Zohar and Early Mystical Sources
Kabbalistic Culture of Eighteenth-century Prague April 1, 2010 DOI: 10.3828/liverpool/9781904113393.003.0010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Ezekiel Landau's Prague writings are replete with citations from the Zohar and incorporate concepts from Sefer yetsirah, including the sefirotic realm's three aspects. Also notes that zoharic motifs appeared in Polish synagogue architecture, per Thomas Hubka's research. |
Abstract
This chapter reviews the concepts originating in Sefer yetsirah or Book of Creation that are found in several of Ezekiel Landau's writings, including zoharic motifs that repeatedly appear in his Prague works. It considers Sefer yetsirah as the first systematic Hebrew mystical treatise and oldest mystical text used by Landau. It also explores other writings by Landau that appropriate theosophical-theurgical notions emphasized in the Zohar. The chapter details Landau's Prague writings that are replete with citations from the Zohar, such as the depiction of the sefirotic realm's three major aspects: the right, left, and centre. It mentions the research of the art historian Thomas Hubka, which showed that major zoharic motifs were incorporated into the architectural design and interior decorations of numerous seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Polish synagogues.