Golden Era

The rise of Kabbalah within the Jewish world really made ground after the Spanish expulsion, as the many mystics from Spain spread all over the Jewish world and most importantly to the Galilee in Israel, to the center in Tsfat (Safed).

Mystical circles in Tsfat in the 16th century were THE classic age of Kabbalah.

Many influential mystics operated there at the time, among them - Joseph Karo, Shlomo Elkabetz, Moshe Elsheikh, Moshe Cordovero, Isaac Luria, Chaim Vital.

Some historians assume that the rise of Kabbalah in the 16th century following the expulsion from Spain marked a switch in the minds of the people away from rational answers and the worldview of big thinkers like Maimonides and Crescas, desperately seeking faith and redemption, not explanations.

Conservative vs. Creativity

The Kabbalistic circles in Tsfat were not uniform actually - it was a medium where a variety of schools wandered to. There was however a clear leading figure in this context, his name was Moshe Cordovero, the Ramak (Born in 1522, died in 1570, likely from a family of Spanish expats.) He was a teacher of many, among them Isaac Luria, the Arizal.

The Ramak, a genius from a young age, wrote a few classics. His approach somehow synthesized and systematized the variety of Kabbalistic schools. In a relatively short period of time he learned and taught and published and marketed Kabbalah, dealing mostly with Kabbalah that preceded him. He did not deal much at all with messianism. 

So think of it this way. All these previous traditions of Kabbalah, the whole variety, from Spain and other places, many came to Tsfat, and he, the Ramak, brought it together, gave Kabbalah stature, and passed it on...

Then came a younger student of his, Isaac Luria (1534-1572), whom, in contrast, lived an even shorter life, did not write at all and even prohibited his own disciples to document his teachings in writing (all but one - Chaim Vital).

Such a typical mystic! The Arizal created a new school of Kabbalah, and is considered to be of great influence on a new wave of messianism.

The Man and the Myth

Lurianic kabbalah is very picturesque in its descriptions, with mythical stories, and very practical-spritual, with spiritualistic deeds and prayers.

It is based mostly on the Zoharic literature, especially the Idra sections, and actions of tikkun, such as prayer and psalms and songs and fasting - that effectively and cumulatively balance the Spheres and hasten redemption.

Among his pupils, some saw in him a messianic figure or agent, associating him with or as the Messiah son of Joseph, not David - but rather an Elijah, a figure preceding the Messiah and assuming some of the traditional typical functions of.

He was said to have died in the plague because he revealed mystical secrets - just like Rasbhi in the Idra Raba!

However, if we review his material, it is not entirely clear, definitely not direct acute messianism as we know it.