| Creating Judaism: History, Tradition, Practice Michael L. Satlow |
Discussion Questions:
1. What is mysticism? Do you think that "mysticism" or "spirituality" exists outside of particular
religious traditions?
2. How would Maimonides react to the Zohar? How did Jewish mystics react to Maimonides?
3. On what earlier rabbinic texts does the Zohar rely? In what way does the Zohar give, and not
give, authority to those earlier texts?
4. What do you think is the Zohar's most fundamental innovation?
5. What is Lurianic Kabbalah, and how does it differ from the Zohar?
6. Why, according to Kabbalah, is there evil in the world, and what is the appropriate human
response to it?
7. Why has Kabbalah become so popular today?
Resources
Gershom Scholem pioneered the modern study of Jewish mysticism and his works remain deeply
relevant. See especially his collections of essays, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, rev. ed. (New
York: Schocken, 1946), and The Messianic Idea in Judaism, and Other Essays on Jewish
Spirituality (New York: Schocken, 1971). Kabbalah has been receiving increased attention in recent
years, both popular and academic. In English, Moshe Idel’s books, Kabbalah: New Perspectives
(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988), and Messianic Mystics (New Haven: Yale University
Press, 1998), attempt to revise some of Scholem’s positions. Especially readable entrances into
Kabbalah are Arthur Green, A Guide to the Zohar (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004); and
the essay by Lawrence Fine, “Kabbalistic Texts” in Holtz, Back to the Sources, pp. 305–359. A
short selection of texts can be found in Daniel C. Matt, ed., The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of
Jewish Mysticism (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisoco, 1995); and a much longer, well-annotated
selection in Isaiah Tishby, ed., The Wisdom of the Zohar: An Anthology of Texts, trans. David
Goldstein, Littman Library of Jewish Civilization (Oxford: Oxford University Press for Littman Library,
1989).
Daniel Matt's ongoing translation of and commentary on The Zohar, published by Stanford
University Press, is fundamental.
1. What is mysticism? Do you think that "mysticism" or "spirituality" exists outside of particular
religious traditions?
2. How would Maimonides react to the Zohar? How did Jewish mystics react to Maimonides?
3. On what earlier rabbinic texts does the Zohar rely? In what way does the Zohar give, and not
give, authority to those earlier texts?
4. What do you think is the Zohar's most fundamental innovation?
5. What is Lurianic Kabbalah, and how does it differ from the Zohar?
6. Why, according to Kabbalah, is there evil in the world, and what is the appropriate human
response to it?
7. Why has Kabbalah become so popular today?
Resources
Gershom Scholem pioneered the modern study of Jewish mysticism and his works remain deeply
relevant. See especially his collections of essays, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, rev. ed. (New
York: Schocken, 1946), and The Messianic Idea in Judaism, and Other Essays on Jewish
Spirituality (New York: Schocken, 1971). Kabbalah has been receiving increased attention in recent
years, both popular and academic. In English, Moshe Idel’s books, Kabbalah: New Perspectives
(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988), and Messianic Mystics (New Haven: Yale University
Press, 1998), attempt to revise some of Scholem’s positions. Especially readable entrances into
Kabbalah are Arthur Green, A Guide to the Zohar (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004); and
the essay by Lawrence Fine, “Kabbalistic Texts” in Holtz, Back to the Sources, pp. 305–359. A
short selection of texts can be found in Daniel C. Matt, ed., The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of
Jewish Mysticism (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisoco, 1995); and a much longer, well-annotated
selection in Isaiah Tishby, ed., The Wisdom of the Zohar: An Anthology of Texts, trans. David
Goldstein, Littman Library of Jewish Civilization (Oxford: Oxford University Press for Littman Library,
1989).
Daniel Matt's ongoing translation of and commentary on The Zohar, published by Stanford
University Press, is fundamental.
 |  |  |  |
"Seeing God" |
| Copyright Michael L. Satlow 2007 All rights reserved Comments? Suggestion? Contact the author! |