1	Some Thoughts on Jewish Mysticism A Very Different History
2	Personal Cautions I am always begin any discussion of a Jewish theme by pointing out that I am not an expert in this area. Christian understanding of Judaism is both helped and hindered by a shared Scripture. Most Christians assume that modern Judaism is simply the continuation of the ancient Jewish tradition in a new form.
3	The Word Judaism Derived from the word, Judah. Began its characteristic development with the Exile of the leadership to Babylon from 586-538. The “return to the land” was never complete. The wealthiest and in time the richest Jewish community was in Babylon and the East.
4	The Hellenistic World and Judaism I Judaism developed along two parallel and related lines The Babylonian and Eastern Communities that developed many characteristic practices of later Judaism: The Rabbi The Synagogue
5	The Hellenistic World and Judaism II The Palestinian Community The continuation of nationalism Deep influence of Hellenism Included in the Seleucid Empire The Ambiguous Revolt of the Maccabees The Roman Conquest and the New Diaspora
6	Toward the Second Exile Judaism was very diverse Philo of Alexandria, great Platonic philosopher The Dead Sea Scrolls Apocalyptic A series of Jewish Revolts, both in Palestine and the Provinces, lead to the expulsion of the Jews from Palestine and much anti-Judaism among Romans and Greeks
7	Some First Century Religious Movements in Judaism Christianity Gnosticism Apocalyptic The Dead Sea Peoples Pharisees and Rabbis
8	A Religion of Obedience and Law Part of the way for Jews to survive in the new world that followed the revolts was to develop and accentuate their characteristic religious practices. Although some traces of the mysticism of Philo, the Gnostics, and some Christians, such as the author of John, continued, much of Judaism apart from mysticism.
9	Talmud Normative Collection of Biblical Interpretations or Midrash. The material in Talmud stretches over several centuries “teaching" - compendium of discussions of the Mishnah by generations of scholars and jurists in many academies over a period of several centuries. The Jerusalem (or Palestinian) Talmud mainly contains the discussions of the Palestinian sages. The Babylonial talmud incorporates the parallel discussion in the Babylon academies
10	Parts of Talmud Mishna (“repeated study”): written down by Judah the Prince in about 200 CE. This was the oral interpretation of the law by the leading rabbis and contained rabbinic decisions. Gamara (“completion”) Comments on the Mishna that were collected. Palestinian Talmud collected about 350 C.E. Babylonian Talmud collected about 550 C.E. but modified steadily for the next 250 years
11	Before the Kabala The Greater and the Lesser Hekhaloth Edited in the Sixth Century (500s) CE. Although some Palestinian elements, probably have some elements from Palestine. Not Midrashim Major theme is the vision of the heavenly realm, the heavenly throne (Merkabah), and God’s Glory Descent from the Throne Esoteric groups that stood somewhat apart from the Talmudic development although conscious of them
12	The Merkabah as Gnostic Originally, we have here a Jewish variation on one of the chief preoccupations of the second and third century Gnostics and Hermetics: the ascent of the soul from the earth, through the spheres of the hostile planet-angels and rulers of the cosmos, and its return to its divine home in the “fullness” of God’s light, a return which, to the Gnostic mind, signified redemption.—Scholem There are seven gates to be passed. Cf. Teresa
13	Riding the Chariot Importance of the Chariot Imagery in the Bible This is called "the Vision of the Merkabah . ..and those under this strange hallucination, who imagine themselves entering the Heavenly Chariot and floating through the air, are called "Yorede Merkabah" (= "those that go down into the ship-like chariot"; Jellinek, "B. H." iii. 90, 94 et seq.). In this chariot they are supposed to ascend to the heavens, where in the dazzling light surrounding them they behold the innermost secrets of all persons and things, otherwise impenetrable and invisible.—Jewish Enclopedia
14	“The Body of God” One of the more unusual images in this mysticism God is pictured in very anthropomorphic terms and the adept is in God’s presence directly and immediately.
15	Magic Scholem and others notes that early Jewish mysticism often “degenerated” into magic.
16	German Hassidism 1150-1250 in the Rhineland Region of Germany The word means the “pious” Three Major Figures Samuel the Hasid Eleazer ben Jehudah Jehudah the Hasid
17	HASIDISM Not only for scholars. A Hasid might only know the Bible and not Talmud Three marks of piety: Ascetic renunciation of the world Serenity of mind Altruism. (What is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours)
18	Penitence Special emphasis of Hasidism. Modeled closely on the Church’s practices
19	Kabbalah Sefer Yetzirah or Book of Creation (somewhere between 600 and 900) The Bahir or Illumination, around 1100, in Southern France The Zohar around 1200 in Spain, possibly by Moshe de Leon
20	The Tree of Life and the Tree of Death Important Cosmic Symbols The tree of life is composed of the ten emanations from God Clearly a neo-platonic understanding Called the sefirot
21	The Great Tree I
22	Great Tree II
23	God Two Aspects of God God as God is in Godself. Neither matter or spirit. The Ein Sof. God as God is in Creation and Revelation.
24	Humankind Nefesh (נפש) –or soul Ruach (רוח) – Greek Spirit Neshamah (נשמה) - the higher soul or intellect or reason. One can develop Ruach and Neshamah by religious practices. ----------------------------- Chayyah (חיה) – similar to Eckhart’s little spark Yehidah (יחידה)—the highest part of the soul.
25	Kabbalah’s Critics Although Scholem, the great scholar of Jewish mysticism, believed that Kaballah was the great Jewish theology in the early modern period (1500-1800), most rabbis of all branches of Judaism have distrusted it. Judaism has favored the rationalism of Maimonides and similar thinkers.