Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534 – July 25, 1572) was a Jewish mystic in Safed. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. His name today is attached to all of the mystic thought in Safed. While his direct literary contribution to the Kabbalistic school of Safed was extremely minute (he only wrote a few poems), his fame led to the school and all its works being named after him. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. The main popularizer of his ideas was Rabbi Hayim Vital, who claimed to be the official interpreter of the Lurianic system, though this was disputed by some. Rabbi Chaim ben Yosef Vital (1543 in Safed - 23 April 1620 in Damascus) was one of the most famous exponents of Kabbalah.
In Hebrew he is called Yitzhak Lurya יִצְחַק לוּרְיָא, Yitzhak Ben Shlomo Ashkenazi, and Yitzhak Ashkenazi. He is also known as Ari אֲרִי and Ha-Ari ("The lion") from the acronym for Ashkenazi Rabbi Itzhak ("The Ashekanic Rabbi Yitzhak"), thus Arizal with "ZaL" being the acronym for Zikhrono Livrakha ("of blessed memory" or literally "let the memory of him be for a blessing"), a common Jewish honorific for the deceased, and known as Ari Ha-Kadosh ("The holy lion"). Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are Abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name Among the Honorifics in Judaism, there are several traditional honorifics for the dead which are used when naming and speaking of the deceased
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| Shimon bar Yochai · Moshe Cordovero · Isaac the Blind · Bahya ben Asher · Nahmanides · Azriel · Isaac Luria · Chaim Vital · Jacob Emden · Jonathan Eybeschutz · Chaim ibn Attar · Nathan Adler · Vilna Gaon · Shalom Sharabi · Chaim Joseph David Azulai · Shlomo Eliyashiv · Baba Sali · Ben Ish Chai | |
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Contents |
Early life
He was born in Jerusalem in 1534 to an Ashkenazi father and a Sephardic mother; died at Safed, Ottoman Palestine July 25, 1572 (5 Av 5332). Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Sephirot "enumerations" '''Sephiroth''' '''Sefiroth''' (סְפִירוֹת singular Sephirah also Sefirah (סְפִירָה "enumeration" in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] Qliphoth, kliffoth or klippot ( Heb קליפות qelippot, meaning "peels" "shells" or matter singular קליפה Raziel ( Heb רזיאל "Secret of God " is an Archangel within the teachings of Jewish mysticism (of the Kabbalah Ein Soph or Ayn Sof ( Hebrew אין סוף, literally "without end" denoting "boundlessness" and/or " Nothingness " In Jewish Mysticism, Tzimtzum (צמצום Hebrew: "contraction" or "constriction" refers to the notion in the Kabbalistic theory of See also Sephirot (Kabbalah See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term Seder hishtalshelus (Hebrew סדר השתלשלות means the "order of development" or "order of evolution" where the word Hishtalshelus (or Jewish meditation can refer to several traditional practices of contemplation visualization analysis and gaining intuitive insights See also Jewish views of astrology Note This article does not describe normative Judaism as practiced by the majority of Jewish In Hebrew astrology was called hokmat ha-nissayon, "the wisdom of prognostication" in distinction to hokmat ha-hizzayon (wisdom of star-seeing or Astronomy Shimon bar Yohai, ( Aramaic: רבן שמעון בר יוחאי Shimon son of Yohai, Simon son of Yohai or Rashbi (רשב"י pronounced Moses ben Jacob Cordovero or Moshe Cordevero (1522-1570 ( Hebrew: משה קורדובירו) known by the Acronym Rabbi Yitzhak Saggi Nehor רַבִּי יִצְחַק סַגִּי נְהוֹר also known as Isaac the Blind, (c Bahye ben Asher ( Hebrew: בחיי בן אשר) or Bahye ben Asher ben Halawa also known as the Rabbeinu Behaye, born about the middle of the Nahmanides (1194 &ndash c 1270 was a Catalan Rabbi, philosopher, Physician, Kabbalist and biblical commentator. Azriel of Gerona Azriel ben Menahem ( Heb עזריאל בן מנחם) (c Rabbi Chaim ben Yosef Vital (1543 in Safed - 23 April 1620 in Damascus) was one of the most famous exponents of Kabbalah. Jacob Emden ( (the Yabets) was a Jewish Rabbi and notable Talmudist and prominent opponent of the Shabbethaians. Jonathan Eybeschutz ( Kraków 1690 - Altona 1764 was a Talmudist Halachist, Kabbalist, and secret Shabbatean, holding Chaim ben Moses ibn Attar חיים בן משה אבן עטר was a Talmudist and kabbalist; born at Mequenez, Morocco, in 1696 died in Jerusalem Nathan Adler (1741-1800 was a German Kabalist born in Frankfurt, December 16, 1741. Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew Acronym Gra (" G aon Sar Shalom Sharabi ( Hebrew: שר שלום מזרחי דידיע שרעבי also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Rabbi Chaim Joseph David ben Isaac Zerachia Azulai (1724 &ndash 21 March 1807) ( Hebrew: חיים יוסף דוד אזולאי Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv (12 Tevet, 1841 - March 13 (27 Adar) 1925 (שלמה בן חיים חייקל אלישיב, also known as the Leshem or Ba'al Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira (ישראל אבוחצירא known as Baba Sali באבא סאלי (بابا صلى "praying father" (1890-1984 was a Moroccan Yosef Chaim ( 1 September, 1832 – 30 August, 1909) ( Hebrew: יוסף חיים מבגדאד) was a leading Hakham Like the rest of Rabbinic literature, the texts of Kabbalah were once part of an ongoing oral tradition though over the centuries much of the Oral Torah has been For the village in southern Israel see Tzohar The Zohar (זהר lit Splendor or Radiance) is widely considered the most important Sefer Yetzirah ( Hebrew, "Book of Creation" ספר יצירה is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish Esotericism. Bahir or Sefer Ha-Bahir סֵפֶר הַבָּהִיר ( Hebrew, "Book of the Brightness" is an anonymous mystical work attributed pseudepigraphically Heichalot (The Palaces refers to a collection of Jewish literature Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing Sephardi Jews ( Hebrew: ספרדי, Standard Səfardi Tiberian Səp̄arədî; plural Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Av ( Hebrew: אָב, Standard Av Tiberian ʾĀḇ; from Akkadian abu While still a child he lost his father, and was brought up by his rich uncle Mordecai Francis, tax-farmer at Cairo, Egypt, who placed him under the best Jewish teachers. Cairo () which means "the Vanquisher" or "the Triumphant" is the capital and largest city of Egypt. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Luria showed himself a diligent student of rabbinical literature; and, under the guidance of Rabbi Bezalel Ashkenazi (best known as the author of Shittah Mekubetzet), he, while quite young, became proficient in that branch of Jewish learning. Bezalel Ashkenazi, (בצלאל בן אברהם אשכנזי a Rabbi and scholar of the Talmud, lived in the Palestine during the Sixteenth century
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 Zohar, a major work of the Kabbalah that had recently been printed for the first time, and adopted the life of a recluse. For the village in southern Israel see Tzohar The Zohar (זהר lit Splendor or Radiance) is widely considered the most important Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. He retreated to the banks of the Nile, and for seven years secluded himself in an isolated cottage, giving himself up entirely to meditation. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River He visited his family only on the Shabbat, speaking very seldom, and always in Hebrew. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath 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. Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC
Disciples
In 1569 Arizal moved to the Land of Israel; and after a short sojourn in Jerusalem, where his new kabalistic system seems to have met with little success, he settled in Safed. For other uses see Israel (disambiguation The Land of Israel ( Hebrew: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל Eretz Yisrael) is Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. 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 Cordovero, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, Rabbi Joseph Caro, Rabbi Moses Alshech, Rabbi Eliyahu de Vidas, Rabbi Joseph Hagiz, Rabbi Elisha Galadoa, and Rabbi Moses Bassola. Moses ben Jacob Cordovero or Moshe Cordevero (1522-1570 ( Hebrew: משה קורדובירו) known by the Acronym Shlomo (Solomon Halevi Alkabetz (also transliterated as Alqabitz or Alqabes; Hebrew: שלמה אלקבץ) (c Yosef ben Ephraim Caro (sometimes Joseph Caro) (1488 ( Portugal) - March 24, 1575 ( Safed, Ottoman Empire) was one of the Rabbi Moshe Alshich (or Alshech) (1508 - 1593 Safed) known as the Alshich Hakadosh (the Holy, was a prominent Jewish Rabbi and Eliyahu di Vidas (1518-1592 was a Medieval Rabbi. He was a disciple of Rabbis Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (known as the Ramak) and Isaac They met every Friday, and each confessed to another his sins. Soon Arizal had two classes of disciples: (1) novices, to whom he expounded the elementary Kabbalah, and (2) initiates, who became the depositaries of his secret teachings and his formulas of invocation and conjuration. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism.
