Tree of Souls (Schwartz)

645 texts · Page 2 of 72

Texts from Howard Schwartz's Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism, a landmark anthology gathering myths and legends spanning the full arc of Jewish tradition, from the creation of the world to the coming of the Messiah.

The Infinite Being

Tree of Souls

That, in essence, is the concept of Ein Sof. Think of it: before anything existed, there was only the Ein Sof – the Infinite Being. This isn't just an old idea; it's a foundational...

CreationHeavenAdam & EveMysticism

The Seven Forms Of God

Tree of Souls

But in Jewish mystical tradition, the idea that humanity reflects God is a powerful and recurring theme. Think about it: Genesis 1:27 states plainly that God created humanity in Hi...

CreationAdam & EveMysticism

The Ten Crowns Of God

Tree of Souls

But Jewish mystical tradition isn't afraid to ask big questions. And sometimes, the answers come in the form of dazzling imagery. The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mystic...

CreationHeavenMysticismProphecy

The First Being

Tree of Souls

It’s a question that's haunted philosophers and theologians for millennia, and Jewish tradition definitely has some answers. At the very heart of it all, there is ONE God. Absolute...

CreationAngelsHeavenTorah

The Cause Of All Causes

Tree of Souls

Think of it like this: the "Cause of all Causes" is above everything. I mean everything. There's no higher power, no celestial being pulling the strings of it. It's the ultimate or...

CreationAdam & EveMysticism

God's Omnipresence

Tree of Souls

And the answer, again and again, comes back to this: God is everywhere. It's right there in the scriptures. As it says, "His presence fills all the earth" (Isaiah 6:3). We're not t...

HeavenMosesAdam & EveTemple

God Alone

Tree of Souls

And usually, it's not something we relish. In fact, Genesis tells us, "It is not good for man to be alone" (Gen. 2:18). But what about God? Think about this: before anything existe...

CreationSoul

God's Existence

Tree of Souls

That’s what we’re talking about when we talk about God. Think about that famous verse from Exodus (3:14), where God tells Moses, "I shall be what I shall be." It’s so much more tha...

CreationHeavenMessiahMoses

God's Gaze

Tree of Souls

It suggests that the entire universe, everything we know, exists only because God is actively, constantly, paying attention. Think about that for a second. A sixteenth-century Kabb...

Adam & Eve