Rabbi Shlomo Blickstein
This PhD thesis studies the life, context and works of Joseph Giqatila (1248–c. 1322), particularly his Ginnat ‘Egoz (The Garden of the Nut). Giqatila uses qabbalah as a technical term to denote an esoteric tradition regarding the Divine Names. “The single most striking feature of all Giqatila’s philosophical-qabbalistic writings is the presence of Maimonidean religious rationalism together with letter and number symbolism.”
The lower world emanates from the true principle of the celestial spheres which in turn emanates from the true principle of the primordial essence. All reality, therefore, is reducible to that essence which is the esoteric principle of His Name.
Originally published as Between Philosophy and Mysticism: A Study on the Philosophical-Qabbalistic Writings of Joseph Giqatila. Republished here with thanks to the author and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
