ARIES

ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268

brill.com/arie

Te Beginnings of Kabbalah in America: Te Unpublished Manuscripts of R. Levi Isaac Krakovsky Jonatan Meir Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Abstract L’article a pour sujet la personnalité extraordinaire du kabbaliste le Rabbin Levi Isaac Krakovsky (1891–1966), un des étudiants oubliés du Rabbin Yehuda Leib Ashlag (1885–1955). Krakovsky diffusait l’enseignement de son maître en Amérique en anglais, écrivait des douzaines de livres et essayait d’établir des yeshivot de Kabbalistes. Contrairement à son maître, il présentait un enseignement exotérique et une vision de diffusion de la Kabbale dans le monde entier. Son influence était minime, mais un de ses élèves était Shraga Philip Berg qui continuait son chemin et le complétait de plusieurs points de vue. L’article se base sur de riches matières archivales, parmi lesquelles de longues essays de l’auteur en manuscrit qui sont décrits ici pour la premiere fois. D’une telle façon, nous décrivons le dévelopment de la Kabbale en Amérique du début du vingtième siècle jusqu’ aujourd’ hui. Keywords Kabbalah; Modern Kabbalah; Jewish Mysticism; Levi Isaac Krakovsky; Yehuda Leib Ashlag

In 1939, a booklet on the essence of Jewish occult wisdom, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed: Te Luminous Tegument to Unite Mankind into One Loving Brotherhood, came out in Hollywood. Tis town was indeed a hotbed for a wide array of spiritual seekers interested in esoteric literature. Furthermore, it is evident from the work’s content that the author sought to adapt the traditional spirit of the kabbalah to this environment or, more precisely, to arouse interest in Jewish mysticism within these same circles. As we shall soon see, the situation was more complex. Te writer, Rabbi Levi Isaac Krakovsky (1891–1966), had returned to the United States in 1937 afer a circuitous spiritual voyage, which featured an extended stay in the Land of Israel. In Jerusalem, he became a student of R. Yehuda Leib Ashlag (1885–1955), a kabbalist who would eventually become one of the most influential thinkers in the field. While Jewish occult wisdom’s metamorphosis in North America has recently merited several in-depth © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2013

DOI: 10.1163/15700593-13130204

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discussions, Krakovsky’s role in this story has yet to be described in full.1 Various archives contain a great deal of material on his enterprise, including book manuscripts, pamphlets, announcements, and letters. Tese texts have the potential to illuminate a little known yet riveting chapter in the annals of American Jewish mysticism.2 Te Kabbalah Culture Society For the most part, Levi Krakovsky’s activities in the Land of Israel are veiled in mystery. We do not know how he turned up in Jerusalem or even how many years he spent under Ashlag’s wing. Tat said, Krakovsky seems to have been one of the kabbalist’s first students, joining his circle in 1922. Although they were forced to part ways for much of the mid-1920s, the apprentice stayed in his mentor’s company as much as possible.3 Before their encounter, Krakovsky was involved in a variety of spiritual pursuits. For instance, he wrote a bizarre psychologicallyoriented pamphlet in Yiddish on overcoming pain and tribulations, which was apparently printed at his initiative in the 1920s.4 According to his later testimony, Krakovsky also toiled over some ambitious kabbalah-related projects during this same period, such as the translation of several books. However, he made no effort to publish any of these works while in Jerusalem. Upon returning to the United States in 1937, Krakovsky was bent on spreading the wisdom of the kabbalah, in the spirit of Ashlag, to English-speaking audiences. With this in mind, he endeavoured to bring numerous works to print and concocted a handful of ambitious plans, two of which stand out from the rest. Firstly, he aspired to compile a voluminous concordance of kabbalah literature, for which he obtained haskamot (approvals) from Ashlag and several other rabbis.5 Secondly, he aspired to establish a kabbalah academy in North America

1)

For a basic description of Krakovsky, see Simons, Benjamin Wolf Rosoff, 377–379; Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 23–31, 34–35. 2) Krakovsky’s manuscripts, which are in the possession of his family, were generously placed at my disposal by Jody Myers. 3) On the nascent stages of the Ashlag circle, see Meir, ‘Wrestling with the Esoteric’ 585–647; idem, ‘New Discoveries’, 345–368. 4) Krakovsky, Die Goldene Gezete. 5) Handwritten haskamot for Krakovsky’s various enterprises reached the hands of Jody Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest. Among those who “approved” of his concordance project were Ashlag, Yitzhak Herzog (1947), Eliezer Silver (1943), and the Rebbe of Monastrish (1937). Passages from Herzog’s commendation also embellish Krakovsky’s later books. Moreover, some of these “approvals,” particularly that of the former, were sent to potential donors, along with copies of his books. Krakovsky, ‘Haskamot’ (MS).

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along the lines of those that were popping up in Jerusalem at the time. However, before elaborating on these two central projects, it behoves us to take stock of the organization that he set up to further these goals. Around the time of his return to the United States, Krakovsky founded the Kabbalah Culture Society of America—a makeshif association which operated in the 1930s and 1940s (first in Brooklyn and later on in Hollywood). Its objective was to disseminate Ashlagian kabbalah, albeit with revisions and additions that were meant to suit this corpus to a new environment. Krakovsky managed to obtain the support of several academic researchers, rabbis, and highlyinfluential American Jews, whose names were prominently displayed on official letters that he distributed. Among the patrons were Leo Jung, Herbert S. Goldstein, Joseph Lookstein, S.B. Hoenig, Hirsch Manischewitz, S. Margoshes, Max J. Mintz, D.S. Stern, and Isaac Sossnitz. It is worth noting that there are practically no other known sources pointing to these figures’ involvement in spreading Jewish esoteric wisdom. Te only exception is Sossnitz, a doctor, psychologist, and Zionist functionary, who translated Adolph Franck’s book on the kabbalah into English in 1926.6 Some of Krakovsky’s letters from 1939 bear the name of the chief rabbi of Mandatory Palestine, Isaac Herzog, who had given the former haskamot upon his departure from the Land of Israel.7 Within the Society’s framework, Krakovsky published a number of pamphlets and booklets (in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish) that faintly echo his grand visions for disseminating the kabbalah. Although there is scant information on this organization, we will attempt to glean some insights from Krakovsky’s publications during the years of its existence. Revealing Secrets and Disseminating Propaganda Krakovsky’s style was much more aggressive than that of his mentor, Yehuda Leib Ashlag. Tat said, his powerful urge to disseminate the kabbalah lacked the 6)

Franck, Te Kabbalah. Te book’s impact was considerable. In fact, its imprint on the popular Kabbalah literature in English is evident to this day. On the book’s immediate reception, see Teosophist Magazine, 262–263. Sossnitz’s father, Joseph Yehudah Leib Sossnitz (1837–1910), was born to a Hasidic family in Eastern Europe and embraced the Jewish Enlightenment movement. Afer immigrating to America in 1891, he published popular books on science. See ‘Joseph L. Sossnitz’. Years later, the son touted him as a kabbalist in, say, the dedication of his above-mentioned translation: ‘Dedicated to the memory of my unforgettable teacher and father Joseph L. Sossnitz, great kabbalist, thorough scientist, true philosopher and indefatigable seeker for truth’. 7) For some reason, Herzog’s name was erased from a couple of the letters. Several of these documents (bearing the Society’s name) are housed in various archives, see Krakovsky. ‘Letters’ (MS).

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pangs of a believer who has plunged into the depths of wisdom and is quaking with fear due to the secrets he revealed. Instead, standing before us is a cultural agent who distributed material on the importance of learning kabbalah. In many respects, Krakovsky’s writing falls under the rubric of propaganda whose allure rests exclusively on its sharp language. Conversely, Ashlag’s output is laden with dialectics of revelation and concealment, greatness and humility.8 Be that as it may, Krakovsky admired his teacher’s innovations and sought to translate his message for a new reality. Wielding a booming voice, he undertook to spread Ashlag’s message far and wide. However, his writing lacks the sense of intricacy that is usually associated with the unveiling of the occult. In 1938, Krakovsky printed one of his first booklets, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and its Importance. Te work beseeches readers to recognize the value of Jewish esoteric wisdom and labour on behalf of its revelation in manifold ways.9 On the inner cover page, the author describes the aim of his organization: ‘Te Kabbalah Culture Society of America: For the Support of the Kabbalah Institute of Yeshivat ‘Itur Rabanim’ of Jerusalem. And for the Publication of Kabbalah Texts and the Concordance of the Kabbalah’. Itur Rabanim was the academy that Ashlag had founded in Jerusalem for the purpose of disseminating his own books and the said concordance, which Krakovsky had lugged to the United States.10 Te booklet’s text opens with an admonition to those who refrain from studying the kabbalah, which harbours the secret of the redemption: ‘Its learning and its dissemination, is known to the elect as the only healing balm for all ills which beset the whole of humanity’.11 For the sake of substantiating these claims, Krakovsky grounds the introduction on references to ‘Christian kabbalists’ who discovered the power latent in the Jews’ ancient wisdom.12 He also avails himself of their works to illustrate that the kabbalah should be classified as a science.13 Te author even claims that ‘should the pages of the Kabbalah some time become accessible to the intelligent English speaking student, he will be astounded as well as delighted to find such great wealth of occult truth and deep philosophies of

8)

Ashlag, Or ha-Bahir, vol. 1, 347. For a discussion on these elements see Meir, ‘New Discoveries’. 9) Krakovsky, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and its Importance. Te author’s listed address is in Brooklyn. 10) For a discussion on Ashlag’s yeshiva and its various incarnations, see Meir, ‘Wrestling with the Esoteric’. 11) Krakovsky, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and its Importance, 3. 12) Ibid., 5–6. 13) Ibid., 13.

