Series
A History of Mystical Encounters
Four-part series – each talk approximately 90 minutes
David will delve into fascinating and deep speculations about accessing divine reality, as expressed through the living tradition of Jewish mysticism. The series will explore the mystical texts and ideas, stories and personalities of Jewish history and thought: from the meditations of rabbis upon the Divine Chariot, to dangerous ascents up to heaven, from conversations with souls, to the revelations of Kabbalah up to the 21st century.
Listen to the first podcast episode here.
Kabbalah: History & Ideas Since the Ari
Three-part series – each talk approximately 90 minutes
Notes on Tiqqunei HaZohar
Four-part series– each talk approximately 90 minutes
David’s gives four introductory classes on the context and basic themes of the book, beginning with an examination of what the Tiqunei HaZohar is telling us about God, the Jewish People, the world, exile and redemption. This is a unique opportunity to understand primary kabbalistic ideas through their original texts as part of a pioneering project. No primary knowledge of Kabbalah or the Zohar is required for these classes, but participants can expect to be spiritually challenged by a book which claims to be the key to the world’s salvation. If you wish to immerse yourself in ancient mystical ideas and cutting edge Jewish scholarship, these classes are for you.
Divine Presence in the World: the Rise of the Feminine
Three-part series – each talk approximately 90 minutes
David discusses kabbalistic texts and ideas that focus upon depictions of the Divine as female, and the spiritual implications of this understanding for the world, humanity, and the individual.
Etz Chayim Online with David Solomon
Six part series – each talk approximately 90 minutes
One of the fundamental texts in Jewish Mysticism, EtzChayim, is the product of Rabbi Chaim Vital’s twenty-year odyssey in the late Sixteenth Century to record the profound teachings of his master, Rabbi Issac Luria (The Ari). This extraordinarily important kabbalistic text outlines the Ari’s revelations and insights into the Zohar and other early mystical texts. Its impact was so profound that it transformed forever the discourse of Jewish Mysticism across the Jewish world. But for many students the text of Etz Chayim has proved inaccessible, with its complex concepts, multi-layered references and dense language, giving rise to numerous introductory and explanatory texts. This series provides a unique opportunity to learn Etz Chayim with a renowned teacher who has spent years inside the text. Please note that the journey into Etz Chayim is difficult. In order to ensure that students get the most out of these classes, it is recommended that they have some ability to read and understand Hebrew.
Individual lectures
Exile of the Divine: Explorations in Tiqqunei HaZohar
Duration approximately 40 minutes
The later strata of the Zohar contain several remarkable texts that have impacted greatly on the course of Jewish mysticism. In this talk, David Solomon, who is working on a first English translation of Tiqunei HaZohar, will contextualize and review some of the major themes of this influential book, and discuss the challenges of its deciphering. This is a talk for those interested in understanding and negotiating deep-level kabbalistic perspectives – on exile, redemption and history – through a primary source.
The Whole of Creation in One Hour: the Kabbalistic Doctrine of Tzimtzum and its Evolution
Duration approximately 90 minutes
In this talk David Solomon outlines the most influential and original idea about creation of the past five hundred years of Jewish thought: tzimtzum. He also demonstrates how the dynamic development of the revolutionary idea of tzimtzum, which is reflected in the teachings of several major figures of kabbalistic thought, has remarkable parallels to contemporary physics and cosmology.