have been used for meditation. The Kabbalah Centre tells non hebrew reading people to scan and concentrate on the letters over and over again even if you don't understand a letter. I still have not found any supporting info from past Kabbalist that claim that this action is healthy or productive. The Kabbalah Centre helps some and hurts some! If any person wants to learn more, study past greats there you will find the answers (Ashlag,Luria,Akiva,Yochai) ect. Good luck to All!

Posted by: Mark | February 25, 2004 9:09 PM

To TJ: I am a born again Christian who would just like to say that just because we preach repentance to the world does not mean that we hate you. I hate no one. All we want is to see is that people make heaven. We have a bruden for souls. We do not preach to work our way into heaven. We preach because the Bible says to. If Jesus and his disciples preached repentance why can't we? There is no place in the Bible that says that we should let the world go to hell in a hand basket just so that we do not offend anyone. Jesus offended people all the time during his minestry. If you do not think so then you are not reading your Bible. Just because you approve of your life does not mean that God does. Really have you ever asked him? Or have you just assumed that he does because you ignore the parts of the Bible that says that God judges the unrightious. I only read the parts that say that God loves you. I am not saying that God does not love the unrightious but will punish them like a parent does to a child who disobeys. P.S. 1 Cor. 6:9-11 & 17-20, Rom 1:26-32, Lev 18:22, Lev 20:13, John 10:10, 1John 1:9-10

Posted by: Aliss | May 20, 2004 10:11 AM

I don't understand much about kabalah but i do know one thing we our the children of god.We should try to obey his laws.We are all born sinners we could never be like god.I know i could never be god like.I think we should let god be god and love him and try to live a life pleasing to him.

Posted by: Sarah | September 24, 2004 12:19 AM

I used to attend the Kabbalah Centre, and after volunteering there for almost 2 years I cut my ties with that place for the following reasons: 1. They said I could not advance spiritually until I started giving them money (tithing). Now anyone with half a brain should realize that any spiritual organization that requires its members to give money in order to move up the spiritual ladder is either a cult or a scam... or both. 2. After volunteering for almost 2 years the staff members I worked with started treating me like I was their servant, telling me that all the stuff they were asking me to do (cleaning the facilities, driving staff members to and from the airport, etc... and all for free) would "increase my spiritual bank account" and help me to get the job I desperately needed at the time. Well, it turns out that I didn't get a job until well after I cut my ties with those people. 3. When it became clear to the people there that I was really into coming to the Kabbalah Centre, one of the event organizers told me that I should continue to sign up for their (pretty pricey) classes in addition to volunteering or it would be considered that I did not want to continue my lessons and so would be asked to leave. 4. Now you should really pay attention to this: The central concept of the Kabbalah Centre is what they call "proactivity" and the central book of the Kabbalah Centre is the Zohar. Everybody who attends the Kabbalah Centre knows this. Now no matter who I asked, nobody in the Kabbalah Centre could tell me where proactivity is specifically mentioned in the Zohar. I even emailed Yehuda Berg (Philip Berg's son) and asked him to cite an example from the Zohar that illustrated each step of the "proactive formula." It was a very legitimate question but I got no response, and when I persisted in my emails they were forwarded to someone who said they could not help me. Now you have to ask yourself why nobody in the Kabbalah Centre, even Yehuda Berg, can connect their main idea to their main text. Anybody currently attending the Kabbalah Centre should ask this question, which I will repeat for their benefit: "Cite an example from the Zohar that illustrates each step of the proactive formula."

Posted by: Anticultist | July 19, 2005 7:52 PM

I've been attending the Kabbalah Centre lectures in LA, and have not felt intimidated or high-pressured in any way. I consider myself to be a spiritually-motivated, assertive, and discerning person. I think there's some confusion regarding the word "proactive" and the context in which it was intended. While in class, we were told to be "proactive" (i.e., responsible, take-charge individuals), instead of "reactive" (i.e., victims of circumstance). When we are victims, we disconnect from the Light and our power/energy is diminished. This positive, common-sense lesson behooved me, and has practical benefits when understood and applied. Also, if certain individuals can't afford to buy whatever it is, just say, "No Thank You!" Peace.....Kim

Posted by: Kim | September 22, 2005 10:41 PM

To Kim: Being "proactive" has long been a recommended course of action because of its constructive and positive effects on potentially bad situations... but the Kabbalah Centre did NOT come up with it. It's always good to be proactive, which is why the Kabbalah Centre has adopted it as its main concept and preaches it to its students, so that when they turn potentially bad situations into more positive ones they think that they were using Kabbalah and therefore convince themselves that the Kabbalah Centre must be the real deal. As I said, being proactive is the Kabbalah Centre's central concept and the Zohar is the Kabbalah Centre's central text. So why is it that no one can cite an example where proactivity is mentioned or even illustrated in the Zohar? Why can no one connect the Kabbalah Centre's main concept to its main text? You must ask yourself that. Additionally, a quick web search will reveal at least one other organization that teaches Kabbalah for FREE. Why, then, does the Kabbalah Centre charge outlandish prices for its pieces of string and cosmetics when other spiritual organizations charge their students nothing and operate only on donations? It is not a matter of simply saying "No thank you"... it is a matter of questioning the principle of why such prices are being charged for such worldly items as cosmetics in a so-called spiritual organization. I believe that Kabbalah really does work if one approaches it properly. What I don't believe is that the Kabbalah Centre is where you should go to learn it. See for yourself: Ask a teacher why the Kabbalah Centre says you should give money in order to be able to advance spiritually. Pay as much attention as you want to what they have to say, but if you're not bothered by people telling you (in different words) that spiritual advancement can be bought, then you've already been brainwashed.

Posted by: Anticultist | September 23, 2005 1:27 PM

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