Transcript Medieval Judaism and Kabbalah

Medieval Judaism and
Kabbalah
Jewish Diaspora
Passover
• Jewish spirituality is
centered on
practices far more
than beliefs.
Early Kabbalah
• Kabbalah literally
means “tradition.” It
also means
“reception.” So
Kabbalah is often
understood as “the
tradition that has
been received.”
The Kabbalah Tree
• The central symbol
of the Kabbalah is
the 10 sefirot. It is a
cosmological
symbol that
expresses 10
manifestations of
the One.
Torah Scroll
• If God revealed the
Torah then it must
contain the whole
truth, and yet if it is
in human (finite)
words then how can
it express the
infinite?
• The only way to get
around this dilemma
was to see that the
Torah was written in
a highly symbolic
language that could
not be fully
understood by the
non-mystics.
Spanish Synagogue
• Kabbalah states that
how we live affects
the universe.
Everything is
connected and
nothing is separate.
The Zohar
• The most important
book of Jewish
mysticism is the
Zohar (the Book of
Enlightenment)
written in the late
13th century by
Rabbi Moses de
Leon.
Shekhinah
• Shekhinah is
feminine and it is
our opening to the
divine presence. If
the Godhead (Ein
Sof) is transcendent,
then Shekhinah is
immanent.
• According to Isaac Luria
(15th century), the
human task is to
liberate the sparks of
God and return them to
the divine. This process
of repair or mending is
accomplished through
living a life of holiness.
Conclusion
• The Jewish mystic uses
techniques of prayer,
meditation, and
visualization to become
aware of the divine
presence, the
Shekhinah, in order to
come into relationship
with Ein Sof, the divine
mystery.