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Kabbalah deals with the wisdom of the hidden and does not accept reality as it is. According to Kabbalistic scholars, the reality of life is comprised of outer garments that conceal the inner essences of our world. The Kabbalists also believe that the Torah (Bible) has a hidden layer that is its true essence, which makes it possible to influence God and His deeds.
In the Land of Israel, Kabbalah was first mentioned in the hekhalot and Merkavah literature, but it started taking shape and gained popularity primarily in Provence and Spain in the Middle Ages. Another important stage in its development occurred in the 16th century in Safed.
Kabbalah had a considerable impact on the spiritual lives of Jews and also constituted the conceptual foundation of movements such as Sabbateanism and Hasidism.
