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95-521: In Jewish mystical texts, Chokmah is described as the primordial point of divine wisdom, which shines forth from the will of God. This point remains incomprehensible until differentiated and given form in Binah. The Zohar , an essential Kabbalistic text , emphasizes Chokmah’s role in the emanation process and its association with the sense of sight, as well as an inner spiritual sense of taste that precedes and arouses sight. The interplay between Chokmah and Binah

190-464: A Kabbalist. Ashlag studied with this particular teacher every night for three months, he said, “until my arrogance separated us,” and the teacher disappeared. A few months later Ashlag met the teacher again, and after pleading with him, convinced him to reveal an important kabbalistic secret. The next day, the teacher died. In 1921, at the age of 36, Ashlag made the decision to emigrate to the Land of Israel ,

285-404: A commentary on all the writings of Isaac Luria. In this undertaking, he developed a comprehensive explanation of the sequence of the creation of all of the upper worlds ( Olamot Elyonim ), starting with the source of emanation ( Ma'atzil ) and finishing with our world ( Olam HaZeh ). The work is divided into six volumes, containing sixteen parts and over two thousand pages. Some today consider it as

380-480: A day, and due to a lack of money he was not able to afford a sufficient amount of paper and ink to write more precise explanations. He later said that if it had been within his capabilities, he would have written a full commentary on The Zohar in two-hundred volumes, but he was unable to begin the work only because of a lack of means. He completed this work in 1953, and later added three more volumes. Rav Ashlag's closest student Rav Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein later finished

475-547: A different ancient mystical book in a cave near Toledo , which may have been de Leon's inspiration. Within fifty years of its appearance in Spain it was quoted by Kabbalists, including the Italian mystical writer Menahem Recanati and Todros ben Joseph Abulafia . However, Joseph ben Waqar harshly attacked the Zohar , which he considered inauthentic, and some Jewish communities, such as

570-461: A discourse on chiromancy by ben Yochai. h. Old Man (סבא) An elaborate narrative about a speech by an old Kabbalist. Yehuda Ashlag Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag (1885–1954) or Yehuda Leib Ha-Levi Ashlag ( Hebrew : רַבִּי יְהוּדָה לֵיבּ הַלֵּוִי אַשְׁלַג ), also known as the Baal Ha-Sulam (Hebrew: בַּעַל הַסּוּלָם ‎, "Author of The Ladder") in reference to his magnum opus ,

665-543: A great follower of Isaac Luria . Ashlag had high hopes of meeting great Kabbalists in Jerusalem including the Sephardi followers of the great 18th-century Yemenite Jewish Kabbalist Shalom Sharabi . However, he was profoundly disappointed by his encounter with them. Their views about Kabbalah ran contrary to Ashlag's experience with the teaching as a means of profound personal transformation and spiritual illumination, by becoming

760-470: A journey that took several months. He spent the first few years living anonymously, supporting his family through manual labor by day and writing his commentaries at night. Eventually, he was recognized through his work, and was appointed Rabbi of Givat Shaul , Jerusalem in 1924. Ashlag was friendly with the Kabbalist and Chief Rabbi of Mandatory Palestine , Abraham Isaac Kook , who recognized Ashlag as

855-1111: A kind of gnostic inclination within Kabbalah, and as a predecessor of the Sitra Ahra (the other, evil side) in the Zohar . The main text of the Castile circle, the Treatise on the Left Emanation , was written by Jacob ha-Cohen around 1265. Tikunei haZohar was first printed in Mantua in 1557. The main body of the Zohar was printed in Cremona in 1558 (a one-volume edition), in Mantua in 1558-1560 (a three-volume edition), and in Salonika in 1597 (a two-volume edition). Each of these editions included somewhat different texts. When they were printed there were many partial manuscripts in circulation that were not available to

950-604: A medieval date. In the Ashkenazi community of Eastern Europe, religious authorities including Elijah of Vilna (d. 1797) and Shneur Zalman of Liadi (d. 1812) believed in the authenticity of the Zohar , while Ezekiel Landau (d. 1793), in his sefer Derushei HaTzlach (דרושי הצל"ח), argued that the Zohar is to be considered unreliable as it was made public many hundreds of years after Ben Yochai's death and lacks an unbroken tradition of authenticity, among other reasons. Isaac Satanow accepted Emden's arguments and referred to

1045-467: A significant place within Hermetic Qabalah , associated with analytical thinking and stability. Its corresponding divine name, Yah , the archangel Raziel , and the angels Ophanim , as well as its Tarot associations, underscore its importance in mystical and spiritual traditions. The paths connecting Chokmah to Keter, Binah, Chesed , and Tiferet , symbolized by corresponding Tarot cards, illustrate

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1140-699: A small amount of genuinely antique novel material. Later additions to the Zohar , including Tiqqune hazZohar and Ra'ya Meheimna , were composed by a 14th century imitator. According to Gershom Scholem and other modern scholars, Zoharic Aramaic is an artificial dialect largely based on a linguistic fusion of the Babylonian Talmud and Targum Onkelos , but confused by de León's simple and imperfect grammar, his limited vocabulary, and his reliance on loanwords, including from contemporaneous medieval languages. The author further confused his text with occasional strings of Aramaic-seeming gibberish , in order to give

