Kabbalah: The Messiah Is Coming, or Not... - Page 2

Part of: Kabbalistic Offshoots and Mystical Bends

The individual of Messianic time will enjoy an unbridled freedom and unexpected forms of self-fulfillment. Humanity will be by definition ethical and will no longer know the fear of succumbing to temptations. It's clear how such an assumption plants the seeds of the anarchic notion of a lawless society.

So while biblical visions describe an event independent of human intervention, the kabbalist belief in the practice that will speed up the arrival of the Messiah verges on heresy.

A Kabbalistic legend tells us about the great Kabbalist, Rabbi Joseph Della Reina from Safed. The rabbi conjured Samael (Satan) in order to slaughter him and bring the Messiah. However, his prayer was the doomed-to-fail act of witchcraft, and he himself fell prey to Satan’s temptations.

Despite his failure, or perhaps for that very reason, Rabbi Della Reina’s dark figure has thrived in Jewish literature, featuring in the works of Nobel laureates like Bashevis Singer and Agnon, and finally made it into the comics team of the Doom Patrol series... (Come to think of it, the Messiah could be considered a superhero prototype of sorts.)

Since the Middle Ages, the idea of Messianism and redemption was adopted by the Kabbalah to become a prominent theme that shaped Kabbalistic speculations on the one hand, and on the other, burst the confines of esoteric studies to shape historical movements that initiated bitter polemics which echo up to this day.

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Article Author: michal Schwartz

Michal Schwartz holds a PhD in philosophy and literature, and has been long obsessed with Kabbalah and mysticism in general. She published her first book "Metapher und Offenbarung," in Berlin, 2003 and her book "Gateway of Souls. A Kabbalistic Mystery," just came out.

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