RABBI ASHLAG
‘BA’AL HASULAM‘
Rabbi Yehuda Leib Halevi Ashlag, is one of the greatest Kabbalists of the 20th century. He established a new method in Kabbalah and his teachings represent the main avenue for studying the Book of the Zohar and Kabbalah today.
Rabbi Ashlag is known as "Baal HaSulam" named after his monumental work "The Sulam" commentary, in which he clarified and explained the entire Zohar, and made it and the Kabbalah understandable to the world for the first time ever.
​
Rabbi Ashlag was born in Likova, Poland, a disciple of the Admor Rabbi Meir Shalom Rabinowitz of Kaluszyn, of his son, Rabbi Yehoshua of Porisov, and of the Admor of Belz. He was ordained a rabbi and served as a Dayan and teacher in Warsaw for a number of years while involved in the learning of the wisdom of Kabbalah from a very young age. In 1921 the Rabbi made Aliyah and settled in the old city of Jerusalem.
​
It is believed that he warned about the Holocaust before it took place, and cried out that the destruction of the world is imminent in the days of the First World War. In his efforts to overcome this the rabbi suggested the study of Kabbalah in Yeshivas. His actions and thoughts were devoted to repairing human society as a whole and believed that this could be done solely through the wisdom of Kabbalah.
​
Apart from the commentary on the Sulam, he wrote many essays on Kabbalah including his dissertation on the great 'Talmud Ten Sefirot' providing a new understanding of the Ar'i Kabbalah doctrine. Rabbi Ashlag promoted his ideas both in theory and in practice. He met with political leaders and public figures to try and create connections with the Kibbutz movement.
Rabbi Ashlag had a tremendous influence on Judaism, Kabbalah in particular, and has become a domain for millions of people all around the world–Jews and non-Jews alike and was considered a universal thinker by many recognized philosophers during his time. Rabbi Ashlags influence is only growing and paving the way to many people around the world. His revolutionary thinking brought humanity a closer and unprecedented relationship with the Jewish doctrine Kabbalah.
Centers for the study of his teachings can be found all over the world and operate based on spreading his ideas to a wide and diversified audience. Rabbi Ashlag passed away at 70 years old (less than a week after his birthday).
YEHUDA ZVI HIRSCH BRANDWEIN
RABBI BRANDWEIN
Rabbi Yehuda Zvi Hirsch Brandwein, was the brother-in-law and great disciple of Rabbi Ashlag. He is also a Kabbalist rabbi, born in Safed, a descendant of a prominent Hasidic family.
During the First World War he traveled to Hungary and was a disciple of Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar, and then returned to Jerusalem where he became the most notable disciple of the Ba'al HaSulam.
He received his Rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld and Rabbi Kook. In the 1960s he served as the rabbi of the religious department of the Histadrut (called the "Rabbi of the Histadrut"). He taught Kabbalah according to the teachings of his rabbi, to a select group of students and saw his own work as a continuation of his great rabbi.
In addition to editing and bringing to print the work of his rabbi, Rabbi Brandwein wrote his greatest essays "Talmud Esser Hasefiros", and 'Maalot HaSulam' on the Zohar continuing the commentary his rabbi started and many more.
In the archive you will find the clear testament to his work and a direct continuation of his monumental compositions.
