KAB1010x - Introduction To Kabbalah

KAB1010x - Introduction to Kabbalah
Prof. Boaz Huss and Dr. Yoed Kadary, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
SYLLABUS
Please take a moment to review this syllabus. It contains important information about the
course objectives, schedule, structure, assignments and grading, and other policies.
Introduction to Kabbalah
Learn about the major ideas and practices of the Kabbalah in their historical and cultural
settings.
Course Description
For hundreds of years, Kabbalah has been perceived as a body of secret theoretical and
practical knowledge concerning creation, the divine world, and human interaction with it.
This course will introduce you to the major ideas and practices of the Kabbalah from an
academic point of view.
The course will examine basic Kabbalistic themes such as the theory of the sefirot,
ecstatic and prophetic Kabbalistic techniques, reincarnation, demonology, and practical
Kabbalah. It will introduce major Kabbalistic works and movements, including the
Zohar, Lurianic Kabbalah, Hasidism, and the contemporary revival of popular Kabbalah.
In recent decades, interest in Kabbalah has been increasing and many non-academic
Kabbalah centers have been founded throughout the world. Most of the information
available online for the layman is non-academic and at times it is misleading and
confusing.
The aim of this course is to introduce students with no background in Kabbalah or Jewish
thought to the major ideas and practices of the Kabbalah in their historical and cultural
settings. The ideas are presented in an accessible manner without jeopardizing the
course’s academic rigor.
Methodology and Research Approach

The course approaches Kabbalah from a historical and sociological perspective.
Kabbalistic theories and practices will be studied through reading and analyzing primary
sources (the Kabbalistic texts themselves) as well as applying the most up-to-date
secondary literature (academic research).
The course presents a variety of different perspectives on the themes it covers. Through
the assignments and discussions that accompany the video lectures, students will be
encouraged to express their opinions and individual perspectives, and to contribute to
fruitful intellectual discussions.
What you will learn

● The main concepts, doctrines, and practices of Kabbalah.
● The historical development of Kabbalah from medieval to modern times,

including its major schools, central texts, and figures.
● The historical significance of Kabbalah, and the cultural roles it has played from
the late medieval to the modern periods.
Lessons Program and Schedule
28.11.2017
Lesson 1. Introduction: Kabbalah and its Academic study
The lesson will introduce you to Kabbalah and to its academic study. We will discuss the
term “Kabbalah,” and the varieties of forms and schools of Kabbalah throughout history.
30.11.2017
Lesson 2. Sefirot: The Kabbalistic Theory of the Divine Structure

We will learn about one of the most central concepts of Kabbalah – the sefirot: a structure
of ten divine powers. We will also explore the concept of God as En-Sof (the Infinite) and
its relationship with the sefirot.
5.12.2017
Lesson 3. The Inner Life of God: The Dynamics within the Sefirot
We will explore the interrelation of the different sefirot and the effect of their inner
dynamics on the lower realms. We will also learn about Kabbalistic theories of the
formation of evil and Kabbalistic demonology.
7.12.2017
Lesson 4. Human Influence on the Divine
We will learn about the theories and practices of the kabbalists that relate to their belief in
the ability of human beings to influence and repair the divine. We will introduce the
theory of the rectification of the Divine - tikkun.
12.12.2017
Lesson 5. Connecting with the Divine: Prophecy, Attachment, and Union
This lesson will be dedicated to encounters with the Divine in Kabbalah in different
forms, such as ascents, visions, and automatic speech, the idea of “unio mystica”, and the
techniques Kabbalists used to connect and unite with the Divine.
14.12.2017
Lesson 6. Kabbalistic Perceptions of the Human Body and Soul
We will explore Kabbalistic perceptions of the human body and the structure of the soul,
and the structural resemblance between the human body and the structure of the sefirot.
We will discuss different notions of reincarnation as well the idea of possession (dybuk)
and exorcism, which is still practiced by Kabbalists today.
21.12.2017
Lesson 7. Early Kabbalah and the Zohar
This lesson will be dedicated to the early Kabbalah and the authorship of the Zohar. We
will also learn about the Kabbalistic schools of Spain and the ecstatic Kabbalah of Rabbi
Abraham Abulafia.
28.12.2017
Lesson 8. Lurianic Kabbalah
We will learn about the Kabbalist center in early-modern Safed and the school of Isaac
Luria. We will also discuss the Christian Kabbala.
4.1.2018
Lesson 9. Kabbalah and Modernity
We will explore Kabbalah and modernity in its main schools of Hasidism, Lithuanian
Kabbalah, and the school of Shalom Sharaabi as well as the contemporary revival of
Kabbalah.
Schedule and Required Effort

The course has 9 lessons. Each lesson demands 1.5-2.5 hours. For the first three weeks,
we will release 2 lessons every week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday, starting on
28 November. The last 3 lessons will be released once a week (due the Holiday period).
Please note the dates of each lesson release above.
Course deadlines and due dates

Course starts: November 28, 2017
Verification upgrade deadline: Jan 5, 2018
Final test: Jan 4, 2018
Course end: Jan 30, 2018

Grading policy
Assignments & exercises- 40%
Final exam- 60%
Certification
EdX offers an optional fee-based verified certificate to those who have passed the course.
If you achieve a passing grade of minimum 60% in this course, you are eligible to receive
a verified certificate.
Your certificate will indicate you have successfully completed the course, but will not
include a specific grade.
Discussion forum etiquette

We encourage you take part in the forum discussion as a way of sharing your ideas and
learning from your colleges. Each lesson will have a few discussion units that will take
place in the EDX discussion forum. We also invite you to join our closed Facebook
group: “Introduction to Kabbalah” which provides a place for further discussions.
Our course aims to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of

gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or
religion (or lack thereof). We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.
Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any venue, including discussion
boards, the Facebook group, and other online media. Course participants violating these
rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the course at the discretion of the instructors.
If you are being harassed yourself, or notice that someone else is being harassed, or have
any other concerns, please contact an instructor or TA immediately in the course forum.
Course Contact
To contact the instructors of the course, you can post questions or comments regarding
content or exercises on our discussion board. Please note that each lesson will have a
special thread, so please make sure to post your questions in the right place.
Due to the high number of students enrolled, your instructors will not be able to reply to
individual emails.

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KAB1010x - Introduction to Kabbalah

Methodology and Research Approach

What you will learn

● The historical development of Kabbalah from medieval to modern times,

Lessons Program and Schedule

Lesson 1. Introduction: Kabbalah and its Academic study

Lesson 2. Sefirot: The Kabbalistic Theory of the Divine Structure

Lesson 4. Human Influence on the Divine

Lesson 5. Connecting with the Divine: Prophecy, Attachment, and Union

Lesson 6. Kabbalistic Perceptions of the Human Body and Soul

Lesson 7. Early Kabbalah and the Zohar

Lesson 8. Lurianic Kabbalah

Lesson 9. Kabbalah and Modernity

Schedule and Required Effort

Course deadlines and due dates

Verification upgrade deadline: Jan 5, 2018

Final test: Jan 4, 2018

Course end: Jan 30, 2018

Final exam- 60%

Discussion forum etiquette

Our course aims to provide a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of

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