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life’.14 According to Krakovsky, he published this leaflet in the hopes of raising money and attracting ‘advance orders’ for the concordance. Te kabbalist’s description of his own handiwork and the coveted impact of the book are exceedingly ambitious. It is difficult, Krakovsky writes, for his generation to comprehend the writings of Isaac Luria (HaARI, 1534–1572), and many of the commentaries on Luria’s works are more difficult than the source itself. Te main problem, he asserts, is the lack of a systematic approach to these texts; hence the relevance of the new concordance. Employing a flowery style, Krakovsky offers the following description of this formidable project: For these reasons it was long felt that the Jewry together with humanity at large needed and would welcome a concordance of the wisdom of Kabbalah. Tis concordance is a topical dictionary. Under each and every topic mentioned, discussed or even touched upon in the Zohar, or Kabbalistic lore, I have collected and gathered in alphabetical order each and every saying that may be found in all Kabbalah …. My concordance traces each topic from its root and ends only where it has logically evolved to the natural conclusion of its final branch.15

As per Krakovsky’s count, he laboured on this project for ten straight years. He also mentions that it consists of fifeen volumes and no less than 10,000 pages. In his estimation, the concordance will open the gates of wisdom that were hitherto locked and induce everyone to embrace the kabbalah.16 Furthermore, the author hopes to print a three-volume translation of the writing of the ‘greatest and the world’s most famous Kabbalist Rabbi Judah Halevi Ashlag’. As far as Krakovsky is concerned, the concordance and the English version of his rabbi’s books constitute a pathway to wisdom:17 Here too the Kabbalah had been a closed book to date. My concordance and text books will open it to all. In the years to come, generations and generations of Jews will be grateful to you [i.e., presumptive donors] who will make the printing of these works possible and thus make the Holy Kabbalah accessible to all.18

On the face of things, this tract addresses both non-Jewish and Jewish readers. However, the distinction between these two groups was important to Krakovsky, as he occasionally described a gradual process by which the kabbalah would spread throughout the world: the first phase would take place within Jewish society, and the second would involve the entire world. In his later writings, he

14) 15) 16) 17) 18)

Ibid., 8. Ibid., 15–17. Ibid., 16–17. Ibid., 17–18. Ibid., 19.

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would place a greater emphasis on this distinction. Accordingly, the concordance was written in Hebrew, and it never crossed his mind to translate this thick tome into English.19 A year later (1939), while living in Hollywood, Krakovsky circulated a similar pamphlet, which he titled A Call To Israel! Wisdom of Kabbalah: Te Indispensable Light for the New Age of Israel and All Mankind.20 Once again, the author referred to his ties with Ashlag’s yeshiva, opening the document thus: ‘Te proceeds from the sale of this booklet will go to the support of the Kabbalah Institute, ‘Itur Rabanim,’ in Jerusalem, Palestine’. Te main text heightens the abovementioned difference between Jews and the rest of humanity. Krakovsky opens with poignant declarations concerning the reason for and importance of exposing the kabbalah to English speakers. In the process, he feels obliged to unveil the ‘truth’ about the Jewish people, namely that they are superior to the other nations and are the bearer of all the world’s secrets. However, in his estimation, the time has come for a major change: Not only should it be dispersed among our own people, but among all people of all lands and religions …. Tis ancient and true wisdom of the Kabbalah is the divine word which we believe God entrusted to Israel for the benefit of all mankind, and we must reveal it, diffuse and broadcast it throughout the entire world.21

Even if there are hints of such a vision in Ashlag’s oeuvre, Krakovsky radicalizes this message in a way that his rabbi would have never considered. Tereafer, Krakovsky engages in apologetics, seeking to restore the honour of Israel: ‘Even a slight glimpse of these truths will compel all people to confess that we are a wise, intelligent and cultural race; that the Jewish people bear the stamp of Heavenly Knowledge from times of old’.22 Of course, this contention also applies to the kabbalah, a body of wisdom that, in his view, is linked to and descends from everything. Consequently, ‘It is not only our duty to the world, to make these great truths known to humanity; it is equally our duty to ourselves, to show the world the difference between the accumulated occult knowledge of other races and the secret knowledge and culture of Israel’.23 In making these arguments, it is obvious that the author was contending with other works that had recently come out in English:

19)

Tis state of mind is evident from the passage of a recommendation that Jacob Kohn gave to Krakovsky on March 27, 1940. 20) Krakovsky, A Call To Israel. 21) Ibid., 1. 22) Ibid., 4. 23) Ibid., 6.

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Another vital reason for uncovering the contents of the wisdom of the Kabbalah at this time is because the world is trying to disinherit us of this sacred knowledge. Mankind is trying to alienate it from us, by ascribing it to other doctrines and teachings, such as the Hindo philosophy, the Yoga, Egyptian teachings, and others. All humanity is seeking and grasping for the truth; they are chasing the phantoms of these other, superficial teachings, which are based on the true mother of all wisdom, the Kabbalah.24

Krakovsky even went so far as to differentiate the kabbalah from every other phenomenon: Nothing in the world can be of greater benefit to our race than to prove that our ancient wisdom of the Kabbalah, which is verily the vital soul of our race and religion, has no trace of any affinity whatsoever with the occult doctrines of other nations. We can only prove that this true knowledge has no resemblance to their dogmatic concepts and occult knowledge by expounding the truths of our wisdom throughout the entire world.25

Te kabbalistic idea of tzimtzum infuses Krakovsky with a powerful sense of revelation, which was uncommon among the kabbalists of his generation: We must open wide the gate to our great and profound wisdom of the Kabbalah, and by doing so we will effect a complete salvation for our people. Popularizing the knowledge of the Kabbalah will obliterate the veil that conceals our true face, in the eyes of all people …. Humanity will see that no existing knowledge can duplicate, or even resemble, the profundity and intelligence of the ancient, God-given Kabbalah truths. All those who try to compare it to other literature will realize their complete failure; they will be ashamed and embarrassed for their attempt to make such a comparison.26

At the heart of this tract stands a vision of enterprise. More specifically, he calls upon his readers to disseminate the kabbalah first among the Jewish people and then among the rest of the nations. In order to pass on this wisdom to the entire world, it is imperative that the Jews reacquaint themselves with this same body of knowledge. In Krakovsky’s estimation, there is only one way to fulfil this goal: A Kabbalah academy should be organized in this country, to acquaint the general public with the profound wisdom of the Kabbalah. Te learning and wisdom of the Kabbalah is not something which can be learned easily; it must be studied, with the will to learn and the desire for knowledge. Tose who have spent years in learning this deep wisdom are best fitted to help the beginner …, and through the establishment of a Kabbalah academy, the studious individual may have an opportunity of studying these ancient truths under the guidance of trained teachers.27 24)

Ibid., 2. Tis section was aptly titled ‘Kabbalah has No Resemblance to Any Other Occult Doctrine’. 25) Ibid., 2–3. 26) Ibid., 3. 27) Ibid., 7–9.

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At this point, Krakovsky raises the banner of his translation project: As soon as the English popular textbook of the Kabbalah, which I have spent more than fifeen years in translating and writing, is published and broadcast throughout the country, I am confident that our high-minded individuals will execute every effort to have the rest of the Kabbalah scripts translated into the tongue which they can understand. Tese manuscripts are in my possession, only awaiting the right moment to be given to Judaism and humanity.28

Krakovsky concludes by imploring his audience to launch this venture at once. All in all, these pamphlets constituted an introduction to Krakovsky’s aforementioned magnum opus, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed.29 He saw this book as a summary and embodiment of his endeavours during the two years that preceded its publication in 1939. Aside for a picture of the author, the cover features an eclectic, quasi-Masonic drawing, which imparts the work with the look of contemporaneous publications on the occult. Te text itself opens with a promise to unveil the kabbalah—an undertaking that will bring hitherto unknown scientific facts to the world’s attention.30 Tereafer, he expands upon a previous theme: the wonderment experienced by the reader upon discovering this all-encompassing31 and unparalleled body of wisdom.32 Here too, Krakovsky accentuates Israel’s uniqueness vis-à-vis the other nations and the urgent need to establish a kabbalah academy in the United States.33 Te rest of the text consists of quotes and translated passages from kabbalistic books (some of which are in the spirit of Ashlag) as well as a discussion on the principle of the truth and its manifestations (one chapter was devoted to quoting non-Jewish philosophers and writers). Lastly, he dedicates Te Omnipotent Light to ‘my beloved and highly revered holy Rabbi Judah Halevi Ashlag, dean of the unique Kabbalah Institute, “Itur Rabanim”, of Jerusalem’. Given Ashlag’s propensity for keeping in touch with his students, even those far away, the lost correspondence between the teacher and Krakovsky was bound to have shed light on their relationship. Perhaps an echo of this exchange was preserved in the notebook of Moshe Baruch Lemberger, one of Ashlag’s closest

28)

Ibid., 9. Krakovsky, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed. Te cover also features a heading that graced earlier pamphlets: ‘Wisdom of the Kabbalah’. Moreover, it includes the following quasi-citation: “Kabbalah is based on scientific fact, its laboratory the human organism.” Te society’s address was in Hollywood. 30) Ibid., 13. 31) Ibid., 16. 32) Ibid., 36–37. 33) Ibid., 44.

29)

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students. In the summer of 1939, Lemberger summarized a conversation that he had with his mentor: ‘He told me to write a letter to R. Levi Isaac, and to rebuke him for rarely working, and the proof is that he is not succeeding in his undertakings, and he [Ashlag] said that by means of a letter from me can [sic] possibly be of greater benefit than he [Ashlag] writing to him [Krakovsky] on his own’.34 It is evident from Lemberger’s entry that Ashlag not only encouraged Krakovsky to translate his kabbalistic writings into English and publish them, but wanted the latter to solicit donations for the yeshiva in Jerusalem. In all likelihood, it was Krakovsky who produced an Itur Rabanim memorial tablet (yorzeit tavel) in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English with space for the names of the deceased and the donor.35 At the time, Krakovsky was indeed busy raising funds, translating works, and publishing his first book in English. However, these activities did not prevent him from conceiving a plan to launch his own academy that would disseminate esoteric wisdom throughout the New World. In the Ticket of Reviews It stands to reason that Krakovsky was aware of the fact that his primary ‘customers’ were practitioners of sundry occult phenomena, namely groups well outside the fold of traditional Jewish society (Tese factors may have even helped Krakovsky publish his book in 1939). He may have even received their help to publish his book in 1939. Tat said, he certainly could not have fathomed that within fify years Hollywood would turn into the centre of a post-modern kabbalah movement. Tis is not to imply that Krakovsky was nonchalant about spreading his gospel. It was indeed with this goal in mind that he sent his books to myriad journals and individuals in the hopes that they would write reviews—a course not taken by Ashlag. In mailing copies of Te Omnipotent Light Revealed for review, Krakovsky would include a prospectus describing the work’s content and extolling his own virtues.36 Along with the book’s table of contents, the brochure includes words of praise from Yitzhak Herzog, Leo Jung, Charles Cutler Torrey, Paul del Solla, and Leon Fram. However, our focus is on two other aspects of this document: Krakovsky’s biography; and his own view of this text. Te brochure indeed discloses several previously unknown biographical details:

34) 35) 36)

Lemberger, Hashem Shamati Shimecha, vol. 3, 119. One such tablet from the 1930s can be found, see Krakovsky, Tablet (MS). Krakovsky, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed (Prospect).

