Life
Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, called Ha-Ari ('the Lion'), was born in Jerusalem, raised partly in Egypt, and spent his last years teaching in Safed in the Galilee. He wrote little himself; his system was recorded by disciples, above all Hayyim Vital in Etz Hayim (Tree of Life). Lurianic Kabbalah describes divine withdrawal (tzimtzum), the shattering of the vessels (shevirat ha-kelim), and human participation in cosmic repair (tikkun). It reshaped Jewish mysticism after the sixteenth century and later entered Western esoteric adaptations. ORDL summarizes the historical doctrine; it is not a substitute for living tradition or scholarship.
The system
- Tzimtzum: divine contraction making room for a created world.
- Shevirah: shattering of the vessels and scattered sparks.
- Tikkun: repair through mitzvot, intention and contemplation.
Key works
- Etz Hayim (Tree of Life; compiled by Hayyim Vital from Luria's teaching)
- Other disciple records of Lurianic doctrine
Where to start
- Gershom Scholem's surveys of Lurianic Kabbalah; then a careful modern introduction before primary texts.
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