Kabbalah Reading + Q

Kabbalah (Jewish Mysticism)

1. What can explain the rise of a new kind of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) in Safed in historical terms? What events was it responding to (e.g., the expulsion from Spain), and how did it come to terms with them?

What can explain this new kind of Kabbalah is the frequently changing religions and the peoples beliefs, For example, conversos. Safed became one of the most spiritual places of the world, so its reputation grew. It also grew because of the direct communication it gave the people to the dead mystical figures of importance. The events that it was responding to was the trauma of the exile from the Italian and North African approach. It came about because of the religious life the was growing in the 16^th century as a result of the actual expulsion of the Jews (Flurry of religious emotions). 

2. What are the most important aspects of Safed Kabbalah? For example, how does it view the redemption of the Jewish people?

There are two main and important aspects that make the Safed Kabbalah so important. The first aspect is the fact that it provides an economic base for the community which leads to the second point being trade. The safed Kabbalah gives the Jewish people and others that gather in the area a place for trade, meaning an opportunity to make money. Also, it added a sense of spirituality to the land which gave the Jewish people confidence.