1235-519: A speech is quoted in which he explains the previous section. e. Assembly of the Tabernacle (אדרא דמשכנא) This part has the same structure as c. but discusses instead the mysticism of prayer . f. Palaces (היכלות) Seven palaces of light are described, which are perceived by the devout in death. This description appears again in another passage, heavily embellished. g. Secretum Secretorum (רזא דרזין) An anonymous discourse on physiognomy and

1330-541: A vessel for divine light. In 1926 Ashlag left for London, and it was there that he wrote his commentary on The Arizal's (Isaac Luria) book Etz Chaim . This work is entitled Panim Meirot wMasbirot . It took him one and a half years to complete this work. It was published in 1927, and in 1928 Ashlag returned to the Land of Israel (Mandatory Palestine). In 1932 Ashlag and his family moved to Jaffa . During this period, Ashlag also began one of his main works, Talmud Eser Sefirot ,

1425-620: Is "highly oracular and obscure," citing no authorities and explaining nothing. c. Greater Assembly (אדרא רבא) This part contains an explanation of the oracular hints in the previous section. Ben Yochai's friends gather together to discuss secrets of Kabbalah. After the opening of the discussion by ben Yochai, the sages rise, one after the other, and lecture on the secret of Divinity, while ben Yochai adds to and responds to their words. The sages become steadily more ecstatic until three of them die. Scholem calls this part "architecturally perfect." d. Lesser Assembly (אדרא זוטא) Ben Yochai dies and

1520-519: Is a foundational work of Kabbalistic literature . It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on mysticism , mythical cosmogony , and mystical psychology . The Zohar contains discussions of the nature of God , the origin and structure of the universe, the nature of souls, redemption, the relationship of ego to darkness and "true self" to "the light of God". The Zohar

1615-412: Is a complete re-editing and commentary to the works of 16th century Kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria . This is a comprehensive exposition of the system of the upper worlds, Partzufim and Sefirot , in the scientific language of Kabbalah which was developed by Luria. As a core Kabbalistic text, it is especially unique in its utmost precision to detail to the structural organization and processes occurring in

1710-594: Is a famous passage describing Divine Wisdom, including the passage: For she is the breath of the power of God, and a pure influence flowing from the glory of the Almighty: therefore can no defiled thing fall into her. For she is the brightness of the everlasting light, the unspotted mirror of the power of God, and the image of his goodness. And being but one, she can do all things: and remaining in herself, she maketh all things new: and in all ages entering into holy souls, she maketh them friends of God, and prophets. Solomon , as

1805-510: Is associated with the color grey, the four Twos of the Tarot , Shiva , Odin , Athena , God the Father , Amaranth , Star Ruby , Hashish , Yang and Khien , and Insanity . He lists its associated opposing qliphah as Ghagiel. The paths connecting Chokmah to other sefirot are significant. The path to Keter is associated with The Fool , symbolizing the initial spark of creation. The path to Binah

1900-479: Is called eyes, and the right eye Is the upper chochmah and the left eye is the lower chochmah. The word Chokmah is read in the Zohar (Numbers 220b) as koach mah , "the power of selflessness", or, alternatively, as cheich mah , "the palate of selflessness". "The power of selflessness" implies not only the attribute of selflessness itself, but the great creative power that selflessness entails. "The palate of selflessness"

1995-714: Is crucial for understanding how abstract wisdom becomes concrete understanding. The ethical behavior associated with Chokmah involves emulating its dual nature: communion with the Creator to gain wisdom and teaching others the wisdom received. This reflects the sefirah's dual role of receiving and disseminating divine insight. Practical applications of Chokmah in Kabbalistic practice include meditative techniques to cultivate wisdom, selflessness, and alignment with divine will, illustrating its central role in theoretical and applied Kabbalistic disciplines. In Western esotericism , Chokmah holds

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2090-699: Is frequently identified with Sophia (Σοφία in Greek), who embodies divine wisdom. Sophia's narrative is central to many Gnostic texts, where she is also known by the name Achamōth , a Greek derivation from the Hebrew word Chokmah . The word occurs 149 times in the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew Bible . It is cognate with the Arabic word for "wisdom", ḥikma حكمة ( Semitic root ḥ-k-m ). Adjectival ḥakham "wise"

2185-431: Is linked to The Empress , representing the nurturing of wisdom into understanding. The path to Chesed corresponds to The Hierophant , symbolizing the transmission of divine wisdom through teaching. Lastly, the path to Tiferet is represented by The Emperor , reflecting the integration of wisdom into balanced authority. Zohar The Zohar ( Hebrew : זֹהַר ‎ , Zōhar , lit. "Splendor" or "Radiance" )

