List of Jewish Kabbalists


This article lists figures in Kabbalah according to historical chronology and schools of thought. In popular reference, Kabbalah has been used to refer to the whole history of Jewish mysticism, but more accurately, and as used in academic Jewish studies, Kabbalah refers to the doctrines, practices and esoteric exegetical method in Torah, that emerged in 12th-13th century Southern France and Spain, and was developed further in 16th century Ottoman Palestine. These formed the basis of subsequent Jewish mystical development.
This is a partial list of Jewish Kabbalists; secondary literature incorporating Kabbalah is enormous, particularly in the voluminous library of Hasidic Judaism that turned esoteric Kabbalah into a popular revivalist movement. Hasidism both adapted Kabbalah to its own internalised psychological concern, and also continued the development of the Jewish mystical tradition. Therefore, only formative articulators of Hasidic thought, or particularly Kabbalistic schools/authors in Hasidism are included here. In the Sabbatean mystical heresy that broke away from Judaism, only the founders are listed. Solely academic-university Jewish studies researchers of Jewish mysticism, not being "Kabbalists", nor necessarily Jewish, are not listed here; nor are separate non-Jewish derivative/syncretic traditions of Kabbalah.
Rabbinic figures in Judaism are often known after the name of their magnum opus, or as Hebrew acronyms based on their name, preceded by R for Rabbi/Rav.

Early Jewish mysticism

Talmudic tannaic sages: Maaseh Merkabah -Maaseh Bereishit . Yordei Merkabah -Heikhalot mysticism. Early-Formative texts are variously Traditional/Attributed/Anonymous/Pseudepigraphical:
Hasidei Ashkenaz. Mystical conceptions influenced Medieval Kabbalah:

Medieval emergence and development of Kabbalah (12th-15th centuries)

Provence circle :
Catalonia/Girona circle :
Castile circle. Developed Demonic/Gnostic theory:
Ecstatic/Prophetic-Meditative Kabbalah :
Publication of the Zohar :
13th century Kabbalistic commentary:
14th-15th centuries saw a slowing continuation in Kabbalistic commentary:

Fusional influences (15th-17th centuries)

Influence of Medieval Jewish rationalism in Spain declined, culminating with the expulsion. Jewish fusions of Philosophy and Kabbalah were shared by wider non-Jewish Renaissance trends :

16th century Kabbalistic renaissance

Emigrees, some from Spain, some founding new centre of Safed in Ottoman Palestine:
Cordoverian school. Rationally-influenced systemisation of preceding Kabbalah:
Lurianic school. New mythological systemisation of Kabbalah. Basis of modern Kabbalah. Kitvei HaAri-Writings of the Ari written by disciples:
Safed dissemination:

16th-19th century Kabbalistic commentary

Central European Kabbalist Rabbis:
Italian Kabbalists:
Sephardi-Mizrachi Kabbalah:
Sabbatean mystical heresy :
Eastern European Baal Shem/Nistarim and other mystical circles:
Mitnagdic/Lithuanian Kabbalah:
  • Vilna Gaon Head of Non-Hasidic Eastern European Judaism. Opposed Hasidism 1720–1797
  • Hayim Volozhin Founder of Lithuanian Yeshivah movement. Main theorist of Mitnagdism in his Nefesh HaHayim 1749–1821
  • Yitzchak Eizik Chaver
  • Shlomo Elyashiv Lithuania 1841–1926
  • Mordechai Leib HaCohen Kaminetzky

Hasidic popularisation of Kabbalah (18th century-present)

Kabbalistic notions pervade Hasidic thought, but it developed a new approach to Kabbalah, replacing esoteric theosophical focus with successive psychological internalisation. Therefore, only a minimal listing of Hasidic figures is given here; founding formative figures or commentators on esoteric Kabbalah texts/tradition.

Founding East-European Hasidic Masters:
Other Hasidic commentators on Kabbalah:

20th century Kabbalah

From diverse traditions in Kabbalah :

Modern teachers of Jewish mysticism

Individual teachers of Jewish mysticism spirituality in modern-style articulations. Solely academic teachers in Jewish studies research are not listed here.

Orthodox Kabbalistic/Hasidic:
Non-Orthodox/Neo-Hasidic/Jewish Renewal:
Universalist-style Jewish teachers: