Kabbalah, by whatever spelling is used, is an aspect of Jewish mysticism. It reflects on the nature of divinity, the creation, the origin and fate of the soul, and the role of mankind. It can encompass meditative, devotional, mystical and magical practices which in the past were taught only to a select few. For this reason Kabbalah is regarded by many as an esoteric offshoot of Judaism. Some aspects of Kabbalah have been studied and used by non-Jews for many hundreds of years.