2280-643: Is no 'beginning' but wisdom." In Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan 's commentary on the Bahir he says "Wisdom (Chokmah) is therefore the first thing that the mind can grasp, and is therefore called a 'beginning'." In the Zohar , Chokmah is the primordial point which shines forth from the will of God, the starting point of Creation. This point is infinitely small, and yet encompasses the whole of being; it remains incomprehensible until all things are differentiated and given shape and form in Binah , where they become intelligible. In general,

2375-537: Is not. Ovadia Yosef (d. 2013) held that Orthodox Jews should accept the Zohar 's antiquity in practice based on medieval precedent, but agreed that rejecting it is rational and religiously valid. Joseph Hertz (d. 1946) called the claim of ben Yochai's authorship "untenable", citing Gershom Scholem 's evidence. Samuel Belkin (d. 1976) argued that the Mystical Midrash section, specifically, predated de León. Joseph B. Soloveitchik (d. 1993) apparently dismissed

2470-672: Is obvious they understood its nature. The manuscripts of the Zohar are from the 14th-16th centuries. By the 15th century, the Zohar 's authority in the Iberian Jewish community was such that Joseph ibn Shem-Tov drew arguments from it in his attacks against Maimonides , and even representatives of non-mystical Jewish thought began to assert its sacredness and invoke its authority in the decision of some ritual questions. In Jacobs' and Broyde's view, they were attracted by its glorification of man, its doctrine of immortality , and its ethical principles, which they saw as more in keeping with

2565-476: Is the soul's ability to "taste" Divinity by virtue of one's state of selflessness, as is said (Psalms 34:8): "Taste and see that God is good." Chokmah is associated with several colors in Kabbalistic tradition. Grey is often linked to Chokmah as it represents the blending of all colors, symbolizing comprehensive wisdom. Some traditions, especially those influenced by Western esotericism, associate Chokmah with blue, which signifies clarity and expansiveness, reflecting

2660-482: Is used as a honorific, as in Talmid Chakham (lit. "student of a sage") for a Torah scholar , or Hakham Bashi for a Chief Rabbi . Chokmah is sometimes referred to as "Fear" (יִרְאָה, Yirah) in Kabbalistic texts because it represents an aspect of wisdom that is beyond measure and comprehension, "because it has no measure of boundary, and therefore the mind does not have the power to grasp it". This aligns with

2755-615: The Sefer Yetzirah and the Bahir and the medieval writings of the Hasidei Ashkenaz . Another influence that Scholem, and scholars like Yehudah Liebes and Ronit Meroz have identified was a circle of Spanish Kabbalists in Castile who dealt with the appearance of an evil side emanating from within the world of the sefirot . Scholem saw this dualism of good and evil within the Godhead as

2850-494: The Zohar . In early Kabbalah, Chokmah represents the initial divine wisdom emanating from Keter, playing a pivotal role in the unfolding of the universe. The Zohar elaborates on this by describing Chokmah as the source of all wisdom and insight, crucial for the creative process. In the 16th century, Isaac Luria , a key figure in Kabbalistic thought, emphasized Chokmah's importance in the cosmic process of tzimtzum (divine contraction) and tikkun (repair). Chokmah initiates

2945-505: The Babylonian Talmud . "The Hebrew of the Midrash haNe'elam is similar in its overall form to the language of the early midrashim, but its specific vocabulary, idioms, and stylistic characteristics bear the imprint of medieval Hebrew , and its midrashic manner is clearly that of a later imitation." Authorship of the Zohar was questioned from the outset, due to the claim that it was discovered by one person and referred to historical events of

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3040-520: The Dor Daim from Yemen, Andalusian (Western Sefardic or Spanish and Portuguese Jews ), and some Italian communities, never accepted it as authentic. Other early Kabbalists, such as David b. Judah the Pious (fl. c. 1300), Abraham b. Isaac of Granada , (fl. c. 1300), and David b. Amram of Aden (fl. c. 1350), so readily imitate its pseudepigraphy by ascribing contemporaries' statements to Zoharic sages that it

3135-450: The Kibbutz movement and preached to establish a network of self-ruled internationalist communes, who would eventually “annul the brute-force regime completely, for ‘every man did that which was right in his own eyes.’”, because “there is nothing more humiliating and degrading for a person than being under the brute-force government”. The Or HaGanuz community of Northern Israel is based on

3230-912: The Talmudic tractate he was meant to be studying. At the age of twelve, he studied the Talmud independently. By nineteen, Ashlag's knowledge of the Torah was profound enough for the rabbis of Warsaw to confer upon him the title of rabbi. During this period he worked as a judge in the court of the Warsaw rabbis and also gained experience as a teacher for training judges for Jewish courts. Ashlag also studied German while in Warsaw , and read original texts of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel , Karl Marx , Friedrich Nietzsche , and Arthur Schopenhauer . While still in Poland, he met an unidentified Warsaw merchant, who revealed himself to Ashlag as

