Kabbalistic literature mainly includes Torah commentary, Musar, or explanations of the mitzvot. There are many books that are influenced by Kabbala but are not actually kabbalistic works, as they do not serve to develop kabbalistic ideas; rather, they utilize those ideas to illustrate a concept, to reinforce a point of Musar, or to demonstrate the kabbalistic basis for original Torah ideas. Alternatively, they are simply influenced by the ideas and spirit of the kabbalistic worldview.

Rabbi Moshe Alsheikh (1508–1600) was born in Edirne (formerly Adrianople), Turkey, studied with Rabbi Yosef Karo, and served as a judge on the Safed religious court. He died in Damascus. His most famous work is Torat Moshe, popularly known as HaAlsheikh HaKadosh, a commentary on the Torah in accordance with Kabbala and Musar. He also wrote commentaries on the Prophets and Writings.

Due to its combination of commentary on the verses and Musar, his style became the model for preachers, and it became necessary to print the book because Alsheikh’s ideas were being used without being attributed to him. It is told that the Ari refused to teach him Kabbala, yet Alsheikh engaged in his own kabbalistic learning. Rabbi Ĥayyim Vital was his student in matters of halakha.

Toward the end of his life, Alsheikh traveled to Turkey, Syria, and Persia, to collect charity for the poor of the Land of Israel. He even wrote a book on the decline of Safed’s status that occurred at the end of the sixteenth century.

From Rabbi Moshe Alsheikh:

From my youth, engaging in Talmud study is what raised me…. My heart did not set out to make order of the various interpretations of the Torah; I engaged in this only when I rested from studying halakha on Fridays. For each week, on Shabbat, the people come to me to hear my sermons concerning the holy words of Torah that are read in their time, namely, the weekly parasha.

Rabbi Ĥayyim (1749–1821) was born in Volozhin, served as the rabbi of that town, and established the Etz Ĥayyim yeshiva there. He wrote Ruaĥ Ĥayyim, a commentary on tractate Avot; and a book of responsa, Ĥut HaMeshulash. His most significant work was Nefesh HaĤayyim, which describes, in accordance with Kabbala, the virtues of humankind, the nature of God, the importance of in-depth Torah study, and the necessity of scrupulously performing the mitzvot in order to connect to God. A student of the Vilna Gaon, he is considered by many to be the main representative of the non-hasidic (mitnagged) worldview. He emphasized the importance of Torah study for its own sake, without concern as to whether or not it brings about a perceivable connection to God.

From Rabbi Ĥayyim of Volozhin:

If, on the first night of Passover, a person troubles himself so much with regard to his intention when eating an olive-bulk of matza, as he wants to eat in sanctity, purity, and connection to God, and his preparations continue all night until after daybreak, when the time for eating matza has ended…. All his purity of thought is an abomination and is not desired by God. But one who ate an olive-bulk of matza within the prescribed time, even without excessive sanctity or purity, has fulfilled the positive commandment, as written in the Torah.