Kabbalah: An Introduction to the Jewish Mystical Tradition

A linked pair of two 5-unit courses

Kabbalah is one of the cornerstones upon which nearly all Western esoteric traditions are built upon; a fact which has undoubtedly contributed to its recent popularization. Despite this fact, the intricacies of its history and development from biblical times up through the present often remain understudied outside of Jewish circles. This course aims to familiarize students with the historical development of the Jewish mystical traditions and the complexities of its cosmology, philosophy, theology and practice. We start by examining select biblical and rabbinic references from late antiquity to Israelite and Jewish mystical practices. We then explore the early flowerings of the Kabbalistic tradition and the evolution of the doctrine of the Sefirot (Tree of Life) from the medieval period through the present. This course will also cover such central topics as Theurgy, Tikkun (spiritual and cosmic repair), magic, ritual and meditation. Additionally, we will pay special attention to the select authors who have given detailed instruction regarding mystical practices (as only a very few such manuscripts have survived due to the requirement for teacher-disciple transmission). By the end of the course, students will have a firm foundation upon which to pursue further study.

As the instructor has studied and taught Kabbalah in both academic and practitioner settings (the latter most notably Zefat (Safed), Israel) this course is taught from both viewpoints.

Both these courses will be available in self-study format  from October 2011.  For more information about self-study course types please click here.
 
 
 Course information:

  • Each course stands alone, and may be taken separately.
  • Courses are self-evaluated.
  • Detailed course notes, including notes bringing together all three courses, are provided.These will be augmented by recommended and readily-available texts.
  • There are no prerequisite courses.
 
 Languages:The course and bibliography is in English. Our English proficiency requirements apply to this course. This prerequisite also continues to apply to students whose native language is neither English nor Greek. Please click here for details regarding language requirements.
 

Course I:  Diverging Paths: Divination in Classical Antiquity and early Judeo-Christianity.

  • Introduction
    • Key terms and ideas for the study of Jewish Mysticism
    • Pre-kabbalistic Jewish mysticism in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) 
  • Merkavah (Chariot)
    • Early rabbinic mysticism
    • Cairo Genizah: Heicalot Literature (Chambers of the Palace) 
  • Early Kabbalah
    • Sefer Habahir
    • Sefer Yetzirah and the Tree of Life 
  • Early medieval period
    • Hasidei Ashkenaz (German-Judeo Kabbalah) 
  • Medieval period
    • Propagation of the Doctrine of the Sefirot
    • Joseph Gikatilla’s Sha’arei Orah (Gates of Light)

Course II

  • The Zohar
    • Zoharic Concept of the Godhead
    • Zoharic concept of the Demonic.
  • Safed Renaissance
    • Lurianic Kabbalah
    • Isaac Luria and his Reinterpretation of the Zohar
    • Shattering of the Vessels and Tikkun (Repair).
  • Heterodox Kabbalah
    • Shabbatai Zvi and Jacob Frank (Failed/false messiahs or true messianic figures?)
    • Transgression as fulfillment and sin as sanctification? 
  • Early modern period
    • Later evolution of Lurianic Kabbalah in Eastern Europe
    • Hasidism 
  • Modern period
    • Later Hasidism
    • Western Esotericism
    • Popular Kabbalah in the West and in Israel.
 

 

Cody Bahir is currently working toward obtaining his PhD in Philosophy and Religion specializing in the intellectual and spiritual traditions of China at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Prior to pursuing his doctorate he was faculty at the graduate and rabbinic programs of the American Jewish University and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion where he respectively obtained his BA in Classical Judaic Studies and MA in Jewish Studies, specializing in Medieval Kabbalah. His MA thesis was entitled Aina d’Satna I’la’ah: The Incarnate Wickedness of the Zoharic Evil Eye and its Transformation from Superstition to Cosmology.

Though as an academic he describes himself as a “phenomenological contextualist”; one whose methodology aims at understanding each tradition on its own terms and within its own context from the vantage point of a practitioner, he conducts quite a bit of comparative work. 

Cody Bahir’s core areas of interest currently include but are not limited to: Daoist monastic practices, Daoist influence on Tantric Buddhism, Comparative Jewish and Chinese mysticism, the notion of the demonic in the Zohar, Yi Jing (I-Ching) studies and the relationships between Western Esotericism, Jewish Kabbalah and Eastern traditions.

Additional to his faculty experience, he has also taught at a variety of settings including Synagogues, Adult Education programs as well as metaphysical and retreat centers.

 

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