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Jonatan Meir / ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268 To young Levi I. Krakovsky, pursuing a career of violin playing and teaching in Seattle, Washington, came a strong inner urge to delve into the mysteries of the Kabbalah and the Zohar. Accordingly, he lef the West Coast of America 22 years ago, in search of a teacher, and eventually reached Palestine, where he spent 16 years in research, study and writing. He is renowned all through America for his 15-volume Concordance of the Kabbalah, which consists of 10,000 pages. For the past two years Rabbi Krakovsky has toured the continent, lecturing on the Kabbalah in various Canadian and American cities.37

Once again, Krakovsky refers to the never-to-be-published concordance. In fact, most of the approvals in the brochure were for this shelved project, rather than the new English book. Tis, then, suggests that the kabbalist still held out hopes of publishing the concordance. At any rate, Te Omnipotent Light was depicted in no less glowing terms, while completely ignoring all the existing English literature on the topic: Tis book on the Kabbalah, written in English, is the first beam of Godly light to be ushered into the world in this day of chaos and destruction. Kabbalah, the most powerful heavenly light, has been in the universe since time immemorial. It was consecrated by the Supreme Power to be unveiled particularly in this darkest of all dark ages, for the purpose of dissipating the thick veil enshrouding the human race. Mankind will never attain to its millennium until the literature of the holy Godly wisdom—the Kabbalah—is taught and disseminated to the four corners of the globe (cf. Zohar Treatise on Amendments, p. 8).Te Omnipotent Light Revealed is a book for spiritual leaders and laymen alike. Te mere reading and meditating upon its wondrous topics will serve as a talisman to draw light, goodness and peace to our world.38

While there are parallels to these sort of ideas in Ashlagian thought, Krakovsky’s style is much more assertive than that of his mentor. His passion for disseminating Te Omnipotent Light is apparent in a correspondence with Cyrus Adler, the editor of Te Jewish Quarterly Review, on the matter of advertising the book and having it reviewed in this journal. Although no other correspondence has been fully preserved, we can assume that it is indicative of his other solicitations. Te first letter (together with the marketing prospectus) was sent to Adler on November 14, 1939: Te Omnipotent Light Revealed by Rabbi Levi I. Krakovsky, described in the enclosed circular, is the result of many years of research into every important document in all Semitic languages. Te author undertook these studies and elaborations for the purpose of bringing to light knowledge hitherto unknown to students of mystic lore. Tis is the

37)

Ibid. Krakovsky’s background also comes up in the opening lines of Herzog’s letter from 1947. 38) Krakovsky, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed (Prospect).

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first of an intended series of books dealing in a comprehensive manner with Kabbalistic topics. Its commentaries are so arranged as to facilitate classroom study, and it is also a book that will interest the general reading public. Tis literature is an invaluable instrument for the dissemination of the highest intellectual and spiritual achievements of mankind.39

While lacking in intellectual ingenuity and comprised entirely of general summaries, this sort of exuberant marketing recurs in all of Krakovsky’s letters concerning the distribution of his books. A relatively subdued version of this prospectus ran in Te Jewish Quarterly Review: ‘Kabbalah, that ancient wisdom which is the innermost core of Hebraic culture, was preserved through the ages so that in this dark and chaotic era it might be unveiled to be the redeeming Light for Israel and for all mankind’.40 It also bears noting that Adler found the book worthy enough to be reviewed in his journal. However, the article, which came out later that year, was unsparing: ‘Tis book purports to give an exposition and brief history of the Zohar and Kabbalah, an esoteric subject which is still obscure to the average reader. Unfortunately the treatment is not clear and lucid enough, nor is the style very attractive’.41 Krakovsky indeed sent the book and prospectus to many outlets and worked feverishly in the run up to its publication. Tis letter reached the American Jewish Historical Society: Under separate cover I am sending you a pamphlet relating to my many years of research in Palestine on the subject of Kabbalah, and the publication of my first English work Te Omnipotent Light Revealed. My aim in publishing this book was to acquaint American Jewry with the authentic Hebraic esoteric lore, thus filling a void in Jewish scholarship. By ordering copies for your library as well as for your members, you will be extending a real help to me in my scholarly project and for further publications.42

Even though the organization’s worldview diverged sharply from that of the author, it purchased several copies of his book. Tanks to Krakovsky’s diligence, Te Omnipotent Light netted a host of reviews. For instance, the piece by Joseph L. Blau (the author of a book about Christian Kabbalah and a few compelling reviews on kabbalah literature, inter alia) is a bit more informative and restrained than the piece in Te Jewish Quarterly

39)

In essence, the correspondence was between Krakovsky’s secretary, Mona L. Rosnal, and Adler’s counterpart, Esther Zukerman; see Correspondence with Cyrus Adler (MS). 40) Krakovsky, ‘Advertisement’. 41) ‘Books Received’, 102. 42) Krakovsky, ‘Letter’, 1940 (MS). Krakovsky also enclosed copies of his marketing prospectus and the small English pamphlet from 1939 (A Call To Israel) in each parcel.

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Review: ‘Rabbi Krakovsky is a pupil of the famous Palestinian Kabbalist, Jehuda Halevi Ashlag. In this book, the influence of his teacher is noticeable particularly in his markedly ethical and social approach’. Afer citing from a discussion on reincarnation, which Blau found to be both interesting and innovative, he posits that ‘Beyond this insight, the book is a simple exposition of a few Kabbalistic doctrines’. He also mentions that ‘Kabbalah is declared to be a science [therein], its study “based on scientific fact. Te human body is the laboratory of the Kabbalistic wisdom” …. It will be interesting to see whether Krakovsky proves this point in his larger work; he does not do so here’.43 Although Krakovsky later emphasized this point, he never truly went into depth. Tat said, science would become a focal point of Philip Berg’s reading of Jewish esoteric knowledge. Another of the writer’s target audiences was the Teosophists, some of whom were indeed quite interested in Jewish occult wisdom. In general, they found some merit in Te Omnipotent Light, but also felt somewhat deceived. In a review in one of the movement’s organs, the anonymous critic bemoaned the fact that Krakovsky shunned the Teosophists’ universal vision, deeming his own coreligionists to be the exclusive revealers of the gospel and the only catalysts for change.44 While Krakovsky managed to enlist a few important Jewish figures into his association and convince other members of this milieu to review his books, in the final analysis his efforts to spread the kabbalah in North America suffered many disappointments. His entreaties, from the 1930s on, that the time had long come to restore the kabbalah to its glorious past garnered little support from those he targeted most heavily—Jewish society—and he ultimately jettisoned this line of argumentation. Tat said, Krakovsky did manage to publish a number of books and compendiums, share his revelations with others, and help anyone who turned to him for advice on kabbalah-related topics.45 A Kabbalah Academy in America In around 1942, Krakovsky evidently scrapped the organization that he had established only a few years earlier, but did not throw in the towel. Instead, the promoter set out on a somewhat different path. For the next few years, the name 43)

Blau, ‘Book Note’, 115. In another review, the book was encapsulated thus: ‘A brief presentation of the Kabbalah by a champion thereof. A first book in Kabbalistic apologetics’. Morrison, ‘Review’, 106. For a discussion on Ashlag and other contemporaneous kabbalists’ view on science, see Huss, ‘Altruistic Communism’, 109–130. 44) H.T.A., ‘Book Review’, 236–237. 45) For example, Samuel H. Dresner thanked Krakovsky for clarifying a few kabbalistic sources; Dresner, Te Zaddik, 20.

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Kabbalah Foundation graced all the writers’ publications and his place of residence was once again in Brooklyn. Te first work that came out under this imprint was a small leaflet. As per the Yiddish section, ‘Rabbi Levi I. Krakovsky studied Kabbalah for 20 Years—out of them 16 Years in the Land of Israel’. Te author then elaborates on the books that he translated into English (three long manuscripts) and the concordance. In addition, he discusses the roughly 400-page translation of Klalai Hokhmat haEmet (literally: the Principles of the Wisdom of the Truth) by Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the RaMChal, 1707–1746)— a book that Krakovsky considers an invaluable kabbalah primer.46 As noted, he accumulated many haskamot for his various endeavours over the years, foremost among them the concordance and his translation of the RaMChal’s book. Nonetheless, it was these two projects that went down the proverbial drain.47 Finally, the leaflet discloses the plan to establish a kabbalah academy in the United States for the Jewish public.48 During this same period, the kabbalist published a circular in Yiddish and English announcing the opening of the Wisdom of Kabbalah Institute, which would offer lessons on Jewish esoteric wisdom on a regular basis.49 In the Yiddish section, Krakovsky quotes extensively from Bnai Yisaschar (the Sons of Issachar), a book by Tzvi Elimelech Shapira of Dynów, a nineteenth-century Hasidic rebbe. Shapira’s work indeed refers to spreading kabbalah to the masses, but draws a clear distinction between the learned and simple folk.50 Likewise, Krakovsky designates his yeshiva for ‘all sincere, observant Jews seeking enlightenment in the secret mysteries of Torah’. Tis criterion would be stressed in all the booklets that he printed from that point on. In this respect, he adhered to the ethnocentric kabbalistic tradition, which is a far cry from the approaches taken by some of Ashlag’s present-day ‘followers’.51 It also stands to reason that, as in his mentor’s yeshiva in Jerusalem, Krakovsky delivered his lessons in Yiddish—not Hebrew

46)

Krakovsky, If Eventually—Why Not Now? Yiddish section, 2. In the English section (2), he notes that the concordance is a mere four volumes long. 47) Te Krakovsky family has preserved a bundle of recommendations from various figures, including Joshua Bloch of the New York Public Library (1945), Wolfson from Harvard University (1946), Erwin Gudnau of Yale (1946), and del Solla (1957). 48) In all likelihood, Krakovsky also gave private Hebrew lessons and edited a couple of pamphlets on learning this language during these years. See Golub, ‘Mimeographed and Pamphlet Literature’, 181. 49) Krakovsky, Yeshivat Chochmat ha-Kabbalah. Te lessons were given free of charge, at the author’s Brooklyn home. 50) Te citation from Bnei Yisaschar was summarized into English: “Teach the wisdom of Kabbalah to the folk.” Te original is slightly different; see Shapira, Bnei Yisaschar, 93a. 51) See Wolfson, Venturing Beyond, 17–128.

