List of Jewish Kabbalists

Talmudic tannaic sages: Maaseh Merkabah (mystical Chariot)-Maaseh Bereishit (mystical Creation) (1st-2nd centuries). Yordei Merkabah (Chariot Riders)-Heikhalot (Palaces) mysticism (1st-11th centuries). Early-Formative texts are variously Traditional/Attributed/Anonymous/Pseudepigraphical: • Nehunya ben HaKanah Traditional attribution of the Bahir. 1st century • Four Who Entered the Pardes (including Rabbi Akiva c. 40–137 CE) • Shimon bar Yochai (RaSHBI) Alleged Protagonist of the Zohar 1st-2nd centuries Hasidei Ashkenaz (1150-1250 German Pietists). Mystical conceptions influenced Medieval Kabbalah: • Samuel of Speyer (Shmuel HaHasid) 12th century • Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (Yehudah HaHasid) 1140–1217 • Eleazar of Worms (Eleazar Rokeach) c. 1176–1238 == Medieval emergence and development of Kabbalah (12th-15th centuries) ==

, Catalonia North-East Spain, an early centre of Kabbalah in the Schocken Bible, 1300. Kabbalists in Castile described Evil gnostically, personified in Lilith-Samael , disseminator of the Zohar, main text of Jewish mysticism Torah. Kabbalistic commentaries include 13th century Nachmanides, 16th century Alshich and 18th century ibn Attar Provence circle (Southern France - Provence and Languedoc 12th-13th centuries): • Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne (RAVaD II) c. 1110–1179 • Abraham ben David of Posquières (RABaD/RAVaD III) 1125–1198 • Isaac the Blind (Yitzhak Sagi Nehor) Neoplatonic approach c. 1160–1235 Catalonia/Girona circle (North-East Spain 13th century): • Ezra ben Solomon • Azriel of Gerona Synthesised Gnostic and Neoplatonic elements c. 1160–1238 • Nachmanides (Moses ben Nahman, RaMBaN) Introduced Kabbalah in classic Bible commentary 1194–1270 • Jacob ben Sheshet • Meshullam ben Solomon Da Piera Castile circle (Northern Spain 13th century). Developed Demonic/Gnostic theory: • Jacob HaKohen • Isaac HaKohen Author of Treatise on the Left Emanation • Todros ben Joseph Abulafia c. 1225–1285 • Moses of Burgos Ecstatic/Prophetic-Meditative Kabbalah (13th century): • Abraham Abulafia Spain, Italy, Malta. 1240-after 1291 Publication of the Zohar (1280s–90s Northern Spain): • Moses de León c. 1250–1305 13th century Kabbalistic commentary: • Abraham ben Isaac of Granada Southern Spain 13th century • Joseph Gikatilla Prolific writings, including Shaarei Orah. Spain 1248–after 1305 • Menahem Recanati Only Italian of his time writing mainly Kabbalah 1250–1310 14th-15th centuries saw a slowing continuation in Kabbalistic commentary: • Isaac of Acco Pupil of Nahmanides. Israel and Spain 13th-14th century • Bahya ben Asher (Rabbeinu Behaye) Kabbalistic classic commentary on the Torah. Spain d. 1340 == Fusional influences (15th-17th centuries) ==

Influence of Medieval Jewish rationalism in Spain declined, culminating with the expulsion. Jewish fusions of Philosophy and Kabbalah were shared by wider non-Jewish Renaissance trends (not listed here): • Abraham Cohen de Herrera Fusion of Philosophy and Kabbalah. Spain and elsewhere c. 1570–1635 == 16th century Kabbalistic renaissance ==

