Pop Kabbalah: When Secret Jewish Mysticism Goes Mainstream | Unpacked

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the word Kabbalah? Maybe Jewish? Maybe mysticism? Maybe Madonna? Kabbalah is a compilation of written works that explain the ancient secretive beliefs of Jewish mysticism, the name coming from the Hebrew word, meaning to receive. Traditional Kabbalists have gone on to become some of Judaism's greatest sages, and also notorious heretics and pariahs. Its contents have been debated, scrutinized, and studied for centuries. But rabbis have long feared misinterpretation and weaponization of the Kabbalah, and for centuries, restricted Kabbalah study to a small number of men deemed worthy. But in recent years, Kabbalah went mainstream. Jews and non-Jews, including some A-list celebrities, swear by it. There are now countless introductory books, including a Kabbalah for Dummies, and establishments teaching Kabbalah are in major cities on practically every continent. So how did the ancient secretive study of Jewish mysticism emerge from the shadows? Jews have often been called the People of the Book, the Book meaning the Torah, or Five Books of Moses. Like other Jewish texts, such as the Talmud, Kabbalah seeks to provide a deeper explanation of the Torah. While the Talmud delves more into Jewish law, legislation, and moral stories, Kabbalah emphasizes spirituality and mysticism, a deeper way of understanding the words of the Torah and the creative forces at work behind consciousness and the physical world. Many devout believers trace its origins back to the receiving of the Torah at Mount Sinai over 3,500 years ago. They maintain that before Kabbalah was written down, it was a purely oral tradition maintained by Jewish mystics and sages for centuries. Kabbalists have often been some of the most respected members of their communities, rabbis, judges, and teachers. Moses de Leon, for example, was a renowned late-12th-century rabbi in Spain, a hub of early Kabbalah study. Kabbalah and its lore captivated de Leon, and he immersed himself in the Kabbalist community. In the early 13th century, de Leon revealed to the world the most expansive Kabbalah text ever discovered, the Zohar. De Leon claimed that Shimon bar Yochai, a 2nd-century sage in ancient Judea and one of the most highly revered Kabbalists ever, was its author. However, most academics agree that de Leon penned the Zohar. The Zohar was a big deal. Before the Zohar, Kabbalah was secretive and mostly limited to With so much in writing, Kabbalah was no longer exclusive. It was the first time Kabbalist thought became available to a wide audience. The Zohar saw wide distribution in 1558 with its first print edition. By the 18th and 19th centuries, more and more Kabbalistic writings were published and studied. Kabbalah gained a wider audience, and its appeal grew from merely esoteric study. With increased exposure came scrutiny and controversy. While of interest to mainstream Torah scholars for all of Jewish history, Kabbalah's secrecy and mysticism made it alluring to fanatics. Renaissance Europe even became home to a Kabbalist trend among fanatical non-Jews. And there were Jewish fanatics too. One of them was Shabtai Tzvi, a 17th-century self-proclaimed Jewish messiah in the Ottoman Empire who gained a large following for his Kabbalistic teachings. There are disputed historical accounts about his influence. Some suggest his devout followers perpetrated violence, proselytizing across the Middle East and European cities like Venice and Amsterdam. Other accounts suggest non-violent tactics. In some places, his delegations obtained declarations signed by leaders of the Jewish community acknowledging Tzvi as the messiah and king of Israel. But despite having some credible rabbinic followers, Tzvi was overwhelmingly rejected by Jewish leaders. In 1666, Tzvi was imprisoned by the Ottoman Empire. He was brought before the sultan and charged with fomenting sedition. He was given a choice, convert to Islam or die. He converted. This period in the 17th century coincided with the first generation of Jews to emerge from rural life seeking to join the metropolitan world, especially in Europe. Being associated with cults, false messiahs, and secret mysticism was embarrassing for Jews trying to assimilate. Kabbalah was largely swept under the rug, and it stayed there for a long time. In the early 19th century, Jewish scholars in Germany coined the term mainstream Judaism and intentionally left Kabbalah out. Still, some scholars associated with the Haskalah movement continued to study Kabbalah. The result was widespread concernation with accusations such as false doctrine, un-Jewish, and springing from error. Prominent academics labeled De Leon, the presumed author of the Zohar, selfish and a pious imposter. Kabbalah was roundly rejected and reviled in academic circles until the 20th century when a man named Gershom Scholem made Jewish mysticism his life's work. Born in Berlin in 1897 to a largely assimilated family, Scholem became fascinated with the study of Jewish mysticism. After writing his doctoral dissertation at the University of Munich on the early Kabbalistic texts, he emigrated to Jerusalem to join the faculty at Hebrew University. His work there involved studying Kabbalah, uncovering new manuscripts and writers, and translating Kabbalistic works. He also published his own research, including The Mystical Messiah on Shabtai Tzvi. Ultimately, by providing historical perspective, Scholem restored Kabbalah's reputation in the arena of Jewish studies and scholarship. While Scholem was changing the minds of academics, two world events changed society forever, the Holocaust and the atom bomb. Never before had the world seen millions of lives lost with such scientific precision. Scholars believe that these events caused many Westerners to look for deeper truths with a renewed openness for ancient Tibetan Buddhism, Indian mysticism, and Sufism, to name a few, and Kabbalah. These ancient teachings were repackaged for a modern, secular audience. In the case of Kabbalah, it was Rabbi Philip Berg who took care of that. In the 1970s, Rabbi Philip Berg and his wife Karen started teaching Kabbalah out of their Jerusalem living room. Soon, they brought their teachings to Queens, New York, and opened numerous Kabbalah centers in the States. In 1995, Jewish-American comedian and actress Sandra Bernhard, best known for her role in the 90s sitcom Roseanne, began studying at a Kabbalah center in Los Angeles. At the same time, Kabbalah study underwent a revival in Jewish institutions in Israel and in the United States, particularly in Orthodox communities. In Hollywood, Kabbalah study sessions were in. Bernhard's famous co-star, Roseanne Barr, as well as Mick Jagger, Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore, Ariana Grande, and Madonna all dabbled in Kabbalah study. Celebrities across Hollywood were spotted wearing the popular red-string amulet. Madonna's countless trips to Israel only further cemented Kabbalah's place in the mainstream. In 2003, she even shelled out $5 million to help open a Kabbalah center in London. Yet, Kabbalah today is still divisive. To many, the Bergs were inspirational people with altruistic motives hoping to spread the joy and fulfillment Kabbalah gave them. To others, they were exploiting a sacred ancient tradition for personal financial gain and the opportunity to rub elbows with celebrities. Traditional Kabbalists argue that Kabbalah divorced from Torah study isn't Kabbalah at all. It's not a vessel of life's deepest truths, they argue, but a lens through which to observe and comprehend the Torah, the primary text of the Jewish faith. But Kabbalah is only getting bigger. Scholars learn Kabbalah everywhere in the world of Torah study, and universities and various places of Jewish learning offer Kabbalah classes. Today, Kabbalah isn't just mainstream in Jewish culture, it's mainstream in world culture too.