Zohar • The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The Hebrew word zohar means radiance, like the radiant energy of the sun illuminating the earth and animating life. The Book of the Zohar seeks to awaken us to the flow of life-giving radiance pulsing through verses of Torah. Through mystical symbolism and mythical images, alongside traditional modes of rabbinic midrash, the Zohar guides us towards an encounter with Y-H-V-H amidst the letters and words of the Tanakh.

Each week in Hevruta/Learning Pairs, we'll learn a verse from the Bible with the Zohar’s commentary. We will contemplate the verses twice: first for ourselves, and then through the prism of the Zohar’s symbols and images. Every class will also include time for private reflection and group discussion.

We’ll also learn mystical symbols–like which word in Torah is Mother Goddess and which is Daughter. and study the secret symbology of Kabbalah. We’ll set forth together to imagine impossible things—what is the “radiant darkness,” who is the Goddess, who is Who? We'll discover together if the path uncovered by the Zohar is one that you’d like to explore further.

About the Teacher

Shaiya Rothberg (he/him) teaches Kabbalah and Jewish Thought in Jerusalem Al-Quds. He holds a PhD in Jewish Thought from Hebrew U and a BA in Jewish Thought and Talmud from Bar Ilan University. Shaiya is mostly interested in the transformative potential of Jewish symbols for spiritual life and for social justice. He grew up in New Jersey and moved to Israel in 1988. In his extra time, he likes to hang out at home with his family.