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Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah

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limitations are then related to stripping the kernel of its qlippa "husk" to arrive at a more accurate conception. Nonetheless, Kabbalists believe their mythic symbols are not arbitrary but carefully chosen terminologies that
1422:. Lurianic Kabbalah further emphasised the need to divest its heightened personification from corporeality, while lending its messianic mysticism to popular social appeal which became dominant in early-modern Judaism. 1370:: "I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, has no body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no (physical) comparison to Him whatsoever," and 1223:
point beyond their limits of language to denote subtle connotations and profound relationships in the Divine spiritual influences. More accurately, as they describe the emanation of the Material world from the
1402:"Nothing". However, seeking the personal living God of the Hebrew Bible and classic rabbinic aggadic imagination, they formulated an opposite approach, articulating an inner dynamic life among divine 1243:
to close circles, with pure motives, advanced learning and elite preparation. At various times in history, however, they sought wide public dissemination for Kabbalistic mysticism or popular
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shows the chronologically developing anthropomorphism in classic Rabbinic literature, culminating in the personal, poetically embodied, relational, familiar "God we know and love" in the
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was the last religious movement in Judaism the influence of which became preponderant among all sections of Jewish people and in every country of the Diaspora, without exception."
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as "Giving original expression to the deepest motive-powers of the religious Jew, a quality which helps to make it an excellent and genuine approach to the essentials of Judaism"
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saw the development of systematic theology in Judaism in Jewish philosophy and Kabbalah, both reinterpreting classic rabbinic aggadot according to their differing views of
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articulated normative theology in his philosophical stress against any idolatrous corporeal interpretation of references to God in the Hebrew Bible and
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saw its devotional popularisation of Kabbalah as a safeguard against esoteric corporeality by its internalization of Jewish mysticism through the
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emanations in the Four Worlds. These involved medieval Zoharic notions of divine personas and male-female powers, recast in the 16th century
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connotations. All divine emanations are only from the spiritual perception of creation, nullifying from the Divine view into the
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all anthropomorphic references as metaphors of action, and polemicising against literal interpretation of imaginative myth.
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in a vivid loving relationship with the Jewish people in Rabbinic Judaism. Among such visual metaphors in the Talmud and
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19:26), Kabbalah uses the form of the human body to describe the structure of the human soul, and the nature of supernal
1484:"Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" 1102: 579: 1005: 403: 1263:
proficiency was a traditional prerequisite to avert fallacies. Rabbinic Kabbalists attributed the 17th-18th century
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of the early centuries CE comprised the Halakha or religious law and the imaginative theological and narrative
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accepted the Hidden Godhead, reinterpreting it in mystical experience and speculation as the transcendent
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antinomian mystical heresies to false corporeal interpretations of Kabbalah through impure motives. Later
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terms are necessarily imposed upon man's experience in this world. Once the analogy is described, its
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Kabbalistic understanding of the absolute Unity of Divine manifestations, from inner.org
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repeatedly warn and stress the need to divest their subtle notions from any
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The Great Maggid - The Life and Teachings of Rabbi Dovber of Mezhirech
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The roots of Kabbalah predate rabbinic Judaism by centuries .
