On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead: Basic Concepts in the Kabbalah

by Gershom Scholem, Joachim Neugroschel (Translator)

In clear and easy-to-understand prose, the pioneer of the modern study of Jewish mysticism explains the basic concepts of the Kabbalah.

"A major contribution to our understanding of the Kabbalah." —Arthur Green, Professor of Jewish Thought, Brandeis University

In the Zohar and other writings of the Kabbalah, Jewish mystics developed concepts and symbols to help them penetrate secrets of the cosmos that cannot be understood through reason or intellect. These ideas about God, human beings, and creation continue to fascinate and influence spiritual seekers of all persuasions today.

For anyone seeking to taste the mysteries of the Kabbalah, this is an essential book that explains the mystical "form of the imageless God"; good and evil; the Tsaddik or righteous soul; the Shekhinah, the feminine aspect of God; gilgul, the transmigration of souls; and tselem, the concept of the astral body.

Genres: Religion, Judaism, Jewish, Philosophy, Judaica, History, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Gerhard Scholem, who, after his immigration from Germany to Israel, changed his name to Gershom Scholem (Hebrew: גרשם שלום), was a German-born Israeli philosopher and historian. He is widely regarded as the founder of the modern, academic study of Kabbalah, becoming the first Professor of Jewish Mysticism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His close friends included Walter Benjamin and Leo Strauss, and selected letters from his correspondence with those philosophers have been published.

Scholem is best known for his collection of lectures, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941) and for his biography Sabbatai Zevi, the Mystical Messiah (1973). His collected speeches and essays, published as On Kabbalah and its Symbolism (1965), helped to spread knowledge of Jewish mysticism among non-Jews.

Reviews

[David]

I heard a disciple of Gershom Scholem in a podcast of the show ON BEING and thought I would look into what Scholem wrote about the Kabbalah. What I found was a decent primer on the most prevalent Kabbalistic concepts with chapters for overarching Kabbalistic ideas like Adam Kadmon (primordial man), Shechina, Tzaddikim (righteous people), Gilgulim (soul transmutation or reincarnation) and others.

I find Kabbalah intriguing because I enjoy learning about the mystical symbols that can be derived and specified to a Judaic context. Many of the ideas presented have parallels in other cultures or religions and Scholem discusses that occasionally, but I appreciate trying to understand the unique character of Jewish mystical thought.

One concept Scholem describes is Adam's sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge. In Kabbalah the important relationship between knowledge or understanding must be connected to an obligation to maintain peace and harmony. Kabbalistic texts describe it this way: "So long as the Tree of Life, which... is the Good Urge and the quality of peace, is connected with the Tree of Knowledge... from the side of Satan and evil, then Satan can do nothing." (p. 66)

In describing the Shechina Scholem presents parallels to the female concept of wisdom, Sophia, within ancient Greek texts. He also discusses the unique Jewish method of maintaining a sacred unity within G-d by describing various attributes that emanate from Him. Such as the separation and naming of G-d's wisdom as Chochma and describing the specific characteristics of His wisdom as the seed of creation before the details have been developed.

I also learned how Kabbalists derived chains of gilgulim (reincarnation) such as one that goes from Abel to Moses. Based on their calculations Moses did a tikkun (reparation) for something Abel had done.

A lot of these symbols and interpretations often cited Ramban's (Nahmanadies') interpretation and exegesis on the Torah so I would like to see that from the source since it seems to be full of rich symbols.

[Derrick X]

My brother gave me this book 3 or 4 years ago and it continues to change my life. Definitely a good one.

[Richard]

Just finished rereading this after more than 20 years. It is still awesome. His chapter on the Shekinah are amazing, very relevant to the philosophical degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry.
And the stuff on transmigration and the astral body leave me wanting more.

[Zack2]

Scholem here analyzes six concepts from Kabbalistic writings (foregoing the usual harping on the Kabbalists' strange methods of exegesis), using a cold and removed German modernist style. Each passage quoted is stranger than the last. The text is like a smooth and reflective column marbled with grotesque veins.

[Gail Kennon]

for me it was like being lost in a jungle of references.

[Mitchell]

Excellent overview of key concepts in Kabbalah, though it could do with some more introductory definition before elaborating on each topic.

[adne]

only read the shi'ur komah chapter but scholem just explained it so much better than anyone!! love you scholem

[Ben Greer]

I feel like I just satisfactorily completed an entire college surgery course

The discussion on the problem of evil was endlessly fascinating

Excellent Tom Campbell call backs

[Nathan]

There are a lot of books written on Kabbalah these days...most of which is charlatanism and people looking to make a quick buck off the nihilism and forgetting of our epoch. It's no accident - or coincidence - that the rise in relativism and nihilism is in proportion to books on spirituality. People are looking for a spiritual school, one that offers a promise of fulfillment. This is not one of those books. This is an honest and authentic work on a mystical school. Highly recommended to anybody interested in this field.