Rabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi ' onMouseout='HidePop("45588")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Judaism">Jewish
Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts...
mystic in the community of
SafedSafed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, Safed is the highest city in the Galilee. Since the sixteenth century, Safad has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias...
in the
GalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country...
region of Ottoman Palestine. He is known for the
mysticismMysticism is the pursuit of communion with, identity with, or conscious awareness of an ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, instinct or insight. Mysticism usually centers on a practice or practices intended to nurture those experiences or...
and interpretation of his teachings in
KabbalahKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
known as
Lurianic Kabbalah. While his direct literary contribution to the Kabbalistic school of Safed was extremely minute (he wrote only a few poems), his spiritual fame led to their veneration and the acceptance of his authority. The works of his disciples compiled his oral teachings into writing.
Lurianic Kabbalah gave a revolutionary new account of Kabbalistic thought that its followers synthesised with, and read into, the earlier Kabbalah of the
ZoharThe Zohar is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, or . It is a mystical commentary on the Torah , written in medieval Aramaic...
that had disseminated in Medieval circles. Lurianic Kabbalah describes new doctrines of the origins of
CreationCreation may refer to:In religion and philosophy:*Creation myth, stories of the supernatural creation of the Earth in various cultures*Creation according to Genesis, the Hebrew creation belief as told in the first book of Genesis...
, and their cosmic rectification, as well as a new descriptive paradigm of preceding Kabbalistic teaching. The main popularizer of Luria's ideas was Rabbi
Hayyim ben Joseph VitalHayyim ben Joseph Vital was a foremost exponent of Kabbalah.-Early life:Born in Calabria, Italy,...
, who claimed to be the official interpreter of the Lurianic system, though this was disputed by some.
Previous interpretation of the Zohar had culminated in the first complete intellectual synthesis of Kabbalah, in the rational school of Moshe Cordovero in Safed, immediately before Isaac Luria. Both schools gave Kabbalah a philosophical depth of theology to rival earlier Medieval
Jewish philosophyJewish philosophy refers to the conjunction between serious study of philosophy, Jewish scholasticism and Jewish theology. In one sense, it refers to all philosophical activity carried out by Jews or in relation to the religion of Judaism...
("Hakira"). Under the influence of the esoteric mystical developments of Jewish thought in 16th-century Safed, Kabbalah replaced Hakira as the main Jewish theology, both in scholarly circles, and in the popular imagination. Lurianic thought, seen by its followers as harmonious with, and successively more advanced than Cordoveran, mostly superseded it, and became the mystical dimension of most
OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism is a formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.Orthodox...
theology until today, with the later Hasidic and Mitnagdic movements differing in their interpretations of it. The Sabbatean mystical heresy would also derive its source from Lurianic messianism, but distort the Kabbalistic interdependance of mysticism with Halacha.
Early life
He was born in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
in 1534 to an Ashkenazi father and a Sephardic mother; died at
SafedSafed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, Safed is the highest city in the Galilee. Since the sixteenth century, Safad has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias...
, Ottoman Empire controlled land of Israel (then known as Palestine) July 25 1572 (5
Av 5332). While still a child he lost his father, and was brought up by his rich uncle Mordecai Francis,
tax-farmerTax farming was originally a Roman practice whereby the burden of tax collection was reassigned by the Roman State to private individuals or groups. In essence, these individuals or groups paid the taxes for a certain area and for a certain period of time and then attempted to cover their outlay by...
at
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
,
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
, who placed him under the best Jewish teachers. Luria showed himself a diligent student of rabbinical literature; and, under the guidance of his uncle, Rabbi
Bezalel AshkenaziBezalel ben Abraham Ashkenazi was a rabbi and scholar of the Talmud who lived in the Palestine during the 16th century. He is best known as the author of Shittah Mekubetzet, a commentary on the Talmud. He is very straightforward in his writings and occasionally offers textual amendments to the...
(best known as the author of
Shita Mikubetzet), he, while quite young, became proficient in that branch of Jewish learning.
