Amir Or, R. J. Zwi Werblowsky

Gershom Scholem, born Gerhard Scholem in Berlin in 1897, is widely recognized as the founder of the modern academic study of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. He was the first professor of Jewish mysticism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a position he held from 1933 until his retirement in 1965. Scholem's father was a printer, and his brother, Werner Scholem, was a prominent German Communist leader who was later murdered by the Nazis.

Scholem's intellectual journey led him to study mathematics, philosophy, and Hebrew. He developed significant friendships and correspondences with key intellectuals of his time, including Walter Benjamin, Leo Strauss, Martin Buber, and Salman Schocken. Influenced by Zionist ideals and Buber, Scholem immigrated to British Mandate Palestine in 1923. In Jerusalem, he worked as a librarian, significantly revamping the Dewey Decimal System for Judaica collections, and later became a professor at Hebrew University. His academic work focused on understanding Jewish mysticism not as a peripheral phenomenon, but as a central element of Jewish religious and intellectual history, often contrasting his approach with earlier, less mystical-focused scholarship.

Gershom Scholem fundamentally reshaped the academic understanding of Jewish mysticism, particularly the Kabbalah. He approached the subject with rigorous historical and philological methods, establishing it as a legitimate and crucial field of scholarly inquiry. Scholem argued that the mythical and mystical dimensions were vital components of Judaism, not mere peripheral elements. He posited that these non-rational forces constituted the living core of the religion, challenging the prevailing 19th-century scholarly approach, known as Wissenschaft des Judentums, which often viewed Judaism as a static object of study and prioritized rational aspects over mystical experiences.

Scholem's life was marked by significant intellectual relationships, notably his deep friendship with Walter Benjamin, to whom he dedicated his book 'Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism.' He also corresponded with Leo Strauss and engaged with thinkers like Martin Buber. While committed to Zionism and the establishment of a Jewish homeland, Scholem's relationship with the practical ethics of Zionism was complex and critical, distinguishing his views from those of Buber. He immigrated to Palestine in 1923, where he pursued his academic career and contributed to the development of its libraries and academic institutions.

Scholem proposed a distinct historiographical framework for understanding Jewish history, dividing it into periods that highlighted the interplay between rational and mystical forces. He controversially suggested that movements like Sabbateanism and Hasidism emerged from specific Kabbalistic traditions, and hypothesized that early Kabbalah might have roots in Jewish Gnosticism. Furthermore, Scholem believed in the potent, even supernatural, capacity of language, particularly Hebrew, to reveal divine truth, positioning it uniquely among languages in his theoretical framework.