The Uniqueness of Jewish Mysticism

Borrowed Magic

Having discussed the dangers associated with mysticism, we will be able to appreciate the qualities unique to Jewish mysticism which make it a less dangerous mystical system. But to better appreciate the differences between Jewish mysticism and mysticism in other traditions, we should first discuss their common thread.

According to the Zohar, the principle work of Kabbalah, Eastern religions borrowed their mystical tradition from Jewish sources. Prior to Abraham’s passing, the Torah relates how he “gave all that was his to [his son] Isaac. (Genesis 25:5)” Insofar as his other seven sons (Ishmael and another six sons whose names the Bible mentions in verse 2) were concerned, the Torah relates that Abraham “gave them gifts (ibid).”

The Jewish sages ask an obvious question about this passage: If Abraham had already given everything he owned to Isaac, what gifts were left to give to the remaining seven sons? The sages’ answer (see Rashi’s commentary) is that Abraham gave them occult powers.

The Bible also tells us that Abraham sent these sons “to the lands of the East.” According to the Zohar, they migrated eastward, sharing their mystical powers with the Eastern peoples of the time. It is interesting to note that the Hindu word Brahman may have come from the name Abraham. The rabbis therefore understood that the non-Jewish forms of mysticism stem from a Jewish source. Any resemblance between the two systems can be attributed to their common origin.

One thing Jewish mysticism has in common with all mystical systems is the belief that there is more to existence than meets the eye.

Modern science has helped us realize that not all natural phenomena are accessible by the senses. We don’t see electricity, radio waves, atoms or quarks, yet we know and believe that they exist.

Mysticism takes us a step further and asserts that there is a reality that transcends physical reality.

Another common thread running through the world’s mystical traditions is the belief that there is a way for us to connect with that transcendent “otherness.” All mystical systems assert that through meditation and other techniques one can bridge the gap between the physical and the spiritual. There may also be some specific beliefs that other mystical systems either borrowed from Judaism or realized through the efforts of their practitioners.

When people dedicate their lives to the pursuit of truth, there is no reason why they might not be able to discover on their own at least some of these truths.

[We have also been taught that Torah represents perfect Divine knowledge. All truths contained in all the other disciplines such as science and philosophy represent dimmed versions of the original light that derives from Torah. Only the Torah contains unadulterated truths and knowledge. Other disciplines, secular or religious, are, by definition, admixtures of truths and fabrications, and most people are incapable of sorting them out.

Once the Torah was introduced into the world, any human being could “pick up” some of Torah’s “vibrations” and could intuit ideas and truths that are Torah’s exclusive domain.

Even foreign languages, we are told, have sparks of Hebrew, the Holy tongue that were scattered and distributed throughout the world and found their “resting place” in these languages.] - Prerequisites for Jewish Mysticism While there are many similarities between Jewish mysticism and other mystical traditions, there are far more differences. To ensure the integrity of any mystical system, three criteria must be met:

1. It must be transmitted in its pure, unadulterated form;

2. It cannot be allowed to fall under the influence of foreign belief systems;

3. It must be handed down from people of high moral character to people of high moral character.

All three of these criteria were violated in the transmission of the mystical tradition of the East which originated with the “gifts” Abraham gave the seven sons:

1. Abraham did not give the seven sons the essence of his mystical knowledge. What he imparted to them was only a glimmer of the mystical knowledge he possessed. Moreover, our sages refer to this knowledge as “impure.” From the very outset, they had access only to an adulterated form of Abraham’s mystical treasure.

2. When Abraham’s sons migrated to the East, they intermingled with the indigenous populations, and their religious systems meshed. Most likely, much of the mystical knowledge that these populations received from the sons was further diluted through assimilation.

3. With the passage of time, the populations of the East altered the mystical tradition to suit their own preferences. And when their lifestyles became immoral, they further compromised the tradition.

The Jewish mystical system, on the other hand, has always been passed on in its whole form, without exposure to alien traditions, from people of unassailable moral standing to others of the same ilk.

This last factor, entrusting Jewish mysticism exclusively to those whose behavior is beyond reproach, guaranteed not only that the knowledge would not be corrupted, but meant that Jewish mysticism would always go hand in hand with Jewish observance and Talmudic scholarship. Morality, knowledge of all aspects of the Torah and dedication to observance of all of the commandments, are all intrinsic components of the Jewish person’s mystical development.

When we survey the names of the greatest mystics of the Jewish people we find a very telling phenomenon: The great mystics were practical people, realists. They were all steeped in Halacha (Jewish law), the most practical component of Torah. Indeed, many were considered to be among the greatest masters of Halacha. The 13th century sage Nachmanides, for example, was noted for his Kabbalistic knowledge and was simultaneously the undisputed Talmudic master of his time, as well as the leader of Spanish Jewry. The greatest Halachic (Jewish legal) authority of the 16th century, Rabbi Yosef Karo, who authored what is still today the most authoritative code of Jewish law, was also a noted mystic. Most remarkable is his work Magid Meisharim which contains his dialogues with his angel-mentor.

A contemporary of Yosef Karo, the Ari, by far the greatest Kabbalist of his time and perhaps, in many respects, the greatest Kabbalist of all times, was also a noted Talmudic scholar. Yosef Karo sat at the feet of the Ari and drank thirstily his teachings of Kabbalah, as did many other great Halachic authorities of that period.

Since the days of the Ari, virtually every renowned Halachist has also been steeped in Kabbalah. At the core of this phenomenon is the fact that Judaism, and by extension Jewish mysticism, does not believe in escaping from the world.

