The Book (or Books) of Enoch is a collection of works purportedly made by Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noach, before the flood. I read that they are not part of the Tanach, even though they contain deep Jewish concepts. How is the book of Enoch viewed in Orthodox Judaism?
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3Most Jews are ignorant of it. It has little influence on Judaism as a whole on day to day life. Nobody cares about it. Basically, if you talk about it, you're placing yourself on the fringe.– AaronCommented Feb 3, 2016 at 21:06
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3@Aaron But why?– Gabriel12Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 21:11
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3But the Zohar is though to be true by the majority of orthodox jews (to my knowledge).– Gabriel12Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 21:27
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4Note that the Anshei Knesses Hagedolah determined what was and what was not part of the Tanach before the book of Maccabees was written. However, if the book of Enosh had been written before, then they deliberately did not include it. This would seem to imply that it is not to be studied. However, I do not have a source for this idea.– sabbahillelCommented Feb 3, 2016 at 21:58
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2@sabbahillel What?? Why would you think Anshei Knesses Hagedolah's only reason for selecting books to be canonized is that they may be studied? Certainly they had loftier reasons than that. The fact that something was excluded does not mean it is not to be studied. Tanakh was not just the largest set of books which could be studied.– Double AA ♦Commented Feb 3, 2016 at 22:44
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2 Answers
3 Enoch is known in Jewish tradition under the name Sefer Hekhaloth. It is part of a wider body of texts known as Hekhaloth literature. This book is now considered one of the primary texts of kabbalah though it is technically, like Sefer Yesirah, pre-kabbalah and subject to interpretations that don't necessitate a kabbalistic metaphysic. At the time it was written, reception to hekhaloth literature in general was mixed. For example, Shiur Qomah, a related text, was first accepted by the Rambam, but then rejected as a Byzantine invention. As for the other two Enochs, there is no evidence they were known or accepted in Judaism, were probably not written in Hebrew, and do not exist in Hebrew translation.
answered Feb 3, 2016 at 21:58
The Zohar mentions the Book of Enoch on over ten occasions (references according to chapter and paragraph number, given in Sefaria's copy of the Zohar):
Introduction 27:224
Bereshit 48:476
Bereshit 102:436
Noach 36:295
Beshalach 16:232
Mishpatim 3:110
Mishpatim 3:182
Mishpatim 3:214
Mishpatim 3:216
Tetzaveh 2:20
Ki Tisa 11:79
Vayakhel 35:439
Vayikra 23:150
Pinchas 73:454
Pinchas 84:527
Pinchas 103:684
Pinchas 113:776
Addenda, Volume II 7:164
Addenda, Volume III 14:186
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@RabbiKaii what does the Zohar call the book (in Hebrew/Aramaic I mean)?– Harel13Commented Sep 4 at 16:47
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