Kabbalah: popular works Books

Book SynopsisThe Egotist tracks its author, Jesse Bogner''s, development from a hedonistic New Yorker to a Kabbalist, on a path to find the meaning of life. This book offers a glimpse into the misunderstood world of Kabbalah and how the collective plea of Kabbalists has the power to correct the egos of individuals and the world at large. Never before has a Kabbalah student, in such excruciating detail, illuminated the nature of his own spiritual development.

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Book Synopsis"By the time we met, he was a newly ordained curate and I was scratching a living in the esoteric world, had written a book on the Qabalah and ran an occult magazine. We were thus inhabitants of two worlds that were never supposed to meet - at least by popular convention - or if they did, to be diametrically opposed to each other." The catalyst for such a meeting of the minds was the provocative poetry of Anthony Duncan, hitherto little known to the world but privately praised by Kathleen Raine. Following on from the "Lord of the Dance" chapter in his recent autobiography, I Called it Magic, and various entries in his book of collected letters, Yours Very Truly, Gareth Knight muses on the esoteric resonances resulting from his unlikely friendship with the Reverend Anthony Duncan. Their intellectual sharing of ideas led to Duncan's The Christ, Psychotherapy and Magic and Knight's Experience of the Inner Worlds, which have become companion texts of esoteric Christianity often read and taught together. The pair had planned to co-author a book before Duncan's untimely passing in 2003 so Christ & Qabalah comes as a fulfilment of a long-held promise. The book will delight admirers of both authors with its intertextual interplay as well as a fresh exploration of the differences and similarities between a cleric and an occultist. Knight has described the book as an "organic process, almost an initiation, that has left me with a somewhat expanded consciousness." Readers are invited to share in the various machinations that sparked this dynamic relationship - one that keeps on giving.

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Book SynopsisHarry Freedman, author of The Talmud: A Biography and The Murderous History of Bible Translations, explores the mysterious Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah. Kabbalah is popularly known as a fashionable system for personal and spiritual insight, a Jewish mystical tradition popularized by devoted celebrities like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, and Britney Spears. But behind the hype and simplicity of pop-Kabbalah lies an ancient, complex and very profound system that can take a lifetime to master. Kabbalah: Secrecy, Scandal and the Soul is a short introduction that untangles the complex history and spiritual tradition behind the phenomenon. Kabbalah is difficult to define. The very phrase story of Kabbalah is as opaque and mysterious as the topic itself. This of course is its appeal. The word itself means received. For over half a millennium, individuals and movements with no attachment to Judaism havTrade ReviewWelcome to the curious but fascinating world of Harry Freedman’s Kabbalah: Secrecy, Scandal and the Soul, a cheerfully non-partisan, no-frills attempt at demystifying one of the world’s most mysterious, opaque and esoteric spiritual traditions. * Spectator *Freedman navigates the story with great skill and good judgment […] In a secular age such as our own, when popular theological literacy is at an all-time low [he] has undoubtedly done a great service by rescuing Kabbalah from the pile * Daily Telegraph *This comprehensive guide to an important religious tradition will appeal to both readers of Jewish history and general readers of spirituality * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Introduction The Origins of Kabbalah Out of the East The Beginning of Kabbalah Radiance Christian Cabala The City of Mystics Cabala and the Occult Sciences Golem Good, Evil and the life of the Soul Critics and Crisis Decline and Revival Hasidism The Occult Revival Towards Modernity The New Age Appendix: A Very Brief Outline for the Sefirot Glossary Notes Bibliography Index A Note on the Author Plates

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Book SynopsisHasidism, a controversial, mystical-religious movement of Eastern European origin, has posed a serious challenge to mainstream Judaism from its earliest beginnings in the middle of the eighteenth century. Decimated by the Holocaust, it has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and has reconstituted itself as a major force in the world of ultra-OrthodTable of ContentsIntroduction to the 2016 Edition ix Editor's Introduction xxiii Book I HASIDISM AND MODERN MAN 1 Part I 1 Part II 5 Part III 12 Part IV 14 Book II MY WAY TO HASIDISM 16 Book III THE LIFE OF THE HASIDIM 31 Hitlahavut: Ecstasy 31 Avoda: Service 37 Kavana: Intention 44 Shiflut: Humility 51 Book IV THE WAY OF MAN, ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS OF HASIDISM 60 Introduction 60 I Heart-Searching 61 II The Particular Way 65 III Resolution 69 IV Beginning with Oneself 73 V Not to Be Preoccupied with Oneself 77 VI Here Where One Stands 80 Book V THE BAAL-SHEM-TOV'S INSTRUCTION IN INTERCOURSE WITH GOD 85 Introduction 85 Of Knowledge 86 Of Fervor and of Work 88 Of the Holy Sparks and Their Redemption 89 How One Should Serve 90 Of Distance and Nearness 91 Of Secrecy 92 A Parable of Prayer 93 Of True Intention 94 Of the Might of Words 95 Of Devotion 96 Of Binding 96 Of Distracting Thoughts 97 Of Good and Evil 98 Of Pride and Humility 99 Of the Twofold Movement .101 Explanatory Notes .101 Book VI LOVE OF GOD AND LOVE OF NEIGHBOR 108 Part I 108 Part II 113 Part III 120 Part IV 128