3325-559: The Zohar as a forgery, also offering new evidence. By 1813 Samuel David Luzzatto had concluded that "these books [the Zohar and the Tiqqunei Zohar] are utter forgeries," in part because they repeatedly discuss the Hebrew cantillation marks, which were not invented until the 9th century. In 1817 Luzzatto published these arguments, and in 1825 he penned a fuller treatise, giving many reasons why

3420-400: The Zohar could not be ancient. However, he did not publish this until 1852, when he felt it justified by the rise of Hasidism . Moses Landau (d. 1852), Ezekiel's grandson, published the same conclusion in 1822. Isaac Haver (d. 1852) admits the vast majority of content comes from the 13th century but argues that there was a genuine core. Solomon Judah Loeb Rapoport (d. 1867) spoke against

3515-510: The Zohar could not be attributed to Simeon ben Yochai, by a number of arguments. He claims that if it were his work, the Zohar would have been mentioned by the Talmud , as has been the case with other works of the Talmudic period; he claims that had ben Yochai known by divine revelation the hidden meaning of the precepts, his decisions on Jewish law from the Talmudic period would have been adopted by

3610-475: The Zohar include Yehuda Liebes (who wrote his doctorate thesis for Scholem on the subject, Dictionary of the Vocabulary of the Zohar in 1976), and Daniel C. Matt , a student of Scholem's who has published a critical edition of the Zohar . Academic studies of the Zohar show that many of its ideas are based in the Talmud, various works of midrash , and earlier Jewish mystical works. Scholem writes: At

3705-457: The Zohar includes a translation of a poem by Solomon ibn Gabirol (d. 1058) and that it includes a mystical explanation of a mezuzah style only introduced in the 13th century. Adolf Neubauer and Samuel Rolles Driver were convinced by these arguments, but Edward Bouverie Pusey held to a Tannaitic date. By 1913, the critical view had apparently lost some support: Israel Abrahams recalls that "Zunz, like Graetz, had little patience with

3800-465: The Zohar only when it does not conflict with any other source and records that "You asked me about scribes modifying torah scrolls to accord with the Zohar ... and I was shocked, for how can they consider the Zohar better than the Talmud Bavli, which has come down to us? ... So I went myself to the house of the scribe and I found three scrolls which he had edited, and I fixed them, and I restored

3895-513: The Zohar to de Leon's Hebrew works, were accepted by every other major scholar in the field, including Heinrich Graetz ( History of the Jews , vol. 7), Moritz Steinschneider , Bernhard Beer , Leopold Zunz , and Christian David Ginsburg . Ginsburg summarized Jellinek's, Graetz's, and other scholars' proofs for the English-reading world in 1865, also introducing several novel proofs, including that

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3990-679: The Zohar was accepted by such 16th century Jewish luminaries as Joseph Karo (d. 1575), and Solomon Luria (d. 1574), who wrote nonetheless that Jewish law does not follow the Zohar when it is contradicted by the Babylonian Talmud. Luria writes that the Zohar cannot even override a minhag . Moses Isserles (d. 1572) writes that he "heard" that the author of the Zohar is ben Yochai. Elijah Levita (d. 1559) did not believe in its antiquity, nor did Joseph Scaliger (d. 1609) or Louis Cappel (d. 1658) or Johannes Drusius (d. 1616). David ibn abi Zimra (d. 1573) held that one can follow

4085-655: The Zohar 's antiquity. Eliakim ha-Milzahgi (d. 1854) accepted Emden's arguments. The influence of the Zohar in Yemen contributed to the formation of the Dor Deah movement, led by Yiḥyah Qafiḥ in the later part of the 19th century. Among its objects was the opposition of the influence of the Zohar , as presented in Qafiḥ's Milhamoth Hashem (Wars of the Lord) and Da'at Elohim . Shlomo Zalman Geiger (d. 1878), in his book Divrei Kehilot on

4180-440: The Zohar 's antiquity. Moses Gaster (d. 1939) wrote that the claim of ben Yochai's authorship was "untenable" but that Moses de León had compiled earlier material. Meir Mazuz (alive) accepts Emden's arguments. Yeshayahu Leibowitz wrote (1990) that "Moses de León composed the Zohar in the 1270s as certainly as Theodor Herzl composed Der Judenstaat in the 1890s ... the Zohar was influential because in every generation

4275-402: The "Riddling List of Ecclesiasticus", use a series of trees to describe Wisdom: These metaphors emphasize Wisdom's beauty, strength, and presence in various forms, signifying her integral role in the natural world and divine connection. Each image in the list represents different attributes of Wisdom: the cedar and cypress for strength and majesty, the palm tree and rosebush for beauty and grace,

4370-566: The 18th century when the Baal Shem Tov , Moshe Chaim Luzzatto , the Vilna Gaon and Shalom Sharabi offered their interpretation of Luria's teaching. Ashlag's system focused on the transformation of human consciousness from the "desire to receive" to the "desire to give," i.e., from egocentricity to altruism. This path of transformation is described in Lurianic Kabbalah. Ashlag stated that

