Ascensions on High in Jewish Mysticism

Ascensions on High in Jewish Mysticism

Author: Moshe Idel

Publisher: Central European University Press

Published: 2005-01-01

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 9789637326035

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Ascensions on high took many forms in Jewish mysticism and they permeated most of its history from its inception until Hasidism. The book surveys the various categories, with an emphasis on the archetectural images of the ascent, like the resort images of pillars, lines, and ladders.


Book Synopsis Ascensions on High in Jewish Mysticism by : Moshe Idel

Download or read book Ascensions on High in Jewish Mysticism written by Moshe Idel and published by Central European University Press. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ascensions on high took many forms in Jewish mysticism and they permeated most of its history from its inception until Hasidism. The book surveys the various categories, with an emphasis on the archetectural images of the ascent, like the resort images of pillars, lines, and ladders.


Reflections on the Evolution of Jewish Mysticism

Reflections on the Evolution of Jewish Mysticism

Author: Dr. Martin Sicker

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2021-12-05

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 1669802434

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It has been asserted that monotheism, in the Jewish tradition, has long been understood both exoterically and esoterically. In the exoteric Scripture-based rabbinic tradition, monotheism is the belief in a one and only God, a belief which goes hand in hand with the affirmation of distinct individual and divine existences, so that there is a dualism between humanity and God. In the esoteric or mystic tradition, this dualism is overcome by a conception of monotheism in which God is One, not only in his ‘Lordship’ but also in his universal reality. That is, God is the only reality, so that everything which exists is in essence an aspect of divinity. Jewish mysticism has both a devotional or practical and an intellectual or speculative side. On its devotional side it emphasizes those aspects of the biblical precepts which serve to promote direct communion between the worshipper and God. On its speculative side it is especially concerned with outlining and bringing into relief the link or links between God and man, or more generally between the Creator and the universe. The focus of this study is on the questions of how and why Jewish mysticism arose and underwent a variegated evolution throughout much of the history of the Jewish people from remote antiquity to the present day.


Book Synopsis Reflections on the Evolution of Jewish Mysticism by : Dr. Martin Sicker

Download or read book Reflections on the Evolution of Jewish Mysticism written by Dr. Martin Sicker and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2021-12-05 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has been asserted that monotheism, in the Jewish tradition, has long been understood both exoterically and esoterically. In the exoteric Scripture-based rabbinic tradition, monotheism is the belief in a one and only God, a belief which goes hand in hand with the affirmation of distinct individual and divine existences, so that there is a dualism between humanity and God. In the esoteric or mystic tradition, this dualism is overcome by a conception of monotheism in which God is One, not only in his ‘Lordship’ but also in his universal reality. That is, God is the only reality, so that everything which exists is in essence an aspect of divinity. Jewish mysticism has both a devotional or practical and an intellectual or speculative side. On its devotional side it emphasizes those aspects of the biblical precepts which serve to promote direct communion between the worshipper and God. On its speculative side it is especially concerned with outlining and bringing into relief the link or links between God and man, or more generally between the Creator and the universe. The focus of this study is on the questions of how and why Jewish mysticism arose and underwent a variegated evolution throughout much of the history of the Jewish people from remote antiquity to the present day.


Imagery Techniques in Modern Jewish Mysticism

Imagery Techniques in Modern Jewish Mysticism

Author: Daniel Reiser

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2018-07-09

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 3110535882

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This book analyzes and describes the development and aspects of imagery techniques, a primary mode of mystical experience, in twentieth century Jewish mysticism. These techniques, in contrast to linguistic techniques in medieval Kabbalah and in contrast to early Hasidism, have all the characteristics of a full screenplay, a long and complicated plot woven together from many scenes, a kind of a feature film. Research on this development and nature of the imagery experience is carried out through comparison to similar developments in philosophy and psychology and is fruitfully contextualized within broader trends of western and eastern mysticism.


