89. The Kabbalists of Safed (Jewish History Lab)

Brief discussion of the explosion of Jewish creativity that took place in Safed in the 16th century.
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[@adinahmizrachi8423]

I have binged watched your Jewish historical information. Your information has been so helpful in helping me find my bearings as an African American Jew who desires to understand fully the history of us. Thank you for what you do.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Glad you find the videos useful!

[@Eddn102]

Thank you for this series, it has been extremely informative. I'm not Jewish but I am from a Bosniak Muslim family, from the border between Croatia and Bosnia who grew up in the Bosniak diaspora as the son of refugees, so I feel at least a tiny bit of kinship with some of these stories, though I of course in no way want to make it seem like our struggles or histories are comparable. Thank you, once again. I am also studying history at the University of Copenhagen and this is all very inspiring. I also got a question, though I wanted to get the above note out of the way first, and if you do not feel like answering the question please feel free to skip it. I came into studying Jewish history through my interest in anarchist history. As you almost certainly know, "Yiddish anarchism" was a huge current in the international anarchist and especially anarcho-communist movement, with many prominent figures like Emma Goldman being of Jewish descent, and Yiddish almost becoming a sort of liturgical language for a lot of influential anarchist writing. I know you've written a book about Ukraine in the revolutionary years and you probably came into contact with the history of the Black Army and Nestor Makhno, which I understand is a point of huge historiographical contention among some people (being that it seems like half of the sources seem to insist that the Black Army engaged in pogroms and the other half seem to insist that alike the Red Army it had explicit anti-pogromist strictures). I've sadly not had the chance to read your book yet (though I have ordered it), so I do not yet know if you deal with the Makhnovitchna and if so what your takeaway from those historiographical disagreements are. I was just wondering if you have, or if you have plans of ever covering the relation of Jewish left-wing radicals within these less often discussed revolutionary tendencies. I think it's a very interesting and (as noted) oft overlooked aspect of both Jewish and political history.

[@TwoChassidsInaPod]

Sending love from Tzfat the Holy City !! Waiting for you to all come visit!

[@TwoChassidsInaPod]

@Japowitz of course, we are neighbors

[@inhuman32]

❤️

[@geraldwarnken3426]

Rabbi Hillel Abramson! You are one of the best of the best! Loving your book,"The Kabbalah of Forgiveness "! I have to learn the Hebrew language. Keep up the great work!!!

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Thank you! Not a Rabbi, though, just a regular guy.

[@cringlator]

With midterms going on at my school keeping me on edge I almost messaged you reflexively to ask for an extension on the essay for this lecture.

[@orangebetsy]

Great video. Hope to see more on Kabbalists and theories. Your CB De Mille moment reminded me of Don Rickles' comment to Charlton Heston at the Reagan Inauguration: "If you were Moses, I was a Mau Mau fighter pilot.”

[@atmanerrachid9826]

Thank you for these amazing lectures. It spotlights some of the most fascinating aspects in Jewish History. Me, and some of your Moroccan followers, will be so much grateful if you could provide a similar video about the Zohar in Daraa (Morocco) in particular and Morocco at large

[@eIicit]

Great video! I would love to learn more history of Kabbalah and Kabbalists.

[@weissmann7770]

Great job explaining the subject. You have clearly read up!

[@moraemepasikhani9153]

Thank you for your well written book on Maimonides on Teshuvah.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I am so glad you found it worthwhile!

[@csambailey9552]

Miss the live, enjoying the replay...

[@debrapaulino918]

Really enjoyed this and learning.

[@zackmano]

Excellent lecture as always 🙏🏼🙌🏼 But I would have liked a reference to Sefer Yetzirah when discussing early kabbalistic literature. For some reason not much stress is put on that sefer, but the commentaries of the Vilna Gaon and R Sa'adia Gaon on Sefer Yetzira are simply incredible. I personally find studying that to be even more interesting than the Zohar.

[@paulgrad5183]

Spreading knowledge of Jewish History is definitely a Mitzvah, and in my view akin to a religious act.

[@mikeklein9923]

Herr Doktor, missed the live event, so you were spared my spurious wit; commonly known as Chakras; yes very brief

[@joshualara4350]

Awesome info, thank you very much.

