Tree of Souls (Schwartz)

645 texts · Page 3 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.

God's Day

Tree of Souls

Jewish tradition has some fascinating, and surprisingly relatable, ideas. One captivating story, found in Midrash Aleph Bet (5:8-9), suggests that God's day is divided into two dis...

CreationAngelsDemonsHeaven

The Hidden God

Tree of Souls

Where is God? Have you ever stopped to truly consider that question? It seems simple, almost childlike. But the deeper you delve, the more mysterious it becomes. The mystics of our...

AngelsHeavenAdam & EveNoah & Flood

The Contraction Of God

Tree of Souls

Tzimtzum, a Hebrew word that means "contraction" or "self-limitation," is a profound idea in Jewish mysticism, particularly within the Kabbalistic tradition. It suggests that, befo...

CreationHeavenPatriarchsMoses

Adam Kadmon

Tree of Souls

Jewish mysticism gives us a fascinating, mind-bending concept: Adam Kadmon. Adam Kadmon, literally "primordial man," isn't just some ancient dude. According to kabbalistic traditio...

CreationHeavenTorahAdam & Eve

God's Disguises

Tree of Souls

Why the different guises? The Hasidic master Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explains that God does not change, but rather it is those who perceive God who are different. God appears t...

MosesHoly Land

Where God Dwells

Tree of Souls

And the answers? Well, they're as varied and beautiful as the stars in the night sky. Some say God dwells in the celestial realms, way up in the highest heaven, seated on the Kisei...

HeavenProphecyTempleHoly Land

The Holy Spirit

Tree of Souls

Jewish tradition has a powerful and beautiful answer: the Ruah ha-Kodesh, the Holy Spirit. According to tradition, before the Throne of Glory, before angels, before even the stars ...

CreationAngelsHeavenMessiah

The Breath Of God

Tree of Souls

We often picture a grand, sweeping gesture, a divine command echoing through the void. But what if it was something… gentler? Something more akin to a breath? The mystics certainly...

CreationAngelsHeavenSoul

The Mind Of God

Tree of Souls

I mean, everything! Think of it as the ultimate hard drive, loaded with every app, every file, every program imaginable – and even the ones unimaginable! According to some of our a...

CreationAdam & EveNoah & Flood