Jewish Art

What Is Kabbalah?

Evelina G
December 12, 2024

Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About Kabbalah

Kabbalah is one of the most mysterious and misunderstood areas of Judaism. Learn more and get all your questions answered with this primer!

What is Kabbalah?

Kabbalah is a mystical tradition and school of thought within Judaism, drawing on our original Jewish texts such as the Torah. It aims to understand and explain the relationship between the eternal God and the mortal universe and humanity.

Jews who are drawn to kabbalah experience their Judaism and their relationship to the Divine in a deeply spiritual and sometimes esoteric way. Kabbalists are often known for imbuing their Jewish practice with song, dance, and other happy expressions of their loving relationship with God.

While certain celebrities have been known to partake in a sort of pop-culture version of kabbalah, this is far from the real thing. Real kabbalistic teachings, including its foundational texts such as the Zohar, are usually so advanced and esoteric that they are inaccessible to non-Jews and to anyone who has not first deeply studied the foundational Jewish texts including the Torah and Talmud.

However, there are actually some kabbalistic influences and practices that have made their way to mainstream Judaism over the centuries! One common example is the kabbalat shabbat ritual of welcoming shabbat through prayer and song and likening it to welcoming a bride. You don’t need to study kabbalah in order to engage in these common practices, or to for example wear kabbalah-inspired jewelry and amulets!

Express your spirituality through kabbalah jewelry!

Connect with your spirituality through kabbalistic phrases, symbols, and protective amulets, right on stunning jewelry pieces from some of Israel’s best design studios.

What are those red strings for?

You might have seen people wearing red string bracelets or heard that it has something to do with kabblah. Sometimes there are even people giving them out to visitors at the Kotel or the Western Wall. Known in Hebrew as khutt hasheni, they are treated as a protective amulet and believed to bring Divine protection on the wearer. Their origin is unknown, but they are indeed often associated with the kabbalistic tradition.

Since the traditional thin wool strings can easily tear or wear out if not woven thickly, a more modern practice has come about of wearing red bracelets made of more solid materials such as leather, or incorporating a red string by weaving it into a silver chain. These kabbalistic bracelets are inspired by the original red strings, and often also feature metal pendants with kabbalistic or other religious verses and motifs.

Other kabbalistic symbols & jewelry

But that’s not all! There are several other symbols and motifs commonly associated with kabbalah, that anyone can connect with and wear in order to deepen their spirituality and invoke Divine protection, such as:

One aspect of the kabbalistic tradition is using symbols, words, and letters to express Jewish religious concepts and deepen our connection to the Divine – something that Israeli artists are exploring through gorgeous kabbalah jewelry available right in our store!

Ready to explore Jewish mysticism and deepen your spiritual connection? Browse beautiful kabbalah jewelry from Israel’s top artists and find your own special amulet!

And if you need help picking out the perfect piece for yourself or a loved one, check out our top kabbalah jewelry guide here.