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Overview

Kabbalah is school of ancient Jewish thought based on interpretations of mystical writings dating back to the Middle Ages. Interpreters, or Kabbalists, seek to explain the finite world of mortals in relation to Ein Sof (for “the infinite”), or God. The Zohar (“The Book of Radiance”), which was written in medieval Aramaic and Hebrew around 1280 CE, is now considered the primary text for the study of Kabbalah. Other important texts include Sefer Yetzirah (“The Book of Foundation”) and Sefer ha-Bahir (“The Book of Brilliance”).

This SparkNotes guide offers summaries and analyses of several important Kabbalah texts as well as descriptions of the works and teachings of several key Kabbalists.

Read the concise overview, explanations of important quotes, and three Question & Answers about key ideas about Kabbalah.

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