An Analysis of the Authenticity of the Zohar
By Rabbi Chareidi
The Mekubalim created a cold, calculated and mechanical divine service, whereby their cavvonos were nothing more than reflections on the supposedly intricate divine mechanical processes that the incantations and thoughts were believed to automatically trigger.
The Mekubalim’s books also spend an enormous portion of their volume in activities of dissecting words - particularly divine names - into single and multiple letter components and correlating them with kabalistic terms and processes.
During the lifetime of the Rashbo (though it would seem un-noted by him), appeared the Zohar - the kabalistic theorems are exploded to massive proportions, and gradually, a huge base of kabalistic ideas become canonized.