qabalah

Qabalah, also transliterated as Kabbalah, is a mystic tradition within Judaism that seeks to understand the nature of God, the process of creation, and the hidden structure of the Torah. The term derives from the Hebrew qabbalah, "receiving" or "tradition." Classical Kabbalah treats revelation as a layered, esoteric meaning of Scripture and cosmic order. Its medieval form emerged in the 12th to 13th centuries in Provence and northern Spain, drawing on earlier mystical and philological traditions. Foundational texts include Sefer Yetzirah, the Bahir, and the Zohar.

Central to Kabbalah is the doctrine of emanations from the divine, often described as the ten sefirot (spheres) through which divine light flows and is refracted into creation. The sefirot form the Tree of Life, usually listed as Keter, Hochmah, Binah, Hesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malkuth. In Kabbalistic cosmology, the infinite God (Ein Sof) contracts (tzimtzum) to create space for the finite world, yet remains present within creation and all things through these emanations.

Different strands developed within Kabbalah, including theoretical mysticism and "practical" Kabbalah, which in some periods claimed to enable manipulation of divine forces. The 16th century Lurianic Kabbalah of Isaac Luria introduced concepts such as tzimtzum, shevirat ha-kelim (shattering of the vessels), and tikkun olam (repair of the world). Hasidic movements in the 18th century further popularized mystical piety and devout contemplation grounded in Kabbalah.

Today, Kabbalah remains a subject of Jewish study and spiritual practice, with diverse approaches ranging from scholarly exegesis of Zoharic and early texts to meditative and ethical paths influenced by Hasidism. It has also influenced European and Christian mysticism, philosophy, and popular culture; in some contexts, non-Jewish interest is treated critically within Jewish communities.