Major trends in jewish mysticism 9780805210422 by gershom scholem. Scholem looks critically at the centuryold connections between alchemy, the jewish kabbalah. The meaning of the torah in jewish mysticism show all authors. He is the author of from berlin to jerusalem, major trends in jewish mysticism, the messianic idea in judaism, on the. Pdf david assaf, the library of gershom scholem on jewish.
Always update books hourly, if not looking, search in the book search column. Scholem, professor of jewish mysticism at the hebrew university in jerusalem, was born in berlin and educated at the universities of berlin, jena, berne and munich. One of the most important scholars of our century, gershom scholem are probed in origins of the kabbalah, a work crucial in scholem s oeuvre. David rated it gersjom was amazing nov 23, gershom scholem was a professor of jewish mysticism at the hebrew university in jerusalem until his death in mar 09, dr. He had made the trip to america from his adopted city of jerusalem to deliver a series of lectures, the stroock lectures, on jewish mysticism at the jewish institute of religion. Aug 28, 2015 jewish gnosticism, merkabah mysticism, and talmudic tradition scholem, gershom g. Scholem taught the kabbalah and mysticism from a scientific point of view and became the first professor of jewish mysticism at the university in 1933, working in this post until his retirement in 1965, when he became an emeritus professor. Notes on the study of merkabah mysticism and hekhalot.
Pubschockenpathbreaking study dividing rabbinic ascent mysticism into merkavah divine chariot and hekhalot celestial palaces traditions, positing an especially strong flowering after the jewish expulsion from spain to the rise of eastern european hasidim. From moses mendelssohn to julius guttmann, the philosophers of judaism have hesitated to admit that any kind of mysticism could be valued as a legitimate offspring of the purity of monotheistic jewish thought. The aim and purpose of early jewish mysticism oxford centre for. He is also the author of the messianic idea in judaism, on the kabbalah and its symbolism, on the mystical shape of the godhead and zohar. He is widely regarded as the founder of the modern, academic study of kabbalah. Ari goldberg rated it it was amazing jul 17, when one looks at the maelstrom of ideas underlying the discoveries of kepler and newton, one is forced to agree. Gershom scholem was professor of jewish mysticism at the hebrew university of jerusalem until his death in 1982. Jul, 2017 scholem wrestles with this selferadicating character of revolution for his entire career, finding in jewish mysticism a strange remedy. Scholem wrestles with this selferadicating character of revolution for his entire career, finding in jewish mysticism a strange remedy. Library of congress cataloginginpublication data scholem, gershom gerhard, 18971982 major trends in jewish mysticism by gershom scholem. In his final years, when scholem spoke about what form jewish mysticism might eventually take in the land, he invoked walt whitman as a kind of neokabbalistic muse. Sabbatai zevi, by gershom scholem mati meged, commentary. Gershom scholem and the mystical dimension of jewish history on.
Pancer rated it it was ok jul 05, jewish mysticism forms a constant current in benjamins oeuvre as well. A classic text on alchemy by the leading scholar of jewish mysticism, gershom scholem, is presented here for the first time in english translation. By the th century, jewish culture was ripe for a new breed of mysticism to flourish. Editions of major trends in jewish mysticism by gershom scholem. There are more than 1 million books that have been enjoyed by people from all over the world. In the early part of the twentieth century, gershom scholem 18971982 founded the academic discipline of the study of jewish mysticism.
Get ebooks the zohar on pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi and audiobook for free. Jewish gnosticism, merkabah mysticism, and talmudic. Gerhard gershom scholem 18971982 was the preeminent modern scholar of jewish mysticism. For those not familiar with jewish history, some of the lectures may be dense, but this challenge can also be a springboard for exploring more in jewish history and religious development. Scholem s overview of the development of jewish mysticism in general and kabbalah in particular is magisterial.