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material analogy, Kabbalists historically restricted esoteric
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The Foundations of the Theology of Judaism: Volume 1 God
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or female divine presence, appear as a warrior at the
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or narratives. Alongside references to early Rabbinic
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or divine personas, and the redemption of the exiled
1571:3rd edition 1955, Thames & Hudson, pages 285-6 1144:created he him; male and female created he them" ( 1613: 1096: 1595:. Chapter 1: Anthropomorphism and metaphors 1232:from their precise root analogies on High. 1148:1:27) and "from my flesh shall I see God" ( 1103: 1089: 1551:, Gershom Scholem, Schocken 1995, p 30-32 1164:the divine Anthropos, between archetypal 1525:, Kehot 1990, pages 116-118, footnote 17 1614: 1578: 1540: 1512: 13: 1378:. He formulated the philosophical 14: 1648: 1599: 370:Immigration to the Land of Israel 1569:Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism 1548:Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism 210:Pre-Kabbalistic Jewish mysticism 37: 1585:Mystical Concepts in Chassidism 1448:Generational ascent in Kabbalah 961:Generational ascent in Kabbalah 956:Generational descent in Halacha 375:Traditional Oriental Kabbalists 1554: 1528: 1494: 1476: 1: 1278: 1275:spiritual experience of man. 1247:based on Kabbalah to further 497:Customary immersion in mikveh 94:The path of the flaming sword 648:Joseph ben Abraham Gikatilla 365:Emden–Eybeschutz controversy 184:Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah 7: 1443:Four who entered the Pardes 1425: 1210:31b and other sources, the 1136:describe manifestations of 596:Four Who Entered the Pardes 360:Sabbatean mystical heresies 10: 1653: 1061:Jewish principles of faith 1006:Modern Jewish philosophies 871:Menachem Mendel Schneerson 281:Mainstream displacement of 991:Classic Mussar literature 797:Chaim Joseph David Azulai 715:Moses ben Jacob Cordovero 283:rationalism with Kabbalah 1469: 1368:third principle of faith 1118:, the central system in 951:Eras of Rabbinic Judaism 547:Pilgrimage to holy grave 440:Non-Orthodox interest in 404:Hasidic-Mitnagdic schism 385:Eastern European Judaism 274:Kabbalistic commentaries 104:Jewish angelic hierarchy 1589:Jacob Immanuel Schochet 1523:Jacob Immanuel Schochet 1329:the revelation at Sinai 927:Talmudical hermeneutics 807:Schneur Zalman of Liadi 164:Names of God in Judaism 134:Messianic rectification 1366:, encapsulated in his 1311:, God is said to wear 730:Judah Loew ben Bezalel 293:Selective influence on 1249:Messianic preparation 1235:Due to the danger of 144:Kabbalistic astrology 1327:and a wise elder at 1325:crossing the Red Sea 1032:Divine transcendence 782:Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 777:Dov Ber of Mezeritch 542:Pilgrimage to Tzadik 433:Academic interest in 1364:Rabbinic literature 1055:for the 613 Mitzvot 1053:Kabbalistic reasons 966:Rabbinic literature 938:Jewish commentaries 552:Lag BaOmer at Meron 537:Tikkun Leil Shavuot 338:Popular Kabbalistic 322:Cordoveran Kabbalah 84:Seder hishtalshelut 