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. Rabbi Chaim ben Yosef Vital (1543 in Safed - 23 April 1620 in Damascus) was one of the most famous exponents of Kabbalah. 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. Shimon bar Yohai, ( Aramaic: רבן שמעון בר יוחאי Shimon son of Yohai, Simon son of Yohai or Rashbi (רשב"י pronounced Elijah or Elias ( was a Prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC Arizal's kabbalistic circle gradually widened and became a separate congregation, in which his mystic doctrines were supreme, influencing all the religious ceremonies. On Shabbat Arizal dressed himself in white and wore a fourfold garment to signify the four letters of the Ineffable Name. Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath See also Yahweh Tetragrammaton (from the Greek, meaning ' of four letters' (tetra "four" + gramma (gen
Many Jews who had been exiled from Spain following the Edict of Expulsion believed they were in the time of trial that would precede the appearance of the Messiah in Galilee. This article describes the Edict of Expulsion, given by Edward I of England in 1290, that expelled all Jews from England for This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions 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. [1]
His teachings
The Ari used to deliver his lectures extempore and, with the exception of several works and some kabbalistic poems in Aramaic for the Sabbath table did not write much. Aramaic is a Semitic language with Shabbat or Shabbos ( Hebrew: שַׁבָּת, shabbāt, shabbes, "rest/inactivity" is the Weekly Sabbath The real exponent of his kabbalistic system was Chaim Vital. Rabbi Chaim ben Yosef Vital (1543 in Safed - 23 April 1620 in Damascus) was one of the most famous exponents of Kabbalah. He collected all the notes of the lectures which Arizal's disciples had made; and from these notes were produced numerous works, the most important of which was the Etz Chayim, ("Tree of Life"), in eight volumes (see below). See also Sephirot (Kabbalah See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term At first this circulated in manuscript copies; and each of Arizal'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 Satanow. Zhovkva (Жовква Żółkiew Zholkva is a City in the Lviv Oblast ( province) of western Ukraine. Year 1772 ( MDCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Isaac Satanow (born at Satanow, Poland 1733 died in Berlin, Germany December 25[[ 805]] was a Polish Jewish scholar and poet In this work are expounded both the theoretical and the devotional or meditative Kabbalah based on the Zohar. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. For the village in southern Israel see Tzohar The Zohar (זהר lit Splendor or Radiance) is widely considered the most important
Teachings about the Sefirot
The characteristic feature of Arizal's system in the theoretical Kabbalah is his definition of the Sefiroth and his theory of the intermediary agents, which he calls partzufim. Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה lit "receiving" is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. Sephirot "enumerations" '''Sephiroth''' '''Sefiroth''' (סְפִירוֹת singular Sephirah also Sefirah (סְפִירָה "enumeration" in [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] Before the creation of the world, he says, the Ein Sof ("Without Ending") filled the infinite space. Ein Soph or Ayn Sof ( Hebrew אין סוף, literally "without end" denoting "boundlessness" and/or " Nothingness " 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" (Tzimtzum) Himself. 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 Worlds; namely, in the world of Emanation (atzilut), Creation (beri'ah), Formation (yetzirah), and in that of Action (asiyah), which represents the material world. Kabbalah distinguishes between four different "worlds" or "planes" based on the verse in Isaiah 43 7 Even every one that is called by my name for
Arizal'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 Chayim). See also Sephirot (Kabbalah See also Tree of life (disambiguation for other meanings of the term 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) Arizal 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. Ibbur ( Hebrew: עיבור " Pregnancy " or " Impregnation " or " Incubation " is one of the transmigration forms of
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 three 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 Arizal, 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.
