Women Studying Kabbalah

Q: Are women allowed to study Kabbalah?

A: The holy Ari said that everyone could study the wisdom of Kabbalah, provided they have the desire. A desire is when a person feels an inner need to answer the question, “What am I living for?”

If such a desire does not give us peace of mind, then we must study the wisdom of Kabbalah. Kabbalah exists only for that. Rabbi A.Y. Kook was once asked, “Who could study Kabbalah?” He replied simply: “Anyone who wants to.” If there is a real desire, that person will study Kabbalah.

Q: Is there a different curriculum for women?

A: There is no discrimination in spirituality. Women, like men, must attain adhesion with the Creator, the highest degree in creation. But women study differently from men, and so are the ways in which women can approach the Creator.

Q: Can any woman rise to the spiritual world, and if so, to what degree?

A: Yes, any woman can, and no less than a man, provided she has the desire from Above and the devotion from below, the exact same requirements as for men.

Q: Is it the will of the Creator that women will study Kabbalah?

A: Every soul should reach its destiny. All souls should reach equivalence of form with the Creator and become a part of Him, male and female souls alike.