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or English. Tere is no other information on Krakovsky’s academy, the number of students included. However, we do know that he continued to translate various texts and release pamphlets bearing the seminary’s imprint. In 1943, Krakovsky began to reprint Ashlag’s tour de force, Talmud Eser haSefirot (the Talmud of the Ten Spheres).52 During this period, Krakovsky also distributed an eight-page leaflet. Similar to his earlier marketing campaigns, this document touts his closeted works, such as Luzzatto’s book (listed at 450 pages therein). Moreover, he describes one of his own popular works, the 175-page Kabbalah: Te Light of Torah, as ‘An original and popular exposition by the author of some vital Kabbalistic topics’. Yet another English pamphlet from this time is provocatively titled Israel’s Survival in Kabbalah (1944). Besides his usual medley of panegyrics to Jewish esoteric wisdom, Krakovsky admonishes those who refrain from learning kabbalah.53 Furthermore, he alludes to the events of the Holocaust and the responsibility thrust on every Jew’s shoulders in these trying times. He concludes his words with a resounding plea: Open the doors of all houses of learning for the holy Kabbalah! Its study will invoke heavenly aid. Te voice of Jacob sounding the truths of Kabbalah will chain the beastly enemy. Te fetters of our exile will be torn asunder and we shall finally triumph over all our adversaries. Israel, rise! Rescue the remnant of your people! Be not the cause of your own calamities and downfall. Do not hinder the advent of your redeemer. Heed the words of your last prophet Malachi to ‘remember the Torah of Moses’. For only the study of Kabbalah, which is knowledge of God’s will, draws knowledge from heaven which is your redemption. ‘For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea’ (Isaiah 11:9).54

Krakovsky assumes a slightly more restrained tone in Aseh Tov (Do Good) [1940–1950?], a small Hebrew pamphlet that he printed during this period.55 Te text opens with the following words: ‘I am hereby turning with this meager work to the entire community of Israel in the Land [of Israel] and the exile, for I wish to arouse the attention of the whole nation’. Te entire purpose of this

52)

An unabridged version of Talmud Eser haSefirot was printed in Jerusalem between the years 1939–1940, whereupon Krakovsky laboured on its English translation. Ashlag, Talmud Eser Hasefirot. Also see ‘Contemporaneous Literature’, 262: ‘Kabbalah has moved to Brooklyn and its devotees have begun printing, their first effort being Talmud Eser Hasefirot of the Ari’. An advertisement appeared in the Yiddish press: ‘Der Yidicher und Hebreischer Literature’, 459. 53) Krakovsky, Israel’s Survival in Kabbalah. 54) Ibid., 7–8. 55) Krakovsky, Aseh Tov. Judging by the print, this pamphlet came out in the 1940s or 1950s.

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communication was to goad the Jewish people into embracing the kabbalah as a countermeasure against the trials lurking on the horizon. Te Shelved Translation of Luzzatto’s Primer Krakovsky’s aforementioned rendering of Luzzatto’s Klalai Hokhmat haEmet was set to print in the 1940s, but he never managed to get it published. In the hopes of soliciting support for its publication, the translator circulated a pamphlet with a sample of his work, Luzzatto’s introduction, and his own prologue.56 Tis text also cites from numerous haskamot that he garnered for this project.57 As indicated therein, Krakovsky was also interested in printing a bilingual edition of this book. (Years later, Philip Berg published his own translation of Klalai Hokhmat haEmet. Even if Berg made some use of his colleague’s manuscript, a comparison between the two versions demonstrates that they are not identical.) Of particular interest is Krakovsky’s prologue in which he harnessed current events to his vision of spreading the kabbalah: Te hope that, through the means of scientific discovery, man would reach his fulfillment, has utterly failed. Giant strides have been made in external knowledge, during the past fify years. Scientific inventions have contributed greatly to the improvement of man’s physical welfare, but spiritually there has been regress rather than progress. Te present total war, in which all humanity is involved, is evidence enough of this. Man’s true salvation lies in his unfoldment of spirit.58

From Krakovsky’s standpoint, the redemption can only be brought to fruition via the kabbalah, which is the solution for every problem. In this context, he had no compunctions about quoting at length from Albert Pike’s laudatory words on Jewish esoteric wisdom. For example, he cites from the jurist’s thoughts on the kabbalah’s impact on visionaries, dreamers, and Freemasons: ‘Everything scientific and grand in the religious dreams of all the illuminati, Jacob Boehme, Swedenborg … and others, is borrowed from the Kabbalah; all the Masonic associations owe to it their secrets and their symbols’.59 In so doing, Krakovsky rehashes

56)

Krakovsky, General Principles of Kabbalah. Te Hebrew title—Klalei Hokhmat haEmet— was placed at the top of the cover page. 57) Krakovsky, If Eventually, 2; idem, Israel’s Survival, 1. See also Krakovsky, ‘Haskamot’ (MS). 58) Ibid., II. 59) Ibid., II–III. In this citation, Krakovsky omitted the name of Louis-Claude de SaintMartin. He dubs Pike (1809–1891) the ‘eminent Masonic authority’ and quotes extensively from his book: Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, 625, 744, 745. Pike imbibed the foundations of his own outlook on the kabbalah from

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an earlier claim that the kabbalah is the source of all occult bodies of knowledge. Nevertheless, this text is directed at a Jewish audience. “Behold”, he seems to be saying, “even non-Jewish intellectuals recognize the value of the kabbalah. So how can we Jews abandon it”? Tese same ideas also turn up in a promotional sheet that he sent, along with a sample from his translation, to potential supporters.60 Tis pamphlet describes Krakovsky’s worldview in straightforward manner: Tis is the age when Israel must rouse themselves from their complacency and embrace the Secret Mysteries of Torah contained in the Zohar and in the Wisdom of the Kabbalah. It is stressed in the Zohar that Israel’s survival and redemption hinge upon their labor in the Secret Mysteries of Torah. Te inner Hebrew spiritual Wisdom … should forthwith become a paramount subject of study by all students of Torah. It is imperative that Israel promote the teachings of the Secret Mysteries of Torah by publishing works on the Kabbalah in English; for it will open up and pinpoint unbelievable vistas of spiritual worlds, bringing peace and content for man on earth.61

While calling for this corpus to be translated into English, Krakovsky limits his student base to yeshiva-educated Orthodox Jews. Nonetheless, the idea of gradual dissemination is latent herein. Similar to other works he penned, Krakovsky cites non-Jews in order to demonstrate that the light is embedded inside the kabbalah. For instance, he quotes at length from the effusive praise thereof by Epiphanius Wilson (1845–1916), a scholar of Asian occult wisdom.62 Krakovsky reaches the conclusion that the Jews must return to their esoteric lore, as this is the sole path for earning the admiration of the nations and thus shining the light back on Judaism. Translations and Primers In the 1940s and 1950s, Krakovsky toiled on a series of kabbalah translations (especially the writings of Ashlag) and a few of his own comprehensive primers, most of which remained in manuscript form. Years afer, some of these works were stencilled and circulated, perhaps to those few students that the anonymous kabbalist managed to attract.

Eliphas Levi; see Hanegraaff, ‘Occultist Kabbalah’, 645; Uzzel, Te Kabbalistic thought of Éliphas Lévi, 84–119. 60) Krakovsky, Open Tou Mine Eyes (MS). 61) Ibid. 62) Krakovsky provides a lengthy excerpt from Wilson’s introduction to Barclay and MacGregor, Hebrew Literature.

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Ashlag’s texts reached Krakovsky soon afer being published in Jerusalem, and the latter immediately got cracking on rendering them into English. Unprinted during his lifetime, these translations are now stored in various places as typewritten copies—the same format in which they were distributed. Among these works is Te Vessel for Spiritual Light,63 which is basically an English version of Ashlag’s Hakdama leʾPtikhat Hokhmat haKabbalah (Introduction to the Wisdom of the Kabbalah), a book that was initially copied on a stencil machine in Jerusalem in 1943. Another work is Kabbalah: Dialogue Between God and the Hebrew Alphabet. Tis text, which is part translation and part adaptation of a section of Sefer haZohar’s introduction, and a commentary by Ashlag, mainly examines the kabbalistic significance of the Hebrew alphabet.64 Likewise, Elijah the Prophet’s Eulogy to ‘the Supreme Being’ includes a translation of Petakh Eliyahu (the introduction of the Zohar) and an explanation thereof in the Ashlagian spirit.65 Tough unpublished, Krakovsky’s Te Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’—a translation of the beginning of his mentor’s Talmud Eser haSefirot—enjoyed a comparatively wider distribution.66 Produced in the form of typewritten copies, it is indeed available at many libraries across the continent. As we shall see, the work’s relative popularity stems from the relationship that Krakovsky formed with one Philip Berg in the mid-1960s. While labouring on these translations, Krakovsky also found the time to write his own Ashlagesque summaries of the kabbalah literature. In 1950, a quasiintroduction or synopsis of Krakovsky’s own gospel, titled Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption, came out under the imprint of the Brooklyn-based Kabbalah Foundation.67 Most of this book is dedicated to explaining Lurian and Ashlagian thought. However, Krakovsky does not explicitly refer to his mentor by name. Once again, the objective is to lure Jews back to the kabbalah. Tis particular work has become an of-cited source even outside the research community, netting multiple print runs in recent years. Tat said, the criticism (including

63)

Krakovsky, Te Vessel for Spiritual Light (MS). He does not expressly indicate that this book is a translation of one of Ashlag’s works. Te Hebrew original was affixed to the first volume of Perush haSulam, a commentary on the Zohar that was written in 1945. 64) Krakovsky, Kabbalah: Dialogue Between God and the Hebrew Alphabet (MS). Tere is a different title on the inner page of this typewritten book: ‘Preface to the Zohar by Simon Bar Yochai, With the Great Commentary (Te Ladder) by Rabbi Yehuda L. Ashlag’. Afer Krakovsky’s passing, his son Abraham distributed photocopies of the work. 65) Krakovsky, Elijah Te Prophet’s Eulogy (MS). Te book was typewritten. 66) Krakovsky, Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’ (MS). Te book was typewritten; see note 106. As per the cover, the book was translated back in 1942. 67) Krakovsky, Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption.

