Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism
By Gershom Scholem
Schocken, Jerusalem, 1941
About this text
Scholem’s lectures that founded the modern study of Jewish mysticism, tracing it from the early throne mysticism through the German pietists, Abulafia, the Zohar and Luria to Sabbatianism and Hasidism. Much revised by later scholarship, it remains the classic overview.
How to cite
Gershom Scholem. Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism. Schocken, Jerusalem, 1941.
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“Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism.” Source. The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society. Last modified November 7, 2026. https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/major-trends-scholem.
“Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism,” source, The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, last modified November 7, 2026, https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/major-trends-scholem.
“Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism.” The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society, 7 Nov. 2026, www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/major-trends-scholem.
@misc{sources-major-trends-scholem, title = {{Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism}}, howpublished = {The Library, Unitive Knowledge Society}, note = {Source. Last modified November 7, 2026}, year = {2026}, url = {https://www.unitiveknowledge.org/library/sources/major-trends-scholem} }
Traditions
Concepts
- Ein SofIn Kabbalah, the Infinite: God as hidden and beyond all attributes.
- SefirotIn Kabbalah, the ten powers or qualities through which the hidden God is manifest.
- TzimtzumIn Lurianic Kabbalah, God’s withdrawal to make room for the world.
- TikkunIn Lurianic Kabbalah, the repair of the shattered world, in which every person takes part.
- DevekutCleaving to God: in Jewish mysticism, constant attachment of the mind to God.