At the age of fifteen he married his cousin and, being amply provided for financially, was able to continue his studies. Though he initially may have pursued a career in business, he soon turned to asceticism and mysticism. About the age of twenty-two years old, he became engrossed in the study of the
ZoharThe Zohar is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, or . It is a mystical commentary on the Torah , written in medieval Aramaic...
, a major work of the
KabbalahKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
that had recently been printed for the first time, and adopted the life of a recluse. He retreated to the banks of the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
, and for seven years secluded himself in an isolated cottage, giving himself up entirely to meditation. He visited his family only on the
ShabbatShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night...
, speaking very seldom, and always in
HebrewHebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Culturally, it is considered a Jewish language. Hebrew in its modern form is spoken by more than seven million people in Israel while Classical Hebrew has been used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world for over...
. Hassidism attributes to him that he had frequent interviews with the prophet Elijah through this ascetic life, by whom he was initiated into sublime doctrines.
Disciples
In 1569 Luria moved to the Ottoman Palestine; and after a short sojourn in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
, where his new
kabalisticKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
system seems to have met with little success, he settled in
SafedSafed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, Safed is the highest city in the Galilee. Since the sixteenth century, Safad has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias...
. There he formed a circle of kabbalists to whom he imparted the doctrines by means of which he hoped to establish a new basis for the moral system of the world. To this circle belonged Rabbi
Moses ben Jacob CordoveroRabbi Moses ben Jacob Cordovero or Moshe Cordevero was a leading Jewish mystic in 16th-century Safed in Ottoman Palestine...
, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, Rabbi
Joseph CaroJoseph ben Ephraim Caro, also spelled Karo, or Qaro, was author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch, which is still authoritative for all Jews pertaining to their respective communities...
, Rabbi Moses Alshech, Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas, Rabbi Joseph Hagiz, Rabbi Elisha Galadoa, and Rabbi Moses Bassola. They met every Friday, and each confessed to another his sins. Soon Luria had two classes of disciples: (1) novices, to whom he expounded the elementary
KabbalahKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
, and (2) initiates, who became the depositaries of his secret teachings and his formulas of invocation and conjuration.
However, the most renowned of the initiates was Rabbi Chaim Vital of Calabria, who, according to his master, possessed a soul which had not been soiled by Adam's sin. In his company Luria visited the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and of other eminent teachers, it is said that these graves were unmarked—the identity of each grave was unknown—and through Elijah each grave was recognized. Luria's kabbalistic circle gradually widened and became a separate congregation, in which his mystic doctrines were supreme, influencing all the religious ceremonies. On
ShabbatShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night...
Luria dressed himself in white and wore a fourfold garment to signify the four letters of the
Ineffable NameTetragrammaton refers to the Hebrew term ', the name of the God depicted in the Bible....
.
Many Jews who had been exiled from Spain following the
Edict of ExpulsionIn 1290, King Edward I issued an edict expelling all Jews from England. Lasting for the rest of the Middle Ages, it would be over 350 years until it was formally overturned in 1656...
believed they were in the time of trial that would precede the appearance of the
MessiahMessiah literally means "anointed "...
in Galilee. Those who moved to Palestine in anticipation of this event found a great deal of comfort in Luria’s teachings, due to his theme of exile. Although he did not write down his teachings, they were published by his followers and by 1650 his ideas were known by Jews throughout Europe.
His teachings
Luria used to deliver his lectures extempore and, with the exception of several works and some kabbalistic poems in Aramaic for the
SabbathShabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from sundown Friday until the appearance of three stars in the sky on Saturday night...
table did not write much. The real exponent of his kabbalistic system was Chaim Vital. He collected all the notes of the lectures which Luria's disciples had made; and from these notes were produced numerous works, the most important of which was the
Etz ChayimThe Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Dookhanemsheck, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to HaShem and the manner in which He created the world ex nihilo...
, ("Tree of Life"), in eight volumes (see below). At first this circulated in manuscript copies; and each of Luria's disciples had to pledge himself, under pain of excommunication, not to allow a copy to be made for a foreign country; so that for a time all the manuscripts remained in Palestine. At last, however, one was brought to Europe and was published at Zolkiev in 1772 by
Isaac SatanowIsaac Satanow was a Polish Jewish scholar and poet.-Life:In early manhood he left his native country and went to Berlin in search of learning. There he became the protégé of Isaac Daniel and David Friedländer, who found him employment as a teacher in some prominent families.Satanow represents a...
