Kabbalah Since the AR”Y: the Vilna Gaon and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
The teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the AR”Y (also known as the Ari or Arizal), have been profoundly influential on Jewish mystical thought of the past five hundred years. In this episode of the podcast, the second lecture in a series exploring post-Lurianic Kabbalah, David discusses the historical background, lives, and ideas of two iconic Jewish intellectual and spiritual figures – the Vilna Gaon and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. In doing so, he examines their remarkable contributions to kabbalistic thought on G-d, the world, and Divine revelation.
Listeners who find this material new or challenging may wish to refer to the glossary of kabbalistic terms provided here.
This lecture includes discussions on:
- the Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah
- Jewish explorations of alchemy
- revelation and redemption, the geula
- the Haskalah (Jewish Enlightenment)
- Shabtai Zvi and Nathan of Gaza
- Jewish messianic movements
- the Ramchal, Rabbi Chayim Luzzatto
- the Maggid of Mezritch, Rabbi Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch
- Rabbi Joseph Ergas
- Rabbi Immanuel Hai Ricci
- Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
- ein sof and marshal
- the Khmelnytsky massacre
Find part one of the series on the emergence of Lurianic Kabbalah here
Find part three of the series on Chassidism here.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:23:24 — 114.5MB)
This three-part series was recorded in Jerusalem at the OU Israel Center in 2009.