4465-511: The Book of the Zohar was found, which Simeon ben Yochai and his son Elazar had made in the cave . . . and some say that [de Leon] forged it among his forgeries, but [Isaac] said that the Palestinian Aramaic sections were genuinly written by Simeon b. Yochai . . . And [Isaac] wrote: Isaac goes on to say that he obtained mixed evidence of Zohar's authenticity from other Spanish Kabbalists, but

4560-511: The Talmud, that it would not contain the names of rabbis who lived at a later period than that of ben Yochai; he claims that if the Kabbalah were a revealed doctrine, there would have been no divergence of opinion among the Kabbalists concerning the mystic interpretation of the precepts. Believers in the authenticity of the Zohar countered that the lack of references to the work in Jewish literature

4655-450: The Torah to its proper glory." Debate continued over the generations; del Medigo's arguments were echoed by Leon of Modena (d. 1648) in his Ari Nohem , by Jean Morin (d. 1659), and by Jacob Emden (d. 1776). Emden—who may have been familiar with Modena through Morin's arguments —devoted a book to the criticism of the Zohar , called Mitpachas Sefarim (מטפחת ספרים), in an effort against

4750-573: The Tree of Life is viewed as if the practitioner is looking outward from within the diagram. This perspective places Chokmah on the practitioner's left, corresponding to the left hemisphere of the brain, often associated with analytical thinking. Chokmah is also considered the root of Jachin , one of the two pillars symbolizing stability and establishment. According to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ,

4845-477: The Zohar . . . at this date we are much more inclined to treat the Kabbalah with respect." Gershom Scholem , who was to found modern academic study of Kabbalah , began his career at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1925 with a lecture in which he promised to refute Graetz and Jellinek. However, after years of research, he came to conclusions similar to theirs by 1938, when he argued again that de León

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4940-426: The archetypal wise person, fell in love with Wisdom: "I loved her, and sought her out from my youth, I desired to make her my spouse, and I was a lover of her beauty." ( Wisdom 8:2 ). The Book of Sirach , also known as Ecclesiasticus , contains significant references to Chokmah. In chapter 24, Wisdom speaks about her origins, role in creation, and dwelling among the people of Israel. Verses 13-17, often referred to as

5035-416: The authenticity of the Zohar , as did Menachem Mendel Kasher (d. 1983), Aryeh Kaplan (d. 1983), David Luria (d. 1855), and Chaim Kanievsky (d. 2022). Aryeh Carmell (d. 2006) did not, and Eliyahu Dessler (d. 1953) accepted the possibility that it was composed in the 13th century. Gedaliah Nadel (d. 2004) was unsure if the Zohar were genuine but was sure that it is acceptable to believe that it

5130-568: The book of the Zohar had been printed (in Mantua and in Cremona, in the Jewish years 5318–5320 or 1558–1560? CE), many more manuscripts were found that included paragraphs pertaining to the Zohar which had not been included in printed editions. The manuscripts pertained also to all parts of the Zohar ; some were similar to Zohar on the Torah, some were similar to the inner parts of the Zohar ( Midrash haNe'elam, Sitrei Otiyot and more), and some pertained to Tikunei haZohar . Some thirty years after

5225-460: The central textbook for students of Kabbalah . Ashlag systematically interpreted the wisdom and promoted its wide dissemination. In line with his directives, many contemporary adherents of Ashlag's teachings strive to spread Kabbalah to the masses. Ashlag reputedly studied Kabbalah from the age of seven, hiding pages from the book Etz Chaim "The Tree of Life" by Rabbi Hayyim ben Joseph Vital (The foremost disciple of Rabbi Isaac Luria ) in

5320-451: The commandment "love thy neighbor as thyself." Ashlag had strong political opinions, believing in a religious version of anarcho-communism , based on principles of Kabbalah. Though his anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist ideas show some Marxist influence, he strongly opposed communism instituted by force and believed in "developing a community based on love between its members and a society founded on economic justice." He supported

5415-481: The core of the entire teaching of Kabbalah. In the 1930s Ashlag, now in his fifties, gathered around him a group of disciples, including Rav Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein, his closest student, and studied Kabbalah every night, often from shortly after midnight until dawn. He also authored many articles and letters at this time that openly promoted the study of Kabbalah on a mass scale. Ashlag went to great lengths to publish Kabbalistic material in media suitable for disseminating

5510-488: The cosmos. Chokmah, the second of the ten sefirot , is the first power of conscious intellect within Creation, and the first point of subtle manifestation, since Keter represents emptiness. According to the book of Job , "Wisdom comes from nothingness". According to the Bahir : The second (utterance) is wisdom , as is written: 'Y-H-W-H acquired me at the beginning of His way, before His deeds of old' (Prov 8:22). And there

5605-506: The day of Yom Kippur in 1954. He was buried on cemetery Har HaMenuchot located in Givat Shaul , Jerusalem , Israel . Rabbi Yehudah Tzvi Brandwein a direct descendant of the famous first Admor of Stretin, Rabbi Yehudah Tzvi of Stretin, was a foremost disciple of Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi Ashlag (Baal HaSulam). His vast knowledge of the Lurianic system of Kabbalah enabled him to codify and edit

