- 208 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
The Dybbuk is the first comprehensive study of the historical and kabbalistic sources of the dybbuk phenomenon, from the first recorded case of dybbuk possession in Safed in 1571 onward. Dybbuk possession differs from possession by demons or Satan. Its origin is in the Kabbalistic concept of gilgul (transmigration) for sins that are so grievous that Gehenna is not sufficient punishment, and the soul must therefore wander until expiation is found. The dybbuk can temporarily find refuge in animals or people and can only be exorcised by a Baal Shem, a great kabbalist or expert in Jewish magic. In addition to describing the history and evolution of this concept, The Dybbuk includes English translations of all dybbuk stories discussed in the book, many translated for the first time.
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 The Theoretical Origins of the Dybbuk Concept
- 2 Dybbuk Possession in Safed in the Sixteenth Century
- 3 The Published Dybbuk Accounts in the First Half of the Seventeenth Century
- 4 The Dybbuk in the Second Half of the Seventeenth Century: The Age of the Baâalei Shem
- 5 Rabbi Israel Baâal Shem Tov and Hasidism
- Appendix to Chapter 2
- Appendix to Chapter 3
- Appendix to Chapter 4
- Appendix to Chapter 5
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
- Back Cover