The Mystical Tradition
God's Chosen People June 4, 2026 DOI: 10.1093/9780198994299.003.0023 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Mysticism |
| Key points | Argues that racist and supremacist elements in the Zohar can be addressed through three considerations: selective acceptance of tradition, rejection of Gnostic-like teachings, and reinterpretation through metaphysical monism. |
Abstract
Abstract The Zohar, and the mystical tradition that it helped to establish, are integral parts of the Oral Torah, and yet they seem to be rife with supremacism and racism. This chapter documents this troubling phenomenon and then responds with three considerations: (1) just because we recognize that the mystical tradition is an integral part of the Oral Torah doesn’t mean that we have to accept all of its teachings; (2) the teachings in question (taken at face value) are dangerously close to the Gnosticism that Rabbinic Judaism vehemently rejected; and (3) the mystical tradition itself is committed to a metaphysical monism according to which all of its racist-sounding pronouncements must be reinterpreted as referring to some sort of appearance that doesn’t truthfully reflect the underlying reality.