A River Flows From Eden: The Language of Mystical Experience in the Zohar (review)

Abstract

A River Flows From Eden: Language of Experience in Zohar, by Melila Hellner-Eshed, trans. Nathan Wolski. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2009. 469 pp. $60.00. A River Flows From Eden is replete with insights and delights. It is without a doubt one of most engaging books on Jewish mysticism in general, and Zohar, in particular. Melila Hellner-Eshed is an accomplished scholar of kabbalistic literature and an excellent guide into intricacies of one of its most challenging works. A River Flows From Eden is truly rewarding for novice and expert alike. book is divided into five parts: a general introduction, followed by sections on The Zohar's Heroes, The Companions' Way of Life, Zohar's Methods of Generating and finally Mystical Experience in In Introduction Hellner-Eshed lays out her game plan. She then discusses basic methodological issues, such as reading strategies for understanding kabbalistic texts and current research on Zohar. She also offers various definitions of mysticism and ways they are applicable to her subject. In so doing, she highlights Jess Hollenback's Mysticism: Experience, Response and Empowerment, and its updating of William James' classic study on religious experience. Zohar is a ponderous, multi-volumed theosophical midrash on Torah and other texts of Hebrew Scriptures. It is not a homogenous work, but rather a composite of some two dozen compositions that are frequently interwoven. Hellner-Eshed does not attempt to dissect and analyze all of its parts; instead she focuses on major themes. title, A River Flows From Eden, is taken from Gen. 3:1. Like a constantly flowing river, this verse courses throughout both Zohar and Hellner-Eshed's monograph. It is a multivariate zoharic code that Hellner-Eshed deciphers for reader: sometimes referring to intra-Divine realm of Sefirot and at other times to protean figure of R. Shimon bar Yohai. One of Hellner-Eshed's interesting contentions is that Zohar is not promoting radically innovative biblical interpretations. Instead, one is presented with creative variations on a theme. To illustrate this point she offers an intriguing analogy: An artistic form from which it is possible to learn a great deal about artistry of zoharic is jazz jam session. . . . Similarly in art of zoharic midrash: All companions are familiar with theme of verse, all must embark on a solo to create a new and innovative homily (pp. 202-203). Elsewhere, she associates this imaginative undertaking with eros of Song of Songs, in which lovers create new forms of expression for their passionate longing for each other. Within world of zoharic homily, Companions expend great effort in attuning themselves to process of exposing world of mystery. . . . They do so in order to generate union between human and divine, as well as between masculine and feminine within divinity (p. 191). She characterizes this process with felicitous phrasing: the grand divine story hidden within interpreted text. union sought by Zohar's companions is not merely theosophical and transcendental; instead, its primary is with Torah as a corporeal entity. Hellner-Eshed graphically asserts: Amid his desire to unite with body of Torah, speaker must find a way to express his love differently, with a new or surprising focus (p. 195). Importantly, Hellner-Eshed insists that ultimate goal of zoharic enterprise is not to impress reader with hermeneutical virtuosity of R. Shimon and his disciples. Rather, zoharic discourses and stories function as a guide, leading committed reader on path of mystical experience. Thus R. Shimon is seen as not only leader of an ancient circle of Jewish mystics, but perennial mentor of all subsequent seekers. …