That’s how it feels to approach the Zohar, that mystical cornerstone of Kabbalah. But who actually wrote this ancient text? The answer, surprisingly, isn't as straightforward as you might think.

For those immersed in Kabbalah, there’s little debate. The author is, without question, the holy Tanna, Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai. He lived in the 2nd century CE, during the Roman occupation of Judea. Tradition holds that Rabbi Shimon, fleeing persecution, spent thirteen years hidden in a cave, where he communed with the Divine and received profound insights. These insights, according to tradition, became the foundation of the Zohar.

But not everyone agrees.

You see, some, “distant from this wisdom,” as Baal HaSulam puts it in his introduction to the Zohar, propose a different origin story. They suggest that Rabbi Moshe de Leon, a 13th-century Spanish Kabbalist, or his contemporaries, were the true authors. Why the discrepancy? Well, it boils down to a few things: historical context, textual analysis, and, perhaps most importantly, one's openness to the mystical worldview the Zohar presents.

The claim that Rabbi Moshe de Leon (or someone of his time) wrote the Zohar isn’t just idle speculation. It's rooted in historical and literary arguments. Some point to the Aramaic style of the Zohar, which, they argue, resembles the Aramaic used in 13th-century Spain more than the Aramaic spoken in 2nd-century Judea. Others highlight the Zohar's extensive engagement with Kabbalistic concepts that developed after Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai's time.

So, what are we to make of these competing claims? Does it even matter who wrote the Zohar?

Perhaps the more important question is: What does the Zohar teach us? Regardless of its authorship, the Zohar continues to inspire and challenge readers to delve deeper into the mysteries of existence. It invites us to explore the hidden dimensions of reality, to grapple with the nature of God, and to seek a more profound connection with the Divine. And maybe, just maybe, that's a journey worth taking, no matter who penned the words that guide us.