It contains a mystical discussion of the nature of god, the origin and structure of the universe, the. Joseph dan interest in jewish mysticism is, in our generation, widespread and growing. Since jewish esotericism is the oldest and most influential continuous occult tradition in the west, shaping everything from angelology to the zodiac, this book contains lore that can spiritually enrich the lives of anyone, jewish or not, who wishes to understand the mysteries. The encyclopedia of jewish myth, magic and mysticism. Of these, kabbalah, which emerged in 12thcentury europe, is the most well known, but not the only typologic form, or the earliest to emerge. Horwitzs insightful introductions and commentary accompany. This volume explores the subject by examining both the hebrew and aramaic tradition dead sea scrolls, 1 enoch and the greek philosophical tradition philo and also examines the christian transformation of jewish mysticism in paul and revelation.
Judaism is the world s oldest monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years. The primary holy book of the jewish faith is known as the torah, which comprises the books of genesis, exodus, leviticus, numbers and deuteronomy. The zohar is a commentary on the torah, concerned primarily with understanding. By the th century, jewish culture was ripe for a new breed of mysticism to flourish. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the torah the five books of moses and scriptural interpretations as well as material on mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology. May 04, 2020 the book is a synthesis of earlier jewish texts with gnostic ideas to explain how an ultimately transcendent being can be fully present in a finite earthly world. On the yahrtzeit of rabbi shimon bar yachoi, author of the zohar, the primary book of jewish mysticism, an overview of an often misunderstood judaic discipline. According to sefer yetzirah, god created the world by manipulating the 22 letters of the hebrew alphabet along with 10 primordial numbers. I received it as a gift when it first came out in 1988, and remains one of my favorite books. Kabbalism is a system of jewish mysticism and magic and is the foundational element in modern witchcraft. Legend has it that god whispered the secrets of the kabbalah to moses who, in turn, passed it on to seventy elders. Virtually every form of western mysticism and spiritualism known today draws upon jewish mythic and occult teachingsmagic, prayer, angelology, alchemy, numerology, astral projection, dream interpretation, astrology, amulets, divination, altered states of consciousness, alternative, and rituals of powerall have roots in.
In the early chapters of genesis, the divine is described as the creator of humankind and the entire natural order. Start studying world religion today chapter 3 judaism. Man, the world, timethese three constitute the cosmos, and outside them there is but one great existence, the infinite. The term mysticism applies to the attempt to establish direct contact, independently of sense perception and intellectual apprehension, with the divinea reality beyond rational. This volume provides an overview of the history, principles, content and nature of the kabbalah and introduces the breadth and depth of the innerspiritual dimensions. By modern times, kabbalistic themes had entered the jewish mainstream, influencing certain prayers and liturgies and contributing its own set of customs and folk beliefs, notably belief in reincarnation. We will see later what techniques each of these types employs to achieve its goals, as well as how they work and more about how they developed.
It takes the most complex jewish mystical ideas and practices, many of which are hundreds if not thousands of years old, and explains them in laymens englishand hebrew in a way that makes jewish spirituality accessible to the layperson. It has a temporary legitimacy, for it must consume. Buy quality secondhand kabbalah and mysticism books, at 5075% off retail. Two great jewish spiritual movements are based on kabbalistic teachings. It is a diverse anthology of jewish supernatural folklore. The historical event of sinai attests to the divine source and nature of the torah and jewish mysticism. For an academic and scholarly information about jewish mysticism and kabbalah, check out the works of professor gershom scholem. The following article includes excerpts from sefer yetsirah. He has also served as a visiting professor in universities the world. Kabbalah religion, spiritualism, and occult a jewish system of theosophy, magic, philosophy, science, and mysticism. A jewish philosopher, jurist, and physician who incorporated philosophy into religion. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Jewish mysticism kabbalah, is based on the public revelation at sinai, when the torah was given to israel. I n the decades of the 70s, 80s, and 90s, the hottest spiritual trend was the new age movement. Jewish esotericism is the oldest and most influential continuous occult tradition in the west. It is an attempt to understand god and gods world, and ultimately affect and. Working in jerusalem at the national library and, eventually, as a professor of jewish mysticism at the hebrew university, he revitalized interest in kabbalah, an esoteric tradition within judaism. The inner world of a medieval kabbalist stanford university press. Splendor or radiance is the foundational work in the literature of jewish mystical thought known as kabbalah. Virtually all of the great witches and sorcerers of this century were kabbalists.