1579:General references 1458:Merkabah mysticism 1453:Godhead in Judaism 1372:legal codification 1245:ethical literature 1066:Jewish eschatology 854:Abraham Isaac Kook 828:Nachman of Breslov 567:Practical Kabbalah 355:Baal Shem-Nistarim 316:16th-century Safed 263:Prophetic Kabbalah 258:Toledano tradition 235:Chassidei Ashkenaz 129:Sparks of holiness 1562:Lurianic Kabbalah 1412:cosmic withdrawal 1408:Lurianic Kabbalah 1388:negative theology 1337:Babylonian Talmud 1241:oral transmission 1154:Divine emanations 1113: 1112: 1078: 1077: 1047:Divine providence 996:Ashkenazi Judaism 971:Talmudic theology 878: 877: 601:Simeon bar Yochai 482:Mystical exegesis 462: 461: 428:religious Zionism 420:Hasidic dynasties 380:Beit El Synagogue 332:Maharal's thought 327:Lurianic Kabbalah 309:Spanish expulsion 179:Tzadikim Nistarim 1644: 1622:Anthropomorphism 1572: 1558: 1552: 1544: 1538: 1532: 1526: 1516: 1510: 1509: 1498: 1492: 1491: 1480: 1416:exile–redemption 1297:Jewish mysticism 1289:Rabbinic Judaism 1230:cause and effect 1120:Jewish mysticism 1105: 1098: 1091: 1037:Divine immanence 1001:Sephardi Judaism 891: 890: 838:Shlomo Eliyashiv 658:Menahem Recanati 643:Abraham Abulafia 585: 584: 442:Jewish mysticism 435:Jewish mysticism 301:Hermetic Qabalah 207: 206: 41: 18: 17: 1652: 1651: 1647: 1646: 1645: 1643: 1642: 1641: 1627:Jewish theology 1612: 1611: 1606:True Monotheism 1602: 1581: 1576: 1575: 1566:Gershom Scholem 1559: 1555: 1545: 1541: 1533: 1529: 1517: 1513: 1500: 1499: 1495: 1482: 1481: 1477: 1472: 1467: 1428: 1341:Gershom Scholem 1281: 1269:Hasidic thought 1176:"husks" below. 1124:anthropomorphic 1109: 1080: 1079: 1057: 1054: 942: 939: 922:Pardes exegesis 888: 880: 879: 767:Chaim ibn Attar 746:Isaiah Horowitz 705:Shlomo Alkabetz 695:Meir ibn Gabbai 674:Bahya ben Asher 617:Isaac the Blind 582: 572: 571: 472: 464: 463: 444: 441: 437: 434: 430: 427: 399:Lithuanian Jews 390:Hasidic Judaism 342: 339: 318: 315: 311: 308: 307:Mysticism after 297: 295:Western thought 294: 290: 285: 282: 278: 275: 204: 194: 193: 169:Shemhamphorasch 49: 12: 11: 5: 1650: 1640: 1639: 1634: 1629: 1624: 1610: 1609: 1601: 1600:External links 1598: 1597: 1596: 1580: 1577: 1574: 1573: 1553: 1539: 1527: 1511: 1493: 1474: 1473: 1471: 1468: 1466: 1465: 1460: 1455: 1450: 1445: 1440: 1435: 1429: 1427: 1424: 1343:describes the 1280: 1277: 1138:God in Judaism 1134:metaphorically 1111: 1110: 1108: 1107: 1100: 1093: 1085: 1082: 1081: 1076: 1075: 1074: 1073: 1068: 1063: 1051: 1050: 1049: 1044: 1039: 1034: 1029: 1027:God in Judaism 1021: 1020: 1016: 1015: 1014: 1013: 1011:Jewish studies 1008: 1003: 998: 993: 988: 983: 978: 973: 968: 963: 958: 953: 948: 936: 935: 934: 929: 924: 919: 917:Ruach HaKodesh 914: 909: 904: 896: 895: 889: 886: 885: 882: 881: 876: 875: 874: 873: 867: 866: 861: 856: 848: 847: 843: 842: 841: 840: 835: 830: 822: 821: 817: 816: 815: 814: 812:Chaim Volozhin 809: 804: 799: 794: 789: 787:Shalom Sharabi 784: 779: 774: 769: 761: 760: 756: 755: 754: 753: 751:Abraham Azulai 748: 740: 739: 735: 734: 733: 732: 727: 722: 717: 712: 707: 702: 697: 689: 688: 684: 683: 679: 678: 677: 676: 668: 667: 663: 662: 661: 660: 655: 650: 645: 640: 632: 631: 627: 626: 625: 624: 619: 611: 610: 606: 605: 604: 603: 598: 590: 589: 583: 578: 577: 574: 573: 570: 569: 