Book Synopsis Imagery Techniques in Modern Jewish Mysticism by : Daniel Reiser

Download or read book Imagery Techniques in Modern Jewish Mysticism written by Daniel Reiser and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-07-09 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyzes and describes the development and aspects of imagery techniques, a primary mode of mystical experience, in twentieth century Jewish mysticism. These techniques, in contrast to linguistic techniques in medieval Kabbalah and in contrast to early Hasidism, have all the characteristics of a full screenplay, a long and complicated plot woven together from many scenes, a kind of a feature film. Research on this development and nature of the imagery experience is carried out through comparison to similar developments in philosophy and psychology and is fruitfully contextualized within broader trends of western and eastern mysticism.


Creation of the World in Jewish Mysticism

Creation of the World in Jewish Mysticism

Author:

Publisher: Josef Blaha

Published: 2018-10-15

Total Pages: 55

ISBN-13: 802704782X

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The book Zohar – The Book of Splendor is the most important work of the Spanish Kabbalah. Zohar is a Mystical Commentary on the Torah. After the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud it is the third canonical text of Judaism. In this book the reader will have the possibility to read the Mystical Creation Story of the Zohar. Whereas in the Zohar the beginning is connected with the idea of God’s extension in all directions, the reader will have the possibility to read this masterpiece of the Spanish Kabbalah. The Jewish existence in Spain came to an end in the year 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain and several years later from Portugal. Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–1572), the Founder of modern Kabalah, deeply reflected upon the meaning of this worst expulsion of the Middle Ages. Rabbi Luria did not write a lot – he mainly preached and his disciples wrote down what he said. Following a deep meditation, Rabbi Luria came up with a new concept – God put upon Himself a voluntarily Exile, He withdrew from the World – because of His solidarity with Israel. There are many writings falsely attributed to Rabbi Luria. This short Commentary on Zohar by Rabbi Luria is authentic; it was first published in Zion in Jerusalem in 1940, edited by Gershom Scholem. Josef Blaha was born in Brno, Czech Republic in 1963, and is lecturer in Jewish Studies and specializes in Jewish Mysticism. He published fifteen books in Czech and in English dealing with Judaism and especially with the Jewish Mysticism. Josef Blaha teaches the US students at the Charles University in Prague.


Book Synopsis Creation of the World in Jewish Mysticism by :

Download or read book Creation of the World in Jewish Mysticism written by and published by Josef Blaha. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book Zohar – The Book of Splendor is the most important work of the Spanish Kabbalah. Zohar is a Mystical Commentary on the Torah. After the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud it is the third canonical text of Judaism. In this book the reader will have the possibility to read the Mystical Creation Story of the Zohar. Whereas in the Zohar the beginning is connected with the idea of God’s extension in all directions, the reader will have the possibility to read this masterpiece of the Spanish Kabbalah. The Jewish existence in Spain came to an end in the year 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Spain and several years later from Portugal. Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–1572), the Founder of modern Kabalah, deeply reflected upon the meaning of this worst expulsion of the Middle Ages. Rabbi Luria did not write a lot – he mainly preached and his disciples wrote down what he said. Following a deep meditation, Rabbi Luria came up with a new concept – God put upon Himself a voluntarily Exile, He withdrew from the World – because of His solidarity with Israel. There are many writings falsely attributed to Rabbi Luria. This short Commentary on Zohar by Rabbi Luria is authentic; it was first published in Zion in Jerusalem in 1940, edited by Gershom Scholem. Josef Blaha was born in Brno, Czech Republic in 1963, and is lecturer in Jewish Studies and specializes in Jewish Mysticism. He published fifteen books in Czech and in English dealing with Judaism and especially with the Jewish Mysticism. Josef Blaha teaches the US students at the Charles University in Prague.


In the Second Degree

In the Second Degree

Author: Philip Alexander

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2010-10-16

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 9004194193

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To better understand the phenomenon of Literature in the Second Degree – in Jewish and Biblical studies often characterized as parabiblical or Rewritten Bible – the current volume applies the theories of Gerard Genette to ancient and medieval literature from various cultures. Literature in the Second Degree realigns earlier (authoritative) texts to the dynamics of developing cultures and their changing cultural memories. In the case of authoritative base texts, Literature in the Second Degree reaffirms their authority by way of interpretative actualization. In the case of non-authoritative base texts it replaces them to effect cultural forgetting. Far from being just literary forgery (pseudepigraphy), Literature in the Second Degree has an important function in the development of the ancient and medieval cultures.


