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Rabbi Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag (also known as the RABASH) (January 22, 1907 – September 13, 1991) was a Kabbalist, the firstborn and successor of Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag also known as Baal Hasulam, the author of "The Sulam" commentary on the ''Zohar''. Among his writings: ''Shlavey ha Sulam'' ("Rungs () the Ladder"), ''Dargot ha Sulam'' ("Steps () the Ladder"), ''Igrot Rabash'' ("Letters (the ) Rabash"). ==His life== Baruch Shalom ha Levi Ashlag (also known as the "Rabash") was born in Warsaw, Congress Poland, Russian Empire on January 22, 1907.〔Feiga. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 5〕 He began his Kabbalah studying with his father's (Kabbalist Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag) selected students at the age of nine, and joined him on his trips to the Rabbi of Porisov and to the Rabbi of Belz.〔Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, p. 233〕 In 1921, at age 13, he immigrated with his family to the Land of Israel,〔Eliezer. Sscweid, The Redeeming Revelation - Justification of God in Rav Yehuda Ashlag's Kabbalistic Doctrine, in Between Ruin and Redemption, Reactions of Haredic Thinking to the Holocaust in Its Time, Hillel Ben Chaim Library, HaKibutz HaMeuhad Publication, 1994 p. 194〕 and continued his schooling at the Hasidic institution "Torat Emet".〔F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 6; Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, pp. 233-234〕 He was ordained as a rabbi at age 20 by the chief rabbis of Israel at that time, Abraham Isaac Kook, Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, and Yaakov Moshe Harlap.〔F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 7; Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, pp. 233-237〕 He did not want to use the knowledge of Torah he had acquired for a living. For most of his life, he was a simple worker, doing road works, construction works, and low-level clerical work.〔F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 7〕 When the Rabash grew, he became his father's prime disciple. He joined his father (Yehuda Ashlag, author of the Sulam commentary on The Book of Zohar) on his trips, did his father's errands, and provided for his father's every need.〔F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 7; Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, pp. 239-241〕 He would often study with his father in private, and what he'd heard from his father he wrote in his personal notebook. Thus, thousands of unique notes were accumulated, documenting Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag's explanations concerning the spiritual work of an individual.〔Shamati, Editor's Note; F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 7〕 (It should be pointed out that Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag is considered one of the foremost Kabbalists of the 20th century.〔"Rav Yehuda Ashlag is undoubtedly the greatest kabbalist that operated in the 20th century" (Boaz Hus, PhD, Department of Jewish Thought, Ben Gurion University). "Rav Yehuda Ashlag was among the greatest Kabbalists in the last generations" (Jonathan Garb, PhD, The Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University, Jerusalem). In Michael Laitman, PhD, The Last Generation, Contemporary Researchers about Baal HaSulam's work) Also, see Talmud Eser ha Sefirot, Part 1, endoresements of Rav Kook and Rav Chaim Zonnenfeld at beginning of book〕 He is known as Baal HaSulam (Master of the Ladder) for his Sulam (Ladder) commentary on The Book of Zohar. He studied Kabbalah with his father for more than thirty years. When his father, Baal HaSulam, fell ill, he appointed the Rabash to give the lessons to his disciples in his stead.〔F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 8〕 After the passing of ''Baal HaSulam'', the Rabash took his father's place as the leader of the Ashlag Hasidim, and dedicated his life to continue his father's unique way, to interpret and expand on his father's writings, and to disseminate the Kabbalah among the people. Due to disputes concerning the rights to publish The Book of Zohar with the Sulam commentary that his father wrote, Baruch Ashlag left Israel for three years, spending most of that time in the United Kingdom.〔Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, p. 254〕 During that period, he also held discussions with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of Lubavitch, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum of Satmar, and other prominent rabbis. He also taught Kabbalah in Gateshead and in other cities in the U.K.〔 Upon his return to Israel, the Rabash continued to study and to teach. He did not want to become publicly known as a Kabbalist; hence, as did his father, he declined any offers for official posts. After the end of the 1960s, he changed his ways and began teaching Kabbalah in broader circles. He would travel to wherever there was even the smallest demand to hear about Kabbalah. Among the cities he frequented were Hebron, Tiberias, and Jerusalem.〔Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, p. 260; F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 10〕 In 1976, he expanded his seminary, and his humble home in Bnei Brak became a spacious synagogue. He himself moved to the second floor of the building.〔Rabbi Abraham M. Gotlieb, Ha Sulam, p. 260〕 He would occasionally travel to Tiberias for purposes of seclusion. In 1983, some forty new students joined the group of Kabbalists that the Rabash had been teaching up to that point. To help them "fit in" with the group more easily and quickly, he began to compose essays describing the spiritual evolution of an individual, and the basics of the work in a group of Kabbalists.〔F. Ashlag, A Prayer of a Kabbalist, p. 13〕 From 1984 and up to his last day in 1991, he would write a weekly article and give it to his disciples. In time, his disciples collected the essays he had written and published them in a five volume publication known as ''Shlavey ha Sulam'' ("Rungs () the Ladder").〔Rabbi Baruch Ashlag, Shlavey Ha Sulam, Bnei Baruch, 2,000. The same composition was published earlier under the title Sefer Ha Maamarim (Book of Essays)〕 Rav Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag died on September 13, 1991.〔Hamodia News Paper, a report on Rabash's demise, September 15, 1991〕 He was interred on Har HaMenuchot. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Baruch Ashlag」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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