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Book SynopsisThis is a study of Isaac Luria (1534-72), one of the most remarkable and influential figures of late-medieval and early-modern Jewish mysticism. It looks primarily at Luria as a real historical figure, in the context of his relationship with his circle of disciples in the Galilean city of Safed, the great center of kabbalistic thought and teaching.Trade Review"...among the finest works of recent Judaic scholarship." -- The Forward"We come away from this book awed by Fine's scholarship, and with a better understanding of how Rabbi Isaac Luria, who wanted his writings to be concealed after his death, nevertheless produced ideas so powerful that they transformed the nature of Judaism for centuries." -- San Diego Jewish Journal"Through masterly synthesis and organization, the author has produced the first accessible account of Luria and his kabbalah in English—or any language—that is also richly detailed and historiographically up to date." -- American Historical Review"[Physician of the Soul] is the worthy capstone of a distinguished career spent studying the kabbalistic ideas of the sixteenth century and their importance for social and intellectual history." -- Histoire Sociale/Social History"Lawrence Fine has written extensively on Lurianic thought and practice and with this eminently readable and well-researched book has produced a welcome addition to the scholarship on Kabbalism in general and Luria in particular...This book is a necessary source for anyone who wants to know something about Kabbalah and its important representatives other than the travesty of this fascinating side of Judaism that is espoused by today's popular culture." -- ARC

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Book SynopsisPlease see the Zohar Home Page for ancillary materials, including the publication schedule, press release, Aramaic text, questions, and answers.Trade Review"This sensitive commentary and translation of the classic text of Kabbalah is of foundational importance for an understanding of "Jewish mysticism.'"—Jewish Book World"While translation may be an art, it can also be genuine scholarship of the highest order. . . . Restoring the Zohar to our comprehension, these volumes are a monumental contribution to the history of Jewish thought." —Koret Jewish Book Award, Philosophy and Thought, 2003-2004, The Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volumes I and II"A powerfully poetic rendition of this spiritual masterpiece. . . . Matt's new Zohar is a classic already in its first two volumes. The edition alone, or the translation alone, or the commentary alone would be a major contribution. The whole is a work of art." —Journal of the American Academy of Religion"More than a translation, this projected twelve-volume Pritzker edition amounts to an encyclopedia of the Zohar and is set to become one of the single most important contributions to the topic in the English-speaking world."—Times Literary SupplementTable of Contents@fmct:Contents @toc4:Foreword iii @tocca:Margot Pritzker @toc4:Translator's Introduction iii @tocca:Daniel C. Matt @toc4:Acknowledgments iii Diagram of the Ten Sefirot iii Introduction iii @tocca:Arthur Green @toc2: Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar 000 Parashat Be-Reshit 000 Parashat Noah 000 @toc4: List of Abbreviations 000 Transliteration of Hebrew and Aramaic 000 Glossary 000 Bibliography 000 Index 000 Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication: Bible, O, T, Pentateuch Commentaries Early works to 1800, Cabala Early works to 1800, Zohar

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Book SynopsisThis book explores a prominent medieval kabbalist's approach to prayer, meditative contemplation, and the transmission of mystical wisdom.Trade Review"Fishbane presents a carefully parsed analysis of Issac's world view, which remain in many respects a template for the spirituality of the Zohar in which the kabbalist is enmeshed in a consciousness defined by the interactions of the tropes of the Jewish canon, the images of the phenomenal world, the demands of the law, and the larger sweep of history." -- Pinchas Giller * AJS *"Eitan P. Fishbane's compelling study of Isaac of Akko shines a light on one of medieval kabbalah's most unique thinkers. Fishbane's book contributes mightily to a wide range of issues in kabbalah scholarship: sociology of knowledge, kabbalistic hermeneutics, mystical practice, mystical experience, and mystical union. Throughout, Fishbane treats the reader with his engaging and sophisticated style, a fecund reading of this kabbalist's oeuvre, and impressive erudition. Moreover, the author brings a wide variety of methodological approaches that deepen and enrich the scholarly conversation." -- Joel Hecker * H-Net *"Isaac of Acre, a fascinating, even unique medieval kabbalist, finally receives the broad scholarly treatment that he deserves in As Light Before Dawn. Eitan Fishbane's work is marked by extraordinary erudition, sophisticated methodologies, and a richly textured, nuanced analysis of this important contemplative mystic. This superb book is a distinguished contribution to the study of medieval Jewish mysticism." -- Professor Lawrence Fine, Irene Kaplan Leiwant Chair of Jewish Studies * Mt. Holyoke College *"Isaac of Akko, a seminal figure in the history of Jewish mystical thought, is here rescued from obscurity. The richness of his teachings combines with Fishbane's deeply creative scholarship to offer a true delight to students of Kabbalah, of meditative practice, and of the transmission of esoteric traditions in prior ages. Critical and comparative perspectives are well used to bring ancient wisdom to life in this model scholarly work." -- Arthur Green, Irving Brudnick Professor * Hebrew College *"Isaac of Akko is one of the few early kabbalists who described, and reflected on, his own mystical experiences. Here Eitan Fishbane presents a dazzling, erudite analysis of Isaac's writings, exploring his theory and practice of contemplation. This book captures the excitement and creativity of Kabbalah by expertly presenting one of its boldest pioneers, who spanned the Mediterranean world and imbibed wisdom wherever he journeyed. A superb work of scholarship, sophisticated yet fully accessible." -- Daniel Matt * editor and translator of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition *"Eitan Fishbane's As Light Before Dawn: The Inner World of a Medieval Kabbalist is a major contribution both to the study of Jewish mysticism and to the wider world of comparative mystical research. Although Isaac of Akko has long been known as an important Kabbalist, this is the first systematic presentation of one of the most challenging and rewarding mystical teachers of Kabbalah. With impressive command of the sources, penetrating analysis of difficult texts, and, above all, with a masterly ability to to reveal the inner dynamics of Isaac's spiritual teaching, Fishbane presents us with a full account of a mystic whose teaching on topics such as authority and tradition, theurgy and devotion, as well as contemplation and union with God, show him to be a true sage of Judaism, as well as a significant conversation partner for students of other mystical traditions." -- Bernard McGinn, Naomi Shenstone Donnelley Professor Emeritus, Divinity School * University of Chicago *

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Book SynopsisThis book inquires into the wondrous and complex world of mystical experience in the Zohar, the jewel in the crown of Jewish mystical literature.Trade Review"A River Flows From Eden is replete with insights and delights. It is without a doubt one of the most engaging books on Jewish mysticism in general, and the Zohar in particular. Melila Hellner-Eshed is an accomplished scholar of kabbalistic literature and an excellent guide into the intricacies of one of its most challenging works. A River Flows From Eden is truly rewarding for the novice and expert alike." -- Mark Verman * Shofar *"A fascinating and richly textured work that combines linguistic and literary acumen with a historian of religion's interest in the phenomenology of mysticism and a poet's sensitivity to language. Simply put, this is one of the most exciting works of scholarship I have encountered in recent years. . . . This is the rare book that should matter equally to specialists in the field and to serious lay readers and students." -- Elliot K. Ginsburg * University of Michigan *"Dr. Hellner-Eshed's book is a truly groundbreaking study of the mystical dimension of the Zohar, the masterpiece of Kabbalah. The scholarship reflected in this book is superb. . . . I rate it as one of the most significant academic studies of the Zohar in the past decade." -- Daniel Matt * editor and translator of The Zohar, Pritzker Edition *"[Hellner-Eshed] has written a book sure to become a basic contribution to the study of Kabbalah and the Zohar. Interested faculty should read it and assign it to their student ... Highly recommended." -- S. T. Katz * Choice *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"[T]his is a very serious translation of the Zohar holy, an elaboration that took years of work and research on the part of Daniel C. Matt and his team of several scholars who have spared no effort to give the greatest number information of each passuk, each parashah, bringing reliable sources . . . This fantastic edition of The Zohar not only presents an accurate translation of the text, but also an interpretation with insights, more accessible . . . Brilliant expositions on complex subjects rendered easy by Daniel C. Matt, his wonderful ability to transmit profound ideas is amazing."—Gilson Sasson, Journal Mitzvah"Matt provides invaluable commentary to put the Zohar into context and explain the almost disconnected paragraphs."—Daniel D. Stuhlman, Association of Jewish Libraries"Matt's commentary may be the most significant and comprehensive line-by-line exegesis of the Zohar to ever appear, given its fusion of wisdom gained from the older religious commentaries and the fruits of modern critical scholarship."—Eitan P. Fishbane, Jewish Review of BooksTable of Contents@fmct:Contents @toc4:Foreword iii @tocca:Margot Pritzker @toc4:Translator's Introduction iii @tocca:Daniel C. Matt @toc4:Acknowledgments iii Diagram of the Ten Sefirot iii Introduction iii @tocca:Arthur Green @toc2: Haqdamat Sefer ha-Zohar 000 Parashat Be-Reshit 000 Parashat Noah 000 @toc4: List of Abbreviations 000 Transliteration of Hebrew and Aramaic 000 Glossary 000 Bibliography 000 Index 000 Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication: Bible, O, T, Pentateuch Commentaries Early works to 1800, Cabala Early works to 1800, Zohar

