Change in kabbalistic Thought after the Expulsion from Spain (1492)

B"H

In our times, we always think of the coming of the Meshiach as something having to do with the future. With our behaviour, with our capability of rectifying the world and overcome our own Yetzer HaRah (evil side within us). Something futuristic.

Everyone says that the Meshiach isn't too far anymore. He is almost here and we are already in his footsteps. Especially as we get closer to the Jewish year 6000 (now we are in the year 5769).
The Talmud Sanhedrin regards the year 6000 as the year of Meshiach. It is rather funny because in the same paragraphs (Passukim), the Talmud warns not to make any predictions about the days of Meshiach.

These 6000 years stand for the six days of Creation. "And G - d rested on the seventh day". The year 7000 will be the time of Meshiach, the time of rest.

After the expulsion of Spanish Jewry in 1492 through King Ferdinand and his wife Isabella, the Jews were in a state of shock. This shocking experience also found its way into kabbalistic thought.
Don't forget that for many centuries, the Jews in Spain had a great life. Philosophy, Kabbalah, poetry, everything was blossoming and was suddenly brought to an end. Not so suddenly but still surprisingly. What a great Jewish life was there in Spain ? The Rambam (Maimonides), the Abarbanel, Rabbi Moshe De Leon (Zohar), and all those famous Kabbalists. After the expulsion, the Kabbalah became more and more messianic. The shock was deep and people wanted Meshiach now. The same as we today !

However, the Kabbalists in those days changed their way of thinking and didn't see all those future Tikkunim (rectifications) as that important for bringing the Meshiach. They rather decided to go back to the source: to the time of Creation.
Retracing the path that leads to primordial beginnings of Creation and revelation and thus maybe return a unity and purity of the beginning of the Creation process.

In my eyes, those thoughts are rather interesting. Especially because today we hear so much about all these futuristic ideas. It could be that I just had enough of those and like the idea of something else.
The Kabbalists in those days loved to experiment with Kabbalah and caused new ideas. This is what we need today. Some really religious Kabbalists having the courage to invent something, not necessarily new, but cause some different aspects.
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Source:

Gershom Scholem in "Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism"