Kabbalah and Catastrophe

Historical Memory in Premodern Jewish Mysticism

Hartley Lachter

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English

Stanford University Press
22 October 2024

Social & cultural history; Philosophy of religion; Judaism; Kabbalah: popular works

Series: Stanford Studies in Jewish Mysticism

While premodern kabbalistic texts were not chronicles of historical events, they provided elaborate models for understanding the secret divine plan guiding human affairs. Hartley Lachter analyzes innovative kabbalistic doctrines, such as the idea of reincarnation and the notion of multiple successive universes, through which Jewish mystics sought to demonstrate that the misfortunes of Jewish history were in fact necessary steps toward redemption.

Lachter argues that these works, mostly composed between the early 14th century and the generation affected by the Spanish expulsion in the early 16th century, enabled Jewish readers to make sense of the troubling misfortunes of their own time. Kabbalah and Catastrophe uncovers the remarkable variety of ways that kabbalists deployed esoteric tradition to argue that God had not abandoned the Jews to the inscrutable forces of history. Instead, they suggested to readers that Jews are history's primary actors, and that despite their small numbers and lack of military power, Jews nonetheless secretly push history forward. For scholars of Jewish mysticism and medieval Jewish history, Lachter articulates how premodern mystical texts can be crucial sources of insight into how Jews understood the meaning of history.

By: Hartley Lachter
Imprint: Stanford University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9781503640214
ISBN 10: 1503640213
Series: Stanford Studies in Jewish Mysticism
Pages: 362
Publication Date: 22 October 2024
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Hartley Lachter is Philip and Muriel Berman Chair in Jewish Studies and Associate Professor of Religion Studies at Lehigh University. He is the author of Kabbalistic Revolution: Reimagining Judaism in Medieval Spain (2014).

Reviews for Kabbalah and Catastrophe: Historical Memory in Premodern Jewish Mysticism

"""It is a pleasure to read such an erudite work that is written in such an accessible manner. Lachter distills a great deal of information from notoriously complex texts to illuminate the kabbalistic tradition on history and suffering."" —Jonathan Ray, Georgetown University ""This is a truly innovative work, offering rare insight into the kabbalists as agents of history. Lachter shines as a scholar of medieval texts, and the many understudied works he includes make for a significant contribution to the field."" —Ellen Haskell, University of North Carolina at Greensboro"