Jewish theosophy
Encyclopedia
Jewish theosophy is a mystical movement in Judaism
. Its fundamental tenet involves the overcoming of existential
motives of the ego. The Self
becomes more aware of its relationship to God, and thus with the eternal Cosmos
. It deals with the improvement of the individual spiritually, physically and emotionally, within the larger framework of society. This relates to the individual's present and future "Selfsoul", through the unconditional belief in God's wisdom and love. The aforementioned "love" refers not to a corporal or emotional entanglement, such as that between living beings, but to a state akin to such stirred from the contemplation of the infinite, similar to the Yiddish term naches. The self and/or soul ("SelfSoul") seeks perfection but can never attain it, for the only Perfection is God and he alone exists outside the constraints and constructs of the Cosmos and spacetime
. God is in itself within its own axiomatic system
and thus can neither be proven nor disproven within our own system.
This movement was founded by Rabbi Shalom ben Rubin. It has been revealed by ben Rubin that the "World to Come
" in the Messianic age
will be filled with the resurrected. The re-unification of body and soul. For after death, time ceases and the righteous perceive no lapse in existence, while those without stock in the world-to-come will be trapped in the illusion of time (see Jewish eschatology
). At the "end of days" time no longer exists, allowing for the merger of God's world with our own (see Julian Barbour
"The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe").
This is not to say that the present is not an important. To the movement, the "here-and-now" is as important, if not more so, than the future. It is of a fundamental concern that each and every individual must strive to "repair the world" (Tikkun olam
), broken from the first bite of the Forbidden fruit
presented by Eve
to Adam
. This is God's will and wish. The closer to repair, the closer mankind will get to the Messianic age.
One of the main principles is the belief that the only way to an improved Self is through study (see Mussar movement
and Jewish ethics
). The major works for this neo-gnostic philosophy are derived from the fundamental syllabus of Judaism. As such, the major source is the Torah and especially in its synthesis, the Talmud
. The canon of Jewish theosophy is open, that is to say, the source material can constantly be added to or updated by the group or individual. Material can be derived from other Jewish sources, such as the writings of Jewish Kalam
and the Zohar
of Jewish mysticism (i.e. kabbalah
), or even non-Jewish sources, such as the Sufism
of Islam
or the Yoga
of Hinduism
, and classic Hellenistic philosophy
of the Platonists and Stoics. Some of these concepts are encapsulated in the works of E. P. Sanders
and in the "New Perspective on Paul
", through the early works of Philo
and his Hellenistic Judaism
.
Another tenet of Jewish theosophy is that although God knows all thoughts, decisions and actions of the individual, present and future, the individual does have free will
to think and do. This fundamental allows for self-improvement, for the want and good of God and not necessarily for the good of the individual.
It has been postulated that the first major work of Jewish theosophy was Maimonides
' The Guide for the Perplexed. In this work Maimonides, in his words, tries "to promote the true understanding of the real spirit of the Law, to guide those religious persons who, adhering to the Torah, have studied philosophy and are embarrassed by the contradictions between the teachings of philosophy and the literal sense of the Torah," and his main purpose is to expound on Maaseh Bereishit and Maaseh Merkavah
works of Jewish mysticism regarding the theology
of creation from Genesis and the passage of the Chariot from Ezekiel
, these being the two main mystical texts in the Tanakh.
More recent texts include Jewish Theosophy by Arthur Edward Waite
and the many works of Jewish Renewal
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
.
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Its fundamental tenet involves the overcoming of existential
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
motives of the ego. The Self
Self (philosophy)
The philosophy of self defines the essential qualities that make one person distinct from all others. There have been numerous approaches to defining these qualities. The self is the idea of a unified being which is the source of consciousness. Moreover, this self is the agent responsible for the...
becomes more aware of its relationship to God, and thus with the eternal Cosmos
Cosmos
In the general sense, a cosmos is an orderly or harmonious system. It originates from the Greek term κόσμος , meaning "order" or "ornament" and is antithetical to the concept of chaos. Today, the word is generally used as a synonym of the word Universe . The word cosmos originates from the same root...
. It deals with the improvement of the individual spiritually, physically and emotionally, within the larger framework of society. This relates to the individual's present and future "Selfsoul", through the unconditional belief in God's wisdom and love. The aforementioned "love" refers not to a corporal or emotional entanglement, such as that between living beings, but to a state akin to such stirred from the contemplation of the infinite, similar to the Yiddish term naches. The self and/or soul ("SelfSoul") seeks perfection but can never attain it, for the only Perfection is God and he alone exists outside the constraints and constructs of the Cosmos and spacetime
Spacetime
In physics, spacetime is any mathematical model that combines space and time into a single continuum. Spacetime is usually interpreted with space as being three-dimensional and time playing the role of a fourth dimension that is of a different sort from the spatial dimensions...
. God is in itself within its own axiomatic system
Axiomatic system
In mathematics, an axiomatic system is any set of axioms from which some or all axioms can be used in conjunction to logically derive theorems. A mathematical theory consists of an axiomatic system and all its derived theorems...
and thus can neither be proven nor disproven within our own system.
This movement was founded by Rabbi Shalom ben Rubin. It has been revealed by ben Rubin that the "World to Come
World to Come
The World to Come is an eschatological phrase reflecting the belief that the "current world" is flawed or cursed and will be replaced in the future by a better world or a paradise. The concept is similar to the concepts of Heaven and the afterlife, but Heaven is another place generally seen as...
