Biti Roi: 'Every generation brings mysticism to a different stage'

For Dr. Biti Roi, the texts of Jewish mysticism aren’t just ideas to study – they are a life force. A renowned scholar of Zohar, Kabbala, and Chasidut [Hasidism], these texts are the animating energy behind Dr. Roi’s teaching and way of life. 

Dr. Biti Roi is a fellow of the Kogod Research for Center Contemporary Jewish Thought and the academic coordinator and adviser for North American seminars at the Shalom Hartman Institute. She is the author of Love of Shekhina: Mysticism and Poetics in Tiqqunei ha-Zohar. 

Now, she joins us to answer eighteen questions with Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy on Jewish mysticism including Shabbat as a practice in hope, the feminine presence within the Divine, and more. 

Here are our questions: 
What is Jewish mysticism?
How were you introduced to Jewish mysticism?
In an ideal world, would all Jews be mystics?
What do you think of when you think of God?
What is the purpose of the Jewish people?
How does prayer work?
What is the goal of Torah study?
Does Jewish mysticism view men and women the same?
Should Judaism be hard or easy?
Why did God create the world? 
Can humans do something that is against God’s will?
What do you think of when you think about Moshiach?
Is the State of Israel part of the final redemption?
What is the greatest challenge facing the world today?
How has modernity changed Jewish mysticism?
What differentiates Jewish mysticism from the mysticism of other religions? 
Does one need to be religious to study Jewish mysticism?
Can mysticism be dangerous?
How has Jewish mysticism affected your relationships with yourself and with others?
What is a Jewish teaching that you always take with you?