Stages of Prophetic Meditation

5 Basic - 2 Advanced

There are five basic and two advanced stages in the system that we teach and call “Prophetic Jewish Meditation”. Some of these can be explained in advance, while others require at the beginning a one-to-one communication of teacher to student before they can be talked about.

These stages can be named as follows:

1. “Yud-Keh” (complete instructions for this are in the section called “Essential Meditation Technique”)
2. Shabat (taught one-to-one)
3. Name-Neshamah (taught one-to-one)
4. Tzerufim (working with permutations of one three-letter name of G-d)
5. Hekhalot (working with the “Yud-Keh” in ten parts of the body corresponding to the ten sefirot)
6. Tikun HaNefesh (working with the ten parts of the body, the nekudot of the shem havaya, and the “inner sefirot” )
7. Hitchalfut (Exchanges) (working with the interconnections of the “inner sefirot” leading to simple unity

These meditation stages have numerous textual and/or traditional references. Some of these are given here:

1. “Yod-Keh”
Talmud (Berakot p.24, 45; Eruvin p.18; Bikurim p. 65), Midrash (where it talks about breathing), Rabbi Nachman in Likutei Moharan (where it says with each breath we pronounce “Yod-Keh”)

2. Shabat
Rav Gedalyah Koenig, practice of hitpashtut(“divesting “oneself of body, meditating on word until “body” of word disappears)

3. Name-Neshamah
Mentioned by the Hida; Ben Ish Hai on Tehilim (put your name with the shem havaya); Ari z’l (include your name with tzaddik’s name); Likutei Moharan II 67; this practice known to present-day mekubalim

4. Tzerufim
Chaim Vital (Fourth part of Shaareh Kedusha)

5. Hekhalot
comes from Merkava tradition

6. Tikun HaNefesh
Ari z’l (Shaar Ruach Hakodesh)

7. Hitchalfut
Rashash (Rechovot HaNahar); Ari z’l (Shaar Ruach HaKodesh, Shaar HaKavvanot)