This page lists figures in Kabbalah according to historical chronology and schools of thought. In popular reference, Kabbalah has been used to refer to the whole history of Jewish mysticism, but more accurately, and as used in academic Jewish studies, Kabbalah refers to the doctrines, practices and esoteric exegetical method in Torah, that emerged in 12th-13th century Southern France and Spain, and was developed further in 16th century Ottoman Palestine. These formed the basis of subsequent Jewish mystical development.
This is a partial list of Jewish Kabbalists; secondary literature incorporating Kabbalah is enormous, particularly in the voluminous library of Hasidic Judaism that turned esoteric Kabbalah into a popular revivalist movement. Hasidism both adapted Kabbalah to its own internalised psychological concern, and also continued the development of the Jewish mystical tradition. Therefore, only formative articulators of Hasidic thought, or particularly Kabbalistic schools/authors in Hasidism are included here. In the Sabbatean mystical heresy that broke away from Judaism, only the founders are listed. Solely academic-university Jewish studies researchers of Jewish mysticism, not being "Kabbalists", nor necessarily Jewish, are not listed here; nor are separate non-Jewish derivative/syncretic traditions of Kabbalah.
Rabbinic figures in Judaism are often known after the name of their magnum opus, or as Hebrew acronyms based on their name, preceded by R for Rabbi/Rav.
Talmudic tannaic sages: Maaseh Merkabah (mystical Chariot)-Maaseh Bereishit (mystical Creation) (1st-2nd centuries). Yordei Merkabah (Chariot Riders)-Heikhalot (Palaces) mysticism (1st-11th centuries). Early-Formative texts are variously Traditional/Attributed/Anonymous/Pseudepigraphical:
Nehunya ben HaKanah Traditional attribution of the Bahir. 1st century
Four Who Entered the Pardes (including Rabbi Akiva c.40–137 CE)
Simeon bar Yochai (RaSHBI) Protagonist of the Zohar 1st-2nd centuries
Hasidei Ashkenaz (1150-1250 German Pietists). Mystical conceptions influenced Medieval Kabbalah:
Samuel of Speyer (Shmuel HaHasid) 12th century
Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg (Yehudah HaHasid) 1140–1217
Eleazar of Worms (Eleazar Rokeach) c.1176–1238
Medieval emergence and development of Kabbalah (12th-15th centuries)
Provence circle (Southern France - Provence and Languedoc 12th-13th centuries):
Abraham ben Isaac of Narbonne (RAVaD II) c.1110–1179
Abraham ben David of Posquières (RABaD/RAVaD III) 1125–1198
Isaac the Blind (Yitzhak Sagi Nehor) Neoplatonic approach c.1160–1235
Catalonia/Girona circle (North-East Spain 13th century):
Ezra ben Solomon
Azriel of Gerona Synthesised Gnostic and Neoplatonic elements c.1160–1238
Nachmanides (Moses ben Nahman, RaMBaN) Introduced Kabbalah in classic Bible commentary 1194–1270
Jacob ben Sheshet
Meshullam ben Solomon Da Piera
Castile circle (Northern Spain 13th century). Developed Demonic/Gnostic theory:
Jacob HaKohen
Isaac HaKohen Author of Treatise on the Left Emanation
Todros ben Joseph Abulafia c.1225–1285
Moses of Burgos
Ecstatic/Prophetic-Meditative Kabbalah (13th century):
Abraham Abulafia Spain, Italy, Malta. 1240-after 1291
Publication of the Zohar (1280s–90s Northern Spain):
Moses de León c.1250–1305
13th century Kabbalistic commentary:
Abraham ben Isaac of Granada Southern Spain 13th century
Joseph Gikatilla Prolific writings, including Shaarei Orah. Spain 1248–after 1305
Menahem Recanati Only Italian of his time writing mainly Kabbalah 1250–1310
14th-15th centuries saw a slowing continuation in Kabbalistic commentary:
Isaac of Acco Pupil of Nahmanides. Israel and Spain 13th-14th century
Bahya ben Asher (Rabbeinu Behaye) Kabbalistic classic commentary on the Torah. Spain d.1340
Influence of Medieval Jewish rationalism in Spain declined, culminating with the expulsion. Jewish fusions of Philosophy and Kabbalah were shared by wider non-Jewish Renaissance trends (not listed here):
Abraham Cohen de Herrera Fusion of Philosophy and Kabbalah. Spain and elsewhere c.1570–1635
Emigrees, some from Spain, some founding new centre of Safed in Ottoman Palestine:
Meir ibn Gabbai Spain to the East. Early systemiser. Kabbalistic response to Philosophy-Rationalism b.1480
Joseph Karo (Beit Yoseph) Central legalist and mystical diary. Spain to Safed 1488–1575
Shlomo Alkabetz Greece to Safed c.1500–1580
Moshe Alshich (Alshich Hakadosh) Turkey to Safed. Kabbalistic classic Bible commentary 1508–1593
Cordoverian school. Rationally-influenced systemisation of preceding Kabbalah:
Moses ben Jacob Cordovero (RaMaK) Taught in Safed. Author of Pardes Rimonim 1522–1570
Lurianic school. New mythological systemisation of Kabbalah. Basis of modern Kabbalah. Kitvei HaAri-Writings of the Ari written by disciples:
Isaac Luria (HaARI-zal) Taught in Safed. 1534–1572
Hayim Vital Italy, Safed, Syria. Foremost disciple of Luria. Author of Etz Hayim 1543–1620
Israel Sarug Spread Lurianism in Europe 1500s–1610
Safed dissemination:
Eliyahu de Vidas Ottoman Palestine. Author of Reshit Chochmah Kabbalistic-Ethical work 1518–1592
Central European Kabbalist Rabbis:
Judah Loew ben Bezalel (MaHaRal) Mystical Jewish thought in philosophical style. Prague c.1520–1609
Isaiah Horowitz (SheLaH haKadosh, author of Shnei Luchot HaBrit) Prague to Palestine c.1565–1630
Jonathan Eybeschutz Central Europe. Protagonist in Emden-Eybeschutz mysticism controversy 1690–1764
Nathan Adler Germany 1741–1800
Italian Kabbalists:
Moshe Haim Luzzatto (RaMHaL) Kabbalistic dissemination and cultural works. Italy, Holland, Israel 1707–1746
Elijah Benamozegh Universalist interpretation of Kabbalah. Italian Rabbi and scholar 1822–1900
Sephardi-Mizrachi (Oriental) Kabbalah:
Abraham Azulai Author of Chesed le-Abraham. Morocco to Israel c.1570–1643
Haim ibn Attar (Ohr ha-Haim classic Torah commentary) Morocco to Israel 1696–1743
Shalom Sharabi (RaShaSh) Yemen to Israel. Esoteric clarifier of Luria and Bet El Synagogue head 1720–1777
Haim Joseph David Azulai (HIDA) Bibliophile and Israel Rabbinic emissary 1724–1806
Ben Ish Hai (Yosef Hayyim) Sephardi Hakham in Iraq 1832–1909
Sabbatean mystical heresy (founders only):
Sabbatai Zevi Messianic claimant. Founder of Sabbatean break with Judaism. Ottoman Empire 1626–1676
Nathan of Gaza Prophet of Sabbatai Zevi. Israel and Ottoman Empire 1643–1680
Eastern European Baal Shem/Nistarim and other mystical circles:
Elijah Baal Shem of Chelm First to be given Baal Shem title. Poland 1550–1583
Elijah Baal Shem of Worms. Founder of Nistarim mystical activists. Poland/Germany b. c.1532
Elijah Loans. 1555–1636
Joel Baal Shem of Ropshitz
Adam Baal Shem. A teacher of the Besht
Abraham Gershon of Kitov Brody Rabbinic Lurianic circle before becoming Besht's brother-in-law. Ukraine, Israel c.1701-1761
Baal Shem of London (Hayyim Samuel Jacob Falk) Ukraine/Germany and England 1708–1782
Baal Shem of Michelstadt (Seckel Lob Wormser) Germany 1768–1847
Mitnagdic/Lithuanian Kabbalah:
Vilna Gaon (Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, GRA) Head of Non-Hasidic Eastern European Judaism. Opposed Hasidism 1720–1797
Hayim Volozhin Founder of Lithuanian Yeshivah movement. Main theorist of Mitnagdism in his Nefesh HaHayim 1749–1821
Yitzchak Eizik Chaver
Shlomo Elyashiv (Baal HaLeshem, after his major work) Lithuania 1841–1926
Kabbalistic notions pervade Hasidic thought, but it developed a new approach to Kabbalah, replacing esoteric theosophical focus with successive psychological internalisation. Therefore, only a minimal listing of Hasidic figures is given here; founding formative figures or commentators on esoteric Kabbalah texts/tradition.