Book Synopsis In the Second Degree by : Philip Alexander

Download or read book In the Second Degree written by Philip Alexander and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2010-10-16 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To better understand the phenomenon of Literature in the Second Degree – in Jewish and Biblical studies often characterized as parabiblical or Rewritten Bible – the current volume applies the theories of Gerard Genette to ancient and medieval literature from various cultures. Literature in the Second Degree realigns earlier (authoritative) texts to the dynamics of developing cultures and their changing cultural memories. In the case of authoritative base texts, Literature in the Second Degree reaffirms their authority by way of interpretative actualization. In the case of non-authoritative base texts it replaces them to effect cultural forgetting. Far from being just literary forgery (pseudepigraphy), Literature in the Second Degree has an important function in the development of the ancient and medieval cultures.


Kabbalah in Italy, 1280-1510

Kabbalah in Italy, 1280-1510

Author: Moshe Idel

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2011-01-01

Total Pages: 394

ISBN-13: 0300155875

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This survey of the history of Kabbalah in Italy represents a major contribution from one of the world's foremost Kabbalah scholars. Idel charts the ways that Kabbalistic thought and literature developed in Italy and how its unique geographical situation facilitated the arrival of both Spanish and Byzantine Kabbalah.


Book Synopsis Kabbalah in Italy, 1280-1510 by : Moshe Idel

Download or read book Kabbalah in Italy, 1280-1510 written by Moshe Idel and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2011-01-01 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This survey of the history of Kabbalah in Italy represents a major contribution from one of the world's foremost Kabbalah scholars. Idel charts the ways that Kabbalistic thought and literature developed in Italy and how its unique geographical situation facilitated the arrival of both Spanish and Byzantine Kabbalah.


A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader

A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader

Author: Daniel M. Horwitz

Publisher: U of Nebraska Press

Published: 2016-04-01

Total Pages: 576

ISBN-13: 0827612869

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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. Daniel M. Horwitz's insightful introductions and commentary accompany readings in the Talmud and Zohar and writings by Ba'al Shem Tov, Rav Kook, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and others. Horwitz's introduction describes five major types of Jewish mysticism and includes a brief chronology of their development, with a timeline. He begins with biblical prophecy and proceeds through the early mystical movements up through current beliefs. Chapters on key subjects characterize mystical expression through the ages, such as Creation and deveikut ("cleaving to God"); the role of Torah; the erotic; inclinations toward good and evil; magic; prayer and ritual; and more. Later chapters deal with Hasidism, the great mystical revival, and twentieth-century mystics, including Abraham Isaac Kook, Kalonymous Kalman Shapira, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. A final chapter addresses today's controversies concerning mysticism's place within Judaism and its potential for enriching the Jewish religion.


Book Synopsis A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader by : Daniel M. Horwitz

Download or read book A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader written by Daniel M. Horwitz and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2016-04-01 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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. Daniel M. Horwitz's insightful introductions and commentary accompany readings in the Talmud and Zohar and writings by Ba'al Shem Tov, Rav Kook, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and others. Horwitz's introduction describes five major types of Jewish mysticism and includes a brief chronology of their development, with a timeline. He begins with biblical prophecy and proceeds through the early mystical movements up through current beliefs. Chapters on key subjects characterize mystical expression through the ages, such as Creation and deveikut ("cleaving to God"); the role of Torah; the erotic; inclinations toward good and evil; magic; prayer and ritual; and more. Later chapters deal with Hasidism, the great mystical revival, and twentieth-century mystics, including Abraham Isaac Kook, Kalonymous Kalman Shapira, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. A final chapter addresses today's controversies concerning mysticism's place within Judaism and its potential for enriching the Jewish religion.


