Short answer
The Zohar (Hebrew for “Splendor” or “Radiance”) is the most influential book of Kabbalah. It is a mystical commentary on the Torah, written mainly in Aramaic, and it presents itself as the teachings of the 2nd-century sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his circle. It first became known in Spain in the late 13th century.
What is in it
The Zohar is not a single tidy book. It is a collection of sections, often presented as stories of Rabbi Shimon and his disciples traveling and discussing the Torah. It follows the weekly Torah readings and includes:
- Mystical interpretations of biblical verses, reading them as descriptions of the inner life of God and the sefirot.
- Discussions of the soul, sin and repentance.
- Descriptions of the forces opposed to holiness. See Sitra Achra.
- Teachings on prayer, Shabbat and the commandments.
- Narrative and poetic passages, including the long sections known as the Idra Rabba and Idra Zuta, which use vivid imagery for the divine.
The authorship debate
Tradition holds that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai received these teachings in antiquity and that they were later revealed. A Spanish Kabbalist, Moses de León, began circulating the text in the late 1200s.
Many modern academic scholars, most famously Gershom Scholem in the 20th century, concluded that Moses de León wrote most of it. Others have proposed that it may reflect a group of authors or earlier materials. Scholars still debate this, and traditional communities largely maintain the older attribution. Readers who want a cautious approach can say that the book is traditionally ascribed to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai but first appeared in medieval Spain.
Language and style
The Zohar is written in an unusual literary Aramaic with Hebrew mixed in. It uses metaphors that can seem striking, such as marital imagery for God and the Divine Presence. It is hard to read without guidance, and many students use commentaries.
Influence and use
- It shaped later Kabbalah, including the system of Isaac Luria.
- It influenced customs such as the welcoming of Shabbat, as described in Kabbalah Spiritual Practices.
- Many communities study it in groups. Some recite portions for their perceived spiritual benefit, and a few treat the book as a protective object, a practice that attracts criticism.
- It was printed and became widely available from the 16th century onward, with translations into many languages in modern times.
Reading it today
If you want to read the Zohar, scholarly translations with notes (such as the Pritzker Edition in English) are generally easier to approach than simplified popular versions. Some teachers recommend beginning with a general introduction like Kabbalah Explained. Whether study should be limited to certain students is discussed in Is Kabbalah a Closed Practice?
Other books of Kabbalah
The Zohar is central, but not the only text of Kabbalah, and it sits within a much wider body of esoteric literature. Other well-known works include Sefer Yetzirah (the Book of Formation), the Bahir, and the writings of the Lurianic school recorded by Chaim Vital. Hasidic classics such as the Tanya also draw on Kabbalah.