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Baruch Spinoza: Early Life, Biography, Kabbalah & Education

Baruch Spinoza: Early Life, Biography, Kabbalah & Education

September 27, 2025
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Baruch Spinoza: Early Life, Biography, Kabbalah & Education
Baruch Spinoza: Early Life, Biography, Kabbalah & Education Baruch de Spinoza was born on November 24, 1632, in Amsterdam to a family of Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin. His father, Michael Spinoza, was a successful Portuguese Jewish merchant, meaning the family was relatively well-off, and Spinoza's upbringing and education were above that of the common people. Although originally named Baruch, he later abandoned Judaism and adopted the Latin equivalent, Benedict, which he used in his writings and correspondence. His mother died when he was about six, and he was cared for by his stepsister Rebekah for three years. After his father’s death in 1654, Spinoza won a lawsuit against his sisters Rebekah and Miriam regarding his inheritance but allowed them to retain most of the estate. Education and Intellectual Development Early Jewish Education Spinoza's formal education was rooted in Hebrew language and literature within the thriving Jewish community of Amsterdam. He attended the community boys' school, which was known for its excellent educational resources. The curriculum, which included seven classes, covered the Pentateuch, Prophets, Hagiographa, Hebrew grammar, and later, Hebrew legal codes. By age fifteen, Spinoza was one of Rabbi Saul Morteira's most promising pupils, excelling in Talmudic studies. In advanced classes, he studied the philosophical writings of the golden age of Jewish scholarship, including the commentaries of Maimonides and Abraham Ibn Ezra. Ibn Ezra’s writings, which hinted at inconsistencies and post-Mosaic authorship in Scripture, profoundly influenced Spinoza's later biblical analysis. The rigorous study of legal and religious codes helped sharpen Spinoza’s "inborn passion for clear and consistent thinking." His teachers, Rabbi Morteira and Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel, were both inclined toward mysticism, which may have introduced him to early pantheistic ideas. Secular and Advanced Learning While his formal schooling was religious, Spinoza pursued secular subjects privately. He learned Spanish and Portuguese from his parents and Dutch from his environment. He began Latin studies with a German tutor but later mastered the language under the renowned Francis Van den Ende, a controversial German tutor and physician. Van den Ende was a significant figure, later accused of "sowing the first seeds of atheism" among his pupils, possibly by privately discussing the ideas of Giordano Bruno, who admitted only one substance in the universe. A likely apocryphal story circulated that Spinoza fell in love with Van den Ende's highly accomplished daughter, Clara Maria, who assisted in teaching. Spinoza also received thorough instruction in physical science (especially physiology) and studied mathematics under an Italian tutor. He also developed considerable skill in drawing, filling a book with portrait sketches, including one of himself. Transition to Philosophy and Excommunication Spinoza’s formal schooling ended around March 1654, following his father's death, when he had to support himself. He turned to philosophy and logic, possibly teaching private pupils such as Simon de Vries and Peter Balling. It is likely during this period that he developed the material for his earliest philosophical manuscripts: the Short Treatise on God, Man, and His Well-Being (Korte Verhandeling) and Metaphysical Thoughts. The Short Treatise, considered the first draft of the Ethics, reveals that Spinoza had already embraced pantheism and included early critiques of Cartesian dualism. Spinoza also began composing the Treatise on the Improvement of the Understanding around this time. Spinoza's final break with the Jewish community—and his formal excommunication—occurred around 1656. The Jewish Settlement in Amsterdam The Jewish settlement in Amsterdam was established by Marranos (or "New Christians")—Jewish emigrants from Portugal and Spain who had outwardly converted to Catholicism but secretly maintained Jewish practices. The Netherlands, following its revolt against Spain, became a refuge and grew into "the most free, the most prosperous, and the most tolerant" commonwealth in Europe during the seventeenth century. The community gained recognition in 1596, was granted permission to build a synagogue in 1598, and by 1619, the States of Holland issued an ordinance granting the community a more distinct legal status. The Jewish colony "waxed and throve apace," reaching the height of its prosperity by 1675. Intellectual Climate: Although scholars were capable of "high literary culture," the intellectual climate was also marked by widespread mysticism. The doctrine of the Kabbalah was "almost universally received," creating an atmosphere of credulity fed by tales of miracles and false Messiahs. What Is Kabbalah? And Spinoza's opinion of it? Kabbalah is a mystical tradition and body of literature that has significantly influenced modern Judaism—at times even more than Aristotelian philosophy. Nature and Influence - Prevalence in Spinoza’s Time: The doctrine of Kabbalah was almost universally accepted within the Jewish community during Spinoza’s generation. - Mystical Roots: Kabbalah is fundamentally a mystical doctrine. Like all mysticism, its origins are Eastern. Jewish mysticism may have developed indirectly through Neo-Platonism and Alexandrian schools, or more directly from ancient Persian religious traditions. - Reaction Against Rationalism: According to historian Heinrich Graetz, the later development of Kabbalah was a reaction against the rationalism of philosophical Jewish writers. - Theological Structure: Kabbalah introduced doctrines of emanations and intermediate powers between God and the world. These ideas provided a philosophical counterpoint to Maimonides and other rationalists, while preserving traditional ritualism in its literal form. - Historical Origins: To assess its influence rationally, it’s important to distinguish between the Kabbalah proper, which emerged in the 13th century, and older mystical traditions. The central Kabbalistic text, the Zohar, is widely considered a 13th-century forgery. Practices and Doctrines - Kabbalists often blurred their speculative ideas with older mystical traditions to lend their teachings an air of antiquity. - Later Kabbalah involved elaborate interpretive techniques, including letter combinations, letter shifting, and assigning numerical values to words and letters to uncover hidden meanings. These methods even influenced aspects of Christian theology. - In its ceremonial applications, the later Kabbalah was described by critics as “little else than a mass of ludicrous or disgusting puerilities.” - Two core doctrines of Kabbalistic cosmology are emanation and transmigration of souls, both central to its metaphysical worldview. State in Spinoza’s Time - By the mid-17th century, Kabbalah had reached its most extravagant development. - One historian likened it to a “fungus growth creeping over the body of the Law and the Traditions.” - The doctrine fed the credulity of the age, which hungered for signs and wonders. This led to outbreaks of delusion, imposture, demoniacs, miracles, and false prophets—culminating in the rise of the false Messiah, Sabbatai Zevi. - A Kabbalistic work published in Amsterdam in 1658 was described as containing “not a single rational sentence,” yet was embraced by leading rabbis as a “fountain of divine wisdom.” Spinoza’s View and Alleged Influence - Spinoza held a low opinion of contemporary Kabbalism. In his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, he wrote: “I have read and moreover known some Kabbalistic triflers, at whose follies I was astonished beyond description.” - He considered the doctrine to be “the most unmitigated nonsense ever put together by the perverted ingenuity of man,” with one notable exception. - The central Kabbalistic doctrines of emanation and transmigration of souls were utterly incompatible with Spinoza’s metaphysical system. - Despite his contempt for later Kabbalists, Spinoza twice referred respectfully to “ancient Hebrews” and certain traditions—possibly pointing to older mysticism that predated the formal Kabbalah. - For example, he noted that “certain of the Hebrews seem to have seen as through a cloud” that God, the understanding of God, and the things understood by Him are one and the same. This idea appears in the commentary of Moses of Cordova on the Zohar. - An early critic, the Chevalier Ramsay, described Spinoza’s philosophical system as “composed of Cabbalism, Cartesianism, and Predestinarianism differently conjoined and interwoven.”



