A History of Jewish Mysticism

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

For millennia, Kabbalah - the Jewish mystical tradition - was a highly guarded, orally transmitted body of esoteric knowledge. Today, Kabbalah is everywhere, from the internet, to Madonna, to popular charms and amulets. This course presents both an introduction to the basic principles of Jewish mysticism, as they have changed and developed over the centuries, as well as the way in which Kabbalah has entered into diverse forms of contemporary spirituality, new-age thought, religious cross-fertilization (i.e. Buddhist Kabbalah), art, cinema, and even politics. Following an introduction into the nature of mystical experience, and a discussion of Biblical mysticism, the course will zigzag through history - jumping from earlier generations of thinkers to contemporary Kabbalists and Hasidic masters. In this way, the student will see how ancient, mythic ideas receive modern interpretation. We will examine Kabbalistic writings on such issues as the nature of the Divine, the reasons for creation, and humanity's role in the process of redemption in such seminal works as the Zohar, the Lurianic corpus and the works of R. Yehudah Ashlag. In comparison, we will examine the teachings of The Kabbalah Center and Bnei Baruch, contemporary Jewish meditation (Jay Michaelson), Kabbalistic theories of love and romance (and, perhaps, right-wing religious Zionists) (R. Yitzchak Ginsburgh), artists (Eliah Succot, David Friedman, Madonna), feminists, psychologists and environmentalists. Various perspectives on G-d and the universe, the human body and sexuality, meditation, ritual, and healing will be also examined. The question we will ask throughout is: Is Kabbalah just another fad, or does it add true and profound value to the various disciplines to which it is applied? Throughout the course, the rich picture of the Jewish mystical tradition will be complimented by frequent comparison to other great spiritual traditions of the world.