Analysis of the Sabbatean Movement reveals the essence of Jewish modernity: dedication to Jewish tradition and Halakhah, along with a commitment to rebel against it. Sabbatai Zevi embodied this paradox until his death, leaving a void that would continue to shape the Jewish faith of the modern world. Sabbatai Zevi's popularity among Jews in Europe and the Middle East can probably be attributed to three main factors. First, the revival of Kabbalah and mysticism reached its peak in the 17th century. Secondly, the influence of English travelers who brought from Great Britain the concept of the millennium and the coming of the Messiah, and thirdly, the Chmielnicki massacres of Ukrainian Jews in the years 1648-1649, which, according to Kabbalah, would caused intense suffering and disaster. pave the way for the coming of the Messiah. After the expulsion from Spain in 1492 and the forced conversions in Portugal, many Jews and new Christians sought answers to these tragic events, claiming that they were signs of the approaching messianic era. A number of other global developments have added fuel to the fire. The Reformation was threatening Christianity, and the Ottoman Empire had expanded into Europe and North Africa. Europe during the Age of Discovery found a “New World” with new people in new territories that could be converted by the Messiah. Messianic hopes and speculations generated myths among Jews and Christians that spread throughout the community. Scholem describes traditional popular messianism in two main characteristics, utopianism and catastrophe. The Chmielnicki massacres are significant beyond the horrific death toll. They had a lasting effect on the psyche of European Jews. Many Jews came to believe that... middle of paper... elevated states. The pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was reserved for the High Priests of the Most Holy Temples. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews were forbidden to pronounce this name under any conditions. This placed Zevi in ​​direct contradiction to rabbinic law. Zevi was not claiming to be the messiah through the use of the tetragrammaton, he was declaring to the rabbinical authorities that a new day was dawning. This began a period of time that included many transgressive performances by Zevi that would eventually lead to his exile. from Smyrna. The final straw appears to have been when Zevi took a group of his disciples into the mountains and attempted to command the sun to “stop at noon.” After their failure and embarrassment, Zevi and his followers refused to appear before the elders of Smyrna and were then excommunicated..