Definition:

A particular branch of Jewish mysticism that emerged after the 12th century.

Derived from the root meaning “to receive,” many kabbalists felt that their received mystical teachings were revealed to Adam and then passed down from generation to generation. Certainly, the primary text of Kabbalah - the Zohar – was most likely compiled by Rabbi Moshe de Leon (13th century) who stated it came from Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (2nd century). Despite these claims, most scholars recognise a development of Jewish mysticism from the early merkava mysticism (based on the account of Ezekiel’s chariot) and mysticism based around the Genesis account towards a more developed system of esoteric doctrine in the Middle Ages.

By virtue of Kabbalah’s essentially mystical nature, most references to Kabbalistic concepts must be understood as being completely allegorical. In fact, at the end of the Middle Ages, Kabbalah was prohibited to anyone under the age of 40 because of the complexity of the allegories and the risk of misinterpretation (as well as the need for a firm grounding in primary Jewish texts such as the Bible first).

The symbols which are perhaps central to most Kabbalist schools are the Tree of Life and the sefirot. The Tree of Life contains ten sefirot, which can perhaps be understood as manifestations of God, who is often described as the ein sof (“Without Limit” or “Limitless One”). Some hold that the ein sof is revealed to the universe through the sefirot, which in some sense act as intermediate states between the limitless Creator and the limited Earth. The term sefirah (sing.) is often mistakenly related to the word “sphere,” whereas its origin is more likely to be in the Hebrew sappir (“sapphire”), a description of its radiance. Many early Kabbalists understood the sefirot to be identical with God’s essence, some of which are completely inaccessible to human beings.

The ten sefirot are often represented on the Tree of Life, which in some sense connects the Limitless God to us. In order of emanation, the sefirot are usually ordered as keter (“crown”), binah (“intelligence”), chokhmah (“wisdom”), chesed (“love”) or gedullah (“greatness”), gevurah (“power”) or din (“judgment”), tiferet (“beauty”) or rachamim (“mercy”), netzach (“lasting endurance”), hod (“majesty”), yesod (“foundation”), malkhut (“dominion”). The interconnection with the Bible is here made quite apparent – the verse that we sing as we start parading the Torah around the community is “lecha adonai hagedullah vehagevurah vehatiferet vehanetzach vehahod…” (Yours, Eternal God, is the greatness, the power, the beauty, the endurance and the majesty…) from I Chronicles 29:11. The layout of the Tree of Life does vary, sometimes having the addition of the sefirah of da’at (“knowledge”). On the Tree of Life, the first three sefirot are absolutely beyond our ken, while the lowest sefirah – malkhut – is at least potentially accessible. The Tree of Life is sometimes mapped onto images of a human body, often representing adam kadmon, the primordial human.

Kabbalah has received much attention in recent years due to the activities of certain influential singers. Unfortunately, what they espouse has essentially no relation to Kabbalah as an important Jewish system of thought and mystical experience and is instead an entirely modern creation of little grounding by individuals who claim to be kabbalists. One might perhaps compare such a person to someone who buys a Star of David and uses it as the basis of a claim that they are Jewish. Unfortunately, many bookshops around the world have seized upon the trend for studies in Kabbalah and provide numerous books on the topic, most of which bear relevance only to the modern perversion of Kabbalah and few to this important Jewish mystical doctrine.

Kabbalah takes many years to study, requires a firm grounding in the Bible and, in particular, mitzvah, and if you would like to know more, please do contact a Rabbi.

Sources:

Written by Rabbi Neil Amswych

• The Encyclopaedia Judaica, Vol 10, Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, 1972, 489-654
• Kabbalah, Gershom Scholem, Keter Publishing House, Jerusalem, 1974
• Jewish Spirituality from the Bible through the Middle Ages, ed. Art Green, Vol. 1, SCM Press, London, 1989
• Judaism in Practice – From the Middle Ages Through the Early Modern Period, ed. Lawrence Fine, Princeton Univesity Press, New Jersey, 2001

Recommended authors include Daniel C. Matt, Gershom Sholem, Aryeh Kaplan, Larry Tabick

Related Items: