Reading the Zohar : The Sacred Text of the Kabbalah

Comprising well over a thousand pages of densely written Aramaic, the compilation of texts known as the Zohar represents the collective wisdom of various strands of Jewish mysticism, or kabbalah, up to the thirteenth century. This massive work continues to provide the foundation of much Jewish mystical thought and practice to the present day. In this book, Pinchas Giller examines certaing sections of the Zohar and the ways in which the central doctrines of classical kabbalah took shape around them. "The Zohar, an arcane commentary on the Hebrew Bible, is the central Jewish mystical work. Its teachings dominate the development of the Kabbalah, forming its contours to the present day. Because the Zohar is different from other Jewish literature, the task of interpretation is a complicated one. In this study, Pinchas Giller addresses the Zohar's main concerns, showing how its ideas formed the basis of Jewish mysticism in its classical period." "This study is a resource for students and scholars of religious studies, Jewish studies, and mysticism. It is not only an original contribution to Zohar scholarship, but can serve as a concise introduction to this remarkable text and the history of its interpretation."--Jacket The Zohar, an arcane commentary on the Hebrew Bible, is the central work of the Kabbalah. The Zohar's ideas were interpreted by the mystics of the Galilee hill-town of Safed in the sixteenth century. The amalgam of the Zohar's teachings and the latter interpretations formed the basis of classical Jewish mysticism. This study serves as a companion to the Zohar and its implementation by the Safed mystics as the basis of the kabbalistic mythos. The Compilation Of Texts Known As The Zohar Represents The Collective Wisdom Of Various Strands Of Jewish Mysticism, Or Kabbalah, Up To The 13th Century. This Text Examines How Central Doctrines Of Classical Kabbalah Took Shape Around The Zohar. Pinchas Giller. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [225]-240) And Index.