Jewish Mysticism

Samech stands for secret and everything holds a secret, a divine spark that cannot be known. All things contain mystery. especially Feivel's head.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the essence of Jewish mysticism

The perpetual quest for unlimited knowledge and the acknowledgment of deficiency.

Why did G-d create the world? What is the purpose of the mitzvot? Chabad Chassidism integrates rationalist and mystical approaches with a distinctly Midrashic orientation, so that the intimate essence of G-d can openly resonate in the place of otherness.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi cohesively incorporates rational elements into his mystical ontological system. Examples include the demythologization of philosophically obscurities and adherence to certain logical principles, some of which were transcended...

Maimonides is often portrayed as a rationalist who opposed any form of mysticism. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi is generally seen as a mystic, albeit one of moderate rationalist inclination. A comparative textual reading reveals that these two greats may ...

The legal aspect of the Torah has been described by Kabbalists as concealing a deeper, more mystical dimension. But Mitnagdic and Chassidic thinkers both argued—in similar but different ways—that study of legal topics “for its own sake” could itself embod...

Can Maimonides' intellectual approach be characterized as rationalistic or mystical? Is there evidence that he studied and even embraced kabbalistic teachings?

Excerpts from various mystical texts illustrate how different kinds of ecstatic spiritual experiences may be attained including "death of the ego" and "union with G-d."

What one seeks in This World directs the path of his soul as it ascends the spiritual realms.