, Galilee, became the centre for the early-modern renaissance and comprehensive systemisations of Kabbalah Emigrees, some from Spain, some founding new centre of Safed in Ottoman Palestine: • Meir ibn Gabbai Spain to the East. Early organizer. Kabbalistic response to Philosophy-Rationalism b.1480 • Joseph Karo (Beit Yoseph) Central legalist and mystical diary. Spain to Safed 1488–1575 • Shlomo Alkabetz Greece to Safed c. 1500–1580 • Moshe Alshich (Alshich Hakadosh) Turkey to Safed. Kabbalistic classic Bible commentary 1508–1593 Cordoverian school. Rationally-influenced systemisation of preceding Kabbalah: • Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (RaMaK) Taught in Safed. Author of Pardes Rimonim 1522–1570 Lurianic school. New mythological systemisation of Kabbalah. Basis of modern Kabbalah. Kitvei HaAri-Writings of the Ari written by disciples: • Isaac Luria (HaARI-zal) Taught in Safed. 1534–1572 • Hayim Vital Italy, Safed, Syria. Foremost disciple of Luria. Author of Etz Hayim 1543–1620 • Israel Sarug Spread Lurianism in Europe 1500s–1610 Safed dissemination: • Eliyahu de Vidas Ottoman Palestine. Author of Reshit Chochmah Kabbalistic-Ethical work 1518–1592 == 16th-19th century Kabbalistic commentary ==

, Poland. Baal Shem-Nistarim activists worked among the common folk, from which Hasidism developed model. Rabbinic Mitnagdic Judaism reserved esoteric Kabbalah for traditional Talmudic elite (1822–1900), in Italy, continued a Universalist tradition of reading Kabbalah Central European Kabbalist Rabbis: • Judah Loew ben Bezalel (MaHaRal) Mystical Jewish thought in philosophical style. Prague c. 1520–1609 • Isaiah Horowitz (SheLaH haKadosh, author of Shnei Luchot HaBrit) Prague to Palestine c. 1565–1630 • Jonathan Eybeschutz Central Europe. Protagonist in Emden-Eybeschutz mysticism controversy 1690–1764 • Nathan Adler Germany 1741–1800 Italian Kabbalists: • Moshe Haim Luzzatto (RaMHaL) Kabbalistic dissemination and cultural works. Italy, Holland, Israel 1707–1746 • Elijah Benamozegh Universalist interpretation of Kabbalah. Italian Rabbi and scholar 1822–1900 Sephardi-Mizrachi (Oriental) Kabbalah: • Abraham Azulai Author of Chesed le-Abraham. Morocco to Israel c. 1570–1643 • Haim ibn Attar (Ohr ha-Haim classic Torah commentary) Morocco to Israel 1696–1743 • Shalom Sharabi (RaShaSh) Yemen to Israel. Esoteric clarifier of Luria and Bet El Synagogue head 1720–1777 • Haim Joseph David Azulai (HIDA) Bibliophile and Israel Rabbinic emissary 1724–1806 • Ben Ish Hai (Yosef Hayyim) Sephardi Hakham in Iraq 1832–1909 Sabbatean mystical heresy (founders only): • Sabbatai Zevi Messianic claimant. Founder of Sabbatean break with Judaism. Ottoman Empire 1626–1676 • Nathan of Gaza Prophet of Sabbatai Zevi. Israel and Ottoman Empire 1643–1680 Eastern European Baal Shem/Nistarim and other mystical circles: • Elijah Baal Shem of Chelm First to be given Baal Shem title. Poland 1550–1583 • Elijah Baal Shem of Worms. Founder of Nistarim mystical activists. Poland/Germany born c. 1532 • Elijah Loans. 1555–1636 • Joel Baal Shem of Ropshitz • Adam Baal Shem. A teacher of the Besht • Abraham Gershon of Kitov Brody Rabbinic Lurianic circle before becoming Besht's brother-in-law. Ukraine, Israel c. 1701-1761 • Baal Shem of London (Hayyim Samuel Jacob Falk) Ukraine/Germany and England 1708–1782 • Baal Shem of Michelstadt (Seckel Lob Wormser) Germany 1768–1847 • Hannah Rachel Verbermacher Mitnagdic/Lithuanian Kabbalah: • Vilna Gaon (Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, GRA) Head of Non-Hasidic Eastern European Judaism. Opposed Hasidism 1720–1797 • Hayim Volozhin Founder of Lithuanian Yeshivah movement. Main theorist of Mitnagdism in his Nefesh HaHayim 1749–1821 • Yitzchak Eizik Chaver • Shlomo Elyashiv (Baal HaLeshem, after his major work) Lithuania 1841–1926 • Mordechai Leib HaCohen Kaminetzky == Hasidic popularisation of Kabbalah (18th century-present) ==

