What is Kabbalah?

Kabbalah is an indigenous Jewish philosophy that rose out of 13th Century Spain. The principle text of Kabbalah, the Zohar, is a hyper-commentary on the Torah. That is, it looks at the scripture in a very unique way in order to discern its mystical truths.

The principles of Kabbalah are designed to be passed on from teacher to disciple and thus it is a received tradition. In fact the name Kabbalah shares a Hebrew root with the verb L'kabeyl (to receive). Traditional Kabbalists were mystics who had an outstanding grounding in Torah and in all of Jewish sources including a keen understanding of Jewish law through Mishna and Talmud.

The modern fervor surrounding Kabbalah is a bit perplexing because many modern students of this ancient philosophy do not have the grounding in traditional sources that is needed in order to unpack its mystery. On the other hand, I am excited that Kabbalah has become popular in this era because it brings Jewish mystical thought back into the mainstream of Judaism.

There are many Jewish mystical texts which help to solidify our own personal spiritual connections with our Creator. The mystical impulse, to know God and to yearn to be close to the Divine, is very human. Judaism has wonderful texts of the spirit for both prayer and study and Kabbalah is just one of the many mystical pathways of our faith.

For more on the mystical elements in Judaism I recommend reading The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition by Lawrence Kushner.