More on - Shaar ha Gilgulim
Shabbetai Tzvi
Lurianic Kabbalah has been accused by some of being the cause of the spread of the false Messiah Shabbetai Tzvi. Sha'ar ha Gilgulim (Gate of Reincarnations is a kabbalistic work on Reincarnation. This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions Sabbatai Zevi, ( (other spellings include Sabetay in Turkish, Shabbethai, Sabbetai, Shabbsai; Zvi; Sabbetai However, it remained the leading school of mysticism in Judaism, and is an important influence on Hasidism and Sefardic kabbalists. Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc from the Hebrew: he '''''חסידות''''', Chassidus, meaning "piety" from the Hebrew 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 Tzvi strongly avoided teachings of the Arizal because his system disproved their notions. Sabbatai Zevi, ( (other spellings include Sabetay in Turkish, Shabbethai, Sabbetai, Shabbsai; Zvi; Sabbetai On the other hand, the Sabbateans 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
Arizal introduced his mystic system into religious observers. 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 Rabbi Joseph Karo). The Shulchan Aruch (שולחן ערוך literally " Set Table " (also Shulhan Aruch or Shulchan Arukh) is a Codification Rabbi (pronunciation, although in English usually) in Judaism, means a religious ‘teacher’ or more literally ‘my great one’ when addressing any master Yosef ben Ephraim Caro (sometimes Joseph Caro) (1488 ( Portugal) - March 24, 1575 ( Safed, Ottoman Empire) was one of the
Influence on modern Judaism
The teachings of the Ari have been widely accepted in Orthodox Judaism, although not all groups follow the customs he initiated. Those communities which tend to avoid the influence of the Ari mainly consist of German, Litvish, and Modern Orthodox groups, Spanish and Portuguese Jews, as well as a noticeable segment of Baladi Yemenite Jews (see Dor Daim), and others who follow a form of Torah Judaism more strictly in line with classical authorities like Maimonides and the Geonim. Khal Adath Jeshurun (KAJ is a German - Jewish Ashkenazi congregation in the Washington Heights neighborhood in the New York City Lithuanian Jews (known in Yiddish and Yeshivish as Litvish (adjective or Litvaks (noun are Ashkenazi Jews with roots in the Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance Spanish and Portuguese Jews are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardim who have their main ethnic origins within the crypto-Jewish communities of the Iberian Yemenite Jews ( Hebrew: תֵּימָנִים, Standard Temanim Tiberian Têmānîm Dor Daim, sometimes known as Dardaim, are adherents of the Dor Deah movement in Judaism. See United Torah Judaism and Degel HaTorah for the Haredi Israeli political parties. Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and Geonim ( Hebrew: גאונים also transliterated Gaonim) were the presidents of the two great rabbinical colleges of Sura
Modern day descendants
Many members of the ultra-orthodox community in Safed and in Jerusalem claim they can trace their lineage back to Luria. Safed (צְפַת pronounced Tsfat; صفد pronounced Safad) is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the
The Lubavitch Movement considers the teachings and practices of the Ari as major influences on its own teachings and practices. Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the largest Hasidic movements in Orthodox Judaism, and is based in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn Additionally, today's mekubalim mizra`him (oriental Kabbalists), following the tradition of R' Chayim Vital and the mystical legacy of the Rashash (Gilgul of the ARI), consider themselves legitimate heirs to and in continuity with the teachings of the Ari. Sar Shalom Sharabi ( Hebrew: שר שלום מזרחי דידיע שרעבי also known as the Rashash, the Shemesh or Ribbi Shalom Gilgul, Gilgul neshamot or Gilgulei Ha Neshamot ( Heb גלגול הנשמות refers to the concept of Reincarnation, emanating from the
References
- ^ Armstrong, Karen, The Battle for God: A History of Fundamentalism, Ballentine Books, 2001, p8-14
See also
Bibliography
- Lawrence Fine: Physician of the Soul, Healer of the Cosmos: Isaac Luria and His Kabbalistic Fellowship: Stanford: Stanford University Press: 2003: ISBN 0-8047-4826-8
- Eliahu Klein: Kabbalah of Creation: The Mysticism of Isaac Luria, Founder of Modern Kabbalah: Berkeley: North Atlantic Books: 2005: ISBN 1-55643-542-8
External links
- Short biography of Rabbi Isaac Luria - The Ari Hakodosh
- OU page on the Ari
- The Kabbalah of the Ari za"l, according to the Ram`hal, synthesized 18 pages summary of the Etz `Hayim
- Center for Lurian Kabbalah
- Notes on the Study of Later Kabbalah in English: The Safed Period and Lurianic Kabbalah
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