Kabbalah

Kabbalah

Author: Shahar Arzy

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2015-06-30

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 030015237X

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In this original study, Moshe Idel, an eminent scholar of Jewish mysticism and thought, and the cognitive neuroscientist and neurologist Shahar Arzy combine their considerable expertise to explore the mysteries of the Kabbalah from an entirely new perspective: that of the human brain. In lieu of the theological, sociological, and psychoanalytic approaches that have generally dominated the study of ecstatic mystical experiences, the authors endeavor to decode the brain mechanisms underlying these phenomena. Arzy and Idel analyze first-person descriptions to explore the Kabbalistic techniques employed by most prominent Jewish mystics to effect bodily reduplications, dissociations, and other phenomena, and compare them with recent neurological observations and modern-day laboratory experiments. The resultant study offers readers a scientific, more brain-based understanding of how ecstatic Kabbalists achieved their most precious mystical experiences. The study further demonstrates how these Kabbalists have long functioned as pioneering investigators of the human self.


Book Synopsis Kabbalah by : Shahar Arzy

Download or read book Kabbalah written by Shahar Arzy and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2015-06-30 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this original study, Moshe Idel, an eminent scholar of Jewish mysticism and thought, and the cognitive neuroscientist and neurologist Shahar Arzy combine their considerable expertise to explore the mysteries of the Kabbalah from an entirely new perspective: that of the human brain. In lieu of the theological, sociological, and psychoanalytic approaches that have generally dominated the study of ecstatic mystical experiences, the authors endeavor to decode the brain mechanisms underlying these phenomena. Arzy and Idel analyze first-person descriptions to explore the Kabbalistic techniques employed by most prominent Jewish mystics to effect bodily reduplications, dissociations, and other phenomena, and compare them with recent neurological observations and modern-day laboratory experiments. The resultant study offers readers a scientific, more brain-based understanding of how ecstatic Kabbalists achieved their most precious mystical experiences. The study further demonstrates how these Kabbalists have long functioned as pioneering investigators of the human self.


The Privileged Divine Feminine in Kabbalah

The Privileged Divine Feminine in Kabbalah

Author: Moshe Idel

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2018-11-19

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 3110597608

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This volume addresses the complex topic of the preeminent status of the divine feminine power, to be referred also as Female, within the theosophical structures of many important Kabbalists, Sabbatean believers, and Hasidic masters. This privileged status is part of a much broader vision of the Female as stemming from a very high root within the divine world, then She was emanated and constitutes the tenth, lower divine power, and even in this lower state She is sometime conceived of governing this world and as equal to the divine Male. Finally, She is conceived of as returning to Her original place in special moments, the days of Sabbath, the Jewish Holidays or in the eschatological era. Her special dignity is sometime related to Her being the telos of creation, and as the first entity that emerged in the divine thought, which has been later on generated. In some cases, an uroboric theosophy links the Female Malkhut, directly to the first divine power, Keter. The author points to the possible impact of some of the Kabbalistic discussions on conceptualizations of the feminine in the Renaissance period.


Book Synopsis The Privileged Divine Feminine in Kabbalah by : Moshe Idel

Download or read book The Privileged Divine Feminine in Kabbalah written by Moshe Idel and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-11-19 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume addresses the complex topic of the preeminent status of the divine feminine power, to be referred also as Female, within the theosophical structures of many important Kabbalists, Sabbatean believers, and Hasidic masters. This privileged status is part of a much broader vision of the Female as stemming from a very high root within the divine world, then She was emanated and constitutes the tenth, lower divine power, and even in this lower state She is sometime conceived of governing this world and as equal to the divine Male. Finally, She is conceived of as returning to Her original place in special moments, the days of Sabbath, the Jewish Holidays or in the eschatological era. Her special dignity is sometime related to Her being the telos of creation, and as the first entity that emerged in the divine thought, which has been later on generated. In some cases, an uroboric theosophy links the Female Malkhut, directly to the first divine power, Keter. The author points to the possible impact of some of the Kabbalistic discussions on conceptualizations of the feminine in the Renaissance period.


Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla's Hermeneutics

Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla's Hermeneutics

Author: Elke Morlok

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 384

ISBN-13: 9783161502033

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A revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Hebrew UniversityJerusalem, 2008.


Book Synopsis Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla's Hermeneutics by : Elke Morlok

Download or read book Rabbi Joseph Gikatilla's Hermeneutics written by Elke Morlok and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2011 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Hebrew UniversityJerusalem, 2008.