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a review by Gershom Scholem) was not particularly flattering.68 Yet Krakovsky could take solace in the letters of support from acquaintances like Leo Jung (who had backed the kabbalist since at least the 1930s).69 In parallel, Krakovsky released a four-page English pamphlet comprised of short explanations on the kabbalistic spheres, holy names, and the importance of spreading ‘the holiness and light’.70 Tis document stands out for its illustration of a kabbalistic tree. In all likelihood, this tract was intended to market his book Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption and reel in new sponsors. Krakovsky’s success in getting this work to print encouraged him to initiate a fundraising drive for his other manuscripts. As soon as the book came off the press, he circulated a letter containing elaborate, prophet-like exhortations on the need to study kabbalah and render it into English. Not only did Krakovsky believe that a return to ‘this wisdom’ would have a personal impact on the life of its newfound adherents, but would also have broader ramifications ‘for all mankind’.71 A similar outpouring informs a special ‘receipt’ that he concomitantly printed for all those pre-ordering his yet-to-be-published Man: Te Goal of Creation, What Does the L-d Require of Him? Te text of this receipt promises prophetic wonders to whoever buys five copies of the book.72 Te author’s robust marketing effort notwithstanding, the book remains in manuscript form to this day.73 In Man: Te Goal of Creation, Krakovsky stresses the importance of translating kabbalah texts into English. Moreover, it constitutes a sort of systematic introduction to various issues in Jewish esoteric knowledge. According to the author, the resistance of both rabbis and academic scholars to the kabbalah (since the days of the Wissenschaf des Judentums) can be attributed to a lack of teachers and books.74 Put differently, by virtue of the endeavours of Ashlag in the Land of Israel and Krakovsky in the United States, the time was ripe for a revival of

68)

An anonymous reviewer described the book thus: ‘Te Brooklyn kabbalists have become vocal or perhaps literate, through Te Kabbalah by Levi Isaac Krakovsky … an exposition, uncritical and unphilosophical of esoteric dogma’. Central Conference, 408. In another publication, the book was summarized in a single sentence: ‘An essay on the origin of the Kabbalah and the important place it must have in Jewish theology’. Jewish Book Annual, 6. For a more positive reaction, see Schachter, ‘Some Recent Mystical Literature’, 278. Gershom Scholem’s review is discussed in the vicinity of note 100. 69) Jung, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’, 1950 (MS). 70) Krakovsky, Spiritual Knowledge is the True Paradise. 71) Krakovsky, ‘Letter’ 1950 (MS). According to this document, Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption came out at approximately the same time. 72) Krakovsky, A Voice fom Heaven is Calling Israel. Te address therein is in Brooklyn. 73) Krakovsky, Man: Te Goal of Creation (MS). 74) Ibid., 159–160. Krakovsky is alluding to Heinrich Graetz’s remarks on kabbalah.

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Jewish occult wisdom. He produced several other manuscripts on similar topics for the purpose of insinuating the kabbalah into the ken of those studying Torah in North America, all of whom were concentrating entirely on the written traditions. In light of the above, Krakovsky saw every book that he wrote as another step towards the redemption. Key to Paradise Another of Krakovsky’s closeted works was Key to Paradise, a 220-page book that he completed in 1953.75 Although not expressly mentioned even once, Ashlag’s spirit hovers over each and every line. Here too, Krakovsky stresses the importance of the kabbalah, but the crux of this work is a mellifluous and straightforward adaptation of Lurian and Ashlagian concepts (it perhaps contains a trace of the lost concordance). At one point, the author brings up his teacher’s interpretive enterprise, which he considers a gateway to a new age: Tis revival of the Wisdom of Kabbalah can be witnessed. First, by the fact that a vast number of publications and commentaries on the Kabbalah works have been published in Israel within the last two decades. Second, by the vehement pursuit of the Kabbalah in Israel, which has currently painted a surge of emotion and momentum that is unparalleled in Jewish History.76

Krakovsky penned a similar, unpublished book—Te Secret Light of the Torah. Following a simple introduction to basic kabbalistic concepts,77 the author responds to the events of the hour in an apocalyptic tone. He paints a morbid picture of the ‘nuclear science’ age in which impressive technological advances are coupled with spiritual atrophy. Amid the progress in exoteric fields, there is an urgent need for exposing the kabbalah and releasing dormant ‘mystical forces’. Eschewing its revelation at this hour, Krakovsky claims, will inevitably lead to a global ‘atomic war’.78 Ashlag was simultaneously expressing similar ideas in Israel, such as his plans for an ‘altruistic communism’.79 Against this backdrop, Krakovsky excoriated ‘the Jewish spiritual leadership in America’ for not doing enough to disseminate the kabbalah and for trying to distort Judaism:

75)

Krakovsky, Key to Paradise (MS). A footnote referring to a book printed in 1950 suggests that he attempted to publish Keys to Paradise; Ibid., 167. 76) Ibid., 14–15. Also see ibid., 156–157. 77) Krakovsky, Te Secret Light of the Torah (MS). A glossary of kabbalistic terms was appended to this book. 78) Ibid., V–VII. 79) Ashlag, ‘Writings for the last Generation’, 815, 820.

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Jonatan Meir / ARIES 13 (2013) 237–268 Israel’s contemporary spiritual leaders are doctoring the Torah with modern science and are dispensing secular concoctions. Tey are diluting the Torah with ‘Philosophy’ and, even at the university level, they have swelled up the Torah curriculum with secular education.80

Tis state of affairs, in his estimation, is delaying the fulfilment of the prophets’ vision and exacerbating the destruction that is already underway. However, the writer believes that a model for spurring on the coveted change can be found in the exegetical enterprise of his unmentioned teacher.81 Krakovsky then sums up his polemical argument: It is mandatory that Israel be armed with the spiritual weapon that alone has the power to effect their redemption. Schools where the teachings of the Zohar and the Kabbalah can be promoted must be established and become a living force all over the world. Te secret mysteries of Torah are the divine indwelling fire of the Torah that will draw the supernatural down to earth. It is incumbent upon Israel to take the initiative of laboring in the living waters found in the Zohar and the Kabbalah. Tis service to G-d will render Israel worthy of having G-d respond to them with the secret light of redemption from above.82

Tese and similar claims, which are sprinkled throughout the pages of this book, reflect Krakovsky’s ardent desire to spread the kabbalah as an immediate solution to all the world’s problems. In other words, he aspired to import the ‘reawakening’ that he had witnessed in Jerusalem to the United States and beyond. As noted in another unpublished work, Te Way Tat Leads to Belief in God and the Knowledge of Him,83 the profusion of Talmud academies that Krakovsky foresees in New York does not fill him with hope, for the students are concentrating exclusively on the Torah’s body (the peshat) and forsaking its soul (the kabbalah). Te Torah, he adds, is encased in shells that must be broken.84 If this were not enough, Krakovsky claims that afer 2000 years of walking in the dark, American Jewry is helping impede the fulfilment of the prophecies.85 Te kabbalist then divides the Torah-studying population in the United States into two groups, both of which incur his wrath: those who occupy themselves exclusively with the revealed; and those who merge the Torah with philosophy. At this point, the book rehashes many of the same themes that we have encountered throughout

80)

Krakovsky, Te Secret Light of the Torah (MS), 2. Ibid., 36. 82) Ibid., 37. 83) Krakovsky, Te Way Tat Leads to Belief in God and Te Knowledge of Him (MS). 84) Ibid., 1–2. Krakovsky adds that occupying oneself with Halacha, Talmud, and pilpul (intensive scrutiny of texts) strengthen the shells and weaken man; ibid., 25, 80–81. 85) Ibid., 2. 81)

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his oeuvre.86 Te same can be said for another of Krakovsky’s works, Te Indwelling Fire of the Torah.87 While the main topics of this book are kabbalistic midrashes on the Hebrew letters and sundry attempts to prod his readers into action, he also stresses that Jewry’s salvation depends on translating kabbalah books into English and disseminating the principles of Jewish mysticism via Englishspeaking channels.88 Te End of the Days One of Krakovsky’s most riveting, shelved works is Te Dawning Light, a book consisting of over 300 pages.89 Written in 1956, this work introduces readers to Jewish esoteric wisdom. More specifically, it surveys elements of the corpus, explains kabbalistic ideas, discusses the Jewish people’s mission and the virtue of the Torah, and clamours for a return to Jewish occult literature. Te work commences with the following dramatic call to action: I have entitled [sic] this work “Te Dawning Light” because its subject matter is pertinent to our time, in which humanity is witnessing its darkest hours … [Te] world is on the threshold of a great upheaval, which is due to come just before the disclosure of the dawning light. However, the thick clouds that hover over mankind will, at that time, be expelled; and the spiritual light, in turn, will permeate the universe. In these ominous times, when man has been overtaken by fear of nuclear warfare, he must not let himself sink into despair but rather labor in dispelling the gross darkness to make it possible for the dawning light to manifest and dissipate the contaminated air of the evil spirit that holds in its clutches the hearts and minds of man …. A third World War, however, would amount to mutual annihilation. Consequently, in order to ward off this total destruction of the human race, it is imperative for man to merit the greatest weapon of all. It is the source of all creation, to wit: the spirit of G-d.90

Despite the grave importance that he places on his endeavour, Krakovsky once again limits the study of kabbalah to yeshiva students that are already well-versed in the Talmudic literature.91 If the Jews shun the kabbalah, ‘another tragedy will befall’ us.92 In short, Krakovsky is merely calling for the establishment of small

86)

Although Krakovsky does not refer to his mentor by name, he extolls Ashlag’s recent commentary on the Zohar; ibid, 33. 87) Krakovsky, Te Indwelling Fire of the Torah (MS). 88) Ibid., 2. 89) Krakovsky, Te Dawning Light (MS). Tis manuscript and the letters pertaining to Krakovsky’s efforts to publish Te Dawning Light are in his family’s possession. 90) Ibid., I–II. 91) Ibid., 17–20, 29, 34. 92) Ibid., 34–35.

