Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation)

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Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation) is a foundational strand of early Jewish esoteric teaching that explores the mystical dimensions of the universe’s creation as described in the opening chapters of Genesis.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (41)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Jewish esoteric teaching ⓘ
mystical doctrine ⓘ
topic in early Jewish mysticism ⓘ
aimsAt contemplation of God’s creative power ⓘ
understanding divine order of the cosmos ⓘ
associatedWith early Jewish mysticism ⓘ
early rabbinic literature ⓘ
category Jewish cosmology ⓘ
Jewish mysticism ⓘ
linked to: Kabbalah

esoteric exegesis of Scripture ⓘ
concerns divine activity in bringing the world into being ⓘ
mystical dimensions of creation ⓘ
connectedTo philosophical discussions of nature in medieval Jewish thought ⓘ
contrastedWith Maaseh Merkavah (Work of the Chariot) ⓘ
linked to: Merkavah mysticism
describedIn Mishnah Chagigah 2:1 ⓘ
linked to: Mishnah
discussedBy Talmudic sages ⓘ
focusesOn cosmology ⓘ
creation of the universe ⓘ
opening chapters of Genesis ⓘ
structure of the heavens and earth ⓘ
hasAspect metaphysical speculation about beginnings ⓘ
symbolic reading of creation narrative ⓘ
influenced later Kabbalistic thought ⓘ
influencedBy biblical cosmological imagery ⓘ
involves interpretation of biblical creation verses ⓘ
languageOfOrigin Hebrew ⓘ
literalMeaning Work of Creation ⓘ
pairedWith Maaseh Merkavah ⓘ
linked to: Merkavah mysticism
regardedAs advanced level of Torah study ⓘ
relatedConcept creation ex nihilo ⓘ
divine wisdom in creation ⓘ
religiousTradition Judaism ⓘ
sourceSection Genesis chapters 1–3 ⓘ
sourceText Book of Genesis ⓘ
statusInHalakhah subject not to be expounded publicly ⓘ
studiedWithin rabbinic academies ⓘ
teachingRestrictedTo select disciples ⓘ
timePeriodOfOrigin Second Temple and early rabbinic era (approximate) ⓘ
transmittedAs oral teaching ⓘ
treatedAs esoteric subject ⓘ
mystical interpretation of Genesis creation narrative ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Merkavah mysticism → relatedConcept → Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation) ⓘ
Commentary on Sifra de-Tzniuta → relatedToConcept → Creation in Kabbalah ⓘ
linked to: Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation)
Shaar HaPesukim → hasPerspective → Lurianic doctrine of creation and repair ⓘ
linked to: Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation)
Tractate Chagigah → hasSubject → Maaseh Bereshit (Account of Creation) ⓘ
linked to: Maaseh Bereshit (Work of Creation)