Zohar

The Zohar, often Zohar, Hebrew זֹהַר, is considered the most important written work of Kabbalah. The name means " ( radiant ) Gloss " and goes back to biblical texts in the prophets Ezekiel ( Ez 1:28; 8.2 ) and Daniel ( Dan 2,31; 12:3). This in an artificially ancient Aramaic (probably to prove the age of the writing), to a small extent in Hebrew written work of Jewish mysticism contains mostly comments on texts of the Torah in the form of homiletic meditations, stories and dialogues.

Formation

The Zohar is a collection of texts, mostly in five volumes. As an author, Shimon ben Yohai is called, an important Talmudic rabbis of the second century ( Tannait ), which is also the main acting person. Although Shimon ben Yohai is considered historically as the "father of Kabbalah ," his actual authorship of the Zohar is questionable mainly for linguistic reasons, so that must be assumed by a pseudepigraphic character of Scripture. The Zohar first appeared in the late 13th century. in Spain ( publication in " partial delivery " 1280-1286 ). To its publication and distribution to the Kabbalist Moshe ben Schemtow de Leon has rendered outstanding services, who last lived until 1305 in Avila in Castile. Due to literary, linguistic and source of theoretical observations de León and the authorship of the Zohar was historically attributed. According to the diary of the Kabbalist Isaac ben Samuel of Acre, the widow of Moshe de Leon is said to have admitted that the Zohar was written by her husband; However, Isaac of Akko did not even with the widow, but told from third-hand.

Content

The Zohar tries to capture the essence of God, and this communicated to the people. Since God is hidden, it can only happen in highly speculative and contemplative, not descriptive or didactic form. Focus is always on the interpretation of the Torah, as an essential religious foundation, in the foreground. The Zohar recognizes for biblical exegesis four levels of understanding:

The initial letters of the four Hebrew words form the concept PaRDeS (, orchard ', related to the German word paradise ), whereby the meaning of the scripture reading is indicated as passing through a blossoming garden. This transition is interpreted as a spiritual passage through the various halls of the Jewish temple.

The Zohar takes the Kabbalistic notions of the ten Sefirot than spheres of the manifestation of God. The last expression of divine being infinity (Hebrew En Sof ) is detected it. From the en- sof being formed as a single point in the movement of fans out to the many manifestations of life.

In ethics, the Zohar represents the highest value of the active love of God (Heb. debekut ), which is also reflected in the social orientation towards fellow human beings. In addition, the Zohar represents a strong ideal of poverty. The righteous man (Heb. Tzaddik ) is both a Torah scholar and seeker of God, and the benefactor who behind the concern for one's neighbor radically resets its own needs.

The Zohar is loud Johann Maier, compared to the " relatively clearly defined [ n] and almost didactically designed [n ] main work" Josef Gikatillas Scha'are Orah, less organized and language and content far more difficult, but still one of the texts that " are written relatively understandable and still remain intelligible even in translation, which is not at all otherwise, of course, for Kabbalistic literature."

Importance

Soon after its creation, the Zohar, then generally gained an extraordinary importance first among Kabbalists in Judaism, but the rest of the Kabbalah " pushed into the background " and were partly lost. His penetration rose especially after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain ( 1492) strongly. Gained, especially for the Hasidic tradition in Eastern European Judaism the Zohar almost canonical.

Even among Christian scholars, the Zohar caused some resonance, denudata especially in modern times by the Latin translation of the second part of Christian Knorr von Rose Roth's Kabbalah. The speculative power of his language has even led to draw thematic connection lines to the Christian doctrine to similarities in the nature of the Triune God. On the other hand, it is also the Zohar elements of esoteric Christianity in Southern Europe of the 12th century. have integrated so that a clear evaluation of causes and effects is difficult. Basically, show up in mystical traditions, the strongest and most fruitful links between religions.

The modern translations (as of 1995) do not cover the whole of the Zohar and " leave much to be desired ." The best thing is, according to Maier with English broadcasts, " while the French of de Pauly is hardly useful ." Jean de Pauly's falsified Zohar translation and the resulting declining failure in Arthur Edward Waite's The Secret Doctrine in Israel had also criticized Gershom Scholem.

Construction

The five volumes of the Zohar consists of the following parts:

  • Zohar (main part commentary on the Torah according to the sections of the synagogue weekly readings)
  • Sifra di - Tzeniutha ( Book of concealment ', a dark commentary on the first six chapters of Genesis )
  • Idra Rabba (, Great Assembly ', ecstatic speeches of Shimon ben Yohai and his disciples on topics of Creation)
  • Idra Sutta (, Small Meeting ', story ben Shimon Jochais from death and his legacy speech )
  • Hechalot (, halls ' description of the halls of the temple, which are passed through by the souls of the pious )
  • Rasa de - Razin ( The secret of secrets ', treatises on the union of soul and body)
  • Saba (, the old man ', findings of an aged Kabbalists about the soul and the transmigration of souls )
  • Jenuka ( The child ', knowledge of a child prodigy on the Torah )
  • Rab Methibtha (, The head of the school ', Visionary walk through paradise with meditations on the fate of souls)
  • Sitre Torah (, secrets of the Torah ', interpretations of various sections of the Torah )
  • Matnitin ( interpretations of the Torah in the style of the Mishnah ).
  • Zohar on the Song of Songs
  • Kaw ha - Midda (, The measurement of measurement ', interpretations for Shema, one of the main prayers of Judaism )
  • Sitre Otiot (, secrets of the characters ' interpretations of the letters of God's name and the text of Genesis )
  • Midrash ha - Neelam to the Torah ( mystical commentary on the Torah )
  • Midrash ha - Neelam to the Book of Ruth
  • Raya Mehemna (, The Faithful Shepherd ', Interpretation of commands and prohibitions of the Torah )
  • Tikkune Zohar (, completion of the Zohar ', another commentary on the first six chapters of the Torah )

First editions

  • Mantua and Cremona (1558-1560)

Expenditure

  • The Zohar - The sacred book of Kabbalah. Translated from the Hebrew and ed. by Ernst Müller, 5th ed. 2011 Diederichs Verlag, Munich (on the basis of the Vienna edition 1932 re-edit ). ISBN 978-3-7205-2643-2
  • Zohar. Vol 1-23 ( Aramaic - Hebrew). Edited by Rav Michael Berg. Kabbalah Publishing 2001. ISBN 1-57189-199-4.
  • Zohar. Vol 1-23 ( English ). Rav Yehuda Ashlag, Michael Berg ( Editors). Kabbalah Publishing 1993. ISBN 1-57189-239-7.
  • The Zohar. Pritzker Edition by Daniel C. Matt (translator ). Stanford 2004-2013. (English ). ISBN 0-8047-4747-4 until now appeared: vols 1-7.
  • The Zohar - The sacred book of Kabbalah. After Urtext ed. by Ernst Müller. Vienna in 1932; , these are merely translated excerpts of the original.
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