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dates of his birth and death are unknown. Bacharach was
born in Frankfurt, but also spent some years in Poland with
the kabbalists before he returned to his home town, and in
1648 he published his comprehensive book Emek ha-Melekh
(“The King’s Valley”), one of the most important kabbalistic
works. The book contains a wide and systematic presentation
of theology according to the Lurianic Kabbalah. It was based
on many authorities, but relied mainly on Israel *Sarug’s version
presented in his book Limmudei Aẓilut (1897), which
Bacharach included almost in its entirety into his own book
with hardly an acknowledgment of the fact. Bacharach’s claims
that he brought back the sources of Luria’s Kabbalah with him
from Ereẓ Israel, where he supposedly lived for some time, do
not deserve credit. He also accused Joseph Solomon *Delmedigo
who he claimed had been his pupil, of transcribing kabbalistic
manuscripts which were in Bacharach’s possession,
and then publishing them, with noticeable distortions, in
his books Ta’alumot Ḥokhmah (1629) and Novelot Ḥokhmah
(1631). However, the contrary seems much more likely; that
it was Bacharach who culled from Delmedigo’s work as well
as from many other sources without acknowledging them.
While Delmedigo’s interest lay in the abstract philosophical
aspect of Kabbalah, which he attempted to explain to himself,
Bacharach appears as an enthusiastic and fanatical kabbalist,
with a special flair for the mystical and non-philosophical
traits of Kabbalah – in Isaac Luria’s Kabbalah as well as in the
Kabbalah of the early kabbalists. This accounts for the strong
emphasis given to such elements as the doctrine of the Sitra
Aḥra (“Other Side” – the Evil) and demonology. He wove the
old kabbalistic themes together with the later ones in an elaborately
detailed style. Without referring to Sarug, who is his
most important source, Bacharach claims to derive his teachings
from the books of Ḥayyim *Vital, although important
chapters of his doctrine, such as his version of the doctrine
of Ẓimẓum (“Withdrawal”) and all it entails, are completely
foreign to Vital’s writings. The merger of both these traditions
characterizes this book, written with talent and clarity. Bacharach
also borrowed liberally from certain parts of the book
Shefa Tal by R. Shabbetai Sheftel *Horowitz (1612). His style
is pervaded by messianic tension. The book Emek ha-Melekh
had a great impact on the development of the late Kabbalah. It
was widely recognized as an authoritative source on the doctrine
of Isaac Luria and kabbalists from many countries, especially
Ashkenazim, the great Ḥabad Ḥasidim, and the school
of the Gaon *Elijah b. Solomon Zalman of Vilna, quoted him
extensively. His influence is also noticeable in Shabbatean literature,
in Moses Ḥayyim *Luzzatto’s system of Kabbalah, and
in the book Kelaḥ [138] Pitḥei Ḥokhmah. On the other hand,
strong criticism of the book was soon expressed. Already in
1655, Ḥayyim ha-Kohen of Aleppo, a disciple of Ḥayyim Vital,
in the introduction to his book Mekor Ḥayyim (1655), protested
against Bacharach’s claim of being the true interpreter
of Luria’s doctrine. The protests of Benjamin ha-Levi in his
approbation to Zot Ḥukkat ha-Torah by Abraham *Ḥazkuni
(1659), and of the preacher Berechiah Berach, in his introduc-
bache
tion to Zera Berakh (2nd part, 1662), against misrepresentations
of Luria’s Kabbalah were also intended for Bacharach. Moses
*Ḥagiz says in Shever Poshe’im (1714) that Emek ha-Melekh is
called Emek ha-Bakha (“Valley of Weeping”). Isaiah Bassan
complains to M.Ḥ. Luzzatto about the numerous translations
of chapters from Emek ha-Melekh in Latin referring to the
Kabbalah Denudata by *Knorr von Rosenroth “which were
among the important causes of prolonging our exile” (Iggerot
Shadal, 29). Ḥ.J.D. *Azulai also wrote: “I have heard that no
genuine writings got into his (Bacharach’s) hands… therefore
the initiated refrain from reading either it or the Novelot
Ḥokhmah.” In Emek ha-Melekh there is a reference to many
other books by Bacharach concerning aspects of the kabbalist
doctrine. Of these only a part of the Gan ha-Melekh on the
Zohar is extant in an Oxford manuscript.
Bibliography: Azulai, 2 (1852), 114 no. 406; G. Scholem, in:
KS, 30 (1954/55), 413; Scholem, Shabbetai Ẓevi, 54–56; M. Horovitz,
Frankfurter Rabbinen, 2 (1883), 41–45.
[Gershom Scholem]
BACHAUER, GINA (1913–1976), Greek born pianist of Austrian
and Italian parentage. Bachauer studied at the Athens
Conservatory under Woldemar Freeman. She then went to
Paris, where she took lessons with Cortot. Between 1933 and
1935 she received lessons from Rachmaninoff in France and
Switzerland. Her French solo début took place in the Salle
Chopin, Paris, in 1929, and she first played in England in 1932.
In 1933 she won the medal of honor at an international piano
competition in Vienna, and in the 1930s played concertos with
the Paris Symphony Orchestra conducted by Monteux and
the Athens Symphony Orchestra under Mitropoulos. During
World War II she lived in Alexandria and played numerous
concerts for the Allied forces in the Middle East. In 1946 she
made her début at the Albert Hall, playing Grieg’s Piano Concerto
with the New London Orchestra under Alec Sherman,
who became her second husband in 1951. After her New York
début in 1950 she received unanimous acclaim from the critics
and her career was assured. She toured in the U.S. and Israel.
Her unusually wide repertoire ranges from Mozart to Stravinsky.
In both standard and modern works, she displayed impeccable
taste. Her flair, grand style, big line, and exciting vigor
are put to best use in big virtuoso works. Among her recordings
are concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, and Grieg,
as well as solo works by Debussy. After her death in Athens, a
Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition was founded.
The Bachauer Archive at Brigham Young University preserves
diaries, scores, and recordings from her distinguished career.
Bibliography: Grove online; MGG2; Baker’s Biographical
Dictionary (1997); W. Graham. Gina Bachauer: A Pianist’s Odyssey
(1999).
[Naama Ramot (2nd ed.)
BACHE, U.S. family of investment bankers and art collectors.
BACHE, JULES SEMON (1862–1944) was born in New York. After
some years with his father’s trading firm he became a ca-
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3 35