The main place where the Sitra Achra [Dark Side] gets it façade of legitimacy from is Kabalah.
But there are some authors there that are legitimate, and even worthwhile to learn like Shalom Sharabi's Nahar Shalom, Rav Yaakov Abuchatzeira, Issac Luria and the books of the Gra on Kabalah.[Also Rav Luzato. the author of the Mesilat Yesharim on Kabala are very good.] But outside of a small circle of legitimate things, most of what passes for Kabala is pure Sitra Achra [powers of darkness.] Especially people of known kabalistic expertise are certainly all from the Dark Side sent to make innocent people unclean. This is the reason one ought to run from the religious world as far away as possible since the whole shebang was taken over long time ago, and they use their supposed religiosity to hide their inner rot and fungus revelations
[I ought to add that Rav Nahman's ideas were from the realm of holiness, but when taken without the straight Litvak context, tend to get people off track.]
In any case, to actually see and learn the wonders of God in his creation , I think it makes more sense to do Physics and Math. This idea is certainly that of the Rishonim [mediaeval authorities]before the Zohar was published as you can see in all books of Musar that were written before the Zohar was made known.
Even before the Sitra Achra became totally entwined with kabalah, it was still hard not to get sidetracked. All the more so nowadays, it just is not worth it to endanger one's soul for the sake of the delusional "high" that Kabala gives one.
But there are some authors there that are legitimate, and even worthwhile to learn like Shalom Sharabi's Nahar Shalom, Rav Yaakov Abuchatzeira, Issac Luria and the books of the Gra on Kabalah.[Also Rav Luzato. the author of the Mesilat Yesharim on Kabala are very good.] But outside of a small circle of legitimate things, most of what passes for Kabala is pure Sitra Achra [powers of darkness.] Especially people of known kabalistic expertise are certainly all from the Dark Side sent to make innocent people unclean. This is the reason one ought to run from the religious world as far away as possible since the whole shebang was taken over long time ago, and they use their supposed religiosity to hide their inner rot and fungus revelations
[I ought to add that Rav Nahman's ideas were from the realm of holiness, but when taken without the straight Litvak context, tend to get people off track.]
In any case, to actually see and learn the wonders of God in his creation , I think it makes more sense to do Physics and Math. This idea is certainly that of the Rishonim [mediaeval authorities]before the Zohar was published as you can see in all books of Musar that were written before the Zohar was made known.
Even before the Sitra Achra became totally entwined with kabalah, it was still hard not to get sidetracked. All the more so nowadays, it just is not worth it to endanger one's soul for the sake of the delusional "high" that Kabala gives one.
