The Reincarnations of Adam, Enoch, Metatron, (Jesus), and Joseph—An Anti-Christian Polemic in the Zohar
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Lithuanian Religious and Ceremonial Terms of Semitic Origin: the Phenomenon of Azazel
Etnolingwistyka 29 Lublin 2017 I. Rozprawy i analizy DOI: 10.17951/et.2017.29.257 Rolandas K r e g ž d y s (Vilnius, Lithuanian Culture Research Institute) Lithuanian religious and ceremonial terms of semitic origin: the phenomenon of Azazel The article deals with the so-called phenomenon of Azazel, i.e. the scape- goat icon, examples of which can be found in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language and in dialectal sources. Its relics are also traced in three-day Shro- vetide rites before the Lenten fast, which begins on Ash Wednesday (Shrove Tuesday in Lithuania), and in the Easter feast from Piev˙enaiin Samogitia (the histrionic so-called “Easter Jews” vigil on the night before Easter). Using different methods of investigating cultural realia, i.e. cross-cultural comparison and linguistic analysis (based on the inner and external reconstruction (or historical) methodology), two main types of religious terms of Semitic origin registered in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language and dialectal sources are identified: (i) Hebraisms with neutral or hereditary connotation; and (ii) pejoratives or semantically modified words with an anti-Semitic background. The paper also explains the origin of the xenophobic elements of the Easter feast, the way it has been celebrated in Piev˙enaiuntil today. Key words: Azazel/scapegoat phenomenon; religious terms; ceremonial terms; Hebraism; pejorative; semantically modified words Introduction: a short prehistory of the origin and purport of the scapegoat or Azazel icon The mythonym of Azazel or Hazazel (Azael, Azozel)1 is traditionally explained as an appellative of one of the chiefs of the 200 fallen angels 1 The exact meaning of the proper name is ambiguous: 1. -
The Concept of Infinity (Eyn-Sof ) and the Rise of Theosophical Kabbalah
T HE J EWISH Q UARTERLY R EVIEW, Vol. 102, No. 3 (Summer 2012) 405–430 The Concept of Infinity (Eyn-sof )andthe Rise of Theosophical Kabbalah SANDRA VALABREGUE-PERRY THIS ESSAY DISCUSSES the rise of theosophical Kabbalah in light of the development of the notion of infinity. Arguing that the origin of the theosophic notion of infinity goes back to Sefer yetsirah, I will analyze its applications in early sources and in Sefer yetsirah’s medieval philosophical commentaries up to its theosophical commentaries in Kabbalah. In these theosophical texts we encounter a concept of God as infinite dimension, where emanation is primarily understood as an infinite essence in expan- sion. This essay sets out to demonstrate how this theosophical infinite God has emerged from the multidirectional expansion of the sefirot in Sefer yetsirah. The very movement from the sefirot to God himself and from the cosmological to the theosophical was made possible by two major shifts. The first depends on the understanding of the sefirot as divine, thus as infinite; and the second, in the shift from the multidirectional expansion to a unidirectional and vertical one. This argument leads, therefore, to a new understanding of Eyn-sof and its role in theosophic Kabbalah. It will reflect, as well, upon the relation between Kabbalah and philosophy. After some short methodological remarks, I will examine the concept of Eyn-sof in early Jewish sources and notably in Sefer yetsirah. Then, in order to understand the novelty of theosophical Kabbalah, I will analyze the philosophical interpretations of Eyn-sof in the philosophical commen- taries of Sefer yetsirah. -
Azazel Historically, the Word Azazel Is an Idea and Rarely an Incarnate Demon
