''Dor Daim'' emerged as a recognizable force in the early part of the 19th century. The Dor Daim movement was formed by individuals who were displeased by the influence of Kabbalah which had been introduced to Yemen in the 1600s. They believed that the core beliefs of [[Judaism]] were rapidly diminishing in favor of the mysticism of the Kabbalah. Displeased by the direction that education and the social development of Yemen was taking, they opened their own educational system in Yemen. They were also unhappy with the influence that Kabbalists (mystics) were having on various customs and rituals (e.g. the text of the prayer-book), in addition to a strong superstitious influence, which they saw as working against social and scientific improvement in Jewish Yemen.
The Dor Daim consider(ed) the Kabbalists to be irrational, anti-scientific, and anti-progressive in attitude and felt that they were thereby contributing to a decline in the social and economic status of the Yemenite Jews. The above-mentioned issues led Rabbi Yihhyah Qafahh to spearhead the Dor Daim movement. Among its goals was the revival and protection of what it saw as the original form of Judaism tradition as codified transmitted by the [[Sanhedrin]] during through the chain of ordination which started with Moses at Sinai, one generation after the 1st century through 3rd century centuriesnext.
The movement was not well received by some scholars in Yemen and Israel. Especially controversial were the views of the Dor Daim on the important book of Kabbalah known as the Zohar. These views are put forth in a book called ''Milhamoth Hashem'' (Wars of the Lord) [http://www.chayas.com/milhamoth.htm] which was written by Rabbi Yihhyah Qafahh. A group of Jerusalem rabbis published an attack on Rabbi Qafahh under the title of ''Emunat Hashem'' (Faith of the Lord), and measures were taken to ostracize members of the movement.