564: 562:Rosicrucianism 559: 554: 549: 544: 539: 534: 532:Tikkun Chatzot 529: 524: 519: 514: 509: 504: 499: 494: 489: 484: 479: 473: 470: 469: 466: 465: 460: 459: 458: 457: 456: 455: 438: 431: 424: 423: 422: 414: 413: 409: 408: 407: 406: 401: 396: 387: 382: 377: 372: 367: 362: 357: 349: 348: 344: 343: 336: 335: 334: 329: 324: 312: 305: 304: 303: 291: 286: 279: 272: 271: 270: 265: 260: 255: 245: 244: 240: 239: 238: 237: 232: 229:Sefer Yetzirah 225: 220: 212: 211: 205: 200: 199: 196: 195: 192: 191: 186: 181: 176: 171: 166: 161: 156: 151: 146: 141: 136: 131: 126: 124:Tohu and Tikun 121: 116: 111: 106: 101: 96: 91: 86: 81: 76: 71: 66: 61: 56: 50: 47: 46: 43: 42: 34: 33: 27: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1649: 1638: 1635: 1633: 1630: 1628: 1625: 1623: 1620: 1619: 1617: 1607: 1604: 1603: 1594: 1590: 1586: 1583: 1582: 1570: 1567: 1563: 1557: 1550: 1549: 1543: 1536: 1531: 1524: 1520: 1515: 1507: 1503: 1497: 1489: 1485: 1479: 1475: 1464: 1463:Song of Songs 1461: 1459: 1456: 1454: 1451: 1449: 1446: 1444: 1441: 1439: 1436: 1434: 1431: 1430: 1423: 1421: 1417: 1413: 1409: 1405: 1401: 1397: 1393: 1389: 1385: 1381: 1380:transcendence 1377: 1373: 1369: 1365: 1361: 1357: 1353: 1348: 1346: 1342: 1338: 1334: 1333:Jacob Neusner 1330: 1326: 1322: 1318: 1317:Song of Songs 1314: 1310: 1306: 1302: 1298: 1294: 1290: 1286: 1276: 1274: 1273:psychological 1270: 1266: 1262: 1261:philosophical 1258: 1254: 1250: 1246: 1242: 1238: 1233: 1231: 1227: 1222: 1217: 1213: 1209: 1205: 1201: 1197: 1193: 1189: 1185: 1181: 1177: 1175: 1171: 1167: 1163: 1159: 1155: 1151: 1147: 1143: 1139: 1135: 1131: 1128: 1125: 1121: 1117: 1106: 1101: 1099: 1094: 1092: 1087: 1086: 1084: 1083: 1072: 1071:Primary texts 1069: 1067: 1064: 1062: 1059: 1058: 1056: 1048: 1045: 1043: 1040: 1038: 1035: 1033: 1030: 1028: 1025: 1024: 1023: 1022: 1018: 1017: 1012: 1009: 1007: 1004: 1002: 999: 997: 994: 992: 989: 987: 984: 982: 979: 977: 974: 972: 969: 967: 964: 962: 959: 957: 954: 952: 949: 947: 944: 943: 941: 933: 930: 928: 925: 923: 920: 918: 915: 913: 910: 908: 905: 903: 900: 899: 898: 897: 893: 892: 884: 883: 872: 869: 868: 865: 862: 860: 859:Yehuda Ashlag 857: 855: 852: 851: 850: 849: 845: 844: 839: 836: 834: 831: 829: 826: 825: 824: 823: 819: 818: 813: 810: 808: 805: 803: 800: 798: 795: 793: 790: 788: 785: 783: 780: 778: 775: 773: 772:Baal Shem Tov 770: 768: 765: 764: 763: 762: 758: 757: 752: 749: 747: 744: 743: 742: 741: 737: 736: 731: 728: 726: 723: 721: 718: 716: 713: 711: 710:Moshe Alshich 708: 706: 703: 701: 698: 696: 693: 692: 691: 690: 686: 685: 681: 680: 675: 672: 671: 670: 669: 665: 664: 659: 656: 654: 653:Moses de Leon 651: 649: 646: 644: 641: 639: 636: 635: 634: 633: 629: 628: 623: 620: 618: 615: 614: 613: 612: 608: 607: 602: 599: 597: 594: 593: 592: 591: 587: 586: 581: 576: 575: 568: 565: 563: 560: 558: 555: 553: 550: 548: 545: 543: 540: 538: 535: 533: 530: 528: 525: 523: 520: 518: 515: 513: 510: 508: 505: 503: 500: 498: 495: 493: 490: 488: 485: 483: 480: 478: 475: 474: 468: 467: 454: 451: 450: 449: 446: 445: 443: 436: 429: 421: 418: 417: 416: 415: 411: 410: 405: 402: 400: 397: 395: 391: 388: 386: 383: 381: 378: 376: 373: 371: 368: 366: 363: 361: 358: 356: 353: 352: 351: 350: 346: 345: 341: 333: 330: 328: 325: 323: 320: 319: 317: 