How exactly is Kabbalah a science? Why has Kabbalah been associated with mysticism for hundreds of years? What is the connection between Kabbalah as mysticism and Kabbalah as a science?

In the 16th Century, Kabbalist Isaac Luria (the ARI) updated the method of Kabbalah as a precise scientific depiction of spiritual attainment. In the 20th Century, Kabbalist Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam) provided in-depth commentary on Ari's work, in his "Study of the Ten Sefirot," where he elaborated in detail on the science of Kabbalah in a six-volume textbook. With such efforts to describe spiritual attainment scientifically, how is it that most people's initial approach to Kabbalah is via mysticism? Is there a certain stage of mysticism in the approach to Kabbalah?

In this Sunday's Kabbalah Explained Simply, Gil Shir will explore how and when Kabbalah is studied as a science, and how and when it is studied in a way that could be considered more mystical.