. In this work are expounded both the theoretical and the devotional or meditative
KabbalahKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
based on the
ZoharThe Zohar is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, or . It is a mystical commentary on the Torah , written in medieval Aramaic...
.
Teachings about the Sefirot
The characteristic feature of Luria's system in the theoretical
KabbalahKabbalah is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that is meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation...
is his definition of the Sefiroth and his theory of the intermediary agents, which he calls
partzufim. Before the creation of the world, he says, the
Ein SofEin Sof , in the Kabbalah, is understood as infinite divinity. Ein Sof may be translated as "no end", "unending", "there is no end" or Infinite...
("Without Ending") filled the infinite space. When the Creation was decided upon, in order that God's attributes, which belong to other beings as well, should manifest themselves in their perfection, the
Ein Sof retired into God's own nature, or, to use the kabbalistic term, God "concentrated" Himself (
TzimtzumTzimtzum is a term used in the Kabbalahistic teaching of Isaac Luria, explaining his concept that God began the process of creation by "contracting" his infinite light in order to allow for a "conceptual space" in which a finite and seemingly independent world could exist...
). From this "concentration" proceeded the "infinite light". When in its turn the light "concentrated", there appeared in the center an empty space encompassed by ten circles or dynamic vessels (
kelim) called
Sefirot, ("Circled Numbers") by means of which the infinite realities, though forming an absolute unity, may appear in their diversity; for the finite has no real existence of itself.
However, the infinite light did not wholly desert the center; a thin conduit of light traversed the circles and penetrated into the center. But while the three outermost circles, being of a purer substance because of their nearness to the
Ein Sof, were able to bear the light, the inner six were unable to do so, and burst. It was, therefore, necessary to remove them from the focus of the light. For this purpose the Sefirot were transformed into "figures" (
parzufim, cf. Greek πρόσωπον = "face").
The first
Sefirah, being
Keter ("Crown"), was transformed into the potentially existing three heads of the Macroprosopon (
Erech Anpin); the second
Sefirah, being
Chochmah ("Wisdom"), into the active masculine principle called "Father" (
Abba); the third Sefirah, being
Binah ("Understanding"), into the passive, feminine principle called "Mother" (
Imma); the six broken
Sefirot, into the "male child" (
Ze'er), which is the product of the masculine active and the feminine passive principles; the tenth
Sefirah,
Malkut which is ("Kingship"), into the female child (
Bath). This proceeding was absolutely necessary. Had God in the beginning created these figures instead of the
Sefirot, there would have been no evil in the world, and consequently no reward and punishment; for the source of evil is in the broken
Sefirot or vessels (
Shvirat Keilim), while the light of the
Ein Sof produces only that which is good. These five figures are found in each of the
Four WorldsKabbalah, from the Medieval circles around study of the Zohar, distinguishes between four different "worlds" or "planes of existence" that successively link the Infinite Divine essence , with our physical finite Creation...
; namely, in the world of Emanation (
atzilut), Creation (
beri'ahBeri'ah, or Briyah , is the second of four worlds in the kabbalistic Tree of Life. It is known as the world of creation. In western occultism, each of the Sephiroth in this world is associated with a Holy Archangel, and it is associated with the suit of cups in the tarot...
), Formation (
yetzirahYetzirah is the third of four worlds in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, following Assiah and Briah...
), and in that of Action (
asiyahAsiyah can refer to:* Asiya, wife of the Pharaoh, foster-mother of Moses* Assiah...
), which represents the material world.
Luria's psychological system, upon which is based his devotional and meditational Kabbalah, is closely connected with his metaphysical doctrines. From the five figures, he says, emanated five souls,
Nefesh ("Spirit"),
Ru'ach ("Wind"),
Neshamah ("Soul"),
Chayah ("Life"), and
Yechidah ("Singular"); the first of these being the
lowest, and the last the
highest. (Source:
Etz ChayimThe Tree of Life, or Etz haChayim in Dookhanemsheck, is a mystical symbol used in the Kabbalah of esoteric Judaism to describe the path to HaShem and the manner in which He created the world ex nihilo...
