THE ZOHAR: BOOK OF ECSTASY AND SORROW, DIVINE AND DEMONIC, LIBERATION AND SUBORDINATION

Sefer Ha-Zohar, “The Book of Radiance,” the foundational treasury of kabbalah, is a vast compendium of mythological and mystical writings, mostly composed in late 13th century Spain. Its imaginative range extends from Gods and Goddesses to Devils and Devilesses, from angels to demons, from ecstatic ascents to the heavens to heartwrenching laments over human and cosmic catastrophes. Its authors envisioned divine beings as embodied and human beings as endowed with cosmic powers. They saw the ruptures in our earthly world as embodying ruptures in the divine world – and saw the work of healing in our world as indispensable for the healing of the divine.

These kabbalists placed the Divine Feminine – in the persons of the Supernal Mother and her Daughter, the Holy Shekhinah – in a central place in Jewish religious experience. Feminists, Priestesses, and Seekers of all kinds have seen these kabbalistic Goddesses as key to an emancipatory, embodied, and Earth-centered reinterpretation of Judaism. Despite their radical innovations, however, the Zoharic authors remained men of their time and place, and often subordinated their newly imagined Goddesses, as well as earthly women, to patriarchal authority.

This course is an introduction to both the gloriously enriching and sinister sides of this treasure-house of the kabbalistic tradition. We will study the basic elements of kabbalistic myths, while learning ways to subvert its disturbing dimensions to heighten its soul-expanding powers.

The class will be taught via Zoom and can also be accessed via phone. All sessions will be recorded; you can take the class even if the time block does not work for you. For financial assistance or scholarship opportunities, please reach out to liviah@beitkohenet.org.

Cost: $200 + $25 non-refundable registration fee