As long as knowledge can only tilt at an eternal and inaccessible truth, the revolution is sustained, bathed in the restorative waters of a continually reinterpreted tradition. This has made it impossible for scholem, and, to a great extent, makes it difficult. Of scholem martin buber once remarked, all of us have students, schools, but only gershom scholem has created a whole academic discipline. A crucial work in the oeuvre of gershom scholem, this book details the beginnings of the kabbalah in twelfth and thirteenthcentury. Google books loading i like scholem s matter of fact attitude.
A collection of lectures on the features of the movement of mysticism that began in antiquity. Scholem professor of jewish mysticism, the hebrew university, jerusalem new york the jewish theological seminary of america 5725 1965. December 5, 1897 february 21, 1982, was a germanborn israeli philosopher and historian. Pdf david assaf, the library of gershom scholem on. May 02, 2005 the kabbalistic yeshivas that functioned in jerusalem during scholem s time betel, rehovot hanahar, and shaar hashamayim and prominent kabbalists, most of them likewise end page 141 in jerusalem during scholem s period, such as r. Jewish gnosticism, merkabah mysticism, and talmudic tradition scholem, gershom g.
Gershom scholem 18971982 was ostensibly a scholar of jewish mysticism, yet he occupies a powerful role in todays intellectual imagination, having an influential contact with an extraordinary cast of. The jewish mystics major trends in jewish mysticism. Of these, kabbalah, which emerged in 12thcentury europe, is the most well known, but not the only typologic form, or the earliest to emerge. In the 1930s, scholems scholarship turned to an obscure kabbalist rabbi of seventeenthcentury turkey, sabbatai. His close friends included walter benjamin and leo strauss, and selected letters.
Major trends in jewish mysticism gershom scholem download. Scholem 18971982, the founder of the jewish mysticism research. What gershom scholems take on jewish mysticism can teach. Major trends in jewish mysticism tells the history of jewish mysticism following the advent of christianity which gershom scholem considers to have been the first and still the most catastrophic jewish mystic movement. He was the first professor of jewish mysticism at hebrew university of jerusalem. Gershom scholem stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Jewish mysticism forms a constant current gershhom benjamins oeuvre as well. Gershom scholem was a professor of jewish mysticism at the hebrew university in jerusalem until his death in 1982. Gershom scholem jewish studies oxford bibliographies. The meaning of the torah in jewish mysticism gershom.
Jewish gnosticism, merkabah mysticism, and talmudic tradition. Access to society journal content varies across our titles. Major trends in jewish mysticism by gershom scholem. By breaking the mold of the law, it released new energies and new religious and political possibilities. Scholems overview of the development of jewish mysticism in general and kabbalah in particular is magisterial. Scholems lectures delivered at the jewish institute of religion in 1938 cover a general definition of jewish mysticism, hekhalot mysticism in the rabbinic period, abraham abulafia, two chapters on the authorship and content of the sefer hazohar, lurianic kabbalah, sabbatianism, and hasidism. Major trends in jewish mysticism gershom scholem download bok.
Ebook gershom scholem as pdf download portable document format. Scholem, major trends in jewish mysticism jerusalem. His many books and studies on jewish mysticism grow out of his vast pioneering work in unearthing and interpreting manuscripts hitherto neglected or unknown. Next, the most detailed investigation in scholem s work is on the best known work of jewish mysticism, the zohar.
In a 1972 essay on kabbalah for the encyclopedia judaica, scholem observed that the academic study of jewish mysticism was still in its comparative infancy. He learned hebrew and studied kabbalah, the schollem of mystical teachings that had become marginalizedindeed stigmatizedwithin the mainstream rationalist jewish tradition. As scholem himself made clear, his interest in jewish mysticism and. Gershom scholem 18971982 was ostensibly a scholar of jewish mysticism, yet he occupies a powerful role in todays intellectual imagination, having an influential contact with an extraordinary cast. Major trends in jewish mysticism book by gershom scholem. The success of scholems projectalmost singlehandedly reviving interest in mysticism as a subject for studyreclaimed an important part of the jewish religious heritage. If you have access to a journal via a society or association membership, please browse to your society journal, select an article to view, and follow the instructions in this box. Gershom scholem and the study of contemporary jewish mysticism. Trends in jewish mysticism, yet he certainly would be the last person to consider his own. Scholems moderate evaluation of the role of pantheism in the kabbala is in keeping with his approach to the study of kabbala and its place within judaism. Scholem had come to the united states for the first time earlier that year to spend a semester in new york.