Azazel Historically, the word azazel is an idea and rarely an incarnate demon. Figure 1 Possible sigil of Azazel. Modern writings use the sigil for the planet Saturn as well. Vayikra (Leviticus) The earliest known mention of the word Azazel in Jewish texts appears in the late seventh century B.C. which is the third of the five books of the Torah. To modern American ( וַיִּקְרָ א ) book called the Vayikra Christians, this books is Leviticus because of its discussion of the Levites. In Leviticus 16, two goats are placed before the temple for selection in an offering. A lot is cast. One Goat is then sacrificed to Yahweh and the other goats is said to outwardly bear all the sends of those making the sacrifice. The text The general translation .( לַעֲזָאזֵל ) specifically says one goat was chosen for Yahweh and the for Az azel of the words is “absolute removal.” Another set of Hebrew scholars translate Azazel in old Hebrew translates as "az" (strong/rough) and "el" (strong/God). The azazel goat, often called the scapegoat then is taken away. A number of scholars have concluded that “azazel” refers to a series of mountains near Jerusalem with steep cliffs. Fragmentary records suggest that bizarre Yahweh ritual was carried out on the goat. According to research, a red rope was tied to the goat and to an altar next to jagged cliff. The goat is pushed over the cliff’s edge and torn to pieces by the cliff walls as it falls. The bottom of the cliff was a desert that was considered the realm of the “se'irim” class of demons. -
Shalom: Peace, Not Just Peace of Mind Parashat Ki Tetze Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg, Beth Am 9.6.14 ~ 11 Elul 5774
Shalom: Peace, Not Just Peace of Mind Parashat Ki Tetze Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg, Beth Am 9.6.14 ~ 11 Elul 5774 This week I spent a day in Washington with thought-leaders, rabbis and policy analysts. We were speaking about Israel, America’s relationship with the Jewish state and the current deeply troubling state of affairs in the Middle East. The most surprising and powerful presentation of the day was that of Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founder and spiritual leader of Hamas. Given the events of this summer, it was particularly poignant to hear the heartfelt and courageous words of this young author and former Israeli asset (as he sat on the dais across from his Shin Bet handler). To even begin to conceive of such heroism, we almost have to transport ourselves into a different time – say Germany of the 1940s, when precious few righteous individuals resisted and acted against the scourge of Nazism. We might visit Rwanda or Cambodia, Darfur or America’s antebellum south. There are far too many examples in human history of pervasive, systematic violence and too few stories of those who made the hardest choices to turn against their fathers, brothers and their communities and attempt to salvage their dignity and humanity. Or perhaps we should roll the Torah back from its current location near the end, to a story near the very beginning whose hero, a simple man named Noah, is tzadik tamim haya b’dorotav, “a righteous man, blameless in his generation” (Gen. 6:9). I would argue it’s virtually impossible for us, most or all of us in this room, to know what it is like to live among the truly malevolent and depraved – a society so bad God sees no recourse but to erase it and start over. -
Conceptualizations of Tzimtzum in Baroque Italian Kabbalah
Conceptualizations of Tzimtzum in Baroque Italian Kabbalah Moshe Idel Abstract The paper will survey the ways in which three Kabbalists active in Italy at the end of the 16th and early 17th centuries transformed the Lurianic concept of divine contraction: Menahem Azariah of Fano, Joseph Shlomo of Candia, and Abraham Herrera. The main point of this essay is to analyze the contribution of philosophical concepts to the inter- pretion of Luria’s mythopoeic method. Tzimtzum: A Constellation of Ideas The concept of tzimtzum, understood as divine contraction, or alternatively, as divine withdrawal when it refers to the first act of the theogonic/cosmo- gonic process, has enjoyed a distinguished career in Kabbalistic texts and their scholarship.1 Earlier scholars believed tzimtzum was an original contribution 1 See, e.g., David Neumark, Toledot ha-Filosofiah be-Yisrael, vol. 1, 1921 (New York: A.Y. Shtibl, 1971), 179–80; Gershom Scholem, Origins of the Kabbalah, trans. Allan Arkush, ed. R.Z.J. Werblowsky, (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1987), 449–50; idem, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, (New York: Schocken