Many folks promote the idea of learning kabbalah outside of a halakhic Jewish context. But we should ask questions: What happens if we try to separate Kabbalah from halakhah, or from rabbinical Judaism itself? History shows us that it always turns into a new, non-Jewish religion. In this article we’re going to look at these ..read more

Should Jews study the Zohar? If so, how? Academically and historically? Or should we study it religiously? Aren’t there serious problems with “orthodox” approaches to accepting the Zohar?  As we know, much of Orthodoxy assumes that the Zohar is not only true but also primary – they see it as holding the official theology of ..read more

What is a Rabbi? Rebbe? Tzadik? And how have these terms been redefined in Hasidic Judaism? Rabbi In traditional Judaism, a rabbi רְבִּי‎ is a Jew who has studied to become very knowledgeable in Jewish law and theology. That includes Torah, Tanakh, and Talmud, among other topics. They can be religiously certified as having reached ..read more

Kabbalah and Hasidut (Hasidic thought) are mystical approaches to Jewish theology. To Jews who love Kabbalah these teachings are the most essential beliefs about the nature of God, the universe, man, and our relation to each other. (Although, of course, non-mystical pathways in Judaism are equally valid.) Here we look at the kabbalistic teaching of ..read more

Hasidic Judaism is a branch of Judaism that promotes spirituality through a variety of mystical teachings and practice. It was founded in 18th-century Eastern Europe, and today exists as a wide array of Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasties across the world. In the last century, many aspects of Hasidic thought have been embraced by non-Hasidic Jews ..read more

Where can English speakers go to learn directly from the great Hasidic masters? Several types of books exist – The actual works of the Hasidic rebbes in Yiddish or Hebrew. These are only accessible for yeshiva students who have spent many years in study. These texts have numerous partial quotes within them, often without clear ..read more

Here are works of the classic, pre-Hasidic Kabbalists in English. This is by no means a comprehensive list. Where available I am noting complete translations of their classic works. In some cases few such translations exist, and so many of the below books offer several chapters, rather than complete translations. Some of the books below ..read more