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groups of young Talmud scholars that will herald or engender this turnaround. Te book itself seems to be targeting these same people who, much to the author’s chagrin, fail to heed his call. At the very outset of Te Dawning Light, Krakovsky expounds on the Jews’ role in the final stages of the redemption: ‘Te disclosure of the new light upon Zion, which will completely redeem Israel and the Land from their enemies, essentially depends upon Israel’s labor in the secret mysteries of Torah hidden in the Zohar and the Kabbalah’. In this context, he heaps praise on Ashlag’s recent book: ‘Te new explanations … are the chariot for the light and also the harbinger proclaiming the redemption of Israel’.93 Following in his mentor’s footsteps, he then discusses the Land of Israel’s political and spiritual ‘liberation’.94 While to this point Krakovsky pinned the fate of the world on the deeds of mankind, in Te Dawning Light he succumbs to the temptation of calculating the apocalypse: ‘Te emendation of the world and man will take place at about the Hebrew year five thousand seven hundred and sixty [2000]’.95 A special chapter of this book is indeed dedicated to the redemption and the subsequent resurrection of the dead.96 He also predicts, albeit with qualification, the year in which the messiah’s identity will come to light: ‘From this our present Hebrew year five thousand seven hundred and sixteen [1956] until the Hebrew year five thousand seven hundred and twenty [1960], his coming, as the writings of the ancient sages of the Kabbalah reveal, is probable’.97 Given the ostensible proximity of this event, his readers are entreated to waste no time in repenting and to prepare themselves for the imminent arrival of the anointed one. While these sort of calculations were prevalent in other kabbalists’ works, their inclusion in one of Krakovsky’s propaganda-oriented treatises raises eyebrows. It is conceivable that he was influenced by the predictions that were bandied about by Lubavitch Hasids who lived in his neighbourhood. Like other end-of-time prognosticators, Krakovsky felt no need to justify what he had written once the date had come and gone. From his perspective, these sort of forecasts merely expressed the possibility of an immediate redemption and of mankind’s latent potential to expedite this fateful event by means of purification, sanctification, and embracing the occult.

93)

Ibid., 1. As was his custom, Krakovsky neither mentions Ashlag nor enumerates his works by name. Tis book also discusses haSulam (the Ladder), his rabbi’s commentary on Te Zohar; ibid., 16. 94) Ibid., 2–3. 95) Ibid., 39. 96) Ibid., 152–154, 161–165. 97) Ibid., 162–163.

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Te Dawning Light is among the few closeted works for which there is evidence that Krakovsky actively sought a publisher: Te Pageant Press was indeed willing to print it, but apparently there was a disagreement over the terms of the deal. As a result, the manuscript was put on the backburner.98 Krakovsky only published one work during this period, Tzadik Yisod Olam [Righteous is the foundation of the world] (1961). Surprisingly, this book is a compendium of kabbalistic sources by other authors, rather than one of the works that he had toiled over for years.99 Te book is apparently the fruit of private kabbalah lessons that the author gave, as he drew on the kind of texts featured therein for his lectures. In fact, the lion’s share of Krakovsky’s own gospel would remain buried in works that remained in manuscript form throughout the rest of his lifetime. Gershom Scholem and Kabbalah in America In 1953, Gershom Scholem saw fit to pen a short review of Krakovsky’s Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption (1950), which he defined as a sort of ‘kabbalistic propaganda’. Tis critique could have easily been directed at the later works of Philip Berg’s Kabbalah Centre. According to Scholem, this book features a modern, Ashlagian adaptation of Lurianic thought. Given its supernatural bent, he warned, the book should be read with caution, if at all.100 In a letter to a student (Sara Ora Heller Wilensky) in the United States, the distinguished professor urged her to get other pamphlets and booklets by that same anonymous rabbi. Tough Scholem admitted that he did not think too highly of these writings, he wanted to complete his vast collection of kabbalah-related material.101 All told, even afer receiving word of the so-called kabbalists in California (most of whom

98)

Richards, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’ (MS). Krakovsky, Tzadik Yesod Olam. Tis book revolves around a work by the same name. While this text is attributed to HaARI, it is probably of Sabbatean origin, for it is adorned with the words of kabbalists other than Luria. 100) Scholem, ‘Book Review’, 312. 101) To follow are select parts of the letter Scholem wrote to Heller Wilensky on July 19, 1951: ‘A month ago they sent me some rather large book of Rabbi Krakovsky on the kabbalah, for the sake of reviewing it in Jewish Social Studies. However, I’m still looking for a booklet by the name of Te Omnipotent Light Revealed, which came out in 1939 in Hollywood under some fictitious publisher that has certainly not been in existence for quite some time and perhaps by chance you will run into a copy of the booklet (about a hundred pages long) in Boston … Another of the author’s booklets was stolen from me by a [female] tourist from America who paid me a visit … Tat said, one can live in great comfort even without all this’. Heller Wilensky, ‘Gershom Scholem’, 57. It bears noting that these pamphlets are missing from the Scholem Collection to this day. 99)

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were connected to the Teosophical Society), Scholem viewed the developments in North America as a mere historical anecdote or a bizarre expression of pseudokabbalah or pseudo-research. In 1948, Samuel L. Lewis, a Jewish Sufi writer from California, wrote a lengthy letter to Scholem. Aside for showering unbridled praise on the scholar’s Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism (1941), the letter harbours precious insights on the Teosophical Society. Te second edition of Scholem’s book, which came out in New York several years earlier (1946), drew rave reviews from members of the academe and also made waves in broad sectors of American society. Its report on the remnants of old-school kabbalists in Jerusalem sparked Lewis’ desire to unite all those—be they Jews, Christians, or Muslims—who see ‘the inner light’ for the purpose of forging a shared ‘spirituality’ (Lewis would eventually be dubbed Sufi Sam and christened the “founder” of the New Age). Scholem’s blatantly derisive response is of great interest in several respects. With regard to the topic at hand, the professor avers that no one will ever approach the level of mastery attained by the inner circle of Jerusalem kabbalists. Moreover, he writes that Lewis’ survey on the Teosophists is of no use to his own research.102 Tose same ‘kabbalists’ in California certainly felt a greater affinity for their fellow countryman, Krakovsky, than the German-born professor. Even if the principles of Krakovsky’s outlook were a far cry from their own worldviews, the Teosophists surely found some consolation in the various hints in his earlier writing as to the kabbalah’s universal relevance. At the outset, Krakovsky indeed appealed to the public at large. However, from the 1950s onward, his chief concern was to drum up interest among Jews, which he saw as the first step in an inexorable change of global proportions. During his lifetime, there were several figures in North America who were promoting Jewish esoteric wisdom (in Hebrew and/or Yiddish), by means of multifarious, ofen whimsical approaches, such as Yehudah Yudel Rosenberg (1860–1936), Benjamin Wolf Rosoff (1869–1957), and S.Z. Setzer (1876–1962). Unlike his contemporaries, Krakovsky aspired to eventually bring the kabbalah to a much larger audience. In the final estimate, he was more of a promoter of big ideas and visions than an independent thinker seeking to renew a venerable tradition in his own unique way. 102)

‘I must confess’, Scholem wrote, ‘that I have never been initiated into any esoteric circle, and in interpreting Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism at all, I have been relying on my own intuition and that measure of understanding which a careful analysis of difficult texts on a philological basis may afford’. Lewis’ letter and Scholem’s response can be found in his Archive, Lewis, ‘Letter’ (MS). Te scholar’s answer was also published in Scholem, Briefe, 5–6. At any rate, his reply cannot be understood without Lewis’ letter, which has remained in manuscript form.

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Krakovsky, Yehuda Zvi Brandwein and the Initial Foray of Philip Berg In all likelihood, Krakovsky’s name would have remained the preserve of a few specialists on the annals of Jewish mysticism if not for the arrival of one Shraga Feivel Gruberger, alias Philip Berg (b. 1929), onto the scene in the mid-1960s. According to Te Kabbalah Centre’s records, the Brooklyn native was attracted to the Ashlagian circles in Jerusalem. Tereafer, he became the student and sole inheritor of Yehuda Tzvi Brandwein (1903–1969).103 Berg indeed spent a few years under Brandwein’s wing and collaborated with him on fundraising and an assortment of logistical issues (e.g., moving Brandwein’s yeshiva to Jerusalem’s Old City). During the 1960s, Berg and Krakovsky met in New York. Although the latter taught his fellow kabbalist several facets of his own approach, Krakovsky’s part in Berg’s rise was understated or entirely lef out of the Centre’s own historical accounts.104 However, it appears that the impression he lef on Berg was appreciably larger than most researchers believe. In fact, it was Krakovsky who set the impresario on his new path: Berg’s ambitions of making the kabbalah accessible to English speakers naturally led him to shake off the dust from Krakovsky’s writings. Not only did he absorb Krakovsky’s teachings, but blurred his teacher’s innovations in the process of integrating them into his own works. Tis unknown episode, which was exposed by Jody Myers, indeed warrants a closer look, for it is a key development in the ultimate acceptance of Krakovsky’s gospel. An examination of the pertinent sources indicates that the first American kabbalah organization Berg was involved in, Te National Institute for Research in Kabbalah, was founded in July 1965, with substantial help from Krakovsky.105 In addition, the National Institute probably distributed stencilled copies of one of Krakovsky’s English translations, which he completed back in 1942.106 Oddly enough, there is not so much as a hint of Brandwein’s name or his involvement in the society’s establishment in those same records. However, he is referred to as the head of the National Institute in an advertisement that it subsequently ran. What is more, this same text gives the impression that the association was merely

103) See Tidhar, Encyclopedia, vol. 14, 4491; Katai, ‘Construction Worker and Rabbi’, 413– 415; Gotlieb, Ha-Sulam, 456–459; Rabinowicz, Hasidism and the State of Israel, 193–194. 104) Meir, ‘Te Revealed and the Revealed within the Concealed’, 172–176. 105) For a discussion on this organization, see Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 30, 35. Te signatories on the declaration are Philip S. Gruberger, Harry Z. Wulliger, Jacob Flaks, Levi I. Krakovsky, Eugene Semel, and Yehuda Nussbaum. 106) Krakovsky, Te Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’. While apparently written or copied in 1942, it was only typed out and distributed twenty years later. Te outer cover reads ‘Published and Distributed by National Institute for Research in Kabbalah, 147 Remsen st. [sic], Brooklyn, NY’. However, this organization was only founded in 1965.