). Man's soul is the connecting link between the infinite and the finite, and as such is of a manifold character. All the souls destined for the human race were created together with the various organs of Adam. As there are superior and inferior organs, so there are superior and inferior souls, according to the organs with which they are respectively coupled. Thus there are souls of the brain, souls of the eye, souls of the hand, etc. Each human soul is a spark (
nitzotz) from Adam. The first sin of the first man caused confusion among the various classes of souls: the superior intermingled with the inferior; good with evil; so that even the purest soul received an admixture of evil, or, as Luria calls it, of the element of the "shells" (
Kelipoth). From the lowest classes of souls proceeded the pagan world, while from the higher emanated the Israelitish world. But, in consequence of the confusion, the former are not wholly deprived of the original good, and the latter are not altogether free from sin. This state of confusion, which gives a continual impulse toward evil, will cease with the arrival of the Messiah, who will establish the moral system of the world upon a new basis. Until that time man's soul, because of its deficiencies, can not return to its source, and has to wander not only through the bodies of men and of animals, but even through inanimate things such as wood, rivers, and stones.
Return of the soul
To this doctrine of gilgulim (reincarnation of souls) Luria added the theory of the impregnation (
ibbur) of souls; that is to say, if a purified soul has neglected some religious duties on earth, it must return to the earthly life, and, attaching itself to the soul of a living man, unite with it in order to make good such neglect.
Further, the departed soul of a man freed from sin appears again on earth to support a weak soul which feels unequal to its task. However, this union, which may extend to two souls at one time, can only take place between souls of homogeneous character; that is, between those which are sparks of the same Adamite organ. The dispersion of Israel has for its purpose the salvation of men's souls; as the purified souls of Israelites will fulfill the prophecy of becoming "A lamplight unto the nations," influencing the souls of men of other races in order to free them from demoniacal influences.
According to Luria, man bears on his forehead a mark by which one may learn the nature of his soul: to which degree and class it belongs; the relation existing between it and the superior world; the wanderings it has already accomplished; the means by which it can contribute to the establishment of the new moral system of the world; how it can be freed from demoniacal influences; and to which soul it should be united in order to become purified. This union can be effected by formulas of conjuration.
According to others, the sign is on the person shape likeness by which one may learn the nature of his/her soul to which value that person is to place it self on tikkun olam
More on -
Shaar ha GilgulimSha'ar ha Gilgulim is a kabbalistic work on reincarnation. Based primarily on the Zohar , where gilgulim are discussed, it also borrows heavily from the teachings of the prominent Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria...
Shabbetai Tzvi
Lurianic Kabbalah has been accused by some of being the cause of the spread of the false
MessiahMessiah literally means "anointed "...
Shabbetai TzviSabbatai Zevi, was a rabbi and kabbalist who claimed to be the long-awaited...
. However, it remained the leading school of mysticism in Judaism, and is an important influence on
HasidismHasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew: , Hasidut, meaning "piety") is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith. The majority of Hasidic Jews are ultra-orthodox....
and Sefardic kabbalists. In fact, only a minority of today's Jewish mystics belong to other branches of thought in Zoharic mysticism. Some Jewish kabbalists have said that the followers of
Shabbetai TzviSabbatai Zevi, was a rabbi and kabbalist who claimed to be the long-awaited...
strongly avoided teachings of Rabbi Luria because his system disproved their notions. On the other hand, the Shabbetians did use Rabbi Luria's concepts of nitzotzot trapped in kelippot and pure souls being mixed with the impure (see below) to justify some of their antinomian actions.
