Kabbalah is the school of thought and the practices of the mystical aspect of Judaism. The teachings are of a more esoteric nature meant to help define the inner meaning of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and traditional Rabbinic literature. It also explains the significance of Jewish religious observances.

In Kabbalah every idea stems from the basic foundation of God. The central belief is stated as follows: "The foundation of all foundations, and the pillar of all wisdom is to know that there is God who brought into being all existence. All the beings of the heavens, and the earth, and what is between them came into existence only from the truth of God's being."

To answer the question, what is the nature of God, Kabbalists envision two aspects of God: there is God himself, who in the end is unknowable, and then there is the revealed aspect of God that created the universe, preserves the univers, and interacts with mankind.

The first god is the "infinite" or "endless" or "that which has no limits". This aspect of God is impersonal. The second aspect - of divine emanations - is a more accessible approach for human thought. Kabbalists do not see the two aspects of God as contradictory. They see them as complementary to one another.

The Kabbalah teaches of the ten emanations of God with which he creates the universe. These are known as the sefirah (plural form) sefirot (singular form).

The names of the ten Sefirot are:

• Keter (will)
  
• Chochmah (wisdom)
  
• Binah (understanding)
  
• Chesed (sometimes referred to as Gedolah or Gedulah) (loving kindness or compassion)
  
• Din (sometimes referred to as Gevurah or Geburah) (judgement)
  
• Tiferet (harmony)
  
• Netzach (victory)
  
• Hod (glory)
  
• Yesod (foundation)
  
• Malchut (sovereignty)
  

Divine creation by means of the Ten Sefirot is an ethical process. Examples: The Sefirah of "Compassion" (Chesed) being part of the Right Column corresponds to how God reveals more blessings when humans use previous blessings compassionately, whereas the Sephirah of "Overpowering" (Geburah) being part of the Left Column corresponds to how God hides these blessings when humans abuse them selfishly without compassion. Thus human behavior determines if God seems present or absent.

Kabbalah beliefs about the Human Soul

The Kabbalah suggests that the human soul has three elements, the nefesh, ru'ach, and neshamah. The nefesh is found in all humans, and enters the physical body at birth. It is the source of one's physical and psychological nature.

The next two parts of the soul are not implanted at birth, but can be developed over time; their development depends on the actions and beliefs of the individual. They are said to only fully exist in people awakened spiritually. A common way of explaining the three parts of the soul is as follows:

• Nefesh: the lower part, or "animal part", of the soul. It is linked to instincts and bodily cravings.
  
• Ruach: the middle soul, the "spirit". It contains the moral virtues and the ability to distinguish between good and evil.
  
• Neshamah: the higher soul, or "super-soul". This separates man from all other life forms. It is related to the intellect, and allows man to enjoy and benefit from the afterlife. This part of the soul is provided at birth and allows one to have some awareness of the existence and presence of God.
  

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