Romania. Hasidism changed Kabbalah's theosophical aim to the psychology of Divine Omnipresence amidst materiality Kabbalistic notions pervade Hasidic thought, but it developed a new approach to Kabbalah, replacing esoteric theosophical focus with successive psychological internalisation. Therefore, only a minimal listing of Hasidic figures is given here; founding formative figures or commentators on esoteric Kabbalah texts/tradition. Founding East-European Hasidic Masters: • Baal Shem Tov, (BeSHT, Israel ben Eliezer). Founder of Hasidism. Ukraine 1698–1760 • Jacob Joseph of Polnoye. First writer of Hasidic thought. Ukraine 1710–1784 • Dov Ber of Mezeritch (Maggid of Mezeritch). Organizer of Hasidic thought, architect school of movement. Ukraine c. 1700/1710–1772 • Elimelech of Lizhensk. Founder of General-Hasidic "practical/popular Tzadikism" leadership. Poland 1717–1787 • Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. Author of Kedushas Levi classic Hasidic Torah commentary. Ukraine 1740–1809 • Schneur Zalman of Liadi. Intellectual-Hasidism Habad school. Author of Tanya systematic presentation of Hasidic doctrine. Russia 1745–1812 • Nachman of Bratzlav. Kabbalistic-Imaginative Breslov school. Kabbalistic storytelling. Ukraine 1772–1810 Other Hasidic commentators on Kabbalah: • Hayyim Tyrer. Author of Sidduro shel Shabbat, kabbalistic homilies on Sabbatical subjects, and ''Sha'ar ha-Tefillah'', kabbalistic reflections on prayer. Died at Jerusalem 1813. • Yisroel Hopsztajn (Maggid of Kozhnitz) A father of Polish Hasidism. Commentaries on Zohar and Tikunei Zohar 1737–1814 • Dovber Schneuri Second Habad leader. Wrote commentary on Zohar and contemplation guides. Russia 1773–1827 • Zadok HaKohen of Lublin. Kabbalistic commentaries based on Izbica personal illumination. Poland 1823–1900 • Yaakov Yehuda Aryeh Leib Frenkel (Gevuras Aryeh). Kabbalistic work on Ramban's Torah commentary. Hungary 1850/1855–1940 • Levi Yitzchak Schneerson.(1878–1944), father of the seventh and last Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. • Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Lubavitcher Rebbe. Unity of esoteric Kabbalah with exoteric Judaism through Hasidic Thought 1902–1994 == 20th century Kabbalah ==

of Luria. In Jerusalem Oriental and European traditions of esoteric Kabbalah meet • Eliyahu Leon Levi From diverse traditions in Kabbalah (excluding Hasidic thought's internalisation approach): • Abraham Isaac Kook Chief Rabbi of Mandate Palestine and poetic-visionary mystical thinker 1865–1935 • Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam, after main work) Translation of Zohar with new approach in Luria. Poland and Israel 1885—1954 • Baba Sali (Israel Abuhatzeira) Mizrachi sage. Morocco to Israel 1890–1984 • Yitzhak Kaduri Mizrachi continuation from Rashash. Iraq to Israel d. 2006 == Modern teachers of Jewish mysticism ==

Individual teachers of Jewish mysticism spirituality in modern-style articulations. Solely academic teachers in Jewish studies research are not listed here. Orthodox Kabbalistic/Hasidic: • Aryeh Kaplan • Avraham Brandwein • Menachem Froman • Adin Steinsaltz • Gamliel Rabinowitz • Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto • Yitzchak Meir Morgenstern • Avraham Mordechai Gottlieb • Adin Steinsaltz • Yitzchak Ginsburgh • Moshe Weinberger Non-Orthodox/Neo-Hasidic/Jewish Renewal: • Arthur Green • Lawrence Kushner • Shefa Gold Universalist-style Jewish teachers: • Philip Berg • Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi • Samuel Avital • Michael Laitman == See also ==