310: 302: 299: 298: 296: 289: 284: 277: 269: 266: 264: 261: 259: 256: 254: 253: 249: 248: 247: 246: 242: 241: 236: 233: 231: 230: 226: 224: 221: 219: 216: 215: 214: 213: 209: 208: 203: 198: 197: 190: 187: 185: 182: 180: 177: 175: 172: 170: 167: 165: 162: 160: 157: 155: 152: 150: 147: 145: 142: 140: 137: 135: 132: 130: 127: 125: 122: 120: 117: 115: 112: 110: 107: 105: 102: 100: 97: 95: 92: 90: 87: 85: 82: 80: 77: 75: 72: 70: 69:Ayin and Yesh 67: 65: 62: 60: 57: 55: 52: 51: 45: 44: 40: 36: 35: 32: 29: 28: 24: 20: 19: 16: 1584: 1568: 1556: 1546: 1542: 1534: 1530: 1518: 1514: 1506:biblehub.com 1505: 1496: 1488:biblehub.com 1487: 1478: 1392:allegorising 1349: 1305:Hebrew Bible 1301:personal God 1282: 1234: 1184:corporeality 1178: 1142:image of God 1114: 940:on the Bible 833:Ben Ish Chai 802:Nathan Adler 426:Mysticism in 392: / 347:Early modern 287: 276:on the Bible 250: 227: 183: 89:Tree of Life 15: 1418:and Divine 1356:metaphysics 1352:Middle Ages 1226:Four Worlds 1216:dialectical 1204:Ohr Ein Sof 1162:Adam Kadmon 725:Chaim Vital 720:Isaac Luria 700:Joseph Karo 477:Torah study 453:James Lees' 288:Renaissance 189:Panentheism 79:Four Worlds 1616:Categories 1396:Kabbalists 1376:monotheism 1360:Maimonides 1279:Background 1237:idolatrous 1221:mystically 1180:Kabbalists 946:Oral Torah 792:Vilna Gaon 638:Nahmanides 557:Asceticism 502:Meditation 394:philosophy 314:Mystics of 1265:Sabbatean 1212:empirical 1192:plurality 1170:Shekhinah 1166:partzufim 1158:sephiroth 1042:Free will 864:Baba Sali 471:Practices 223:Heichalot 154:Notarikon 114:Partzufim 109:Shekhinah 1632:Kabbalah 1438:Dor Daim 1426:See also 1420:personas 1404:immanent 1386:through 1321:Shekhina 1313:tefillin 1285:Talmudic 1257:Halakhic 1253:Talmudic 1208:Berachot 1200:temporal 1174:qlippoth 1116:Kabbalah 912:Prophecy 517:Deveikut 512:Teshuvah 243:Medieval 149:Gematria 119:Qlippoth 99:Merkavah 59:Tzimtzum 48:Concepts 31:Kabbalah 23:a series 21:Part of 1637:Sefirot 1433:Devekut 1345:Aggadah 1309:Midrash 1303:of the 1293:aggadot 1196:spatial 1188:dualism 1146:Genesis 1130:symbols 1122:, uses 981:Aggadah 976:Halakha 932:Midrash 894:History 507:Kavanot 487:Mitzvot 448:English 218:Tannaim 202:History 159:Temurah 74:Sefirot 54:Ein Sof 1259:, and 1127:mythic 1019:Topics 986:Hakira 907:Tanakh 622:Azriel 580:People 527:Nusach 522:Prayer 492:Minhag 412:Modern 340:Mussar 174:Tzadik 139:Gilgul 1593:Tanya 1560:"The 1470:Notes 1287:-era 1194:, or 902:Torah 846:1900s 820:1800s 759:1700s 738:1600s 687:1500s 682:1400s 666:1300s 630:1200s 609:1100s 268:Zohar 252:Bahir 1410:as 1400:Ayin 1350:The 1198:and 887:Role 588:100s 1384:God 1382:of 1374:of 1150:Job 1132:to 64:Ohr 1618:: 1521:, 1504:. 1486:. 1414:, 1390:, 1339:. 1331:. 1255:, 1190:, 1186:, 1160:, 25:on 1508:. 1490:. 1104:e 1097:t 1090:v

Index

a series
Kabbalah
Esoteric symbolism
Ein Sof
Tzimtzum
Ohr
Ayin and Yesh
Sefirot
Four Worlds
Seder hishtalshelut
Tree of Life
The path of the flaming sword
Merkavah
Jewish angelic hierarchy
Shekhinah
Partzufim
Qlippoth
Tohu and Tikun
Sparks of holiness
Messianic rectification
Gilgul
Kabbalistic astrology
Gematria
Notarikon
Temurah
Names of God in Judaism
Shemhamphorasch
Tzadik
Tzadikim Nistarim
Anthropomorphism in Kabbalah

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