Jewish literary activity in the modern world more clearly by appreciating both the medium and the message. So, being completely ignorant of anything jewish, i bought this book out of curiosity. From hebrew schools to hollywood, people of all backgrounds and levels of knowledge are pursuing the subject. What gershom scholems take on jewish mysticism can teach. Its preeminent place in jewish mysticism does not derive solely from its antiquity or its authorship. Kabbalah offered jews a mystical approach to religion within the context of the accepted beliefs and practices of judaism. The author reveals what these writings seek to tell us about the ageold human desire to get close to and communicate with god. Joseph dan serves as the gershom scholem professor of kabbalah in the department of jewish thought of the hebrew university of jerusalem, where he has taught since 1958 and been a full professor since 1978. After luria, two new mystical forms popularised kabbalah in judaism. Jewish mysticism article about jewish mysticism by the. Not only does this book transmit deep kabbalistic teachings, the reading of the. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our.
The zohar hebrew splendor, radiance is widely considered the most important work of kabbalah, jewish mysticism. Academic study of jewish mysticism, especially since gershom scholems major trends in. But of far greater consequence in the history of jewish mysticism is the commanding place assigned by the zohar to the idea of love. Kabbalah and jewish mysticism torah 101 mechon mamre.
It describes gods creation of the world through the manipulation of the hebrew alphabet and ten numbers or sefirot. However, kabbalists also believe that true knowledge and understanding of that inner. Professor emeritus at temple university, he has contributed to jewish mysticism and the spiritual life. It opened a door to a whole new world of literature that i had no idea it existed. An examination of mysticism from its beginnings in antiquity to its latest phase. Kabbalah also spelled kabalah, cabala, qabalasometimes translated as mysticism or occult knowledgeis a part of jewish tradition that deals with the essence of god. They, in turn, passed it to their successors, and so it continued as an oral tradition. A kabbalah and jewish mysticism reader the jewish publication. He has also served as a visiting professor in universities the world over, among them, princeton, columbia, brown.
Kabbalah is the most famous form of jewish mysticism. Alphabetic mysticism and numerology in the ancient world. This section deals with the special nature and characteristics of jewish mysticism, the main lines of its development, and its role in presentday religion and culture. In my own ignorance and prejudice, i always associated jews with concentration camp stories and boring biblical stuff. Jewish mysticism explained exploring kabbalah youtube. That makes it easy to forget that, for centuries, the two religions contributed much to each others philosophy and spirituality. This book is both the oddest and possibly best of the complete idiots guide series. Some traditional jews take mysticism very seriously. The study and practice of jewish mysticism known to be uniquely powerful was originally forbidden unless a jewish male was at least 40 years old. Such heresy eventually takes its stand in the centre of morality.
The origins of jewish mysticism offers an indepth look at the history of jewish mysticism from the book of ezekiel to the merkavah mysticism of late antiquity. Jews do not traditionally destroy texts which include the. Sefer yetzirah is a brief book that had an enormous influence on future jewish mysticism. The holy books of world religions sacred texts in world. A collection of lectures on the features of the movement of mysticism that began in antiquity and continues in hasidism today. Jewish mysticism is known as kabbalah, and part of it was written in the zohar kabbalah and its teachings have been distorted by mystics and occultists one wellknown teaching is the ein sof and the ten sefirot. Tabor then turned to an analysis of attitudes toward religious suicide and martyrdom in the ancient world, the results of which appeared as a noble death, published by harpercollins in 1992 coauthored with arthur droge. Jewish mysticism differs radically from all other mystic schools. Jewish mysticism project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Nimet seker looks at the influence of muslim sufism on jewish mysticism. Mysticism, the practice of religious ecstasies religious experiences during alternate states of consciousness, together with whatever ideologies, ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic may be related to them. I will begin with the term mysticism in general, then discuss the implications of the modiier jewish the phases of jewish mysticism and the viability of the notorious concept of mystical union.
