Guard against Speech That Evokes Sinful Thoughts

“To acquire the attribute of Yesod, which is foundation, Cordovero advises us to guard against speech that gives rise to sexual or sinful thoughts. “Needless to say, [one] should not speak obscenities, but he should take care not to utter even clean words if they give rise to sexual thoughts,” writes Cordovero. “The main precaution is to guard oneself from sexual imaginings.” Cordovero acknowledges that there is a time and place for sexual activities within the holy circle of marriage. Another Kabbalistic text affirms that sexual union, under the right circumstances, is sacred:

Sexual union is holy and pure, when performed in the right way, at the right time, and with the right intention.... When sexual union is for the sake of heaven, there is nothing as holy or pure. The union of man and woman, when it is right, is the secret of civilization. Thereby, one becomes a partner with God in the act of Creation. This is the secret meaning of the saying of the sages: “When a man unites with his wife in holiness, the divine presence [Shekhinah] is between them.”... ... When a man and a woman unite, and their thought joins the beyond, that thought draws down the upper light.”

“As I noted in chapter 3, Kabbalists considered the sexual union of those who are married to be a celebration of the divine union of Tiferet and Shekhinah. While many spiritual teachers, like Cordovero, believe that sexual activity in balance and in the right context is healthy, they also teach that becoming preoccupied with sex can slow down our spiritual growth. This is because the energy we exchange through sexual union is the same energy we use to climb the Tree of Life and reunite with God. When we dissipate this energy through excessive sexual thoughts or practices, we do not have as much spiritual fire to propel us up ward. We can regain and conserve that fire through our devotions, prayers and spiritual practice.”

Excerpt From Kabbalah: Key to Your Inner Power (Mystical Paths of the World's Religions) Elizabeth Clare Prophet https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewBook?id=0 This material may be protected by copyright.