" in the Messianic age
Messianic Age
Messianic Age is a theological term referring to a future time of universal peace and brotherhood on the earth, without crime, war and poverty. Many religions believe that there will be such an age; some refer to it as the "Kingdom of God" or the "World to Come".- Terminology: "messianic" and...
will be filled with the resurrected. The re-unification of body and soul. For after death, time ceases and the righteous perceive no lapse in existence, while those without stock in the world-to-come will be trapped in the illusion of time (see Jewish eschatology
Jewish eschatology
Jewish eschatology is concerned with the Jewish Messiah, afterlife, and the revival of the dead. Eschatology, generically, is the area of theology and philosophy concerned with the final events in the history of the world, the ultimate destiny of humanity, and related concepts.-The Messiah:The...
). At the "end of days" time no longer exists, allowing for the merger of God's world with our own (see Julian Barbour
Julian Barbour
Julian Barbour is a British physicist with research interests in quantum gravity and the history of science.Since receiving his Ph.D. degree on the foundations of Einstein's general theory of relativity at the University of Cologne in 1968, Barbour has supported himself and his family without an...
"The End of Time: The Next Revolution in Our Understanding of the Universe").
This is not to say that the present is not an important. To the movement, the "here-and-now" is as important, if not more so, than the future. It is of a fundamental concern that each and every individual must strive to "repair the world" (Tikkun olam
Tikkun olam
Tikkun olam is a Hebrew phrase that means "repairing the world." In Judaism, the concept of tikkun olam originated in the early rabbinic period...
), broken from the first bite of the Forbidden fruit
Forbidden fruit
Forbidden fruit is any object of desire whose appeal is a direct result of knowledge that cannot or should not be obtained or something that someone may want but is forbidden to have....
presented by Eve
Eve
Eve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-People:*Eve , a common given name and surname*Eve , American recording artist and actress-Places:...
to Adam
Adam
Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
. This is God's will and wish. The closer to repair, the closer mankind will get to the Messianic age.
One of the main principles is the belief that the only way to an improved Self is through study (see Mussar movement
Mussar movement
The Musar movement is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Eastern Europe, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term Musar , is from the book of Proverbs 1:2 meaning instruction, discipline, or conduct...
and Jewish ethics
Jewish ethics
Jewish ethics stands at the intersection of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of ethics. Like other types of religious ethics, the diverse literature of Jewish ethics primarily aims to answer a broad range of moral questions and, hence, may be classified as a normative ethics...
). The major works for this neo-gnostic philosophy are derived from the fundamental syllabus of Judaism. As such, the major source is the Torah and especially in its synthesis, the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
. The canon of Jewish theosophy is open, that is to say, the source material can constantly be added to or updated by the group or individual. Material can be derived from other Jewish sources, such as the writings of Jewish Kalam
Jewish Kalam
Jewish Kalam was an early-medieval style of Jewish philosophy that evolved in response to the Islamic Kalam, which in turn was a reaction against Aristotelian philosophy. The term "Jewish Kalam" is used by modern historians, but is not a term by which Jewish Kalamic thinkers designated themselves...
and 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...
of Jewish mysticism (i.e. kabbalah
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...
), or even non-Jewish sources, such as the Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
or the Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
of Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, and classic Hellenistic philosophy
Hellenistic philosophy
Hellenistic philosophy is the period of Western philosophy that was developed in the Hellenistic civilization following Aristotle and ending with the beginning of Neoplatonism.-Pythagoreanism:...
of the Platonists and Stoics. Some of these concepts are encapsulated in the works of E. P. Sanders
E. P. Sanders
Ed Parish Sanders is a New Testament scholar, and is one of the principal proponents of the New Perspective on Paul. He has been Arts and Sciences Professor of Religion at Duke University, North Carolina, since 1990. He retired in 2005....
and in the "New Perspective on Paul
New Perspective on Paul
The "New Perspective on Paul" is a significant shift in the way some scholars, especially Protestant scholars, interpret the writings of the Apostle Paul.-Description:Since the Protestant Reformation The "New Perspective on Paul" is a significant shift in the way some scholars, especially...
", through the early works of Philo
Philo
Philo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
and his Hellenistic Judaism
Hellenistic Judaism
Hellenistic Judaism was a movement which existed in the Jewish diaspora that sought to establish a Hebraic-Jewish religious tradition within the culture and language of Hellenism...
.
Another tenet of Jewish theosophy is that although God knows all thoughts, decisions and actions of the individual, present and future, the individual does have free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
to think and do. This fundamental allows for self-improvement, for the want and good of God and not necessarily for the good of the individual.
It has been postulated that the first major work of Jewish theosophy was Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
' The Guide for the Perplexed. In this work Maimonides, in his words, tries "to promote the true understanding of the real spirit of the Law, to guide those religious persons who, adhering to the Torah, have studied philosophy and are embarrassed by the contradictions between the teachings of philosophy and the literal sense of the Torah," and his main purpose is to expound on Maaseh Bereishit and Maaseh Merkavah
Merkabah
Merkabah is the throne-chariot of God, the four-wheeled vehicle driven by four "chayot" , each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle...
works of Jewish mysticism regarding the theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
of creation from Genesis and the passage of the Chariot from Ezekiel
Ezekiel
Ezekiel , "God will strengthen" , is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible. In Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet...
, these being the two main mystical texts in the Tanakh.
More recent texts include Jewish Theosophy by Arthur Edward Waite
Arthur Edward Waite
Arthur Edward Waite was a scholarly mystic who wrote extensively on occult and esoteric matters, and was the co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. As his biographer, R.A...
and the many works of Jewish Renewal
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Renewal , is a recent movement in Judaism which endeavors to reinvigorate modern Judaism with mystical, Hasidic, musical and meditative practices...
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi and commonly called "Reb Zalman" is considered one of the major founders of the Jewish Renewal movement.-Early life:...
.