Books, 1960), 260–64, especially 411 n. 51, 412 n. 77; idem, Kabbalah ( Jerusalem: Keter, 1974), 129–35; Lawrence Fine, Physician of the Soul, Healer of the Cosmos: Isaac Luria and His Kabbalistic Fellowship (Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2003), 128–31; Daphne Freedman, Man and the Theogony in the Lurianic Kabbalah (Pistakaway, NJ: Gorgias Press, 2006), 27–42; Joseph Avivi, Kabbalah Luriana, vol. 3 ( Jerusalem: Ben Zvi Institute, 2008), 1184–88; Christoph Schulte, “Zimzum in the Works of Schelling,” Iyyun 41 (1992): 21–40; idem, “Zimzum in der Kabbala Denudata,” Morgen-Glantz 7 (1997): 127–40; idem, “Zimzum in European Philosophy, A Paradoxical Career,” in Jewish Studies in a New Europe: Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of Jewish Studies in Copenhagen 1994 under the Auspices of the European Association for Jewish Studies, ed. -
59 ELIJAH LORE and the ENOCH METATRON NARRATIVE of 3 ENOCH I – INTRODUCTION the Enigmatic Enoch/Metatron Narrative, Included I
ARAM, 20 (2008) 59-76. doi: 10.2143/ARAM.20.0.2033120D. ARBEL 59 ELIJAH LORE AND THE ENOCH METATRON NARRATIVE OF 3 ENOCH Dr. DAPHNA ARBEL (University of British Columbia) I – INTRODUCTION The enigmatic Enoch/Metatron narrative, included in 3 Enoch of the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature, draws together threads inherited from a broad range of previous sources to weave a new narrative in which the human/ angelic figure Enoch/Metatron plays a central role. 1 Among these sources two central streams of traditions are pivotal: early Enochic traditions concerning Enoch, and rabbinic traditions, concerning the angel Metatron. Key studies have analyzed thematic and conceptual connections between these early Enochic and rabbinic traditions and 3 Enoch, as well as the channels through which the authors of 3 Enoch came to know them.2 In contrast, not much scholarly attention has been paid to the ambiguity inherent in the new literary construction of the Enoch /Metatron narrative, and the manner in which it characterizes its main protagonist. The narrative integrates, alters, and harmo- nizes themes and images rooted in the early Enochic and rabbinic traditions in a way that seems neither predictable nor traditional. Hence, questions related 1 3 Enoch or Sefer Hekhalot, is included in P. Schäfer, Synopse zur Hekhalot Literatur in col- laboration with M. Schlüter and H.G. von Mutius (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1981) sections 1- 79. A German translation of 3 Enoch with text-critical notes has been provided by P. Schäfer and K. Herrmann, Übersetzung der Hekhalot-Literatur, vol. 1:1-82 (Tübingen: Mohr-Siebeck, 1995). -
Zohar and Iamblichus by Yehuda Liebes
Zohar and Iamblichus By Yehuda Liebes Moshe Idel, my friend and colleague, has reshaped our understanding and image of Cabbala in many ways. One of the major themes of his research is the Hermetic and Neo-Platonic mystical-magical complex of praxis and ideas, dealing with drawing down spiritual forces from supernal entities. Idel dedicated to it much research, demonstrating the major role this theme played in Jewish mysticism and its development from Cabbala to Hasidism. 1 In the following article, dedicated to Idel and to our friendship, I'd like to make some contribution to this research, by establishing a possible literary connection between a paragraph dealing with this theme in the Zohar , the Cabbalistic 'Bible' (written in thirteenth century Spain), and a passage from Iamblichus, the Syrian philosopher of the third and fourth century of the Christian era, the foremost representative of Hermeticism and theurgy within the Neo-Platonic philosophical school. In propounding its lore about idolatry and magic, the Zohar does not pretend to be original. It refers explicitly to its sources, saying: Come and see: If a person is drawn toward the blessed Holy One – his desire pursuing Him in this world – then afterward, when he departs, he 1 Moshe Idel, Hasidism – Between Ecstasy and Magic , SUNY, Albany 1994. See also Moshe Idel, 'The Magical and Neoplatonic interpretations of the Kabbalah in the Renaissance', Jewish Thought in the sixteenth Century (ed. Bernard D. Coopermann), Harvard University Press 1983, pp. 186-242; Moshe Idel, 'Hermeticism and Judaism', Hermeticism and Renaissance (eds. Merkel & Debus), Associated University Presses, 1988, pp. -
