The Reception of Kabbalistic Works in Early Modernity and the Modern Period

Session Submission Type: Panel Session

Abstract

Panel Description:
This panel investigates the reception and adaptation of key Kabbalistic texts during the early modern and modern periods, exploring their utilization, interpretation, and transformation within Jewish esoteric circles. Each paper delves into the dynamic interplay between mystical traditions and cultural contexts, shedding light on the diverse ways in which these texts were received.
Abstract:
This panel examines the multifaceted reception of Kabbalistic works in early modernity and the modern period, focusing on three seminal texts: Sefer Yezirah, the Zohar, and Sefer Ha-Temunah. Dr. Andrea Gondos explores the practical deployment of Sefer Yezirah in medieval and early modern books of secrets, analyzing its role in magical practices and its function in realigning the universe with the supernal realms. Dr. Roee Goldschmidt examines the reception of Sefer Ha-Temunah in modern times, exploring its textual evolution and conceptual influence on Kabbalistic thought from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century.
Finally, Dr. Leore Sachs-Shmueli investigates the characteristics that define a Hasidic commentary on the Zohar, tracing how Hasidic thinkers positioned themselves within the kabbalistic tradition while interpreting the sacred text within their own context.
This panel offers a nuanced exploration of the reception and adaptation of Kabbalistic works, highlighting the diverse ways in which these texts were received, interpreted, and integrated into Jewish mystical traditions across different historical periods.

Sub Unit

• Jewish Mysticism

Chair

• Jeremy Brown, University of Notre Dame

Individual Presentations

• What Makes a Hasidic Commentary to the Zohar Hasidic? Exploring the Hasidic Characteristics of Zohar Commentaries: A Preliminary Inquiry - Leore Sachs-Shmueli, Bar Ilan University

• The reception of Sefer Ha-Temunah in modern times: Editing, ideological influence, and polemical discourse - Roee Goldschmidt, The Open University of Israel

• ‘To Return the Creator to His Place:’ The Performative and Magical Deployment of Sefer Yezirah in Medieval and Early Modern Books of Secrets - Andrea Gondos, University of Rochester, Department of Religion and Classics

Zoom Host

• Zoom Host 05