5700-531: The desire to give, or in Ashlag's words, the "will to bestow" ( Ratzon LeHashpia ). Through intensive study of Kabbalah, a person's desire to give to others is developed in relation to this goal. Ashlag believed that the coming of the Messiah meant that humans would attain this quality which would allow them to give up their selfishness and devote themselves to loving each other for the sake of life's purpose, as stated in

5795-506: The entire Zohar and Tikunim. Citations referring to the Zohar conventionally follow the volume and page numbers of the Mantua edition, while citations referring to Tikkunei haZohar follow the edition of Ortakoy (Constantinople) 1719 whose text and pagination became the basis for most subsequent editions. Volumes II and III begin their numbering anew, so citation can be made by parashah and page number (e.g. Zohar: Nasso 127a), or by volume and page number (e.g. Zohar III:127a). After

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5890-505: The entire writings of the Ari HaKadosh, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria. He continued with a similar style of translation and commentary of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag known as Maalot HaSulam (Extension of the Ladder) on those works of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, which Rabbi Ashlag didn't complete during his lifetime, namely Hashmatot HaZohar (Various other Writings) and Tikkunei HaZohar. Rabbi Brandwein was one of

5985-402: The evil inclination in people (human egoism) would rise to an altogether new height in this era of humanity, causing an altogether new era of internal suffering felt as a meaningless and confused existence. In 1943, Ashlag moved to Tel Aviv, and there began working on his book, HaSulam ( The Ladder ), a collection of commentaries on The Zohar . During this period, he wrote for eighteen hours

6080-418: The first 18 (a.–s.) are the work of the original author (probably de Leon) and the final 3 (t.–v.) are the work of a later imitator. a. Untitled Torah commentary A "bulky part" which is "wholly composed of discursive commentaries on various passages from the Torah". b. Book of Concealment (ספרא דצניעותא) A short part of only six pages, containing a commentary to the first six chapters of Genesis . It

6175-709: The first Jewish settlers within the Old City of Jerusalem after the Six Day War. Rabbi Yehuda Zvi Brandwein ran a religious school in Jerusalem called Yeshiva Kol Yehudah, founded in 1922 by Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag. For a while he also served as the chief rabbi for the Histadrut - the Israeli labor union, using his position to bring many secular Israelis back to Judaism. Ashlag wrote and published two major works. The first, Talmud Eser Sefirot

6270-550: The first edition of the Zohar was printed, the manuscripts were gathered and arranged according to the parashiyot of the Torah and the megillot (apparently the arrangement was done by the Kabbalist, Avraham haLevi of Tsfat ), and were printed first in Salonika in Jewish year 5357 (1587? CE), and then in Kraków (5363), and afterwards in various editions. According to Scholem, the Zohar can be divided into 21 types of content, of which

6365-436: The first printers. These were later printed as Zohar Chadash (lit. "New Radiance"), but Zohar Chadash actually contains parts that pertain to the Zohar , as well as Tikunim (plural of Tikun , "Repair", see also Tikkun olam ) that are akin to Tikunei haZohar , as described below. The term Zohar , in usage, may refer to just the first Zohar collection, with or without the applicable sections of Zohar Chadash , or to

6460-449: The flow of divine wisdom through different aspects of the Tree of Life , integrating it into various levels of consciousness and action. Chokmah (חָכְמָה), the Hebrew term for " wisdom ", holds a prominent place in both Jewish mysticism and Gnostic traditions . Its etymology traces back to the Hebrew root ח-כ-מ, which conveys the concept of wisdom or insight. In Gnostic cosmology , Chokmah

6555-400: The fragment ends abruptly, mid-sentence, without any conclusion. Though Isaac is willing to quote it in his Otzar haChayyim and his Meirat Einayim , he does so rarely. Isaac's testimony was censored from the second edition (1580) and remained absent from all editions thereafter until its restoration nearly 300 years later in the 1857 edition. In 1243 a different Jew had reportedly found

6650-454: The idea expressed in the Book of Job that the "fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding ." This term emphasizes the awe and reverence associated with divine wisdom, reflecting the necessary humility and respect required to truly grasp and embody it. Chokmah, meaning "Wisdom," holds a foundational role in Jewish mystical texts such as the Sefer Yetzirah and

6745-688: The idolatrous influence outpowers the true faith". Early attempts included M. H. Landauer 's Vorläufiger Bericht über meine Entdeckung in Ansehung des Sohar (1845), which fingered Abraham Abulafia as the author, and Samuel David Luzzatto 's ויכוח על חכמת הקבלה (1852), but the first systematic and critical academic proof for the authorship of Moses de León was given by Adolf Jellinek in his 1851 monograph "Moses ben Shem-tob de León und sein Verhältnis zum Sohar". Jellinek's proofs, which combined previous analyses with Isaac of Acre 's testimony and comparison of

