The Cult of the Saints in Lurianic Kabbalah

The article argues that the saint (tsadik) was the centerpiece of the Lurianic circle that flourished in the Galilean town of Safed in the sixteenth century. It examines a complex of practices designed towards communion with the souls of elect figures both living and departed. These practices reflect a sophisticated and intensive cult of the saints in these circles. I suggest that this cult influenced similar social and ideational structures in the later Eastern European Hasidic movement. The article also examines several phenomenological and anthropological themes related to communion with the souls of the saints, such as danger, sexuality and nationality.