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Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (the Ramchal) explains in his classic the very meaning of the word “Kabbalah.” This is also the goal of
book Derech Hashem that although God may choose to speak with the PaRDeS system that we have employed throughout this book.
a certain individual directly or help a certain individual reach an Both the color and the numerical value of tzitzit allude to a deeper
elevated level of consciousness in order to communicate a particular understanding of the Torah and life itself. In essence all the mitzvot
message to his or her generation, prophecy can be defined more and events in the Torah fulfill the same function. Learning Torah
broadly than this. Ramchal teaches that, for the most part, the elevates a person’s consciousness from simple physical reality,
prophetic experience does not necessarily entail a direct and specific symbolized by the tzitzit, to the awareness of a more fluid, flowing
message transmitted by God to an individual; rather, prophecy in process going on just below the surface of reality, signified by the sea.
its more general manifestation is a state of elevated consciousness Continuing this process, an individual enhances his or her spiritual
in which one comes very close to God and senses His immediate understanding of material existence, represented by the heavens,
presence. In this sense, to have a prophetic experience is to attain and finally envisions the ultimate unity of material and spiritual,
a much higher level of Divine consciousness wherein one becomes symbolized by the throne of glory.
intensely aware of God’s unequivocal Presence.

Although the Talmud establishes that there were forty-eight male
prophets and seven female prophetesses, it explicitly states that
this accounting only includes those prophets or prophetesses whose
words or actions were deemed worthy of preservation in the Tanach
because of their eternal nature (Berachot 57b). In fact, according to
the Talmud there were more than a million Jewish prophets during
the biblical period (Megillah 14a)! These prophets were people who
strove with their entire being to come nearer to God by learning the
various techniques handed down through the ages for attaining higher
levels of consciousness. These prophets attended “schools” where
the mystical Jewish tradition was taught and the more established
prophets were surrounded by “sons of the prophets,” those who
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and unmistakable closeness to God, referred to as prophecy.
After the prophetic era ended, the Sages still found remnants of
prophecy in dreams, which are considered 1/60th of prophecy, and in
the words of children and those who seem to be mentally imbalanced
(Berachot 57b; Bava Batra 12b). One tradition claims that when the
Messianic era arrives, it will be accompanied by a renewal of prophecy
(Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Melachim 12:2). This is symbolized by Elijah
the prophet returning to herald the coming of Mashiach. At a certain
point prophecy will truly become a natural state of consciousness for
all humanity. It is at this time that Moses’ words will be most fully
actualized in a positive fashion.

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