Origins of the Zohar and imagining a Judaism without its influence - with JJ Kimche

The Zohar stands as the central text of Jewish mysticism, profoundly shaping Judaism since its emergence in 13th century Spain. Yet the Zohar's origins remain shrouded in mystery. Traditionalists claim it represents an ancient tradition tracing back to the 2nd century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. But compelling evidence indicates the Zohar was actually authored much later by Moses de Leon and his circle in the 1200s, though pseudonymously attributed to antiquity.

In this episode, Rabbi Dr. Levi Brackman interviews scholar JJ Kimche to unravel the enigmas surrounding the Zohar’s shadowy beginnings and remarkable impact. They discuss how Kabbalah likely emerged as a reaction to Maimonides' hyper-rationalism. While Jewish mystical currents predated the Zohar, the Zoharic literature bore distinct hallmarks of the medieval period, incorporating contemporaneous language and concepts. The thousand-year silence on the Zohar across rabbinic writings also casts strong doubt on any ancient provenance.

Yet if the Zohar originated in the 1200s, how did it so profoundly shape subsequent Judaism? JJ and Rabbi Brackman delve into the historical spread of Kabbalah after the 1492 Spanish Expulsion, advanced by migration, printing, and the psychological need for redemptive theology after catastrophe. Through the follow-century flowering in Safed, Kabbalistic ideas infiltrated mainstream Jewish thought and practice, transforming theology and ritual.

But in light of the Zohar’s late origins, should its ideas carry such weight? What would Judaism look like without its pervasive influence? Drawing on the pioneering 20th century scholar Gershom Scholem, JJ provides perspective. For Scholem, Kabbalah represents but one mystical current running alongside rabbinic formalism throughout Jewish history. While the Zohar profoundly shaped Judaism, the impetus towards mysticism would have emerged regardless.

Join us for a fascinating discussion illuminating this enigmatic text that sits at the intersection of history, mysticism and Jewish thought.