6840-493: The importance of deep scholarly engagement with sacred texts as a path to attaining wisdom. In practical Kabbalistic practices, Chokmah is approached through meditation and contemplation to gain wisdom and insight. Practitioners focus on developing a deep sense of selflessness, as Chokmah embodies the "power of selflessness" ( koach mah ). This involves visualizing the flow of divine wisdom and seeking to align one's thoughts and actions with higher principles. In Hermetic Qabalah ,

6935-517: The impression of obscure knowledge. The original text of the Zohar , as cited by various early Kabbalists beginning around the 14th century (e.g. Isaac b. Samuel of Acre , David b. Judah the Pious, Israel Alnaqua , Alfonso de Zamora ) was partly in Hebrew and partly in Aramaic. By the time of the first edition (1558) the text was entirely in Aramaic, with the exception of the Midrash haNe'elam , where Hebrew words and phrases are often employed as in

7030-412: The knowledge he had acquired across the entire nation. He began an independent Kabbalistic newsletter publication, HaUma "The Nation", of which only one issue survived. Ashlag differs fundamentally from all Kabbalists of the past, who studied and taught Kabbalah in a concealed manner, in that he felt a great need to reveal and clarify the teaching of Kabbalah to the masses. This was because he saw that

7125-543: The liturgical practice of Frankfurt am Main , records that "We do not say brikh shmei in Frankfurt, because its source is in the Zohar , and the sages of Frankfurt refused to accept Qabbalah." In 1892, Adolf Neubauer called on the Orthodox rabbinate to reject the Zohar as a forgery and to remove Zoharic prayers from the liturgy. However, Yechiel Michel Epstein (d. 1908) and Yisrael Meir Kagan (d. 1933) both believed in

7220-549: The name of God associated with Chokmah is Yah , the archangel that presides over it is Raziel , who reveals divine secrets. The order of angels that reside in it are the Ophanim ("Wheels"), which represent dynamic divine insight. The Heaven of Assiah associated with it is called Mazloth, implying the fulfillment of destiny, and the physical manifestation associated with it is the Zodiac . In Aleister Crowley 's Liber 777 , Chokmah

7315-526: The name “Baal HaSulam”. This monumental work took him ten years to complete, written between the years 1943 and 1953. It includes a translation of The Zohar from Aramaic to Hebrew as well as an extensive interpretation. Another publication is the notebook of Yehuda Ashlag's son and disciple, Baruch Ashlag . His notebook, entitled Shamati ( I Heard ]), contains over two hundred articles which were copied down from lessons and talks with his father. Baruch Ashlag kept this notebook with him in secret, until he

7410-462: The olive tree and plane tree for fruitfulness and resilience, and the aromatic plants for the pleasing and pervasive influence of Wisdom. The terebinth represents spreading influence and enduring presence. Chokmah is also discussed in the Talmud , representing a high level of wisdom. The Talmudic order of ''Kodshim'' , related to sacred things, is described in tractate Shabbat 31a as a significant area of study that imparts Chokmah . This reflects

7505-451: The other should be to teach others the wisdom that the Holy One has endowed him. The author of the book of Proverbs personifies Divine Wisdom as extant before the world was made, revealer of God, and actor as God's agent in creation ( Prov 8:22–31 ; Wisdom 8:4–6 ; and Sir 1:4–9 ). Wisdom dwelt with God ( Prov 8:22–31 ; Sir 24:4 ; and Wisdom 9:9–10 ) and, being the exclusive property of God,

7600-540: The post- Talmudic period while purporting to be from an earlier date. Abraham Zacuto 's 1504 work Sefer Yuhasin (first printed 1566) quotes from the Kabbalist Isaac ben Samuel of Acre 's 13th century memoir Divre hayYamim (lost), which claims that the widow and daughter of de León revealed that he had written it himself and only ascribed the authorship to Simeon ben Yochai for personal profit: And [Isaac] went to Spain, to investigate how it happened in his time that

7695-418: The process of restoring the fragmented divine light, central to Lurianic Kabbalah's understanding of creation and redemption. Contemporary Kabbalists, such as Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag , have further developed the understanding of Chokmah. Ashlag's interpretations highlight Chokmah's role in achieving spiritual enlightenment and ethical living, viewing it as essential for understanding the divine and our place within

7790-523: The profound nature of divine wisdom. White is another color associated with Chokmah, symbolizing purity and enlightenment, indicative of the undifferentiated light of wisdom. According to Moses ben Jacob Cordovero in The Palm Tree of Devorah , Chokmah has two faces, one facing Keter above, and the other overseeing the other sefirot . Therefore, to emulate this sefira, one aspect should be in communion with his Creator in order to increase his wisdom, and

7885-419: The purpose of studying Kabbalah is equal to the purpose of why human beings were created, and that through its study, a person is capable of revealing the entirety of processes and structures that have taken place in the creation of the universe. "Equivalence of form" with this source means having the same attributes or qualities as it, and Ashlag defines the qualities of this source as being altruistic, namely