Major trends in jewish mysticism by gershom scholem. It contains definitive essays on the relation of the torah to jewish mysticism, the mythology of the kabbalah, and the place of jewish mystics in the jewish community. A book with the provocative title the origins of jewish mysticism requires some comment on the terminology used. Old worlds, new mirrors on jewish mysticism and twentiethcentury thought. Correspondence indian religionphilosophy and jewish mysticism. Other works of the kabbalah such as sefer yetzirah and sefer habahir are of earlier. Scholar moshe idel groups the different expressions of jewish mysticism into two fundamental types. Booktopia buy jewish mysticism books online from australias leading online.
Kabbalah is an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought in jewish mysticism. Eitan fishbane, phd, a frequent scholar in residence and guest speaker at congregations across north america, is assistant professor of jewish thought at the jewish theological seminary. Early forms of jewish mysticism rachel elior i introduction the mysticalpoetical hebrew works of the first five centuries of the common era, known collectively as heikhalot heavenly sanctuaries and merkavah thronechariot literature remain on the whole a closed book to readers and students, although the first scholarly studies were published. He wrote many jewish texts, but his commentary on the mishnah the book of jewish oral traditions gained immense popularity, and is still considered one of the chief texts for jewish codes of law. Because of the nature of mysticism, firsthand objective studies of it are virtually impossible, and students must confine.
The encyclopedia of jewish myth, magic, and mysticism presents lore that can spiritually enrich the life of anyone, jewish or not, who wishes to understand the mysteries that underlie our universe. Mysticism is an integral part of chasidic judaism, for example, and passages from kabbalistic sources are routinely included in traditional prayer books. Sefer yetsirah the book of creation, is a short but enormously influential book of jewish mysticism. The prestigious journal of religion named it one of the ten best scholarly studies on paul of the 1980s. World religion today chapter 3 judaism flashcards quizlet. An unprecedented annotated anthology of the most important jewish mystical works, a kabbalah and jewish mysticism reader is designed to facilitate teaching these works to all levels of learners in adult education and college classroom settings. A guide to meaningful jewish prayer, winner of the national jewish book award. For many years, the kaballah religion existed as a carefully guarded oral tradition before it became systematized and dispersed in the middle ages. The four worlds kabbalah, chassidism and jewish mysticism. Whether it entails a sacred text, an experience, or the way things work, kabbalists believe that god moves in mysterious ways. Abraham migrated from ur of the chaldees to canaan under what he believed to be divine guidance and there established a religious community which was both monotheistic and.
An innovative handbook to the world of the jewish mystics that opens up a. The origins of jewish mysticism offers an in depth look at the history of jewish mysticism from the book of ezekiel to the merkavah mysticism of late antiquity. The interdisciplinary seminar on the jewish roots of eastern christian mysticism is designed as the internet version of an ongoing research seminar of graduate students at the department of theology of marquette university milwaukee, usa. The latter book gives a detailed account of each day of creation, embellishing the narrative found in genesis 1 with, among other things, a description of gods residence in the upper worlds. Dating back to the talmudic era and thoroughly multifarious, kabbalah is a mystical complement to jewish religious life, driven by linguistic and. Some say kabbalah goes all the way back to the beginning of time. This volume provides an overview of the history, principles, content and nature of the kabbalah and introduces the breadth and depth of the innerspiritual.
This book helped reinvigorate 20thcentury jewish studies with an awareness of the living reality of god, after the 19th centurys more astringent scholarly emphasis on law and. Jewish mysticism influenced by the positive contents of judaism. Here, we present a historical viewpoint of it going back to the. The texts in this book, taken from different eras, illustrate five different categories of jewish mysticism. Academic study of jewish mysticism, especially since gershom scholems major trends in jewish mysticism 1941, distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of jewish history. Other traditional jews take mysticism with a grain of salt. Rabbi horwitz has written a fine book of accessible. There is a nice online introductory kabbalah course available from at kabbalah 101. Kabbalah offers every person a way of reaching balance with the world, thus achieving happiness and a sense of wholeness. The kabbalistic theory of the hidden god and his attributes. Heresy arises as a pained outcry to liberate us from this strange, narrow pit, to raise us from the darkness of letters and platitudes to the light of thought and feeling.