De-Demonising the Old Testament
De-Demonising the Old Testament An Investigation of Azazel , Lilith , Deber , Qeteb and Reshef in the Hebrew Bible Judit M. Blair Doctor of Philosophy University of Edinburgh 2008 Declaration I declare that the present thesis has been composed by me, that it represents my own research, and that it has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. ______________________ Judit M. Blair ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people to thank and acknowledge for their support and help over the past years. Firstly I would like to thank the School of Divinity for the scholarship and the opportunity they provided me in being able to do this PhD. I would like to thank my ‘numerous’ supervisors who have given of their time, energy and knowledge in making this thesis possible: To Professor Hans Barstad for his patience, advice and guiding hand, in particular for his ‘adopting’ me as his own. For his understanding and help with German I am most grateful. To Dr Peter Hayman for giving of his own time to help me in learning Hebrew, then accepting me to study for a PhD, and in particular for his attention to detail. To Professor Nick Wyatt who supervised my Masters and PhD before his retirement for his advice and support. I would also like to thank the staff at New College Library for their assistance at all times, and Dr Jessie Paterson and Bronwen Currie for computer support. My fellow colleagues have provided feedback and helpful criticism and I would especially like to thank all members of HOTS-lite I have known over the years. -
Tanya Sources.Pdf
The Way to the Tree of Life Jewish practice entails fulfilling many laws. Our diet is limited, our days to work are defined, and every aspect of life has governing directives. Is observance of all the laws easy? Is a perfectly righteous life close to our heart and near to our limbs? A righteous life seems to be an impossible goal! However, in the Torah, our great teacher Moshe, Moses, declared that perfect fulfillment of all religious law is very near and easy for each of us. Every word of the Torah rings true in every generation. Lesson one explores how the Tanya resolved these questions. It will shine a light on the infinite strength that is latent in each Jewish soul. When that unending holy desire emerges, observance becomes easy. Lesson One: The Infinite Strength of the Jewish Soul The title page of the Tanya states: A Collection of Teachings ספר PART ONE לקוטי אמרים חלק ראשון Titled הנקרא בשם The Book of the Beinonim ספר של בינונים Compiled from sacred books and Heavenly מלוקט מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נ״ע teachers, whose souls are in paradise; based מיוסד על פסוק כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו upon the verse, “For this matter is very near to לבאר היטב איך הוא קרוב מאד בדרך ארוכה וקצרה ”;you, it is in your mouth and heart to fulfill it בעזה״י and explaining clearly how, in both a long and short way, it is exceedingly near, with the aid of the Holy One, blessed be He. "1 of "393 The Way to the Tree of Life From the outset of his work therefore Rav Shneur Zalman made plain that the Tanya is a guide for those he called “beinonim.” Beinonim, derived from the Hebrew bein, which means “between,” are individuals who are in the middle, neither paragons of virtue, tzadikim, nor sinners, rishoim. -
The Name of God the Golem Legend and the Demiurgic Role of the Alphabet 243
