Kabbalah and Catastrophe: Historical Memory in Premodern Jewish Mysticism

Hartley Lachter

This publication is presented to you through Paradigm Publishing Services

Stanford University Press

Visit our Partner Page See all our books

Book

Kabbalah and Catastrophe

Historical Memory in Premodern Jewish Mysticism

Language: English

Published/Copyright: 2024

About this book

While premodern kabbalistic texts were not chronicles of historical events, they provided elaborate models for understanding the secret divine plan guiding human affairs. Hartley Lachter analyzes innovative kabbalistic doctrines, such as the idea of reincarnation and the notion of multiple successive universes, through which Jewish mystics sought to demonstrate that the misfortunes of Jewish history were in fact necessary steps toward redemption.

Lachter argues that these works, mostly composed between the early 14th century and the generation affected by the Spanish expulsion in the early 16th century, enabled Jewish readers to make sense of the troubling misfortunes of their own time. Kabbalah and Catastrophe uncovers the remarkable variety of ways that kabbalists deployed esoteric tradition to argue that God had not abandoned the Jews to the inscrutable forces of history. Instead, they suggested to readers that Jews are history's primary actors, and that despite their small numbers and lack of military power, Jews nonetheless secretly push history forward. For scholars of Jewish mysticism and medieval Jewish history, Lachter articulates how premodern mystical texts can be crucial sources of insight into how Jews understood the meaning of history.

Author / Editor information

Hartley Lachter is Philip and Muriel Berman Chair in Jewish Studies and Associate Professor of Religion Studies at Lehigh University. He is the author of Kabbalistic Revolution: Reimagining Judaism in Medieval Spain (2014).

Reviews

"Lachter's many years of research and expertise in medieval Kabbalah have resulted in a work that marks an important course correction in the scholarly perception of premodern Kabbalah." —Konstantin Aron Moser, Religious Studies Review --- "Drawing on a wide range of less well-known kabbalistic texts—for example, the Sefer ha-pelt'ah and Sefer ha-temunah, composed between the late 14th to the early 16th century, Lachter explains, with erudition and sensitivity, how Jews of a mystical persuasion explained the difficult shape of exilic existence.... Highly recommended." —S. T. Katz, CHOICE --- "This is a truly innovative work, offering rare insight into the kabbalists as agents of history. Lachter shines as a scholar of medieval texts, and the many understudied works he includes make for a significant contribution to the field." —Ellen Haskell, University of North Carolina at Greensboro --- "It is a pleasure to read such an erudite work that is written in such an accessible manner. Lachter distills a great deal of information from notoriously complex texts to illuminate the kabbalistic tradition on history and suffering." —Jonathan Ray, Georgetown University

Topics

Publicly Available

Frontmatter
i

Download PDF
Publicly Available

Contents
vii

Download PDF
Publicly Available

Acknowledgments
ix

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

Introduction
1

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

1 Terrors of History: Finding Order in a World of Chaos
23

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

2 Meaning in Exile: Kabbalistic Readings of History Gone Awry
61

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

3 The Shape of Time: History and Cosmic Cycles
97

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

4 Living across Time: Reincarnation and the Course of History
139

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

5 History’s Ends: Apocalyptic Secrets in the Present Tense
179

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

6 Shaping History: Kabbalistic Writing and Historical Agency
233

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

Conclusion
269

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

Notes
275

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

Bibliography
315

Download PDF
Requires Authentication Unlicensed

Licensed

Index
337

Download PDF

Publishing information

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

eBook published on:

October 17, 2024

eBook ISBN:

9781503640900

Pages and Images/Illustrations in book

Main content:

362

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503640900

eBook ISBN: 9781503640900

Keywords for this book

Kabbalah; historical memory; Judaism; premodern; reincarnation; messiah; 14th century; 15th century; multiverse; theodicy

Audience(s) for this book

For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research

Stanford University Press

Kabbalah and Catastrophe

Overview

About this book

Author / Editor information

Reviews

Topics

Table of contents

Frontmatter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1 Terrors of History: Finding Order in a World of Chaos

2 Meaning in Exile: Kabbalistic Readings of History Gone Awry

3 The Shape of Time: History and Cosmic Cycles

4 Living across Time: Reincarnation and the Course of History

5 History’s Ends: Apocalyptic Secrets in the Present Tense

6 Shaping History: Kabbalistic Writing and Historical Agency

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Bibliographic data