Founding East-European Hasidic Masters:
Baal Shem Tov, (BeSHT, Israel ben Eliezer). Founder of Hasidism. Ukraine 1698–1760
Jacob Joseph of Polnoye. First writer of Hasidic thought. Ukraine 1710–1784
Dov Ber of Mezeritch (Maggid of Mezeritch). Systemiser of Hasidic thought, architect school of movement. Ukraine c.1700/1710–1772
Elimelech of Lizhensk. Founder of General-Hasidic "practical/popular Tzadikism" leadership. Poland 1717–1787
Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. Author of Kedushas Levi mainstram Hasidic Torah commentary. Ukraine 1740–1809
Schneur Zalman of Liadi. Intellectual-Hasidism Habad school. Author of Tanya theorisation of Hasidism. Russia 1745–1812
Nachman of Bratzlav. Kabbalistic-Imaginative Breslov school. Kabbalistic storytelling. Ukraine 1772–1810
Other Hasidic commentators on Kabbalah:
Hayyim Tyrer. Author of Sidduro shel Shabbat, kabbalistic homilies on Sabbatical subjects, and Sha'ar ha-Tefillah, kabbalistic reflections on prayer. Died at Jerusalem 1813.
Yisroel Hopsztajn (Maggid of Kozhnitz) A father of Polish Hasidism. Commentaries on Zohar and Tikunei Zohar 1737–1814
Dovber Schneuri Second Habad leader. Wrote commentary on Zohar and contemplation guides. Russia 1773–1827
Zadok HaKohen of Lublin. Kabbalistic commentaries based on Izbica personal illumination. Poland 1823–1900
Yaakov Yehuda Aryeh Leib Frenkel (Gevuras Aryeh). Kabbalistic work on Ramban's Torah commentary. Hungary 1850/1855–1940
Levi Yitzchak Schneerson.(1878–1944), father of the seventh and last Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Lubavitcher Rebbe. Unity of esoteric Kabbalah with exoteric Judaism through Hasidic Thought 1902–1994
From diverse traditions in Kabbalah (excluding Hasidic thought's internalisation approach):
Abraham Isaac Kook Chief Rabbi of Mandate Palestine and poetic-visionary mystical thinker 1865–1935
Yehuda Ashlag (Baal HaSulam, after main work) Translation of Zohar with new approach in Luria. Poland and Israel 1885—1954
Baba Sali (Israel Abuhatzeira) Mizrachi sage. Morocco to Israel 1890–1984
Yitzhak Kaduri Mizrachi continuation from Rashash. Iraq to Israel d.2006
Individual teachers of Jewish mysticism spirituality in modern-style articulations. Solely academic teachers in Jewish studies research are not listed here.
Orthodox Kabbalistic/Hasidic:
Aryeh Kaplan
Adin Steinsaltz
Dovid Gottlieb
DovBer Pinson
Yitzchak Ginsburgh
Non-Orthodox/Neo-Hasidic/Jewish Renewal:
Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
Arthur Green
Lawrence Kushner
Universalist-style Jewish teachers:
Philip Berg
Warren Kenton
Samuel Avital
