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| The Roaring Lion by R. Leon of Modena |
Note: This article examines Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah
from a historical, psychological and analytical perspective. If you prefer not
to read such treatments of mysticism, you may wish to skip this piece.
Introduction
This article—based extensively on the research by Lippman Bodoff—examines the highly contested roots of Medieval Jewish mysticism. I started writing this article twice and then stopped. This was because I know that some of the ideas expressed in it will be challenging to some, particularly in an era where mysticism has become mainstream Judaism. For many (including myself from the early age of thirteen), mysticism, specifically in the incarnation of modern Chassidism, had been the portal through which we returned to Torah Judaism.
