What is the Zohar?
The Zohar (Hebrew for "radiance" or "splendor") is the central text of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. Written largely as a mystical commentary on the Torah, it explores the hidden meanings of the text, the inner life of the Divine, and the spiritual significance behind creation and the mitzvot. Traditionally attributed to the second-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and first published in 13th-century Spain, the Zohar has profoundly shaped Jewish spiritual thought. It is the wellspring from which much of later Jewish mysticism flows.
What's in the Zohar?
- A mystical commentary on the Torah, following the weekly portions but reading them on a hidden, symbolic level.
- Teachings on the Ein Sof (the Infinite) and the sefirot — the inner structure of the Divine.
- Discourses on the soul, prayer, and the deeper purpose of Jewish practice. It's written in an evocative Aramaic, often as conversations among a circle of mystics.
What is the Zohar's place in Jewish learning?
The Zohar is considered advanced and is traditionally approached after a strong grounding in Torah and Talmud. Its influence, though, is everywhere — through Hasidut, the Tanya, Jewish liturgy, and customs, its ideas reach far beyond those who study the text directly. It represents the depth dimension of the same Torah everyone learns.
In short: the Zohar is the foundational text of Kabbalah — a mystical commentary on the Torah, attributed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and published in 13th-century Spain.
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