CHAPTER FIVE The Name of God The Golem Legend and the Demiurgic Role of the Alphabet Since Samaritanism must be viewed within the wider phenomenon of the Jewish religion, it will be pertinent to present material from Judaism proper which is corroborative to the thesis of the present work. In this Chapter, the idea about the agency of the Name of God in the creation process will be expounded; then, in the next Chapter, the various traditions about the Angel of the Lord which are relevant to this topic will be set forth. An apt introduction to the Jewish teaching about the Divine Name as the instrument of the creation is the so-called golem legend. It is not too well known that the greatest feat to which the Jewish magician aspired actually was that of duplicating God's making of man, the crown of the creation. In the Middle Ages, Jewish esotericism developed a great cycle of golem legends, according to which the able magician was believed to be successful in creating a o ?� (o?u)1. But the word as well as the concept is far older. Rabbinic sources call Adam agolem before he is given the soul: In the first hour [of the sixth day], his dust was gathered; in the second, it was kneaded into a golem; in the third, his limbs were shaped; in the fourth, a soul was irifused into him; in the fifth, he arose and stood on his feet[ ...]. (Sanh. 38b) In 1615, Zalman �evi of Aufenhausen published his reply (Jii.discher Theriak) to the animadversions of the apostate Samuel Friedrich Brenz (in his book Schlangenbalg) against the Jews. -
Interpreting Diagrams from the Sefer Yetsirah and Its Commentaries 1
NOTES 1 Word and Image in Medieval Kabbalah: Interpreting Diagrams from the Sefer Yetsirah and Its Commentaries 1. The most notorious example of these practices is the popularizing work of Aryeh Kaplan. His critical editions of the SY and the Sefer ha Bahir are some of the most widely read in the field because they provide the texts in Hebrew and English with comprehensive and useful appendices. However, these works are deeply problematic because they dehistoricize the tradi- tion by adding later diagrams to earlier works. For example, in his edition of the SY he appends eighteenth-century diagrams to later versions of this tenth-century text. Popularizers of kabbalah such as Michael Berg of the Kabbalah Centre treat the Zohar as a second-century rabbinic tract without acknowledging textual evidence to the contrary. See his introduction to the Centre’s translation of the Zohar: P. S. Berg. The Essential Zohar. New York: Random House, 2002. 2. For a variety of reasons, kabbalistic works were transmitted in manuscript form long after other works, such as the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, and their commentaries were widely available in print. This is true in large part because kabbalistic treatises were “private” works, transmitted from teacher to student. Kabbalistic manuscripts were also traditionally transmitted in manuscript form because of their provenance. The Maghreb and other parts of North Africa were important centers of later mystical activity, and print technology came quite late to these regions, with manuscript culture persisting well into the nineteenth, and even into the mid- twentieth century in some regions. -
The Archetype of the Tzaddiq in Hasidic Tradition
THE ARCHETYPE OF THE TZADDIQ IN HASIDIC TRADITION A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA IN CONJUNCTION wlTH THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS BY YA'QUB IBN YUSUF August4, 1992 National Library B¡bliothèque nat¡onale E*E du Canada Acquisitions and D¡rection des acquisilions et B¡bliographic Services Branch des services bibliograPhiques 395 Wellinolon Slreêl 395, rue Wellington Oflawa. Oñlario Ottawa (Ontario) KlA ON4 K1A ON4 foùt t¡te vat¡e ¡élëte^ce Ou l¡te Nate élëtenæ The author has granted an L'auteur a accordé une licence irrevocable non-exclusive licence irrévocable et non exclusive allowing the National Library of permettant à la Bibliothèque Canada to reproduce, loan, nationale du Canada de distribute or sell cop¡es of reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou his/her thesis by any means and vendre des copies de sa thèse in any form or format, making de quelque manière et sous this thesis available to interested quelque forme que ce soit pour persons. mettre des exemplaires de cette thèse à la disposition des personnes intéressées. The author retains ownership of L'auteur conserve la propriété du the copyright in his/her thesis. droit d'auteur qui protège sa Neither the thesis nor substantial thèse. Ni la thèse ni des extraits extracts from it may be printed or substantiels de celle-ci ne otherwise reproduced without doivent être imprimés ou his/her permission. autrement reproduits sans son autorisation, ïsBN ø-315-7796Ø-S