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Topics
In Jewish Mystical Thought The Meaning of the Word Kabbalah |
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Part 1 The "Received Tradition" The
Hebrew word Kabbalah has become the standard term used for referring
to the vast array of mystical thought and practice revealed and handed down
as part of our Jewish tradition. The popular use of this term, as we shall
see, dates back approximately 800 years. Before
then, Judaism's mystical teachings were known by other names.
For example, in the Talmud, we find:
In
post-Talmudic sources, we find the esoteric tradition referred to as:
To
what, then, can we attribute the enduring popularity of Kabbalah--a
word that sounds rather drab alongside these more evocative expressions? Generally,
the term Kabbalah is translated as "Received Tradition." In
this sense, Kabbalah conveys the continuity of a tradition that has been
passed down from generation to generation. Without
a doubt, transmission of mystical knowledge is central to the meaning of the
word Kabbalah, but there are numerous other connotations associated
with its Hebrew root k-b-l (pronounced: kabel; spelled: kuf-beit-lamed),
in addition to the most common "receptivity/acceptance." In
fact, the Hebrew root of Kabbalah appears in the Bible fifteen times
with various meanings: (This does not include the root k-b-l as it
appears in the Aramaic sections of the Bible .) In each one of the three parts of the Bible--the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), the Prophets, and the Writings--the root kbl possesses an independent meaning:
As
the meaning of "opposition” is closely related to that of
"correspondence" (both imply entities situated face-to-face,
"against" one another), we shall consider them as one, and now see
how the two basic connotations of the root k-b-l--"correspondence"
and "receptivity / acceptance" --convey the essence and purpose of
the Kabbalistic tradition.
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