General Issues in the Study of Jewish Mysticism

Inspired by Scholem, Major Trends Lecture #1

• Ideology and History in the evaluation of Jewish Mysticism:
  Negative biases of nineteenth-century Jewish scholars, largely due to their antagonism to contemporary Hasidism.

• If mysticism is defined as "experience of the Divine"--does Jewish mysticism qualify?
  Heikhalot and Hasidism evidently do--What about Kabbalah?.

  Possibility that Kabbalists underwent mystical experiences, but restrained themselves from writing about them.

• "There is no mysticism as such, there is only the mysticism of a particular religious system."

• Relationship between mysticism and religious orthodoxy (especially the legal tradition).

• Was Biblical Prophecy a mystical experience?

• Scholem's three-stage historical scheme for the appearance of mysticism:

  Mysticism only arises out of "classical" ethical-institutional religion in order to "close the abyss."

• Jewish Mysticism redefines traditional religious concepts, texts and observancves.

  Mystical and esoteric reading of the Torah.

• The question of religious language: Expressing the inexpressible.

  Comparison with the philosophical-rationalist approach to the same question:

  Mystical symbolism vs. philosophical metaphor and allegory:

  • For philosophers, religious language is only a rough approximation of the metaphysical truth.

  • A mystical symbol is a reality in its own right, language expresses metaphysical reality reflecting the Divine language.
• How Kabbalah avoids absolute dualism:

  --Ein Sof is above distinctions.

• Tension between perception of Jewish mysticism as an ancient esoteric tradition and the desire to spread the teachings among the public.

• Kabbalah as an outgrowth of and response to philosophical rationalism:
  Kabbalah's success in providing rationales and cosmic importance for religious observance vs. Philosophy's failure.
  • Justification for prayer.
  • Acceptable, mythological accounting for reality of evil.

• "Masculinity" of Kabbalah, vs.Differing feminine elements in God:
  Strict Justice on "left" side (related to evil).
  • Shekninah, beloved princess bride.