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a fundraising wing of Brandwein’s Kol Yehuda Yeshiva in Jerusalem, rather than an independent research body. According to one of the books that the Institute put out in 1965, the publisher is Kol Yehuda, the president is Berg, and the most senior figure is Brandwein.107 On the other hand, Krakovsky and the rest of the members were completely lef out. During those same years, Brandwein edited Ashlag’s writings, continued his rabbi’s interpretive enterprise on the omissions and amendments to the Zohar, and reprinted an edition of Luria’s writings. Although a member of Israel’s insular Haredi community, Brandwein concomitantly served as a member of the Tel Aviv Religious Council (a body that caters to all residents) and as a religious director of the Executive Committee of the Workers Union.108 In press interviews, he accentuated the importance of Hasidic literature and life, as well as the kabbalah, to the modern man.109 Similar ideas are expressed in one of his articles; stressing the importance of ‘renewed national education’ afer the founding of the Jewish state, he talks about the need to ‘rekindle the ember that was withering for what is now two thousand years’ and how vital religion (not kabbalah) is to Israeli society.110 Krakovsky and Brandwein originally met back in the 1920s, when both were frequenting Ashlag’s home in Jerusalem. Although there was mutual admiration between the two, their relationship was not especially close.111 Brandwein was uninterested in helping Krakovsky publish his English books within the framework of Kol Yehuda and the National Institute, even though the latter was also affiliated with both organizations.112 At any rate, Berg soon embarked on a new path. While he apparently split his time between disseminating Jewish occult knowledge in North America and promoting the yeshiva in Jerusalem, the focus was on the former. In 1968, Berg published the following short advertisement for the National Institute in the classi-

107)

Kordovero, Or Neerav. Te collaboration between Brandwein and MaPAI (Hebrew acronym for Workers’ Party of the Land of Israel) aroused some criticism in Haredi circles, an echo of which can be found in the words of Vilner, Meetings with the Rabbi, 98–99. See also Sharett, Personal Diary, 2279; Kapra, Minei Teiman, 272–276. In the late 1920s, Brandwein was involved in a short-lived pioneering settlement near Jerusalem. 109) Shamir, ‘Is it Possible to Teach Hasidism’, 6–8; Lipschitz, Te Faith of a Hassid, pp. 37–40. 110) Brandwein, ‘Religion, Nation and the Workers Union’, 277–280. 111) Tere is reason to believe that they had a deeper relationship. Te two may have bonded during a short trip that Krakovsky presumably made to the Land of Israel in 1947; see Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 29–30. 112) Brandwein alluded to the connection between these organizations in several of his letters; Berg, Sefer Yedid Nafshi, vol. 3, 354, 355, 368.

108)

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fied section of the Saturday Review: ‘Searching for Truth? Read the Hebrew Kabbalah in English’. Te advertisement, which includes a mail-order address, does not reveal the name of the proffered book,113 but Berg was apparently marketing Krakovsky’s works (especially Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption). Before long, the Brooklynite had added other works to his distribution list. In 1969, he printed Krakovsky’s translation of Talmud Eser haSefirot,114 and released a new edition of Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption in 1970. Tat same year he published Luzzatto’s Klalai Hokhmat haEmet, perhaps afer adapting Krakovsky’s translation.115 Berg’s allusions to Krakovsky perhaps betray the connection between these two American kabbalists’ works. For instance, he wrote that Brandwein had warned that ‘it’s not advised to be in contact with him’. Nevertheless, ‘I worked together with that same student [of Ashlag] on a few translations into English’. In the end, Berg was sued by Krakovsky’s son for plagiarism.116 In 1969, Berg circulated a letter outlining his activities: Fantastic progress is being made in every direction … except that of the art of living in harmony on earth—without rancor, conflict, and destruction. It is only through study of the Kabbalah that this art can be reached …. Tis most holy of studies is not being conducted within the most holy of cities, historic Old Jerusalem … Here [in New York] our Center truly expands. Here our enlarged staff can prepare important manuscripts for printing in Hebrew and English …. In these tumultuous times, the National Institute regards it as its deep responsibility to contribute to [the] resolution of the upheaval … to provide a personal guide for each one of us. Tus it has made available the very first English textbook on the Kabbalah—intended for the beginner regardless of his Hebraic or religious background.117

Te last work that Berg mentions is indeed one of Krakovsky’s books/translations, which the former published that same year. Affixed to this letter was a brochure listing the National Institute’s book offerings. Most of the list is comprised of kabbalah books in Hebrew, which Ashlag’s

113)

Berg, ‘Advertisement’, 58. Ashlag, Te Kabbalah: A Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations. On the margins of his copy, Gershom Scholem wrote that ‘a second edition with many changes and the addition of an introduction by Philip Gruberger came out in 1972’. 115) Luzzatto, General Principles of the Kabbalah. In a later edition (1984), Berg was credited with translating the work. 116) Berg, Sefer Yedid Nafshi, vol. 1, 53, 74–76. For a discussion on the legal proceedings, see Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest, 52–53, 229–230. Afer their father’s passing in 1969, Krakovsky’s sons distributed his translations and other works in stencil form. For example, his son Avraham circulated texts in this format: Te Kabbalah: Dialogue Between G-d and the Alphabet. 117) Berg, ‘Letter’ (MS), 61. 114)

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students had recently printed. In addition, Berg informs his readers that ‘It is our hope and dream to produce all the Hebrew volumes in fine English editions for a far greater readership. We wait for the aid of people of good will’.118 In parallel to Berg’s efforts in the United States, Avraham Brandwein and Mordechai Sheinberger operated within the framework of the yeshiva in Jerusalem. It is unclear when the rif between the American and Israeli branches transpired, but at an early stage in their partnership Kol Yehuda released the beginning of Krakovsky’s rendering of Talmud Eser haSefirot on its own. Tis edition includes a new English introduction that emphasizes the criteria for those wishing to delve into the occult.119 Berg resided in Israel from 1971 to 1981 and between 1983 and 1984. Troughout this period, he strengthened the Research Centre of Kabbalah, disseminated his own books (from the late 1970s onwards), and gave lectures. In the 1980s, he established a short-lived yeshiva in Tel Aviv by the name of Ohr Hozer leʾLimud haNigleh veʾhaNistar (Returning Light for the Study of the Revealed and Concealed). Within this framework, he circulated a few photo-copied editions of kabbalistic works, including Krakovsky’s last book.120 Te real turnaround in Berg’s career occurred years later, upon his return to the United States. Only at this juncture did he extend the borders of the kabbalah in ways that surely did not cross the mind of his early teachers.121 Conclusion Krakovsky and Berg’s careers as promoters of Jewish esoteric wisdom got off to similar starts. However, the developments in the Land of Israel and the United States at the height of Berg’s career created an atmosphere that was more amenable to the widespread dissemination of the kabbalah. Tat said, Berg deserves 118)

Ibid. Ashlag, Te Kabbalah: A Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations. With the exception of an English introduction with a different layout, which was written by Brandwein and Sheinberger, the template is identical to Berg’s edition. From 1969 onwards, the rif between Brandwein and Berg’s outfits was manifested in the different names that the two sides used for their respective organizations. At this early stage, Berg was already using the odd name ‘Yeshivat Kol Yehuda Street’. 120) Te yeshiva’s name appears in the following books: Shaʾar ha-Gilgulim; Krakovsky, Tzadik Yesod Olam; Shaʾar ha-Kavanot, with the commentary ‘Or Pashut’ by Yehuda Leib Ashlag. 121) See, for example, the list of courses and Te Kabbalah Centre’s branches in the English brochure that was affixed to the end of Ashlag, Sefer Matan Torah. According to this text, centres were established in Tel Aviv, New York, Hollywood, Paris, and Mexico City. One of the courses on offer was ‘Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and the Age of Aquarius’. 119)

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credit for introducing modifications that facilitated his effort to bring this literature to a wide range of “spiritual seekers”. In fact, the argument can be made that he forged a new or post-modern version of Jewish occult knowledge, which skyrocketed in the 1990s and commands attention to this very day.122 Te connection between Ashlag’s doctrine and the works of Krakovsky and Berg still demand a closer look. At any rate, Levi Isaac Krakovsky’s unsung and multifaceted role in the annals of the North American kabbalah revival promises to shed considerable light on the far-reaching breakthrough that would transpire several decades afer his passing. Bibliography Ashlag, Yehuda Leib, ‘Writings for the last Generation’, Te Works of Baal haSulam, Bnei Brak: Ashlag Research Institute 2009 [Hebrew]. ——, Sefer Matan Torah (With an Introduction By Philip Shraga Berg), Tel Aviv: Research Centre of Kabbalah 1984 [Hebrew]. ——, Talmud Eser Hasefirot, Brooklyn: Kabbalah Foundation 1943 [Hebrew]. ——, Te Kabbalah: A Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations, Section 1, trans. Levi I. Krakovsky, Jerusalem: Te Press of the “Research Centre of Kabbalah”, Yeshivat Kol Yehuda Street, 1969. ——, Te Kabbalah: A Study of the Ten Luminous Emanations, Section 1, trans. Levi I. Krakovsky, Jerusalem: Yeshivat Kol Yehuda, [1969?]. ——, Or ha-Bahir, Jerusalem: Yeshivat Kol Yehuda 1991 [Hebrew]. Barclay, Joseph and MacGregor, Samuel Liddell, Hebrew Literature: Comprising Talmudic Treatises, Hebrew Melodies and Kabbalah Unveiled, with a special introduction by Epiphanius Wilson, London: Colonial Press 1901. Berg, Michael, Sefer Yedid Nafshi, Jerusalem: Kol Yehuda Yeshiva Press 1997 [Hebrew]. Berg (Gruberger), Philip Shraga, ‘Letter’ (MS), Te archive of Te American Jewish Historical Society, Collection *I-424, Series I, Miscellaneous Organizations, Box 61. ——, [Advertisement], Saturday Review ( July 27, 1968), 58. Blau, Joseph L., ‘Book Note’, Te Review of Religion 5 (1940), 115. ‘Books Received’, Te Jewish Quarterly Review 31 (1940), 102. Brandwein, Yehuda Tzvi, ‘Religion, Nation and the Workers Union’, Moed, eds. Yehuda Gothelf, Zvi Arad, Tel Aviv: Tarbut 1961, 277–280 [Hebrew]. Central Conference of American Rabbis LXI (1951), 408. ‘Contemporaneous Literature’, Central Conference of American Rabbis LIV (1944), 262. ‘Der Yidicher und Hebreischer Literature’, Die Zukunf XLIX, 7 ( July 1944), p. 459. Dresner, Samuel H., Te Zaddik, London & New York: Abelard-Schuman 1960. Franck, Adolph, Te Kabbalah, trans. I. Sossnitz, New York: Te Kabbalah Publishing Company 1926.

122) See Myers, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest; idem, ‘Te Kabbalah Centre’, 409–420; Huss, ‘All You Need Is LAV’, 611–624; idem, ‘Te New Age of Kabbalah’, 107–125.

