cabbala

views updated May 14 2018

cabbala (kabbala) Form of Jewish mysticism. It holds that every word, letter, number, even accent of the Bible contains mysteries to be interpreted, often in the form of codes for Yahweh. The earliest extant cabbalist work is the 3rd-century Sefir Yezirah (‘Book of Creation’). Cabbalism spread throughout Europe in the 13th century, and is still practised by some Hasidic Jews.

World Encyclopedia

cabbala

views updated Jun 08 2018

cabbala oral tradition handed down from Moses to the Rabbis; tradition of mystical interpretation of the O.T. XVI. — medL. — Rabbinical Heb. ḳabbālāh tradition, f. ḳibbēl receive, accept, admit.
Hence cabbalist XVI, -istic XVII, -istical XVI.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

Cabbala

views updated May 18 2018

Cab·ba·la / kəˈbälə; ˈkabələ/ • n. variant spelling of Kabbalah.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

Cabbala(h)

views updated May 21 2018

Cabbala(h) (teachings of the Jewish mystics): see KABBALAH.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions JOHN BOWKER

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