An amazing video with a scholarly discussion of Gnosticism and Kabbalah is available on the Orthodox Jewish “Judaism Demystified” Youtube channel.
In the video the man being interviewed is an apparently brilliant Christian scholar on Gnosticism, an ancient heresy that arose around the 2nd century and attracted both Jews and Christians.
There are actually amazing parallels between Gnosticism and Kabbalah (Kabbalah discussion starts around 1:10).
There is good evidence that Kabbalah simply cloaks some pagan/Gnostic ideas in Hebrew terminologies.
For example, there is an unknowable, ultimate, good deity (the Ein Sof) who emanates lower deities (Gnostic aeons / Kabbalistic “partzufim” such as Abba, Imah).
The lower deities (Emah in the Zohar / Gnostic aeons) emanate an evil world in rebellion against the Ein Sof (the world is the ultimate “klipah”, all worldly matters are evil – see Chabad’s Tanya).
The lower deities (Kabbalistic partzufim / Gnostic aeons) are in pairs with male/female genders. They have sexual relations and produce new deities (Abba + Emah gave birth to Zeir Anpin).
Divine sparks have fallen from the ultimate deity that have to be “liberated” by us.
There appear to be serious Torah authenticity issues with much of what is called “Kabbalah” nowadays.My use of the term “Torah authenticity” refers to evidence, if it exists, that a particular concept or set of concepts can be traced to valid, ancient Torah sources such as the Jewish Bible and/or Talmud. Or whe
Authenticity of Kabbalah
There appear to be serious Torah authenticity issues with much of what is called “Kabbalah” nowadays.
My use of the term “Torah authenticity” refers to evidence, if it exists, that a particular concept or set of concepts can be traced to valid, ancient Torah sources such as the Jewish Bible and/or Talmud. Or whether a particular concept conflicts with ancient Torah sources.
The Mishna is certainly a valid, ancient Torah source.
“Kabbalah” claims to be the esoteric Torah teachings. A well known Mishna refers to the esoteric Torah teachings:
„אֵין דּוֹרְשִׁין בָּעֲרָיוֹת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, וְלֹא בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית בִּשְׁנַיִם, וְלֹא בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה בְּיָחִיד, אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיָה חָכָם וּמֵבִין מִדַּעְתּוֹ. MISHNA: One may not expound the topic of forbidden sexual relations before three; nor the work of the Creation before two nor by oneself the work of the Chariot, unless he is wise and understands on his own.”
The ancient Torah sages organized the esoteric Torah teachings in two categories, the Work of the Creation and the Work of the Chariot. The ancient Torah sages prohibited teaching the esoteric Torah subjects publicly.
This raises a number of severe questions about the authenticity of the “Kabbalah”. For example, how can the present “Kabbalah” constitute the esoteric Torah teachings, since those teachings were not allowed to be publicly taught by the Torah sages?
Rabbeinu Nissim (Ran) was one of the great medieval rabbis who wrote extensively. Ran composed a series of sermons (drashot) known as Derashot HaRan. In the first Drasha, Chapter 1, Ran provides a detailed explanation of what topics are discussed in the Work of the Creation and the Work of the Chariot.
In Ran’s drasha, there seems to be no mention of the “Kabbalah” and its specialized terminology such as “sefirot”, “tzimtzum”, “Ein Sof” etc. This suggests that what is referred to as “Kabbalah” nowadays has no real relationship to what the ancient Torah sages referred to as the Work of the Creation and the Work of the Chariot.
Much of what we call “Kabbalah” today thus appears to be a set of highly speculative concepts invented since the Middle Ages that may have no Torah authenticity.
Critiques of Zohar and Kabbalah based on classical Torah sources
Critiques of Zohar & Kabbalah
Most “Baalei Tshuvah” (returnees to Judaism) today may not be aware that there exists a quiet subculture of traditional Orthodox rabbis who question the origins of “Kabbalah”. Recently I had some interesting discussions with two different non-Chassidic senior rabbis and Torah scholars about the origins of “Kabbalah”. The rabbis indicated to me that there are almost no ancient traditional Torah sources (ie Chazal) for most or much of what is being taught as “Kabbalah” nowadays. As I see it, this is a serious issue that Orthodox Jews, especially “Baalei Tshuvah”, must be willing to face honestly.
Today there are many “popular” Kabbalah teachers who claim that the Zohar was written by Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai about 1800 years ago, so therefore the Zohar has the same status as the Talmud, and we must accept the Zohar’s theology and practices.
I am presenting here some good sources expressing critiques and valid alternate viewpoints on the origin of the Zohar and the validity of various Kabbalistic beliefs and practices. My purpose is not to tell Jews what they must believe, but I do believe it is important for all Jews to hear alternate opinions (which are normally ignored) besides those presented by Chabad, Kabbalists, and “kiruv” activists.
By citing these sources I am NOT claiming that none of the Kabbalah is true or that none of it has any value.
1) In this video, the famous rabbinic historian Rabbi Berel Wein cites various great Torah authorities disputing the claim that the Zohar was written by Talmudic sages.
2) In the book Mitpachat Seforim by Rav Yaakov Emden zt”l, Rav Emden rejects claims that the Zohar was authored by Chazal, and denounces certain statements in the Zohar Rav Emden considers heretical.
3) In the Jewish law code, Shulchan Aruch, on Lag Ba’Omer practices, there is NO mention of making bonfires, shooting arrows, or the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, etc. How authentic are those customs?
4) Rav David Bar-Hayim cites a manuscript from a close talmid of Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook zt”l that the Zohar was written during the Middle Ages, and it was NOT written by Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai (about 1800 years ago), as is often claimed.
5) Tohar HaYihud – A rather strong but scholarly critique of certain concepts presented by the Kabbalists which appear to be contradicting the monotheism of the medieval rabbis. I am not claiming this treatise is the final word on this very complex subject, but this treatise does identify some essential theological issues.
6) “Maaseh Merkava” is the term used by the Talmud to describe the secret Torah theologies known by the ancient Torah Sages. However the Mishnah6 in Chagigah 11b prohibits teaching these secrets publicly, so what exactly is the “Kabbalah” being taught for the last few hundred years? How could any prohibited teachings become mandatory public halachic practices?
TORAH METAPHYSICS 