Comment of the Day

Pinchus Giller:

With relative modesty, I have learned more Zohar than most people. Yet I have come across nothng on red strings in the Zohar in the course of my learning & the Zohar is the central place where kabbalah and halakhah coincide (there are at least three sifrei mitzvot in the Zohar literature). Hence I would argue that the elevation of red strings to an item of interest and discussion is in & of itself at distortion of the arc and thrust of kabbalistic teachings. It is an example of Western new age culture, in that spirituality is attained through buying a tchochke.

Most of the pehnomena to which DB has objected seem far from the spirit of the Zohar & classical Kabbalah but are practices reduced to gratification of desires, a very modern, Western thing, right down to the slogan "Moshiach Now." [DB: Boo-ya!] The word "Now" comes right out of American culture, IMHO. Now New Agism is worth discussing. I think that going into a New Age bookstore might be the closest thing to encountering the smorgasbord of Avodah Zarah described in Melakhim 2 21-22.

Who is Pinchus Giller? To ask, is to argue yourself unknown. (And he reads DovBear!)