Daniel Matt is available as a scholar-in-residence. Over many years, he has taught in this capacity around the country and abroad. Below is a partial list of topics. Videos of some of his presentations are available by clicking above on Free Videos. You can contact him by clicking above on Contact.
Shekhinah: The Feminine Aspect of God
One of the boldest contributions of Kabbalah is the idea that God is equally female and male. Daniel Matt will briefly trace the development of Kabbalah and then focus on the concept of Shekhinah (the feminine aspect of God) from its rabbinic origins to its full flowering in the Zohar, where Shekhinah is identified with the Sabbath Bride.
How Kabbalah Reimagines God
How does this spiritual movement (and its masterpiece, the Zohar) conceive and reimagine God? Among the topics Daniel Matt will explore are: Ein Sof (God as Infinity), Shekhinah (the feminine divine presence), and the radical idea that God needs us.
God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality
Our scholar-in-residence will present a lecture exploring the parallels between Kabbalah and contemporary cosmology. How does the mystical understanding of Creation compare with the modern theory of the origin of the universe? Is there a way to harmonize these two approaches—the scientific and the spiritual?
The Mystical Meaning of Torah
How does the mystical approach to Torah differ from a literal approach? From a midrashic approach? How can a mystical approach enrich our lives today? Daniel Matt will explore these questions with us by teaching several passages from his award-winning translation, the Zohar: Pritzker Edition.
The Zohar: Masterpiece of Kabbalah
The Zohar emerged in 13th-century Spain. How exactly did it originate and what is its significance for us today? How does this mystical masterpiece interpret and reimagine the Torah? Our scholar-in-residence will explore these questions with us by teaching several passages from his award-winning translation, the Zohar: Pritzker Edition.
Finding God in the Material World
How can God be encountered in our daily life? Dr. Matt will explore this question with us by teaching passages from Kabbalah and Hasidism on the nature of God, the act of Creation, and the challenge of discovering God in the material world.
Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation
In the Bible, Elijah is a zealous prophet, attacking idolatry and injustice. He performs miracles, restoring life and calling down fire. When his earthly life ends, he vanishes in a whirlwind, carried off to heaven in a fiery chariot. Was this a spectacular death, or did Elijah escape death entirely? The latter view prevailed. Though residing in heaven, Elijah revisits earth—to help and rescue, to enlighten spiritual seekers, and ultimately herald the Messiah. Because of his messianic role, Jews open the door for Elijah during each seder—the meal commemorating liberation from slavery and anticipating final redemption. How did this Biblical zealot turn into a compassionate hero and source of wisdom—as well as the most popular figure in all Jewish folklore? In this talk, Daniel Matt will explore that question, tracing how Elijah develops from the Bible to Rabbinic Judaism, Kabbalah, and Jewish ritual. His transformation is pertinent and inspirational for our polarized, fanatical world.
Shekhinah: The Feminine Aspect of God
One of the boldest contributions of Kabbalah is the idea that God is equally female and male. Daniel Matt will briefly trace the development of Kabbalah and then focus on the concept of Shekhinah (the feminine aspect of God) from its rabbinic origins to its full flowering in the Zohar, where Shekhinah is identified with the Sabbath Bride.
How Kabbalah Reimagines God
How does this spiritual movement (and its masterpiece, the Zohar) conceive and reimagine God? Among the topics Daniel Matt will explore are: Ein Sof (God as Infinity), Shekhinah (the feminine divine presence), and the radical idea that God needs us.
God and the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality
Our scholar-in-residence will present a lecture exploring the parallels between Kabbalah and contemporary cosmology. How does the mystical understanding of Creation compare with the modern theory of the origin of the universe? Is there a way to harmonize these two approaches—the scientific and the spiritual?
The Mystical Meaning of Torah
How does the mystical approach to Torah differ from a literal approach? From a midrashic approach? How can a mystical approach enrich our lives today? Daniel Matt will explore these questions with us by teaching several passages from his award-winning translation, the Zohar: Pritzker Edition.
The Zohar: Masterpiece of Kabbalah
The Zohar emerged in 13th-century Spain. How exactly did it originate and what is its significance for us today? How does this mystical masterpiece interpret and reimagine the Torah? Our scholar-in-residence will explore these questions with us by teaching several passages from his award-winning translation, the Zohar: Pritzker Edition.
Finding God in the Material World
How can God be encountered in our daily life? Dr. Matt will explore this question with us by teaching passages from Kabbalah and Hasidism on the nature of God, the act of Creation, and the challenge of discovering God in the material world.
Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation
In the Bible, Elijah is a zealous prophet, attacking idolatry and injustice. He performs miracles, restoring life and calling down fire. When his earthly life ends, he vanishes in a whirlwind, carried off to heaven in a fiery chariot. Was this a spectacular death, or did Elijah escape death entirely? The latter view prevailed. Though residing in heaven, Elijah revisits earth—to help and rescue, to enlighten spiritual seekers, and ultimately herald the Messiah. Because of his messianic role, Jews open the door for Elijah during each seder—the meal commemorating liberation from slavery and anticipating final redemption. How did this Biblical zealot turn into a compassionate hero and source of wisdom—as well as the most popular figure in all Jewish folklore? In this talk, Daniel Matt will explore that question, tracing how Elijah develops from the Bible to Rabbinic Judaism, Kabbalah, and Jewish ritual. His transformation is pertinent and inspirational for our polarized, fanatical world.