The Messianic Idea in Judaism: And Other Essays on Jewish Spirituality

by Gershom Scholem

Gershom Scholem, who created the field of Kabbalah studies as a scholarly discipline, gradually came to see the complex relationship between Jewish mysticism and Messianism. This relationship is important not only for an appreciation of the mystic and Messianic movements but for Jewish history in general.

Scholem clarifies the Messianic concept and analyzes its transformation in the Kabbalah up to the paradoxical versions it assumed in the Sabbatian and Frankist movement, in which sin became a vehicle of redemption.

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

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

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

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like a b-sides collection from a band known for putting out really long concept albums.

This isn't a bad thing.

[xDEAD ENDx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the Scholem I have been seeking!

Jewishness as apocalyptic messianic mysticism that abolishes the material world as we know it.

[Erick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read most of this previously, but set it down and didn’t pick it back up. I decided to just restart it. The subject is interesting and Scholem does a good job covering it. As I noted in a previous review, there have been a number of Jewish messianic claimants. Bar Kokhba was an earlier claimant. His rebellion pretty much caused the Romans to expel the Jews from Palestine. A later notable claimant was Shabbatai Zevi. Both people’s influence actually negatively impacted Jews. Shabbatai Zevi is definitely a name that most Orthodox Jews would rather have stricken from Jewish history. As I said in that other review, the who’s who list of false Jewish messiahs could almost be a who’s who list of important Kabbalists. Those figures are given ample space here. Abraham Abulafia and Isaac Luria both claimed to be the messiah. Their influence on Kabbalah was substantial. It was their version of Kabbalism that provided the theological base for someone like Zevi. Scholem was one of the foremost authorities on Zevi. He includes a lot of information on him here. He has a separate book dedicated to him as well. Zevi had quite a following before converting to Islam. Even with his conversion, he still had a loyal following. These followers were know as Shabbatians, and they formed their own community. A community that was not looked upon fondly by Orthodox Jewry. Out of these Shabbatians came a man named Jacob Frank. Quite a sick individual.

There are some essays in here that I don’t feel are totally relevant to the topic of messianism. There’s a essay or two dedicated to Zionism, which is only very tangentially relevant. Most of the early Zionist were atheists and socialists. Like Theodor Herzl, most of them weren’t religious. Other than that, the book contains some great information.

[alex angelosanto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scholem breathes life into topics little known by basically everyone but him. hard to imagine what more you could want from a thinker. illuminating, meticulous, exhilarating

[Martin Hassman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narozdíl od dalších knih autora mě tahle tolik nezaujala. Obsahovala témata hodně odborná, pro mě už dost okrajová a nezajímavá. Často jsem se nechytal a přeskakoval.

[Chavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first few essays are a great introduction to Gershom Scholem's work and were a fun challenge.

[Judy]

"Jewish messianism is in its origins and by its nature - this cannot be sufficiently emphasized - a theory of catastrophe. This theory stresses the revolutionary, cataclysmic element in the transition from every historical present to the Messianic future." p. 7
There is the concept of the Messiah who "continually waits in hiding. " In one "rabbinic fable" of this concept dating back to the second century, the Messiah is hidden among the "lepers and beggars of the Eternal City" at the gates of Rome. " p12
Maimonides " set about to restrict the scope of Messianic utopianism to an absolute minimum" no doubt influenced by the appearance of David Alroy in Kurdistan and the Messianic movement in Yemen. p. 22
Sabbatia Zvi (1626-1676) was recognized in Palestine by Natan of Gaza as the Messiah. He apparently was severely mentally imbalanced. When he apostatized rather then be killed by the Sultan there were those who continued to follow him. The Donmeh (Sabbatians) in Turkey were a crypto-Jewish sect who came into being when they followed the example of Sabbatia Zevi by converting to Islam but continuing to practice Judaism in secret.
"We saw with the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 that it was a couple of generations before the Jewish people could come to grips with what had happened in the "course of the sixteenth century" This should give us an idea of what is yet to be perceived about the Holocaust. p. 311

[David Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a series of lectures on the Messianic Idea and Jewish history. Begins looking at conservative, restorative and Utopian forces, and moves to tracing general mystical thought through Jewish history. Covers Sabbatian ideas, Hasidism, Medieval period, enlightenment, 18th, 19th centuries, Zionism, and Martin Buber.

[Aubry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A work of pure genius. From just one short lecture of his I developed the beginnings of my MA thesis.

[فؤاد · Rating 3 out of 5]

مجموعه مقالاتی از گرشوم شولم در مورد مسیحاباوری در عرفان قبالا.
کمابیش ایدهٔ جدیدی نداشت. اگه گرایش‌ها و مکاتب اصلی عرفان یهود رو ازش خونده باشید، بیشتر حرف‌ها رو اونجا زده.

[Jacob Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the section on shabtai tzvi

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Scholem. This one dealt heavily with Sabbatianism and early Hasidism, and it intensified my interest in reading his monograph on Sabbatai Zevi. The format, a collection of articles and lectures, makes for some irritating repetition; some of the later pieces also feel inessential, especially once we start getting down to book reviews. But most of the book is exciting, challenging reading from a master of his field.