Zohar: Judaism's secret book

Zohar: Judaism's secret book

From Torah Cafe by Zalman Gordon

May 3, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the Zohar, its history, authorship, and significance in Judaism.

The Zohar has been a difficult and elusive book throughout our history. A large tome, written in Western Aramaic and cryptic in its meaning the Zohar has mystified scholars and layman alike. The history of the Zohar, who wrote it and who studied it remain debated among scholars. A discussion about the Zohar's author Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and the book itself. (This class was originally taught in 2016)

People in this episode

Host: Zalman Gordon

Topics covered

  • Zohar
  • Judaism
  • Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
  • mysticism
  • Western Aramaic
  • scholarship
  • history

Keywords

  • Zohar
  • Judaism
  • Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
  • mysticism
  • Western Aramaic
  • scholars
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Zohar

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