Is There a Modern Kabbalah?

Centuries after embracing science and reason, modern Jews are returning to the rich font of Jewish mystical teachings. 

But Jewish mysticism has historically been tinged by large doses of magic, superstition, and demonology. Can we capture the spiritual while avoiding the superstitious? Where does magic leave off and mysticism begin? Can we build a liberal faith that allows for angels and miracles?

These new questions cannot be answered merely by adding Eastern mystical practices to Jewish ritual. A genuine thread of mysticism inhabits every Jewish epoch. Renewing and revitalizing it requires us to create a  Kabbalah that will serve our needs.

The Magic Is In Our Hands

Magic and mysticism were once the province of priests and prophets. In Talmudic times, Jewish mystics sought to ride the "chariot." In the middle ages, answers were sought in the prayer book. In the Zohar, mystics turned to the sefirot, even as they tried to recapture the essence of prophecy. The masters of Tsfat called us to "repair" the world. Later, messianic speculation endangered our souls. Early Hasidism was mysticism made romantic.

All told, Jewish mystics have left us a wealth of texts covering every aspect of Jewish life, ethics, mitzvot, and rituals. Today, we are free to determine the future of mystic speculation. The power of the past is the magic in our hands.