Kabbalah is an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist in Judaism is called a Mequbbāl. The definition of Kabbalah varies according to the tradition and aims of those following it, from its religious origin as an integral part of Judaism, to its later adaptations in Western esotericism. Jewish Kabbalah is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between God, the unchanging, eternal, and mysterious Ein Sof, and the mortal and finite universe. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism.
Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, commonly known in Jewish religious circles as "Ha'ARI", "Ha'ARI Hakadosh" [the holy ARI] or "ARIZaL" [the ARI, Of Blessed Memory ], was a foremost rabbi and Jewish mystic in the community of Safed in the Galilee region of Ottoman Syria. He is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah, his teachings being referred to as Lurianic Kabbalah. While his direct literary contribution to the Kabbalistic school of Safed was extremely minute, his spiritual fame led to their veneration and the acceptance of his authority. The works of his disciples compiled his oral teachings into writing. Every custom of the Ari was scrutinized, and many were accepted, even against previous practice.
Safed is a city in the Northern District of Israel. Located at an elevation of 900 metres (2,953 ft), Safed is the highest city in the Galilee and in Israel. Due to its high elevation, Safed experiences warm summers and cold, often snowy, winters.
Academic study of Jewish mysticism, especially since Gershom Scholem's Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941), distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of Jewish history. Of these, Kabbalah, which emerged in 12th-century Europe, is the most well known, but not the only typologic form, or the earliest to emerge. Among previous forms were Merkabah mysticism, and Ashkenazi Hasidim around the time of Kabbalistic emergence.
Moses ben Jacob Cordovero was a central figure in the historical development of Kabbalah, leader of a mystical school in 16th-century Safed, Ottoman Syria. He is known by the acronym the Ramak.
The primary texts of Kabbalah were allegedly once part of an ongoing oral tradition. The written texts are obscure and difficult for readers who are unfamiliar with Jewish spirituality which assumes extensive knowledge of the Tanakh, Midrash and Halakha.
Livnot U'Lehibanot is an unaffiliated, educational and volunteer organization established in 1980, with a campus in Safed, Israel.
Hermetic Qabalah is a Western esoteric tradition involving mysticism and the occult. It is the underlying philosophy and framework for magical societies such as the Golden Dawn, Thelemic orders, mystical-religious societies such as the Builders of the Adytum and the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, and is a precursor to the Neopagan, Wiccan and New Age movements. The Hermetic Qabalah is the basis for Qliphothic Qabala as studied by left hand path orders, such as the Typhonian Order.
The Tzahar region is part of Galilee, in Israel. Its name is an acronym for the three cities it contains: Safed (Tzfat), Hazor HaGelilit and Rosh Pinna. The population of the region is almost entirely Jewish and numbers 40,000.
Mishmar HaYarden is a moshav in northern Israel. Located in the Korazim Plateau, on Highway 91 between Mahanayim and Gadot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Mevo'ot HaHermon Regional Council. In 2018 it had a population of 804.
Elazar Mordechai Koenig was an Orthodox Jewish rabbi and the spiritual leader of the Breslov Hasidic community in Safed, Israel.
Botsina means lantern, lamp, torch, or spark in Aramaic. Many times the reference, in Jewish sources, is to that which enlightens spiritually.
The Safad Subdistrict was one of the subdistricts of Mandatory Palestine. It was located around the city of Safad. According to the 1947 Partition Plan, the Subdistrict was to lie entirely in the Jewish State. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the subdistrict, which fell entirely within modern-day Israel, became the modern-day Tzfat County in the Northern District (Israel).
Tzfat cheese is a semi-hard salty cheese produced in Israel, originally from sheep's milk. It was first produced in Safed in 1840 and is still produced there by descendants of the original cheese makers.
AVIV 613 Vodka is super premium vodka produced and bottled in Israel. It is distilled four times from pomegranates, dates, grapes, figs, olives, wheat, and barley. AVIV is made by a family of vodka artisans whose ancestors moved from the Russian Empire to the Kabbalistic town of Tzfat in 1824. The water in AVIV is harvested from natural aquifers underneath Israel and from Lake Tiberius, also known as the Sea of Galilee. AVIV's formulation of grain and fruit alcohol produces a complex taste profile which is slightly sweeter than typical grain vodkas. The AVIV brand is positioned as an Israeli vodka that is ultra-smooth with a slightly sweet finish. The AVIV brand is also positioned as a vodka from the Holy Land with hidden, positive, spiritual messaging delivered by its glass bottle composition; bottle design, cap and bottle decoration. AVIV's promotion tagline is "We Believe in the Power of Good Thoughts™”
Ilan Shohat is an Israeli politician, and the mayor of Safed in the Israeli Galilee since 2008.
Ari Benjamin Lesser is a Jewish American rapper, singer, songwriter, and spoken word artist. Known for his videos on Israel and Jewish Holidays, Lesser has released over a dozen albums, written hundreds of original songs on a wide range of subjects, composed raps about 200 different animals, and created accurate rhyming translations of Pirke Avot, Psalms, and other parts of the Siddur. He continues to perform and speak at events around the world.
