Medieval Jewish mysticism and the Journey of Ascent

(again, from Karen Armstrong's book, The History of God)

 “Just as Christians imitated Christ in an attempt to draw near to God, the Hasid imitated his Zaddik, who had made the ascent to God and practiced perfect devekuth. He was a living proof that this enlightenment was possible. Because the Zaddik was close to God, the Hasidim could approach the Master of the Universe through him. They would crowd around their Zaddik, hanging on his every word, as he told them a story about the Besht or expounded a verse of Torah. As in the enthusiastic Christian sects, Hasidism was not a solitary religion but intensely communal. The Hasidim would attempt to follow their Zaddik in his ascent to the (Kindle Locations 7179-7183) which focused upon the description of the heavenly chariot (Merkavab) seen by the Prophet Ezekiel and which took the form of an imaginary ascent through the halls (hekhaloth) of God’s palace to his heavenly throne. Tikkun (Hebrew) Restoration. The process of redemption described in the Kabbalism of Isaac Luria, whereby the divine sparks scattered during the Breaking of the Vessels (q.v.) are reintegrated with God. (Kindle Locations 8612-8615).
 Quoted in Rachel Elin, “HaBaD: the Contemplative Ascent to God,” in Green, ed., Jewish Spirituality II, p. 161. Armstrong, Karen (2011-08-10). History of God (Kindle Locations 9301-9302). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The Journey of Ascent - Part II

This is an extended quote from Karen Armstrong's awesome book, The History of God about the journey of ascent in Jewish, Christian and Muslim mysticism ... and probably among Buddhists as well!

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"Although it is clearly culturally conditioned, this kind of “ascent” seems an incontrovertible fact of life. However we choose to interpret it, people all over the world and in all phases of history have had this type of contemplative experience. Monotheists have called the climactic insight a “vision of God”; Plotinus had assumed that it was the experience of the One; Buddhists would call it an intimation of nirvana. The point is that this is something that human beings who have a certain spiritual talent have always wanted to do. The mystical experience of God has certain characteristics that are common to all faiths."


Armstrong, Karen (2011-08-10). History of God (Kindle Locations 4728-4733). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.