7980-468: The remaining adherents of the Sabbatean movement (in which Sabbatai Zevi , a Jewish apostate , cited Messianic prophecies from the Zohar as proof of his legitimacy). Emden argued that the book on which Zevi based his doctrines was a forgery, arguing that the Zohar : Saul Berlin (d. 1794) argued that the presence of an introduction in the Zohar , unknown to the Talmudic literary genre, itself indicates

8075-688: The same time, Scholem says, the author "invent[ed] a number of fictitious works that the Zohar supposedly quotes, e.g. , the Sifra de-Adam, the Sifra de-Hanokh, the Sifra di-Shelomo Malka, the Sifra de-Rav Hamnuna Sava, the Sifra de-Rav Yeiva Sava, the Sifra de-Aggadeta, the Raza de-Razin and many others." The Zohar also draws from the Bible commentaries written by medieval rabbis, including Rashi , Abraham ibn Ezra , David Kimhi and even authorities as late as Nachmanides and Maimonides , and earlier mystical texts such as

8170-462: The sense of sight relates to Chokmah. The Zohar states that there is an inner, spiritual sense of taste in Chokmah that precedes and arouses the sense of sight. Chokmah appears in the configuration of the sefirot at the top of the right axis, and corresponds to the eyes in the divine image ( tzelem Elohim ): these are comparable to the two eyes from which two teardrops Fell into the great sea. Chochmah

8265-535: The spirit of Talmudic Judaism than are those taught by the philosophers , and which was held in contrast to the view of Maimonides and his followers, who regarded man as a fragment of the universe whose immortality is dependent upon the degree of development of his active intellect. The Zohar instead declared Man to be the lord of creation , whose immortality is solely dependent upon his morality. Conversely, Elia del Medigo ( c.  1458  – c.  1493 ), in his Beḥinat ha-Dat , endeavored to show that

8360-428: The upper worlds. It is set out as a comprehensive textbook, complete with commentaries, a section in each chapter dedicated to further reflection upon the commentaries, definitions of terms, tables of questions and answers, an introduction clarifying how to study Kabbalah in the correct manner, and also a summarized preface of the entire text. His other masterwork was his Sulam commentary on The Zohar , which earned him

8455-661: The work by adding this three volumes called Tikkunei HaZohar "Maalot Hasulam". In honor of the completion of the entire work, his students organized a big feast in Meron, where Ashlag gave the speech that is today printed under the title “Maamar LeSiyum HaZohar” (“An Article for the Completion of the Zohar,” also known as “Speech in Celebration for the Conclusion of the Zohar”). Yehuda Ashlag died on

8550-563: Was an Orthodox rabbi , kabbalist and anarchist born in Łuków , Congress Poland , Russian Empire , to a family of scholars connected to the Hasidic courts of Porisov and Belz . Rabbi Ashlag lived in the Holy Land from 1922 until his death in 1954 (except for two years in England). In addition to his Sulam commentary on the Zohar , his other primary work, Talmud Eser Sefirot is regarded as

8645-559: Was as such inaccessible to human beings ( Job 28:12–13, 20–1, 23–27 ). It was God who "found" Wisdom ( Bar 3:29–37 ) and gave her to Israel : "He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men." ( Bar 3:36–37 and Sir 24:1–12 ). As a female figure (Sir. 1:15 and Wis. 7:12), Wisdom addressed human beings (Prov. 1:20–33 and 8:1–9:6), inviting to her feast those who are not yet wise (Prov. 9:1-6). Wisdom of Solomon 7:22b–8:1

8740-463: Was because ben Yochai did not commit his teachings to writing but transmitted them orally to his disciples over generations until finally the doctrines were embodied in the Zohar . They found it unsurprising that ben Yochai should have foretold future happenings or made references to historical events of the post-Talmudic period. By the late 16th century, the Zohar was present in one-tenth of all private Jewish libraries in Mantua. The authenticity of

8835-442: Was first publicized by Moses de León (c. 1240 – 1305 CE), who claimed it was a Tannaitic work recording the teachings of Simeon ben Yochai ( c.  100 CE ). This claim is universally rejected by modern scholars, most of whom believe de León, also an infamous forger of Geonic material, wrote the book himself between 1280 and 1286. Some scholars argue that the Zohar is the work of multiple medieval authors and/or contains

8930-461: Was on his deathbed, in 1991. It was later published in Hebrew and has been translated into many different languages. The articles in Shamati form a unique kabbalistic work in their emotional depth of capturing the inner processes that a Kabbalist goes through on the path of spiritual attainment. Ashlag's commentary offered a systematic interpretation of the legacy of Isaac Luria. This was the first since

9025-408: Was the most likely author. Scholem noted the Zohar's frequent errors in Aramaic grammar, its suspicious traces of Arabic and Spanish words and sentence patterns, and its lack of knowledge of the Land of Israel , among other proofs. Scholem's views are widely held as accurate among historians of Kabbalah, but they are not uncritically accepted. Scholars who continue to research the background of

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