In so doing, he not only broke new scholarly ground. Scholem s major trends in jewish mysticism 1941, and his later study, jewish 1 the pioneering studies of heikhalot literature in the nineteenth century were as follows. Mqjor trends i71jewish mysticism is based on the hilda strook lectures delivered by professor scholem at thejewish institute of religion, new york. Editions of major trends in jewish mysticism by gershom. Scholem joined the staff of the hebrew university in 1923, as a librarian 19231927, becoming a lecturer from 1925, and a professor of jewish mysticism and kabbalah 19331965. Scholem and the study of jewish mysticism 143 beliefs and practices and of the circles maintaining them. In 1923, scholem emigrated to palestine and eventually joined the faculty of the hebrew university of jerusalem, publishing groundbreaking studies in the field of jewish mysticism. Jewish gnosticism, merkabah mysticism, and talmudic tradition based on the israel goldstein lectures, delivered at the jewish theological seminary of america, new york by gershom g. By gershom scholem download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi.
A book with the provocative title the origins of jewish mysticism requires some comment on the terminology used. The gershom scholem library, also known as the gershom scholem collection, is a reading library specializing in the fields of kabbalah, hasidism and jewish mysticism. Scholem subsequently explores the works of the german jewish school of hasidim, and of the works of abraham abulafia. Academic study of jewish mysticism, especially since gershom scholems major trends in jewish mysticism 1941, distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of jewish history. In his introduction to major trends in jewish mysticism, scholem blames jewish scholars of the haskalah period, who, because of what he decried their antagonism and neglect of the study of kabbalah, allowed the field be all but monopolized by charlatans and dreamers scholem s chapter on merkabah mysticism and jewish gnosticism deals mainly with the mystical books the lesser hechalot and. The studies of gershom scholem form the basis of contemporary scholarship on jewish mysticism, and, hence, provide the foundation of subsequent work on merkabah mysticism and. For those not familiar with jewish history, some of the lectures may be dense, but this challenge can also be a springboard for exploring more. The fellow came to jerusalem, unpretentiously bearing his training in philology and.
Scholems major trends in jewish mysticism 1941, and his later study, jewish 1 the pioneering studies of heikhalot literature in the nineteenth century were as follows. Although much of scholems historiography of jewish mysticism has been contested since the. Landmark dates and key figures in jewish mysticism xvii part 1. To this historicalphenomenological assessment scholem added his unhistorical viewpoint, as we shall see below. By way of introduction, let me recount something that happened to a young acquaintance of mine in 1924. Academic study of jewish mysticism, especially since gershom scholem s major trends in jewish mysticism 1941, distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of jewish history.
Scholem presented the synthesis he gained from destruction in his major. Nothing in the history of the jewish diaspora can be compared with the sabbatean movement for depth of spiritual influence and psychological impact. Alchemy and kabbalah scholem pdf alchemy and kabbalah by gershom gerhard scholem, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Buy a cheap copy of major trends in jewish mysticism book by gershom scholem. The library, situated in the national library of israel, is the only collection of its kind in the world. I will begin with the term mysticism in general, then discuss the implications of the modiier jewish the phases of jewish mysticism and the viability of the notorious concept of mystical union. The seventysixth and seventyeighth theses refer to the kabbalah the. One of the most important scholars of our century, gershom scholem up a once esoteric world of jewish mysticism, the kabbalah, to concerned s. In his introduction to major trends in jewish mysticism, scholem blames jewish scholars of the haskalah period, who, because of what he decried their antagonism and neglect of the study of kabbalah, allowed the field be all but monopolized by charlatans and dreamers scholems chapter on merkabah mysticism and jewish gnosticism deals mainly with the. Ebook gershom scholem as pdf download portable document. This has made it impossible for scholem, and, to a.