Gate of Reincarnations - Volume 1: Past Lives and Our Ultimate Destiny (Writings of the Ari)

Born in Jerusalem in the 1534, Rav Isaac Luria is known as the most influential kabbalist in history. Before the Ari's birth, his father was visited by Elijah the Prophet who announced "Through him shall be revealed the teaching of the Kabbalah to the world." A brilliant scholar even as a child, by the age of eight he was recognized as a prodigy who outshone the greatest minds, and became known as the Ari, the "Holy Lion." Shortly after the Ari's eighth birthday, his father passed away, he and his mother moved to Cairo, Egypt, where they lived with a wealthy uncle for 13 years. In Cairo, the Ari was placed under the tutelage of Rav Betzalel Ashkenazi. The Ari was married at the age of 15, and at17, he discovered the Zohar, obtaining his own copy. It was not unusual for the Ari to meditate upon one verse of the Zohar for many months until the hidden meaning was revealed to him. The years the Ari spent in Egypt were dedicated to the process of purifying his consciousness, overcoming the aspect of physicality in his life. The levels spiritual enlightenment and understanding he attained led him to Safed, Israel, in 1570. It was in Safed that he completed his life's purpose by sharing the secrets of Kabbalah to his most cherished student, Rav Chaim Vital, who arrived in Safed in February, 1571. The Ari told Rav Chaim that the only reason he had come to this world was to teach him, and in turn the generations to come, the secrets of Kabbalah. The moment his task was completed, July 15, 1572 (5 Av 5332), the Ari left this physical world at the age of 38. The Ari did not write down any of his teachings. It is reported that he once said, "I can hardly open my mouth to speak without feeling as though the sea had burst its dams and overflowed. How then shall I express what my soul has received, and how can I put it down in a book?" The task of scribing all of the Ari's teachings remained for Rav Chaim Vital and his son Rav Shmuel Vital. The Ari's greatest legacy are his kabbalistic compositions. He left behind a spiritual system, Lurianic Kabbalah, that, when fully understood, will enable humanity to take control over its individual and collective destiny-a road map and guide for body and soul that will relieve people of all chaos, fear, pain, and suffering. Lurianic Kabbalah has made a dramatic impact on the world, and the wisdom disseminated by the Kabbalah Centre is firmly rooted in Lurianic Kabbalah. The main works of the Kitvei Ha'Ari ("Writings of the Ari") are the Etz Chaim ("Tree of Life"), Pri Etz Chaim ("Fruit of the Tree of Life"), and the Shemoneh She'arim ("Eight Gates") including Sha'ar HaGilgulim ("The Gate of Reincarnations").

Rav Michael Berg is co-director of the Kabbalah Centre International and a distinguished kabbalistic scholar and teacher. He was born into a kabbalistic tradition as the son of the Rav and Karen Berg, the founders of The Kabbalah Centre. Raised within a lineage that dates back more than 100 years, Rav Michael Berg steeped himself in the wisdom of the Zohar from a young age. He became adept at combing through ancient materials and distilling complex information into elegant thought and language. He was the first person to translate the entire 23-volume Zohar and commentary from ancient Aramaic into English, beginning this monumental task when he was only 18 years old and completing it ten years later. He also completed the translation of the Tikunei HaZohar ("Corrections of the Zohar") Volume III from Aramaic into Modern Hebrew. Under his supervision, the Kabbalah Centre has increased the distribution of Zohars to millions of people in need across the globe. His compendium of works includes the translation and editing of some of Rav Ashlag's fundamental texts: The Wisdom of Truth, And You Shall Choose Life, On World Peace, and The Thought of Creation. Rav Ashlag is the founder Yeshivat Kol Yehuda, the forerunner of The Kabbalah Centre, and the author of the Sulam ("The Ladder") and Talmud Eser Sefirot ("Ten Luminous Emanations,") both central texts in the study of Kabbalah. Rav Michael Berg penned the first book under the Kabbalah Centre Publishing imprint: The Secret, in addition to, Becoming Like God, Secrets of the Zohar, and Secrets of the Bible. His book The Way (Wiley) became a national bestseller. Born in Israel, he studied at The Rabbinical Seminary of America in New York City, and at Yeshiva Shaar Hatorah, following which he earned his rabbinical ordination. Along with his wife, Monica, he co-hosts the Spiritually Hungry podcast, exploring life's big questions offering spiritual guidance in contemporary terms. He also directs Kabbalah.com, the Kabbalah Centre's online learning platform, which provides kabbalistic wisdom through written and video content in multiple languages. His teachings bring new insights to this ancient wisdom, reaching thousands weekly on Kabbalah.com. He resides in New York with his wife Monica and their four children, David, Joshua, Miriam, and Abigail.