Influence on ritual
Luria introduced his mystic system into religious observance. Every commandment had for him a mystic meaning. The Sabbath with all its ceremonies was looked upon as the embodiment of the Divinity in temporal life; and every ceremony performed on that day was considered to have an influence upon the superior world. Every word, every syllable, of the prescribed prayers contain hidden names of God upon which one should meditate devoutly while reciting. New mystic ceremonies were ordained and codified under the name of
Shulkhan Arukh heAri (The "Code of Law of the Ari") (compare Shulkhan Arukh by
RabbiRabbi is the term in Judaism for a religious teacher. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word , rav, which in biblical Hebrew means ‘great’ in many senses, including "revered." The word comes from the Semitic root R-B-B, and is cognate to Arabic ربّ rabb, meaning "lord" Rabbi .
Influence on modern Judaism
Rabbi Luria's ideas enjoy wide recognition among Jews today.
OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism is a formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmudic texts and as subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and Acharonim.Orthodox...
as well
ReformReform Judaism refers to the spectrum of beliefs, practices and organizational infrastructure associated with Reform Judaism in North America and in the United Kingdom....
,
ReconstructionistReconstructionist Judaism is a modern American-based Jewish movement based on the ideas of Mordecai Kaplan . The movement views Judaism as a progressively evolving civilization. It originated as the radical left branch of Conservative Judaism before it splintered...
and other
ProgressiveProgressive Judaism is an umbrella term used by strands of Judaism which affiliate to the World Union for Progressive Judaism. They embrace pluralism, modernity, equality and social justice as core values and believe that such values are consistent with a committed Jewish life...
Jews frequently acknowledge a moral obligation to "repair the world" (
tikkun olam). This idea draws upon Luria's teaching that shards of divinity remain contained in flawed material creation and that deeds by the righteous help to release this energy. The philosophies of the Ari do not exercise the same level of influence everywhere, however. Communities where Luria's thought holds less sway include many
GermanKhal Adath Jeshurun is a German-Jewish Ashkenazi congregation in the Washington Heights neighborhood, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It has established an offshoot in the heavily Jewish neighborhood of Monsey, New York....
, Litvish, and Modern Orthodox communities, groups carrying forward
Spanish and PortugueseSpanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the crypto-Jewish communities of the Iberian peninsula and who shaped communities mainly in Western Europe and the Americas from the late 16th century on...
traditions, a sizable segment of Baladi
Yemenite JewsYemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen Yemenite Jews (Hebrew: תֵּימָנִים,
Standard Temanim
Tiberian ; singular תֵּימָנִי,
Standard Temani
Tiberian ) are those Jews who live, or...
(see
Dor DaimDor Daim, sometimes known as Dardaim, are adherents of the Dor Deah movement in Judaism. That movement was founded in nineteenth century Yemen by Rabbi Yihhyah Qafahh, and had its own network of synagogues and schools...
), and other groups that follow a form of
Torah JudaismTorah Judaism is an English term, used by a number of Orthodox Jewish groups, to describe Judaism as being based on a strict adherence to the laws of the Torah's 613 mitzvot as expounded in Orthodox Halakha....
based more on classical authorities like
MaimonidesMoses Maimonides, also known as Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon or the acronym the Rambam , was born in Cordoba, Spain on March 30, 1135, and died in Egypt on December 13, 1204....
and the
GeonimGeonim were the presidents of the two great rabbinical colleges of Sura and Pumbedita, in Babylonia, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority over the Jews in...
.
Modern day descendants
Several members of the ultra-orthodox community in
SafedSafed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. At an elevation of 800 meters above sea level, Safed is the highest city in the Galilee. Since the sixteenth century, Safad has been considered one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias...
and in
JerusalemJerusalem is the capital of Israel and its largest city in both population and area, with a population of 747,600 residents over an area of if disputed East Jerusalem is included...
claim they can trace their lineage back to Luria .
The various Chassidic dynasties consider the teachings and practices of Luria as major influences on their own teachings and practices. Additionally, today's
mekubalim mizra`him (oriental Kabbalists), following the tradition of R' Chayim Vital and the mystical legacy of the
RashashSar Shalom Sharabi , also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Mizraḥi deyedi`a Sharabi , was a Yemenite Rabbi, Halachist, Chazzan and Kabbalist. In later life he became the Rosh Yeshiva of Bet El Yeshiva...
(Gilgul of the ARI), consider themselves legitimate heirs to and in continuity with Luria's teachings.
External links