Physician of the Soul, Healer of the CosmosIsaac Luria (1534 1572) is one of the most extraordinary and influential mystical figures in the history of Judaism, a visionary teacher who helped shape the course of nearly all subsequent Jewish mysticism. Given his importance, it is remarkable that this is the first scholarly work on him in English. Most studies of Lurianic Kabbalah focus on Lurias mythic and speculative ideas or on the ritual and contemplative practices he taught. The central