Rav Yehuda Brandwein succeeded the great Rav Yehuda Zvi Ashlag as the spiritual leader of The Kabbalah Centre. Before his death, Rav Ashlag told Rav Brandwein that he would soon merit his own students, and that one of them would help bring this wisdom to the world, albeit amid great protest and scorn.

The lineage of Rav Brandwein is notable. He was a family descendant of the esteemed Rav Dov Baer, a great spiritual leader in Russia during the late 18th century. Rav Baer was the successor to the Ba’al Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic movement and one of the greatest sages of the last 500 years.

A gentle and devout soul, Rav Brandwein was a man of the people. He evoked a deep love in all those with whom he came in contact. Both atheists and observant men and women held great reverence for him. Rav Brandwein had an uncommon ability to straddle two worlds — climbing scaffolding on construction sites to lay bricks during the day, and then ascending to the highest spiritual worlds at night. Yes, Rav Brandwein supported himself for many years as a construction worker!

In the way of all great kabbalists, Rav Brandwein’s essence was spiritual rather than religious or political. When a certain poverty-stricken Arab came to his construction site in the early 1930s for a job, the kabbalist saw the soul of the man, the common spark of divinity that exists within all of us. Rav Brandwein’s love transcended the religious and racial divisions that have been so prevalent during these turbulent times. The Arab was given employment, along with a Hebrew name to hide his identity.

After the 1967 war in Israel, Rav Brandwein became the first citizen in the country to settle in Jerusalem. Many years later, when Jerusalem became a united city, an Arab paid a visit to Brandwein’s home. He brought along a barrel overflowing with fresh grapefruits. It was the same Arab to whom Rav Brandwein had given employment some 35 years before! The Arab’s eyes were filled with tears. He told Rav Brandwein that he had waited all these years, until after the war, so that he could finally offer his heartfelt thanks for the kindness that had been shown him.

Rav Brandwein’s acts of kindness and tolerance for everyone he met radiated this spiritual Light. And it warmed the soul of anyone in his presence.
Therein lies the true power of Kabbalah.