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Book SynopsisProvide a sense of the historical range of Kabbalah

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Book SynopsisExplores the complex gender symbolism that permeates Kabbalistic literature. Focusing on the nexus of asceticism and eroticism, the author seeks to define the role of symbolic and poetically charged language in the erotically configured visionary imagination of the medieval Kabbalists.Trade Review"Wolfson subjects the sexual elements to an unprecedented, and radical examination. This book is sure to be controversial and generate much discussion." -Choice Elliot R. Wolfson's _Language, Eros, and Being_ is a prodigy of scholarship. From the book's core, the construction of sexuality in religious consciousness and practice, three voices radiate: Continental philosophy and psychoanalysis; mysticism in Hellenistic, Christian; Islamic, and Buddhist traditions; and the esoteric dimension within Judaism known as Kabbalah. Because of the artful way in which Wolfson orchestrates the polyphony of their fugue-like conversation, the voices converge, dissolving into concord, without ever losing their definitive particularity. Read one way, Wolfson allows Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, and Maurice Blanchot to introduce and clarify the poetics of Sufi or Kabbalistic thought. Read another way, Wolfson allows Zen masters, Gnostic myths, Ibn al-Arabi, Rabbi Hayyim Vital and authors of the Zohar to introduce and clarify poststructuralism. Throughout the conversation, Wolfson never indulges in apologetics or New Age gobbledygook. He never stumbles into the trap of ahistorical, apolitical, disembodying "mystocentrism." He never loses sight of his polemical focus on Judaism's lamentable androcentrism. He never compromises the most rigorous demands of historical-philological argumentation. Making the opposites of diverse discourses to coincide, Wolfson has rendered Kabbalah intelligible and useful to the world of critical learning. -- -Kalman P. Bland Duke University "In Wolfson's work each tradition and each field of thought retains its specificity and yet they all come together on the page to talk with each other." -Modern Theology "One is tempted to say that Wolfson's Language, Eros, Being is alchemical: Amazingly, it transforms the base metals of hermetically sealed Jewish studies into the gold of exoteric humanities." -AJS Review "Elliot Wolfson's new volume is massive in every respect: it is massive in scope, in intellectual reach, in methodological range, and in thematic sweep. Readers will be especially interested in his formulation of a poetics of Jewish mystical language, and in the new and strong articulation of his insights into the topics of gender and the dialectics of absence and presence in the sources. This is a major work that will certainly stimulate much discussion and interest." -- -Michael Fishbane Nathan Cummings Professor of Jewish Studies The University of Chicago The University of Chicago Divinity School