This brings us to two doctrines of jewish mysticism which appear for the first time in the book yetsirah, and which were developed subsequently on diverse lines. Mysticism considers the human life as the fruit of the tree of life, and encourages meditation to unite with god on the path of return. The jewish mystical tradition is rich and diverse, and jewish mysticism has taken many forms. Muslims believe that allah sent numerous prophets to earth over the centuries in order to teach humanity the correct way to live.
Classical texts, contemporary reflections, and is the author of jewish with feeling. The key to kabbalah will open up the world of jewish mysticism, giving you your first thirstquenching sips of the teachings of pnimiyut hatorah, the inner dimension of the torah. It is a mystical commentary on the torah five books of moses, written in medieval aramaic and medieval hebrew. Presentations of kabbalah in occult and new age books on kabbalah bear little resemblance to judaic kabbalah. Old worlds, new mirrors moshe idel university of pennsylvania. Followers of islam, called muslims, believe in a single allpowerful god called allah. A volume in the jps anthologies of jewish thought series. Jewish mystics also maintain that the world was emanated from god. The teachings of the kabbalah religion had a great influence on the jewish way of life.
Rabbi jack riemer, editor of the world of the high holy days. Judaism is one of the oldest living esoteric traditions in the world. It is a diverse anthology of jewish supernatural folklore, with stories spanning over one thousand years and originating from france to persia. Followers of judaism believe in one god who revealed himself. This was considered an age where he would have had enough y ears of torah study upon which to be firmly grounded in faith since mysticism has a both the potential for the development of good. There emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a new jewish elite, notes moshe idel, no longer made up of prophets, priests, kings, or rabbis but of intellectuals and academicians working in secular universities or writing for an audience not defined by any one set of religious beliefs. The torah, otherwise known as the hebrew bible, has inspired debate and sparked imaginations for thousands of years, and the talmud is itself an imaginative compendium of jewish legal debate.
Based on the five books of moses and written in hebrew aramaic, the text of the zohar explores and expounds in a most cryptic way the mystical tradition. The middle east conflict has dug deep trenches of enmity between jews and muslims. Kabbala quotations jewish spirituality mysticism proverbs. The author succeeds in drawing the reader into the world of the jewish mystic. Indeed, jewish mysticism is here but a reflection of the nature of the mysticism inherent in all other creeds. It flowered in th century spain with the writing of the zohar, which was originally attributed to the 2nd century sage shimon bar yohai. Kabbalist speculation represented in the medieval book zohar is bent.
Following the upheavals and dislocations in the jewish world as a result of antijudaism during the middle ages, and. Be warned, the themes are often mature and so this book is best for readers 14 and up. He was a prolific writer on the subject, and his writings are widely available and wellrespected by both jews and nonjews. The zohar kabbalah, chassidism and jewish mysticism. The kabbalistic form of jewish mysticism itself divides into three general streams. Here at we have over 30,000 jewish books on our website, with over 2,000 added monthly. In the stories of eden, the flood, and the tower of babel, humans are recognized as rebellious and disobedient. Muslims believe that allah sent numerous prophets to earth over. Like most subjects of jewish belief, the area of mysticism is wide open to personal interpretation. Angels and demons rabbi menachem wolf, spiritgrow josef kryss center.
Islam is the second largest religion in the world and the faith that is growing the fastest. A paradigmatic statement is made in the narrative that begins with genesis and ends with joshua. He concludes the chapter with a brief survey of other key movements and figures in the period the hasidei ashkenaz, isaac the blind, and abraham abulafia. The souls most visible, most tangible, most perceivable quality is love. Broadly speaking, kabbalah refers to jewish mysticism dating back to the time of the second temple, approximately 400 years before jesus christ. The name means knowledge received through tradition.