The conflation of Kabbalah with mysticism has led to significant confusion, not only in academic discourse but also in religious practice and popular understanding. Kabbalah, at its core, is not “mysticism” in the vague and often misapplied sense of the term. Rather, it is a controlled transmission of Jewish theology, passed down within strict parameters to those who had already mastered Torah and reached a stage of recognized wisdom within their communities.
The very term Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה) simply meaning “received,” indicating its function as an oral tradition carefully preserved and imparted, rather than an open-ended, individualistic spiritual pursuit.
However, over time—particularly in the Middle Ages—Kabbalah became increasingly associated with “mysticism,” a term that itself demands clarification. What do we mean by mysticism? If one prays, are they not engaging in a mystical act? If so, then mysticism cannot simply mean a heightened spiritual awareness, because prayer is foundational to all religious life.
Likewise, esoteric is another term that requires reevaluation. It has often been applied to Kabbalah as though it refers to a hidden or secretive doctrine, when in reality, Kabbalah was never meant to be a “secret” tradition, but rather a disciplined theological framework reserved for those deemed ready to receive it. A better term might be symbolic theology or spiritual symbolism, recognizing that Kabbalistic teachings function through structured metaphors rather than mystical experiences detached from Torah study.
The problem of conflation extends beyond Judaism. Christian figures such as Meister Eckhart, whose teachings were deeply rooted in systematic theological reflection, have also been labeled as “mystical,” even though their work was more about theological contemplation than ecstatic experience. Just as Lurianic Kabbalah systematized earlier Kabbalistic thought into a more developed theology, figures like Eckhart engaged in symbolic and allegorical theology, rather than mystical visions in the way the term is popularly understood today.
In this essay, I will seek to define these terms with more precision, trace the historical shifts that led to their conflation, and propose a more accurate framework for understanding the distinction between Kabbalah and mysticism. By doing so, I aim to recover the integrity of Kabbalah as a structured oral tradition of theological symbolism, rather than a loosely defined mystical pursuit. Only by reclaiming these definitions can we untangle the confusion that has blurred the distinction between received tradition and personal spiritual experience.
I. Kabbalah: A Controlled Transmission of Theology
Kabbalah was never meant to be an open or speculative mystical system. Unlike mystical traditions that emphasize personal revelation, Kabbalah has always been a structured, hierarchical transmission of theology. Traditionally, it was only taught to those who had reached the age of 40, had mastered the Torah, and had been recognized as worthy presbyters or elders. This restriction was not about secrecy in a mystical sense but about ensuring that theological ideas were transmitted responsibly within the Jewish community.
Jewish sages understood the dangers of speculative theology. This is why figures such as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, traditionally associated with the Zohar, were depicted as revealing Kabbalistic teachings only to a select group of disciples who had already proven their mastery of Torah and Halakhah. In this way, Kabbalah functioned much like oral Torah, passed down from teacher to student in an unbroken chain. It was never meant to be an independent mystical experience but rather an interpretive framework for understanding deeper theological realities within Judaism.
II. The Misuse of the Term “Mysticism”
In modern usage, the term mysticism is often applied to anything that appears spiritually profound, emotionally intense, or symbolically rich. However, this broad definition obscures more than it clarifies. If mysticism means experiencing the divine, then all prayer is mystical, which makes the term redundant. If it means encountering hidden truths, then all theology is mystical, which makes it meaningless.
Historically, mysticism has been associated with unmediated encounters with God—visions, ecstatic experiences, and altered states of consciousness. Figures such as Meister Eckhart, St. Teresa of Ávila, and Sufi mystics like Rumi were later classified as mystics because they described direct experiences of the divine. However, many of these figures were not mystics in the sense of rejecting structured theology—they were theologians who used symbolic language to discuss their experiences.
Kabbalah, in contrast, is not primarily about direct experience but about understanding divine structures through received tradition. Unlike mystical traditions that prioritize personal revelation, Kabbalah requires study, discipline, and textual mastery before any engagement with its ideas.
III. The Medieval Conflation of Kabbalah with Mysticism
The medieval period saw an increasing overlap between Kabbalah and general mystical thought, largely due to external influences and historical circumstances:
1. Christian and Islamic Mysticism – Jewish scholars in medieval Europe and the Islamic world interacted with Christian and Sufi mystics, leading to a blending of theological language. The mystical experiences of other traditions were sometimes mapped onto Kabbalah, even when the two had very different structures.
2. The Spread of the Zohar – The Zohar introduced symbolic cosmology, which later readers interpreted through a mystical lens, rather than as an exegetical system for understanding divine reality.
3. The Rise of Lurianic Kabbalah – The teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria introduced an even more complex cosmology, focusing on divine emanations, tikkun (repair), and gilgul (reincarnation). These ideas, though theological, were often read as mystical doctrines rather than structured interpretations of Jewish theology.
4. Christian Kabbalists and the Occult – Renaissance Christian scholars like Pico della Mirandola and later occultists appropriated Kabbalistic ideas for non-Jewish mystical systems, further distancing it from its original rabbinic framework.
IV. A Call for Precision: Kabbalah as Symbolic Theology
To reclaim the integrity of Kabbalah, we must distinguish between received theological tradition (Kabbalah) and personal experiential spirituality (mysticism). Kabbalah is a controlled interpretive tradition rooted in Torah, while mysticism—whether Jewish, Christian, or otherwise—focuses on unmediated spiritual experiences.
A classification might look like this:
Kabbalah = Symbolic Theology – A structured tradition of received interpretations, passed down through rabbinic teaching to advanced studentsMysticism = Direct Experience – A personal, often unmediated encounter with the divine, typically outside structured theology but based upon its truthEsoteric = Spiritual Symbolism – Hidden meanings within theology, but not necessarily mystical in nature
Conclusion: Restoring Theological Clarity
The conflation of Kabbalah with mysticism has led to serious misunderstandings, both within and outside Judaism. While Kabbalah is deeply spiritual, it is not an open-ended mystical pursuit but rather a disciplined, received tradition of theological interpretation within a very ancient religious tradition that has a proven system of orality.
Hopefully by making these distinctions clear can we untangle the confusion that has clouded both Jewish and Christian theological thought. Kabbalah is not mysticism—it is received wisdom, preserved for those prepared to understand it.