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Book SynopsisBecause a welter of details sometimes conceals the Torah ’s aura of holiness, Jewish mystics and spiritual teachers have for centuries attempted to reveal that aura through creative interpretation of the Torah text. The Aura of Torah explores these attempts in an effort to bridge the gap between the Torah text and the modern Jewish spiritual quest.Trade Review"The Chasidic pioneers, ever concerned to prevent religion sliding into dull routine, refreshed Torah with their creative readings. As this book amply demonstrates, Jewish spirituality remains rooted in the text."—Simon Rocker, Jewish Chronicle"The Aura of Torah is more than interesting and thought-provoking readings of biblical commentaries. The exegeses, taken from the heart of Kabbalah and the writings of Hasidic masters, have much historical value and give the modern reader insights into the ways eighteenth and nineteenth century Eastern European rabbis wanted their congregations to think about life and the Torah."—Fred Reiss, San Diego Jewish World"[The Aura of Torah is] an enormously valuable collection of commentaries from the mystical viewpoint, which will enrich our understanding of the weekly parashah, and present fodder for much discussion on the timeless words of Torah."—Dov Peretz Elkins, Jewish Media Review“The Aura of Torah is an important and useful contribution to the emergent literature of spiritual companions to the parashah. There is nothing quite like it on the shelf. Tabick assembles mystical teachings for the general reader with insight, creativity, and obvious spiritual depth.”—Lawrence Kushner, author of Honey from the RockTable of Contents Introduction: The Aura of TorahThe World’s Aura: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism and KabbalahGenesisB’reishit[1] Genesis 1:1 Unfinished Business—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[2] Genesis 2:24 The Soul’s Mate—Yitzchak Mordechai ben Yisra’el Aharon Podvah[3] Genesis 5:22,24 The Enoch Enigma—Yisra’el ben Eliezer, Ba’al Shem TovNoa?[4] Genesis 6:13 Wisdom or Cleverness?—Hayyim of Krasna[5] Genesis 8:15,20 Misplaced Anger—Zohar, Sitrei Torah[6] Genesis 9:20–21 The Wine of Torah—Avraham ben Shmuel AbulafiaLekh Lekha[7] Genesis 12:1 “Go for Yourself”—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[8] Genesis 13:17 Going About for Wisdom—Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher ben Chlava[9] Genesis 17:1 God Fills and Surrounds All Things—Mordechai of ChernobylVa-yera’[10] Genesis 18:17 Lovingkindness in All That Happens—Yitzchak of Vorki[11] Genesis 20:11 Fear of God—Pinchas of Koretz[12] Genesis 21:17 Silent Screaming—Menachem Mendel of Vorki?ayyei Sarah[13] Genesis 24:1 For All—Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev[14] Genesis 24:44 Kindness and Compassion—Zevi Elimelech of Dinov[15] Genesis 24:62 God Sees Me—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of SudylkovToledot[16] Genesis 25:25–26 Falsehood and Truth—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of Sudylkov[17] Genesis 26:15,18,20–22 Digging Our Own Wells—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[18] Genesis 28:9 Positive from Negative—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of IzbicaVa-yetse’[19] Genesis 28:12 You Are a Ladder—Yishayah HaLevi Horowitz[20] Genesis 29:17 “The Young Woman with No Eyes”—Naftali Hertz ben Ya’akov Elchanan Bacharach[21] Genesis 31:40 Coming and Going in Thought—Uri of StreliskVa-yishla?[22] Genesis 32:4 Prayers Are Messengers—Aharon (II) ben Asher of Karlin[23] Genesis 33:17 Houses for the Soul—Shalom Rokeach of Belz[24] Genesis 34:19 How to Love God—Hayyim ben Menachem Mendel of KosovVa-yeshev[25] Genesis 37:2 Renewed Each Day—Aharon (II) ben Asher of Karlin[26] Genesis 37:32 Rebound—Reuven Hoeschke, based on Zohar I, 144b[27] Genesis 39:2 The Double Test—Simchah Bunam of PshischeMikkets[28] Genesis 41:1 The Light of Consciousness—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[29] Genesis 42:1–2 Broken Torah—Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk[30] Genesis 44:17 The Importance of Truth—Aryeh Leib, Shpole ZaydeVa-yiggash[31] Genesis 44:18 Ways of Coming Closer—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[32] Genesis 45:16 The Voice of Prayer—Zohar I, 209b–210a[33] Genesis 46:2 The Level of Israel, the Level of Jacob—Aharon (II) ben Asher of