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The following tidbit isn't meant to discourage anyone's interest in the Kabbalah, I just find it fascinating how strong the connections between language and beliefs can be and how the true power of an ontology can be tied directly to speaking the language.
The grandfather of a buddy of mine was a Rabbi, Hebrew scholar, and major Kabbalist.
He was talking to us one time about magic and mysticism and he commented that he always laughed a bit at people who only spoke English becoming 'experts' on the Kabbalah.
In his opinion, the only way you really got to know the tradition was to speak Hebrew because so much of the secrets of the Kabbalah are plays on words. Without speaking the language you miss the nuances that really make it come alive.
He started rambling off examples that went right over my head but they sure sounded impressive. 
Of course he was a bit of an old curmudgeon too. |
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