Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish tradition of spiritual interpretation of the Bible that focuses on becoming other-centered rather than ego-centered. Kabbalah can be found in four forms: philosophical Kabbalah focuses on spiritual understanding of Scripture; theoretical Kabbalah focuses on spiritual worlds and inner reality; meditative Kabbalah focuses on achieving higher meditation through divine names and letters; magical Kabbalah controversially attempts to influence events through mystical exercises. Sheila Vitale teaches only philosophical Kabbalah and advises avoiding the other forms, especially magical Kabbalah.

1. The Kabbalah and Its Four Areas of
Focus
Sheila Vitale

2. Introduction
 An alumnus of the City College of New York, Sheila R.
Vitale is a writer, teacher, and pastor with several
decades of experience in ministry. Currently, Sheila Vitale
serves as the pastor and founder of Living Epistles
Ministries in New York, where she enjoys studying
Scripture and Kabbalah.
Kabbalah, which reached its peak of influence in the later
Middle Ages, is the ancient Jewish tradition of spiritual
interpretation of the Bible. The tradition continues to this
day, and it is especially significant within the Hasidic sect.
Kabbalah stresses the importance of becoming other-
centered rather than ego-centered. Kabbalah can be
found in four forms, each of which maintain a different
focus. Sheila Vitale, the pastor of Christ-centered
Kabbalah, teaches Philosophical Kabbalah only, and
teaches her students to avoid the other forms, especially
magical Kabbalah.

3. Kabbalah
 - Philosophical - maintains a focus on the spiritual
understanding of the Scripture.
- Theoretical – maintains a focus on spiritual worlds and
inner reality. Examples of the theoretical realm include
souls and angels.
- Meditative – maintains a focus on achieving higher
levels of meditative awareness by using divine names
and letter permutations. A state of prophecy is also
possible.
- Magical – a controversial form of Kabbalah that can be
used to attempt to influence natural events through the
use of mystical exercises.