Joseph Karo: Lawyer and Mystic

by R.J. Zwi Werblowsky

Joseph Karo (1488-1575) was one of the greatest figures of rabbinic Judaism and the author of the Shulhn Arukh, the standard code of Jewish Law. Like many other rabbinic ascetics, who would write on talmudic or kabbalistic subjects yet carefully conceal their intimate mystical experiences, Karo left a diary, Maggid Mesharim, recording the messages that he received from a celestial mentor. As Karo was a leading member of the Safed circle that included Solomon Alkabets and Moses Cordovero, his diary yeilds new insights into the world of sixteenth-century pre-Lurianic kabbalism. In this magisterial study R. J. Zwi Werblowski examines the controversial diary. He also describes Joseph Karo's life and times. Above all, however, it is the psychological interest of Maggid Meshrim which makes it an important source for our knowledge of the types of mystical life cultivated in rabbinic circles. With consummate skill and learning, Professor Werblowsky explores this interest to produce a powerful portrait of mystic piety as practiced by a foremost rabbinic authority.

319 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the title, this book is more about Karo's mystical adventures than it is about his contribution to Jewish law. In particular, it discusses Maggid Mesharim (MM)- a book allegedly written by Karo discussing his mystical adventures. MM is a diary of Karo's messages from a "maggid"- some sort of holy spirit that spoke through him. (The author assumes for the purposes of his discussion that Karo actually wrote it, though of course there is no definitive way to prove or disprove the claim).

The author thinks the maggid was "an involuntary movement and irresistible automatism of the larynx and lips" that appear to have arisen from Karo's subconscious. This sort of "maggidism" was not unique to Karo; other 16th-century Jewish writers discussed the concept.

Karo's revelations were nothing like prophecy in the Bible; they rarely discussed anything that the average Jew would have benefitted from reading. Many of the maggid's remarks addressed Karo's personal affairs- for example, making predictions about him and his family, and rebuking him for eating and drinking too much. (Evidently, the maggid wanted Karo to be very, very ascetic). The maggid's revelations rarely involved Jewish law; it does not appear that the maggid suggested any conclusions that Karo would not have reached on his own.