Baruch de Spinoza was born on November 24, 1632, in Amsterdam to a family of Sephardic Jews of Portuguese origin.
His father, Michael Spinoza, was a successful Portuguese Jewish merchant, meaning the family was relatively well-off, and Spinoza's upbringing and education were above that of the common people.


Although originally named Baruch, he later abandoned Judaism and adopted the Latin equivalent, Benedict, which he used in his writings and correspondence.
His mother died when he was about six, and he was cared for by his stepsister Rebekah for three years.
After his father’s death in 1654, Spinoza won a lawsuit against his sisters Rebekah and Miriam regarding his inheritance but allowed them to retain most of the estate.
Education and Intellectual Development
Early Jewish Education
Spinoza's formal education was rooted in Hebrew language and literature within the thriving Jewish community of Amsterdam. He attended the community boys' school, which was known for its excellent educational resources.


The curriculum, which included seven classes, covered the Pentateuch, Prophets, Hagiographa, Hebrew grammar, and later, Hebrew legal codes.
By age fifteen, Spinoza was one of Rabbi Saul Morteira's most promising pupils, excelling in Talmudic studies.


In advanced classes, he studied the philosophical writings of the golden age of Jewish scholarship, including the commentaries of Maimonides and Abraham Ibn Ezra.

Ibn Ezra’s writings, which hinted at inconsistencies and post-Mosaic authorship in Scripture, profoundly influenced Spinoza's later biblical analysis.
The rigorous study of legal and religious codes helped sharpen Spinoza’s "inborn passion for clear and consistent thinking."
His teachers, Rabbi Morteira and Rabbi Manasseh ben Israel, were both inclined toward mysticism, which may have introduced him to early pantheistic ideas.

Secular and Advanced Learning


While his formal schooling was religious, Spinoza pursued secular subjects privately. He learned Spanish and Portuguese from his parents and Dutch from his environment.
He began Latin studies with a German tutor but later mastered the language under the renowned Francis Van den Ende, a controversial German tutor and physician.

Van den Ende was a significant figure, later accused of "sowing the first seeds of atheism" among his pupils, possibly by privately discussing the ideas of Giordano Bruno, who admitted only one substance in the universe.
A likely apocryphal story circulated that Spinoza fell in love with Van den Ende's highly accomplished daughter, 
Clara Maria, who assisted in teaching.
Spinoza also received thorough instruction in physical science (especially physiology) and studied mathematics under an Italian tutor.
He also developed considerable skill in drawing, filling a book with portrait sketches, including one of himself.