[@AaronMiller-rh7rj]

FYI (?) At Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, FL there was a vendor selling merchandise with nazi symbols. The article stated the vendor was asked to stop and complied.

[@maxsmart99]

Mamash wonderful 💯💯💯

[@zafirjoe18]

Thanks Dr. You obviously have a grasp on Kabbala. מגלה טפח ומכסה טפחיים אין לי עסק בנסתרות.

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

You are too kind.

[@witness4justice]

🖖Thank You!❤️

[@powasjington4262]

Very interesting

[@minusstage3]

The ancient gurus or jewrus, as you wish, I love you, etc.. the message is always here/there. Thanks Mel Brooks and thank you doctor, son of Abraham. You're a brave man, a brahman!

[@ivancriffer7243]

Will your team add the different languages subs on this lecture in the future?

[@charlesedwards5333]

What are any academic arguments for the ancient origin of the Zohar?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Most scholars in the academic world lean toward the 13th century.

[@mikeklein9923]

Yes, Keturah was Hagar, who waited faithfully for Abraham - but why was she treated so badly in the first ? Printed out some stuff from Ramban this morning, haven't gotten to it yet

[@mikeklein9923]

I have a source that says Keturah was a Caananite Woman since Avraham already had his progenitor in Ytzchak

[@mikeklein9923]

And a source that says Sarah sinned by mistreating Hagar, prompting Hagar to run away the first time, even if Hagar's behavior was inappropriate - and that she nagged Avraham about it - whereas she and Avraham should have gone to Shem / Malcizedek to resolve the issue.

[@mikeklein9923]

I understand why Hagar was dismissed with Yishmael; there is even commentary to the effect that Yishmael attempted to violate Yitzchak. However, why was she dismissed with no entourage to setup a homestead in the dessert or return to her father the pharoah ? Even Lavan sends Rivka off with Eliezer together with an escort - her nurse / nanny and her friends

[@mikeklein9923]

Out of order but these are you tube comments. . Came upon a shiur and then I believe a source that Yitzchak died on the altar and there was תחייית המיתתים two or 3 years later . He disappears from the scene, does not appear at his mothers burial

[@dovbarleib3256]

And Rav Aryeh Kaplan zt"l, who translated many works of Qabbalah into English ALSO died very young. Hmmm. What lesson do we learn from that?

[@OscarWrightZenTANGO]

Volume too low

[@mikeklein9923]

So if the Kabbalists in Tsfat failed at the task, when did Modern Day Smicha come into being ?

[@ourfilipinocatsdogs4801]

Hi Abraham Jacobson, is Kabbalah part of Judaism or part of the Hebrew Nation?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

Uh--yes?

[@ourfilipinocatsdogs4801]

@@HenryAbramsonPhD was Kabbalah giving in Mt Sinai? Is it part of the Torah? Or was it written by men?

[@minusstage3]

Svat swat swavas? Saves?

[@firelensman]

This history lesson is great, the commercial before the history lesson, bad.

[@elroyliburd1509]

Isn't there a character called kabalah in mortal Kombat 3.interesting.

[@Shirin684]

Sir, I was going to share this interesting, beautiful video and my finger slipped and pressed "dislike". Of course I cancelled it and hit the "like" button immediately, and shared. Please accept my apologies.

[@dovbarleib3256]

NOTICE: The Ottoman map includes the Province of Syria....., BUT NO PALESTINE! THERE WAS NO MUSLIM PALESTINE UNTIL 1964!

[@mikeklein9923]

I'll sponsor lecture on creation / kabbalah - Mom's yahrtzeit 3 Nissan

[@charlesedwards5333]

Did they have a Chinese Restaurant there and then?

[@HenryAbramsonPhD]

I assume so, or else how would they survive?

[@krimbii]

Poor Jews. They seriously never did anything wrong to anyone.

[@artieschannel4234]

Thank you. I too love your series. And want to echo the comment suggesting inclusion of the Sefer Yetzirah, and especially the immensely rich, deep, inspiring exposition and commentary by Aryeh Kaplan in his “Book of Creation.”