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Golub, Jacob S., ‘Mimeographed and Pamphlet Literature’, Jewish Education 15 (1944), 181. Gotlieb, Mordechai Avraham, Ha-Sulam: Biographies of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag and Rabbi Baruch Ashlag and their Pupils, Jerusalem: Or Baruch Shalom, 1997 [Hebrew]. H.T.A., ‘Book Review’, Te Teosophical Forum (March 1940), 236–237. Hanegraaff, Wouter J., ‘Occultist Kabbalah’, Dictionary of Gnosis & Western Esotericism, ed. Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Brill: Leiden and Boston 2006, 644–647. Heller Wilensky, Sarah Ora, ‘Gershom Scholem and Yosef Weiss: A Jerusalem Story’, Igra 3 (1991), 37–88 [Hebrew]. Herzog, Yitzhak, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’ (MS), 1947, Te Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66, Folder 5. Huss, Boaz, ‘Te New Age of Kabbalah: Contemporary Kabbalah, the New Age and Postmodern Spirituality,’ Journal of Modern Jewish Studies 6 (2007), 107–125. ——, ‘All You Need Is LAV: Madonna and Postmodern Kabbalah’, Te Jewish Quarterly Review 95 (2005), 611–624. ——, ‘Altruistic Communism: Te Modernist Kabbalah of R. Yehuda Ashlag’, Iyunim Bitkumat Israel 16 (2006), 109–130 [Hebrew]. Jewish Book Annual 10 (1951–1952), 6. ‘Joseph L. Sossnitz, Philosopher, Dead: Author and Scientist, Was Known as the Socrates of the Jews’, Te New York Tines (March 3, 1910). Jung, Leo, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’ (MS), 1950, Te Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66 Folder 5. Kapra, Pinchas, Minei Teiman, Tel Aviv: P. Kapra 1978 [Hebrew]. Katai, Josef, ‘Construction Worker and Rabbi’, Shana be-Shana (1987), 413–415 [Hebrew]. Kohn, Jacob, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’, 1940 (MS), Te Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66, Folder 5. Kordovero, Moshe, Or Neerav, Tel Aviv: Yeshivat Kol Yehuda for the Study and Distribution of Kabbalah Jerusalem Tel Aviv [!], 1965 [Hebrew]. Krakovsky, Levi Isaac, A Call To Israel! Te Wisdom of Kabbalah: Te Indispensable Light for the New Age of Israel and All Mankind, Hollywood, California: Kabbalah Culture Society of America 1939. ——, A Voice fom Heaven is Calling Israel, Brooklyn [1950?], Te Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66 Folder 5. ——, [Advertisement], Te Jewish Quarterly Review 30 (1940), on the back cover. ——, Aseh Tov, Brooklyn: Levi I. Krakovsky [1940–1950?]. ——, Correspondence with Cyrus Adler (MS), Te Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, ARC MS26—Cyrus Adler Collection, Box 58, FF5. ——, Die Goldene Gezete, Jerusalem: S. Zuckerman [1920?] [Yiddish]. ——, Elijah Te Prophet’s Eulogy to “Te Supreme Being” (MS). ——, General Principles of Kabbalah (Philosophy of Jewish Religion), Original Hebrew Edition together with a simplified translation, Brooklyn [1945?]. A single copy of this document has been preserved at the Jewish Public Library in Montreal. ——, ‘Haskamot’ (MS), Te Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66, Folder 5. ——, If Eventually—Why Not Now? Brooklyn: Kabbalah Foundation [1942?].

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——, Israel’s Survival in Kabbalah, Brooklyn: Levi I. Krakovsky [1944?]. ——, Kabbalah: Dialogue between God and the Hebrew Alphabet (MS), Brooklyn [1970?]. ——, Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption, Brooklyn: Te Kabbalah Foundation 1950. ——, Kabbalah: Te Light of Redemption, Jerusalem: Te Press of the “Yeshivat Kol Yehuda” for the Dissemination of the Study of Kabbalah 1970. ——, Key to Paradise (MS) Brooklyn, New York: November 25, 1953. ——, ‘Letter’, 1940 (MS), Te American Jewish Historical Society, Collection *I-424, Series I, Miscellaneous Organizations, Box 54. ——, ‘Letter’, 1950 (MS), Te Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66 Folder 5. ——, ‘Letters’ (MS), the Herbert D. Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, Pennsylvania University, ARC MS26—Cyrus Adler Collection, Box 58 FF5. ——, Man: Te Goal of Creation, What Does the L-d Require of Him (MS). ——, Open Tou Mine Eyes (MS), Brooklyn [1945?], Te Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66 Folder 5. ——, Spiritual Knowledge is the True Paradise (MS), Brooklyn 1950, Te Anita Brenner Papers, Series III, Correspondence, Box 66 Folder 5. ——, Tablet (1930), Yale University Library, Archive, 1998 Folio 14 6. ——, Te Dawning Light (MS) Brooklyn: 1956. ——, Te Indwelling Fire of the Torah (MS). ——, Te Kabbalah: A Study of Rabbi Isaac Luria’s ‘Tree of Life’ (MS), Brooklyn: National Institute for Research in Kabbalah [1965?]. ——, Te Kabbalah: Dialogue Between G-d and the Alphabet (MS), Brooklyn [1970?], Te main library of New Mexico State University. ——, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed (Prospect), Hollywood, California: Te Kabbalah Culture Society of America 1939, A single copy of this document has been preserved at the American Jewish Historical Society, Collection *I-424, Series I, Miscellaneous Organizations, Box 54. ——, Te Omnipotent Light Revealed: Te Luminous Tegument to Unite Mankind into One Loving Brotherhood, Hollywood, CA: Kabbalah Culture Society of America 1939. ——, Te Secret Light of the Torah (MS), Brooklyn, New York. ——, Te Vessel for Spiritual Light (MS), Brooklyn, New York [1950?]. ——, Te Way Tat Leads to Belief in God and Te Knowledge of Him (MS). ——, Te Wisdom of Kabbalah and its Importance, New York: Te Kabbalah Culture Society of America 1938. ——, Tzadik Yesod Olam, New York: Levi I. Krakovsky 1961 [Hebrew]. ——, Tzadik Yesod Olam, Tel Aviv: Yeshivat Kol Yehuda 1983 [Hebrew]. ——, Yeshivat Chochmat ha-Kabbalah/Announcement of the Opening of the Wisdom of Kabbalah Institute, Brooklyn [1945?], Tis circular is preserved in the archive of Te Gellman Library, George Washington University, the I. Edward Kiev papers, Collection Number K0001, Box 07 Folder 409. Lemberger, Moshe Baruch, ‘Birkat Moshe’, Hashem Shamati Shimecha, vol. 3, ed. Avraham Mordechai Gottlieb, Bnei Brak: Or Baruch Shalom 2009 [Hebrew]. Lewis, Samuel L., Letter to Gershom Scholem (MS), Te National library of Israel, Gershom Scholem Archive, 401599, Correspondence, Samuel L. Lewis. Lipschitz, Max A., Te Faith of a Hassid, New York: J. David 1967.

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Luzzatto, Moses C., General Principles of the Kabbalah, trans. the Centre of Kabbalah, New York: Te Research Centre of Kabbalah 1970. Luzzatto, Moses C., General Principles of the Kabbalah, trans. Philip Shraga Berg, Jerusalem: Research Centre of Kabbalah, 1984. Meir, Jonatan, ‘New Discoveries Concerning R. Judah Leib Ashlag’, Kabbalah: Journal for the Study of Jewish Mystical Texts 19 (2009), 345–368 [Hebrew]. ——, ‘Te Revealed and the Revealed within the Concealed: On the Opposition to the “Followers” of Rabbi Yehudah Ashlag and the Dissemination of Esoteric Literature’, Kabbalah: Journal for the Study of Jewish Mystical Texts 16 (2007), 151–258 [Hebrew]. ——, ‘Wrestling with the Esoteric: Hillel Zeitlin, Yehudah Ashlag, and Kabbalah in the Land of Israel’, Judaism, Topics, Fragments, Faces, Identities, eds. Ephraim Meir and Haviva Pedaya, Beer Sheva: Ben-Gurion University 2007, 585–647 [Hebrew] Morrison, Paul G., ‘Review’, Te Journal of Religion 21 (1941), 106. Myers, Jody, ‘Te Kabbalah Centre and Contemporary Spirituality’, Religion Compass 2 (2008), 409–420. ——, Kabbalah and the Spiritual Quest: Te Kabbalah Centre in America, Westport, Connecticut, London: Praeger Publishers 2007 Pike, Albert, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Charleston: 1871. Rabinowicz, Harry M., Hasidism and the State of Israel, London & Toronto: Associated University 1982. Richards, Seth, ‘Letter to Krakovsky’ (MS), 1956. Schachter, Zalman M., ‘Some Recent Mystical Literature’, Judaism 2 (1962), 278. Scholem, Gershom, Briefe, vol. 2: 1948–1970, ed. Tomas Sparr, München: C.H. Beck 1995. Scholem, Gershom, ‘Book Review’, Jewish Social Studies 15 (1953), 312. Shaʾar ha-Gilgulim, Tel Aviv: Yeshivat Kol Yehuda 1981 [Hebrew] Shaʾar ha-Kavanot, with the commentary ‘Or Pashut’ by Yehuda Leib Ashlag, Tel Aviv: Yeshivat Kol Yehuda 1984 [Hebrew]. Shamir, Shlomo, ‘Is it Possible to Teach Hasidism to the Young Generation’, Panim el Panim 108 (1961), 6–8 [Hebrew]. Shapira, Tzvi Elimelech of Dynów, Bnei Yisaschar, Lemnerg: Ozjasz Wilf 1909 [Hebrew]. Sharett, Moshe, Personal Diary, Tel Aviv: Maʾariv 1978 [Hebrew]. Simons, Stephen R., Benjamin Wolf Rosoff: Te Messiah of Brownsville, Dissertation, Brandeis University, 2002 Teosophist Magazine (April–June 1928), 262–263. Tidhar, David, Encyclopedia of the Founders and Builders of Israel, vol. 14, Tel Aviv: Tidhar 1965 [Hebrew]. Uzzel, Robert L., Te Kabbalistic thought of Éliphas Lévi and its Influence on Modern Occultism in America, Dissertation, Baylor University, 1995. Vilner, Alter, Meetings with the Rabbi, ed. Tuvia Bloy, Jerusalem: R. Mass 1984 [Hebrew]. Wolfson, Elliot R., Venturing Beyond: Law and Morality in Kabbalistic Mysticism, New York: Oxford University Press 2006.