Shunning the Body

Most mystical systems shun material existence for one of two reasons. In some religions everything physical, including the body, is considered evil, an obstacle to anything holy and good. The ideal attainment in these religions is to deny the body, escape from the physical world and shun all worldly pleasures. In other religious systems the physical is viewed as having no real existence. Their notion is that there is no reality to this world. It is only a facade; the only reality is spirituality. Whereas the former group disdains the body because to them it is a formidable opponent, the latter group shuns the body because it is a nonexistent entity, a mere illusion. In the final analysis, both philosophies reach the same conclusion and reject the physical world.

Jewish mysticism disagrees with both views concerning the body and the physical world. They are not viewed as being inherently evil. On the contrary, Jewish mysticism believes that despite the fact that the body and materiality might pose an obstacle to one’s spirituality, the object is not to shun them but to refine them and harness them in the pursuit of our spiritual goals. Jewish mysticism also rejects the notion that the physical is non-existent. Although Jewish mysticism shares the belief that the true nature of all of existence - both spiritual and physical existence - is G-d’s creative force, it does not accord more reality to the spiritual than it does to the physical. Both are manifestations of G-d, Who expresses Himself in both ways: in the spiritual and in the physical. Jewish mysticism accepts the existence of both the body and the soul. One’s mystical experiences are not considered to be authentic if they are not simultaneously coupled with observance of the Mitzvot. A mystic whose soul is constantly trying to escape the world is not getting any closer to G-d, because G-d wants us to relate to the physical world and change it.

… And the Spirit In Which It Was Given

Jewish mysticism, in its own words, is the soul of Torah. The Torah’s body is its legal system. Just as there is no life when there is a body without a soul, there can be no true Jewish existence when the observance of the laws - the body of Judaism - is bereft of it soul - the mystical dimension of Judaism. Conversely, the life of the soul cannot express itself without a body. When the mystical aspects of Judaism are disconnected from the body of Judaism, they lose their focus and cannot be expressed. The mystical ideas remain in the realm of theory and are virtually wasted because they do not translate into the world of physical reality. The following anecdote that illustrates the duality of Torah’s mystical and legal components, the body and soul of Judaism.

A certain rabbi has a weakness for alcoholic beverages which he tries to keep from his congregants. Despite his efforts to conceal his problem, one astute member of the congregation, Mr. Schwartz, discovers the rabbi’s penchant for booze and is intent on making the rabbi deal with his problem.

Before the High Holy Days, Mr. Schwartz brings a case of fruit liqueur as a gift to the rabbi and offers it to him with one stipulation. The rabbi must acknowledge the gift during one of his well-attended High Holiday sermons. The rabbi is in a quandary. Should he accept the muchdesired gift, he would have to divulge his secret to the congregation. Should he not accept it, he would not be able to enjoy the wonderful liqueur.

Finally, after giving it some thought, the rabbi agrees to the terms laid down by Mr. Schwartz. “I’ll accept the gift, and I will speak about it in my sermon.”

Sure enough, the moment of truth arrives. The rabbi, whose sermon is about the need to be more charitable, mentions Mr. Schwartz’s generous gift.

“And I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the generosity of one of our members, Mr. Schwartz, for his exquisite gift of fruit … and the spirit in which it was given …” (I don’t understand how this story illustrates the duality.)

In this humorous anecdote, the rabbi succeeds in misrepresenting the truth while not saying anything that was not true. The gift did have fruit and it did include the spirit, but the two entities were represented as distinct and disparate. Fruit is a tangible reality and “spirit” is a feeling and attitude. In reality, what the rabbi had received was one gift that was a mixture of the two fruit and spirits.

Jewish mysticism does not tolerate the separation of the mystical from the ordinary and the mundane from the spiritual. Both sides - mysticism and rationalism, spirituality and physicality, body and soul - must be together to enjoy the essence of the Jewish experience.

Keep it to Yourself

A salient difference between the Jewish mystic and other mystics is lack of self-indulgence. While the experiences of the mystic occupy so much of mystical literature, Jewish mystics hardly acknowledge having any. Humility always permeated the mindset of the Jewish scholar, whether he was studying Talmud or Kabbalah. The knowledge he acquired was not intended to be used for self-glorification; on the contrary, it justified his very existence.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai, the famed sage who saved Jewry and Judaism in the era of the destruction of the Second Temple, put it succinctly: “If you studied much Torah, do not take credit for yourself, for this you were created” (Ethics of the Fathers 2:?).

The Jewish mystic did not meditate to express himself or to attain the most sublime spiritual pleasure; for him meditation was a pure exercise in self-refinement and a surrender of his ego to G-d.

For this reason Jewish mystical experiences when they were punctuated with this spirit of humility and were focused properly - did not present the same degree of danger as their non- Jewish parallels.

Becoming disconnected from reality is a minor concern when mysticism is placed within the Jewish framework. When the approach of the mystic is G-d-oriented rather than self-oriented, the likelihood of the soul leaving the body is greatly diminished.

When we are motivated by the desire to be more G-dly, we recognize that G-d can be found only when we conform to His will - when we live our physical lives in a G-dly manner. The self-indulgent mystic, however, does not desire to satisfy G-d’s concerns, but only his own, though through the agency of spiritual experience.

When G-d wants him to return to the realities of this physical world, the Jewish mystic, despite the extremely blissful state he experiences as his soul yearns to leave the body to reunite with its Creator, decides to return to this world to do G-d’s bidding.

Similarly, the last thing the Jewish mystic wants is to use his knowledge of mysticism to acquire supernatural powers. Only one who is driven by selfish concerns can harbor these desires. Jewish mysticism is predicated on the premise that we are here to do G-d’s will and that the pursuit of the mystical is not for self-indulgent, spiritual pleasure, but to make more complete our fulfillment of G-d’s plan.

From the book Safe Kabbalah, Part One: Opening the Gates by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.