On the Possibility of Jewish Mysticism in Our Time and Other Essays

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by Gershom Gerhard Scholem,

Edited by Avraham Shapira,

Translated by Jonathan Chipman

Jewish Publication Society

Due/Published August 1997, pages, cloth

ISBN 082760579x

This selection of essays by the great scholar Gershomn Scholem shows Scholem the man as well as Scholem the kabbalah scholar. Many of the issues he addresses in this book -- his relationship to and feelings about contemporary Israel, Jewish identity, personal reflections on Jewish mysticism and spirituality, messianism -- are still important, current, and vital issues today. Most of these selections are appearing in English for the first time.

These essays are aimed at the general reader, not scholars. "A Candid Letter About My True Intentions in Studying Kabbalah," "Reflections of the Possibility of Jewish Mysticism in Our Time," "My Way to Kabbalah," "Thoughts About Our Language," "Reflections on Modern Jewish Studies," and other essays give valuable insights into a man who was both a talented scholar and a creative genius. The essays also lay bare his love for, and belief in, Zionism.

Review

The essays collected in this volume, some never published before in English, draw attention to Scholem's spirituality and personal experiences. While a lot of recent attention has focused on Scholem's interest in Jewish mysticism, the essays collected here reflect his synthesis of the issues of classical and contemporary Judaism. More specifically, many of the essays dwell on Zionism and his understanding of the creation of the state of Israel as a realization of Judaism. Along with the scholarly and religious essays there are writings on some of his contemporaries, including Franz Rosenzweig and Martin Buber. In his excellent critique of Kafka's The Trial, we get the rare opportunity of gaining a deeper understanding of both subject and critic as we see a Scholem who shared Kafka's sense of the incomprehensibility and absurdity of the modern world and a continuing faith. This collection sheds new light on Scholem, underscoring the richness, creativity, and complexity of his thought, always with a keen eye towards the past, future, and meaning of Judaism. The book is divided into five parts: Scholem's Personal Relationship to the Study of Mysticism; Zionism as Spiritual and Cultural Identity; The Existential Situation in Jewish Culture Today; Judaism Through the Ages; Reflections of his Contemporaries.