Moses ben Jacob Cordovero or Moshe Cordevero (1522-1570), known by the acronym the Ramak, was a Medieval rabbi and one of the greatest scholars of Judaism's Kabbalah. Events January 9 - Adrian Dedens becomes Pope Adrian VI. February 26 - Execution by hanging of Cuauhtémoc, Aztec ruler of Tenochtitlan under orders of conquistador Hernán Cortés. ... Events January 23 - The assassination of regent James Stewart, Earl of Moray throws Scotland into civil war February 25 - Pope Pius V excommunicates Queen Elizabeth I of England with the bull Regnans in Excelsis May 20 - Abraham Ortelius issues the first modern atlas. ... Acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations formed from the initial letter or letters of words, such as NATO and XHTML, and are pronounced in a way that is distinct from the full pronunciation of what the letters stand for. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools the sages were addressed as רִבִּי (Ribbi... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Kabbalah (Hebrew קַבָּלָה reception, Standard Hebrew Qabbala, Tiberian Hebrew Qabbālāh; also written variously as Cabala, Cabalah, Cabbala, Cabbalah, Kabala, Kabalah, Kabbala, Qabala, Qabalah, Kaballah) is an interpretation (exegesis, hermeneutic) key, soul of the Torah (Hebrew Bible), or the religious mystical system of Judaism claiming an insight into divine nature. ...

His birthplace is unknown, but the name Cordovero indicates that his family originated in Córdoba, Spain and fled from there during the expulsion of 1492 during the Spanish Inquisition. Location within Europe, Spain and Andalusia Córdoba, the Roman bridge and the Mosque-Cathedral View across the old Roman bridge towards the Mezquita Interior court of the Mezquita Córdoba is a city in Andalucía, southern Spain, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. ... 1492 was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pedro Berruguete. ...

The Ramak moved to Safed in the Land of Israel, the city that was soon to become famed as a center of Kabbalah. At a young age, he already gained a reputation as an extraordinary genius. Besides his knowledge in Kabbalah, he was a Talmudic scholar and philosopher of the highest rank, and was widely respected in these fields. He was one of the four rabbis to receive the special semicha ("ordination") from Rabbi Yaakov Beirav in 1538, along with Rabbi Yosef Karo (Cordovero's teacher in Halakha), Rabbi Moshe of Trani, Rabbi Yosef Sagis, and Rabbi Moses Alshich, all of whom were much older and better known than the young prodigy. Safed (Standard Hebrew צְפַת , commonly spelled Tzfat; Arabic: صفد ; KJV English Zephath) is a city in the North District in Israel. ... This article concerns the concept of The Land of Israel (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל Eretz Yisrael) in Jewish and Christian thought throughout the history from its Biblical sources to the present day. ... The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions on Jewish law, Jewish ethics, customs, legends and stories, which Jewish tradition considers authoritative. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... Semicha (סמיכה) (meaning leaning [of the hands]) is a Hebrew word referring to what may be roughly translated as the ordination (in Hebrew: semichut סמיכות) of a rabbi within Judaism. ... Events Treaty of Nagyvarad. ... Rabbi Yosef (Joseph) Ben Ephraim Karo is one of the most important leaders in the history of halakha (Jewish law). ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... Rabbi Moses ben (son of) Chaim Alshich (1508-1593), known as the Alshich, was a Medieval Rabbi and biblical commentator. ...

According to tradition, in 1542, at the age of twenty, the Ramak heard a "heavenly voice" urging him to study Kabbalah with his brother-in-law, Rabbi Shlomo Alkabetz, composer of the mystical song Lecha Dodi. He was thus initiated into the mysteries of the Zohar. The young Ramak mastered the text completely. This failed to satisfy him, however, since its teachings are often vague, without discernible structure. In order to clarify them in his own mind, he began writing two books. The first was Ohr Yakar ("Precious Light"), a 16 volume commentary on the Zohar. The second, Pardes Rimonim ("Orchard of Pomegranates"), completed in 1548, secured his reputation. The Pardes, as it is known, was a systemization of all Kabbalistic thought up to that time. Especially important was that in it the author attempted a reconciliation of many early schools with the Zohar's teachings, in order to demonstrate an essential unity and self-consistent philosophical basis of Kabbalah. Events War resumes between Francis I of France and Emperor Charles V. This time Henry VIII of England is allied to the Emperor, while James V of Scotland and Sultan Suleiman I are allied to the French. ... Lecha Dodi (sometimes transliterated as Lekha Dodi, or Lekah Dodi) is a Hebrew liturgical song recited during Jewish Sabbath services on Friday evening, after sundown. ... The Zohar (Hebrew זהר Splendor, radiance) is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births September 2 - Vincenzo Scamozzi, Italian architect (died 1616) September 29 - William V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1626) Francesco Andreini, Italian actor (died 1624) Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist (burned at the stake) 1600 (died 1600) Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general...

Some other books for which the Ramak is known are Tomer Devorah ("Palm Tree [of] Deborah"), in which he utilizes the Kabbalistic concepts of the Sephirot ("Divine attributes") to illuminate a system of morals and ethics, Ohr Neerav, a justification of and insistence upon the importance of Kabbalah study, and an introduction to its methods, Elimah Rabbati, a treatise on kabbalistic problems, and Sefer Gerushin. Sephirah, also Sefirah (Hebrew language סְפִירָה Enumeration); plural Sephiroth or Sefiroth סְפִירוֹת. ...

Around 1550, the Ramak founded a Kabbalah academy in Safed, which he led for twenty or so years, until his death. According to Jewish legend, it was reported that the prophet Elijah revealed himself to him. Among his disciples were many of the luminaries of Safed, including Rabbi Eliyahu di Vidas, author of Reshit Chochmah ("Beginning [of] Wisdom"), and Rabbi Chaim Vital, who later became the official recorder and disseminator of the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria. Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... Elijah (אֱלִיָּהוּ Whose/my God is the Lord, Standard Hebrew Eliyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔliyyāhû), also Elias (NT Greek Ἠλίας), is a prophet of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. ... Eliyahu di Vidas (1518-1592) was a medieval rabbi, known for his work in the Kabbalah. ... This article may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to enhance clarity. ... Rabbi Chaim Vital (1543-1620) was the closest disciple of the great 16th-century kabbalist, the Ari - Rabbi Itzchak Luria and his foremost interpreter. ... Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–July 25, 1572) was a Jewish scholar and mystic who was secretly believed by some to be the messiah (Mashiach ben Yossef to be more precise). ...

His books

1. Zohar Ohr Yakar - A classic commentary on the Zohar.
2. Tomer Devorah ("Palm tree [of] Deborah")
3. Ohr Neerav
4. Reshit Chochmah

External links

• Rabbi Moshe Cordovero
• Tomer Devorah (The Palm Tree of Deborah) - Cordovero's classic text
• Moses Cordovero's Meditations for the Ten Days of Repentance
• The Ramak