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Don't forget that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the supposed author of the Zohar, lived in solitude for 13 years with his son and had many spiritual revelations during that time. According to the Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai criticized the Roman government and was forced to go into hiding with his son for thirteen years. They sheltered in a cave (which local tradition places in Peki'in). Next to the mouth of the cave a carob tree sprang up and a spring of fresh water gushed forth. Provided against hunger and thirst they cast off their clothing except during prayers and sabbath to keep them from wearing out, embedded themselves in the sand up to their necks, and studied the Torah all day long. He and his son left the cave when they received a bat qol (divine revelation) saying that the Roman emperor had died and consequently all his decrees were abolished... Although his circumstances were extraordinary, it is still a good example of how solitude can grow spirituality without being clouded by the ego |
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Hello Everyone, just getting caught up on this thread. Also ( I'm a newbie :icon_eek: ) I want to comment on the most recent post and the word "solitude". I think the conventional understanding of the writing of the Zohar by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is that he had divine assistance while dwelling in the cave. In this way, he was not in solitude. I think it's an important distinction because otherwise a person may believe that the Zohar is a creation of Rabbi Shimon. |
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Shalom! Just as a heads up, Gershom Scholem, one of the very finest Kabbalistic scholars to ever publish, has noted and demonstrated with actually really good evidence and analysis, that it was Moses de Leon who authored the Zohar. He was also possibly helped by his very good friend and outstanding Kabbalist in medieval Castile Joseph Gikatila. Leon was living in Guadalajara in the heart of Castile at the time in 1280 and there abouts. He writes extensively about this in his book "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism," and talks about it more in his book "Kabbalah." |
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Gershom Scholem is very knowledgeable. I came across him while watching some lectures on Kabbalah. |
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He was. One of the best in his day. Now then, that doesn't mean he was always right either, lol.... I know the medieval scholar Norman F. Cantor had quite a few disagreements with him, as did others I am sure. Hey we gotta read all sides thought eh? That's the best way I think, so long as we don't take any of them as the final say so. Easier said than done... |
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Good point. It is important not to put anyone on a pedestal as infallible. Sometimes great insight comes from unlikely sources. |
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No, but probably only because I have not looked that closely. It seems to me that because of the nature of what religion seeks to understand and explain, namely the unknowable, that occultism is inevitable to pop up in the distribution of beliefs that make it up. Jewish cults, Muslim Cults, Christian Cults, for that matter Political and Personality Cults, ...seems to be a human tendency regarding all ideologies for cults to form within them. It also seems to me that the more into the weeds of ones religion one gets, the more one sees these pockets of different interpretations, sometimes rather bazar, forming. When they get really strange we start saying cultish or occult. Do you think that Judaism is somehow more prone to it then the others? If so, why? |
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I really should learn to check those dates when I come across these threads. I am going to blame it all on GlitterRose since that is how I stumbled across this thread. Anyway, it is an interesting question. I have never thought of Judaism as being particularly occult. Just my impression, but it seems even less so then Christianity, but then there are a lot more of the latter so. |
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I agree the question is a great one. However, if I may slightly differ with you on emphasis, since, I am at least understanding occult to be what is hidden, not necessarily evil magic (I was taught that is what it was and stupidly went with that for far too long until I studied it out for myself, ayiyi). I actually do think Judaism is an occult religion in some respects, I have in mind the medieval materials of the Sefer Yetzirah, Bahir, and Zohar, not to mention the Kabbalah. Now, I hasten to add, true enough, today those are all being thrown out to the public. I hope it's not a sign of how badly we need them in order to make it as a society. We are in pretty doggone haggard times, to be sure. But the amazing amounts of light and knowledge with all the Judaistic publishing of the hidden literatures in the last 20 years is just breath taking. I suspect all religions have an occult side, it would be surprising if they didn't. Yet we are at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, and perhaps all that which is hidden is finally going to come out. I hope for our enlightenment, not due to our being off so bad we NEED it. |
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