Idra
Encyclopedia
The Idra, which means threshing floor in Aramaic, is a Kabbalistic
work included in printings of the Zohar
, and was probably written and appended to the main body of the Zohar at a later date. Contemporary scholars believe the Idra dates to the third generation of Zoharic literature, which produced also the Tiqqunim, the Ra'aya Meheimna, and other Zoharic material. The main body of the Zohar, or guf ha-zohar, dates to the second generation of Zoharic material.
There are actually two texts in Zoharic literature called Idra: the first being the Idra Rabba, or “greater Idra”, and the second being the Idra Zuta, or “lesser Idra”, with these two texts being intimately connected to each other.
The story of the Idroth is as follows:
In the standard printed edition of the Zohar, the Idra Rabba is printed in Naso, and the Idra Zuta is printed in Ha’azinu.
in its recasting of the whole Kabbalistic scheme. On one occasion, as recorded by Chaim Vital, Isaac Luria
convened his students in the traditional location of the Idra Rabba Assembly near Meron, placing each one in the designated location of their former incarnations
as the students of RASHB"I. In so doing, he identified himself with Shimon Bar Yohai.
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
work included in printings of the Zohar
Zohar
The Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
, and was probably written and appended to the main body of the Zohar at a later date. Contemporary scholars believe the Idra dates to the third generation of Zoharic literature, which produced also the Tiqqunim, the Ra'aya Meheimna, and other Zoharic material. The main body of the Zohar, or guf ha-zohar, dates to the second generation of Zoharic material.
There are actually two texts in Zoharic literature called Idra: the first being the Idra Rabba, or “greater Idra”, and the second being the Idra Zuta, or “lesser Idra”, with these two texts being intimately connected to each other.
The story of the Idroth is as follows:
- Idra Rabba (Zohar 3:127b-145a): R. Shimon bar Yohai convenes with nine other scholars, and they gather in the sacred אִדְרָא, or threshing field, where they thresh out secrets. Each scholar expounds various configurations of the partsufim, and three of them die in ecstasy while doing so.
- Idra Zuta (Zohar 3:287b-296d): Years later, at RASHB"I’s deathbed, the seven still-living scholars come to his deathbed, along with the whole heavenly hostHeavenly hostHeavenly host refers to an army of good angels mentioned in the Bible. It is led either by the Archangel Michael, Jesus, or by God himself. Most descriptions of angels in the Bible describe them in military terms, such as encampment , command structure , and combat...
. He alone explains the configurations of the partsufim, so this work is more unified. RASHB"I wavers between this world and the next. He directed his students to celebrate his passing that day as a Yom HillulaYom HillulaA Yom Hillula is another word for yahrzeit . However, it differs from a regular yahrzeit in two respects...
(wedding), as it would Messianically unite the immanent and transcendent Divine LightsOhrOhr is a central Kabbalistic term in the Jewish mystical tradition. The analogy of physical light is used as a way of describing metaphysical Divine emanations...
of Creation. The Idra Zuta is considered the deepest teachings of the Zohar.
In the standard printed edition of the Zohar, the Idra Rabba is printed in Naso, and the Idra Zuta is printed in Ha’azinu.
Lurianic systemisation of the Partzufim
16th century Lurianic Kabbalah systemised the Zoharic PartzufimPartzufim
Partzufim/Partsufim , meaning Divine "Personae/Visages/Faces/Forms/Configurations", are particular reconfigured arrangements of the 10 sephirot Divine attributes/emanations of Kabbalah into harmonised interactions in Creation. Their names derive from mystical discourses in the Zohar, the...
in its recasting of the whole Kabbalistic scheme. On one occasion, as recorded by Chaim Vital, Isaac Luria
Isaac Luria
Isaac Luria , also called Yitzhak Ben Shlomo Ashkenazi acronym "The Ari" "Ari-Hakadosh", or "Arizal", meaning "The Lion", was a foremost rabbi and Jewish mystic in the community of Safed in the Galilee region of Ottoman Palestine...
convened his students in the traditional location of the Idra Rabba Assembly near Meron, placing each one in the designated location of their former incarnations
Gilgul
Gilgul/Gilgul neshamot/Gilgulei Ha Neshamot describes a Kabbalistic concept of reincarnation. In Hebrew, the word gilgul means "cycle" and neshamot is the plural for "souls." Souls are seen to "cycle" through "lives" or "incarnations", being attached to different human bodies over time...
as the students of RASHB"I. In so doing, he identified himself with Shimon Bar Yohai.