Midrash ha-neʿelam

work by de León

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June 30, 2026

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Midrash ha-ne'elam translates to "The Mystical Midrash" and is an allegorical work primarily written in Hebrew. It is attributed to Moses de León, a Jewish Kabbalist who lived from approximately 1250 to 1305. De León also authored the Sefer ha-zohar (Book of Splendor), considered the most significant work of Jewish mysticism.12

The Midrash ha-ne'elam and the Zohar were written as pseudepigrapha, meaning they were attributed to an earlier authority, Rabbi Simeon ben Yoḥai, a sage from the 2nd century. De León's intention was to combat the rise of rationalism among Spanish Jews and to reassert the authority of traditional religion by reinterpreting its doctrines and rituals. These works delve into mystical commentaries on scripture, exploring concepts like divine emanations known as sefirot.12

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Judaism
The making of the Zohar (c. 1260–1492)
…of about 30 years the Midrash ha-neʿelam (“The Mystical Midrash”), an allegorical work written mainly in Hebrew, and then the Sefer ha-zohar (“Book of Splendour”)—or, more briefly, the Zohar—a larger work written in artificial Aramaic, whose content is theosophic. The Zohar culminates in a long speech in which Simeon ben…
Read More
…of about 30 years the Midrash ha-neʿelam (“The Mystical Midrash”), an allegorical work written mainly in Hebrew, and then the Sefer ha-zohar (“Book of Splendour”)—or, more briefly, the Zohar—a larger work written in artificial Aramaic, whose content is theosophic. The Zohar culminates in a long speech in which Simeon ben…
Read More