“To my mind, Kabbalah is the theology of the Jewish People.” — Adin Steinsaltz, The Thirteen Petalled Rose

At the first meeting of our class on Steinsaltz’s book, we discussed what he might mean.

We recognized this as a bold, controversial statement.

First, we argued against it.

Some people use “theology” to mean “rational inquiry into religious questions.” The Kabbalistic tradition includes philosophical speculation, but goes beyond it, including metaphor, poetic dreamtime reflection, sound, movement, meditation, and wordplay. It has not always been considered “theological.” In the 18th & 19th centuries, for example, many teachers concerned to portray Judaism as a rational tradition ignored or suppressed Kabbalah.

Next, we argued for it.

Another definition of “theology” is “the study of the nature of God.” The Kabbalistic tradition encourages multi-modal explorations of the nature of God. As a starting point, it offers a particular interpretation of “God is One.” God is the only one. God is infinite. Nothing is separate from God. Human consciousness, too, is one with God.

People who know Judaism only through stereotypes might be surprised to hear how many ordinary Jews actually understand God in Kabbalistic terms: as a “life force,” “energy behind the universe,” “presence I meet when I’m praying, hiking or studying.”  We do not believe in “the God of the Old Testament,” caricatured as a highly emotional, demanding parent in the sky.

If Divine energy fills us, we are always in relationship with God. Many traditional Jewish practices are designed to develop the relationship. A Kabbalistic understanding of God can provide a foundation for Jewish practice.

Finally, we synthesized the two perspectives.

While “theology” usually refers to rational inquiry, perhaps Jewish theology can take us beyond the narrow lines of human reason. Perhaps we can understand Kabbalah as a synthesis of Jewish learning, honouring reason along with other levels of human spiritual experience.

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