kabbalah

Kabbalah is a Jewish mystical tradition that seeks to illuminate the nature of God, creation, and the human soul by exploring hidden meanings in the Hebrew Bible and in liturgical texts. The term means “receiving” or “tradition,” referring to teachings believed to have been transmitted through generations as a revelation rather than a simple interpretation.

Central ideas include the belief that God is ultimately transcendent and unknowable in ordinary terms, while creation unfolds through a structured system of divine emanations called the sefirot. The sefirot are often depicted as a Tree of Life, illustrating how divine energy flows into the world and into the human soul. Human beings participate in tikkun, or cosmic repair, by aligning thoughts and actions with these emanations and by pursuing spiritual insight and ethical conduct.

Kabbalah developed within Jewish communities in medieval Spain and Provence, drawing on earlier mystical and homiletic traditions. Foundational texts include Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation), the Bahir, and especially the Zohar, a comprehensive mystical commentary on the Torah widely associated with Shimon bar Yohai but likely compiled in the 13th century. The most influential later school is Lurianic Kabbalah, created by Isaac Luria in 16th-century Safed, which introduced ideas about tzimtzum (contraction), shevirat ha-kelim (shattering of vessels), and the ongoing process of tikkun. In subsequent centuries, Kabbalah shaped Hasidic thought and broader Jewish spirituality, and it has also attracted interest beyond traditional Jewish communities.

Key texts associated with Kabbalah include the Zohar, Sefer Yetzirah, Bahir, and the Lurianic writings compiled in Etz Chaim. The tradition remains diverse and is studied in various strands, from speculative theology to ethical and symbolic mysticism, while remaining a subject of ongoing scholarly and religious discussion.