Die Geheimnisse der Schöpfung

The Book of Zohar, literally meaning "The Book of Splendor" but also referred to as the "Book of Wonders," is one of the most mysterious texts of Jewish faith and thought. Its origins in 13th-century Spain are not clearly established, and over the centuries, there have been speculations, legends, and disputes regarding the author or authors, but no definitive evidence. The form of the Zohar, written in Aramaic, is not uniform: it includes a continuous commentary divided by weekly Torah portions and individual special sections, such as "The Book of Concealment," "The Faithful Shepherd," and "Secrets of the Torah." The Zohar, which has no translation into German, is the main work of Kabbalah, paving the way for a new mystical understanding of Judaism. Gershom Scholem, who founded the study of Kabbalah and thus reinterpreted the tradition and present of Judaism, has translated a chapter from the Book of Zohar into German. At the same time, Scholem provides an introduction to the historical significance of the Zohar, which also influenced the German Romantics, and explains the structure of the book. Gershom Scholem's book serves as an introduction to the world of Kabbalah, where a new understanding of Judaism found expression.