Transition to Philosophy and Excommunication

Spinoza’s formal schooling ended around March 1654, following his father's death, when he had to support himself. He turned to philosophy and logic, possibly teaching private pupils such as Simon de Vries and Peter Balling.
It is likely during this period that he developed the material for his earliest philosophical manuscripts: the Short Treatise on God, Man, and His Well-Being (Korte Verhandeling) and Metaphysical Thoughts.
 
The Short Treatise, considered the first draft of the Ethics, reveals that Spinoza had already embraced pantheism and included early critiques of Cartesian dualism.
Spinoza also began composing the Treatise on the Improvement of the Understanding around this time.

Spinoza's final break with the Jewish community—and his formal excommunication—occurred around 1656.

The Jewish Settlement in Amsterdam


The Jewish settlement in Amsterdam was established by Marranos (or "New Christians")—Jewish emigrants from Portugal and Spain who had outwardly converted to Catholicism but secretly maintained Jewish practices.

The Netherlands, following its revolt against Spain, became a refuge and grew into "the most free, the most prosperous, and the most tolerant" commonwealth in Europe during the seventeenth century.

The community gained recognition in 1596, was granted permission to build a synagogue in 1598, and by 1619, the States of Holland issued an ordinance granting the community a more distinct legal status. The Jewish colony "waxed and throve apace," reaching the height of its prosperity by 1675.
Intellectual Climate: Although scholars were capable of "high literary culture," the intellectual climate was also marked by widespread mysticism.
The doctrine of the Kabbalah was "almost universally received," creating an atmosphere of credulity fed by tales of miracles and false Messiahs.

What Is Kabbalah? And Spinoza's opinion of it?



Kabbalah is a mystical tradition and body of literature that has significantly influenced modern Judaism—at times even more than Aristotelian philosophy.
Nature and Influence
- Prevalence in Spinoza’s Time:

  The doctrine of Kabbalah was almost universally accepted within the Jewish community during Spinoza’s generation.
- Mystical Roots:
  Kabbalah is fundamentally a mystical doctrine. Like all mysticism, its origins are Eastern. Jewish mysticism may have developed indirectly through Neo-Platonism and Alexandrian schools, or more directly from ancient Persian religious traditions.
- Reaction Against Rationalism:
  According to historian Heinrich Graetz, the later development of Kabbalah was a reaction against the rationalism of philosophical Jewish writers.
- Theological Structure:
  Kabbalah introduced doctrines of emanations and intermediate powers between God and the world. These ideas provided a philosophical counterpoint to Maimonides and other rationalists, while preserving traditional ritualism in its literal form.
- Historical Origins:
  To assess its influence rationally, it’s important to distinguish between the Kabbalah proper, which emerged in the 13th century, and older mystical traditions. The central Kabbalistic text, the Zohar, is widely considered a 13th-century forgery.

Practices and Doctrines


- Kabbalists often blurred their speculative ideas with older mystical traditions to lend their teachings an air of antiquity.
- Later Kabbalah involved elaborate interpretive techniques, including letter combinations, letter shifting, and assigning numerical values to words and letters to uncover hidden meanings. These methods even influenced aspects of Christian theology.

- In its ceremonial applications, the later Kabbalah was described by critics as “little else than a mass of ludicrous or disgusting puerilities.”
- Two core doctrines of Kabbalistic cosmology are emanation and transmigration of souls, both central to its metaphysical worldview.
State in Spinoza’s Time
- By the mid-17th century, Kabbalah had reached its most extravagant development.

- One historian likened it to a “fungus growth creeping over the body of the Law and the Traditions.”
- The doctrine fed the credulity of the age, which hungered for signs and wonders.

This led to outbreaks of delusion, imposture, demoniacs, miracles, and false prophets—culminating in the rise of the false Messiah, Sabbatai Zevi.
- A Kabbalistic work published in Amsterdam in 1658 was described as containing “not a single rational sentence,” yet was embraced by leading rabbis as a “fountain of divine wisdom.”
Spinoza’s View and Alleged Influence
- Spinoza held a low opinion of contemporary Kabbalism. In his Tractatus Theologico-Politicus, he wrote:
   “I have read and moreover known some Kabbalistic triflers, at whose follies I was astonished beyond description.”

- He considered the doctrine to be “the most unmitigated nonsense ever put together by the perverted ingenuity of man,” with one notable exception.
- The central Kabbalistic doctrines of emanation and transmigration of souls were utterly incompatible with Spinoza’s metaphysical system.
- Despite his contempt for later Kabbalists,
 Spinoza twice referred respectfully to “ancient Hebrews” and certain traditions—possibly pointing to older mysticism that predated the formal Kabbalah.
- For example, he noted that “certain of the Hebrews seem to have seen as through a cloud” that God, the understanding of God, and the things understood by Him are one and the same.


This idea appears in the commentary of Moses of Cordova on the Zohar.

- An early critic, the Chevalier Ramsay, described Spinoza’s philosophical system as “composed of Cabbalism, Cartesianism, and Predestinarianism differently conjoined and interwoven.”

Adel Sharif

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