[Avodah] The Chasam Sofer on the Zohar

[Prof. L. Levine]

From

http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2014/05/five-things-you-should-know-about-lag.html
[https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_FliOexkCi9m0GkKtl9iBBz82u3Ix0y_oUOLek3kE6HQyglsHShj34x9FpGEjMUOA5cyQ3z26hYm1R5pV3Jpa2-kykmMCVVeh6cHXMv8v5Li2tBOQh8=w1200-h630-p-k-no-nu]<http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2014/05/five-things-you-should-know-about-lag.html>
Rationalist Judaism: Five Things You Should Know About Lag B'Omer<http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2014/05/five-things-you-should-know-about-lag.html>
1. It is popularly believed that Lag ba-Omer is the day on which Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai died. This is based on a printing mistake found ...
www.rationalistjudaism.com
4. It is widely accepted in the Orthodox world that the Zohar, which Moses de Leon published in the 13th century, was written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It is further widely held that to question the authenticity of the Zohar is heresy. You Don't Mess With The Zohar.<http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2010/10/you-dont-mess-with-zohar.html>

5. Nevertheless, Chasam Sofer was of the view that the vast majority of the Zohar was not written by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, but was instead written much later. The standard view amongst frum people with academic training and/or non-dogmatic attitudes who are knowledgeable about this topic is that the Zohar was largely written by Moses de Leon, albeit incorporating older traditions to a lesser or greater extent. See this lengthy article<http://www.zootorah.com/controversy/ZoharEnglish.pdf> by an anonymous charedi rabbi discussing many problems with the Zohar. Rav Ovadiah Yosef said<http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2010/10/rav-ovadiah-yosef-on-zohar.html> that because of the serious questions that arise with attributing the Zohar to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, one cannot call someone a heretic for rejecting his authorship of it. See too this article<http://seforim.blogspot.co.il/2012/08/concerning-zohar-and-other-matters.html> by Dr. Marc Shapiro mentioning other authorities that rejected the antiquity of the Zohar.

The Chasam Sofer is in Yoreh Deah siman 233.

YL
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