KarlinVa-ye?i[34] Genesis 47:28–29 Body and Soul—Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher ben Chlava[35] Genesis 49:8 Being a Jew—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of Sudylkov[36] Genesis 49:28 The General and the Particular—Simchah Bunam of PshischeExodusShemot[37] Exodus 1:7 Bodies of Holiness—Meir ben Chalifa Bikayam[38] Exodus 3:5 Habits Get in the Way—Yosef ben Yechiel Michal of Yampole[39] Exodus 5:22–23 Joining with the Pain of the Shechinah—Elimelech of LyzhanskVa-’era’[40] Exodus 6:5 Service for Positive Reasons—Moshe ben Yisra’el Polier of Kobrin[41] Exodus 7:9 Performing Signs—Shalom Rokeach of Belz[42] Exodus 8:22 Sensitivity to Others—Mordechai of NeschizBo’[43] Exodus 10:22–23 Darkness between Us—Yitzchak and Menachem Mendel of Vorki[44] Exodus 12:3 How to Eat—Moshe Cordovero[45] Exodus 13:2 The Firstborn Thought—Yisra’el Friedman of RuzhynBe-shalla?[46] Exodus 13:18 Going Up—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[47] Exodus 14:15 Turn to Israel First—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[48] Exodus 17:16 The War against Amalek—Natan of (Nemirov) BreslovYitro[49] Exodus 18:1 Reacting to Fear—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[50] Exodus 19:5 The Greatest Treasure—Moshe ben Yisra’el Polier of Kobrin[51] Exodus 20:2–3 Your Physical Being, Your Spiritual Being—Mordechai of ChernobylMishpatim[52] Exodus 21:24 Whose Eye?—Menachem ben Binyamin Recanati[53] Exodus 22:13–14 Soul on Loan—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[54] Exodus 24:7 “Who Is This Life Force?”—Menachem Nachum of ChernobylTerumah[55] Exodus 25:1–2 Not Just Now—Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir[56] Exodus 25:31 Becoming a Menorah—Mordechai of Neschiz[57] Exodus 27:1 Your Body Is an Altar—Hayyim Yosef David AzulaiTetsavveh[58] Exodus 28:4 The Ideal Jew—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica[59] Exodus 28:32 Everyone Is a Priest—Yishayah HaLevi Horowitz[60] Exodus 29:46–47 God Is Still Our God—Hayyim ben Moshe ibn AttarKi Tissa’[61] Exodus 30:12 Ransoming Yourself—Pinchas of Koretz[62] Exodus 33:20 Seeing the Face of God—Mordechai of Chernobyl[63] Exodus 34:17 The Danger of Generalizations—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of IzbicaVa-yak’hel[64] Exodus 35:3 Fiery Anger—Tikkunei HaZohar[65] Exodus 35:30,31,33 Stone or Wood?—Yisra’el ben Shmuel of Modzhitz[66] Exodus 38:8 Seeing Yourself in a Mirror—Ya’akov Yosef of PolonnoyePekudei[67] Exodus 38:21 Submitting an Account—Mordechai of Chernobyl[68] Exodus 39:42 Work or Service?—Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher ben Chlava [69] Exodus 40:36 Removing the Cloud—Avraham Yissachar Ber HaCohen of RadomskLeviticusVa-yikra’[70] Leviticus 1:1 Going to Your Head?—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[71] Leviticus 2:13 A Union of Opposites—Efraim Shlomo ben Aharon of Luntshits[72] Leviticus 5:17 Turning Good Deeds to Naught—Levi Yitzchak of BerditchevTsav[73] Leviticus 6:2 Harnessing Our Drives—Ya’akov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz, Seer of Lublin[74] Leviticus 7:37 Torah Is What We Make of It—Yisra’el Friedman of Ruzhyn[75] Leviticus 8:29 Sanctifying Sight—Yisra’el ben Shmuel of ModzhitzShemini[76] Leviticus 9:6 It Depends on You—Ya’akov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz, Seer of Lublin[77] Leviticus 10:1–2 Refining Your Plans—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica[78] Leviticus 11:45 Dedicated to God—Yisra’el ben Eliezer, Ba’al Shem TovTazria‘[79] Leviticus 12:2 We All Receive—Yisra’el Friedman of Ruzhyn[80] Leviticus 13:23 Spirituality: Moving or Stationary?—Ya’akov Zevi Yolles[81] Leviticus 13:59 The Affliction of the Shechinah—Avraham Yissachar Ber HaCohen of RadomskMetsora‘[82] Leviticus 14:4 Humility at the Wrong Time—Yitzchak Meir of Gur[83] Leviticus 14:35 What Is Love?—Zevi Hirsh ben Shmuel Zanvil Minkovitz of Semyatitch[84] Leviticus 15:31 Separation for the Sake of Cleansing—Menachem Mendel of Rymanov’A?arei Mot[85] Leviticus 16:2 Charity Begins at Home?—Uri of Strelisk[86] Leviticus 16:30 Self-Cleansing—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[87] Leviticus 18:5 Putting Life into the Commandments—Menachem Mendel of KotzkKedoshim[88] Leviticus 19:2 Infinite Progression—Hayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar[89] Leviticus 19:36 An Honest “Yes” and “No”—Yehudah ben Shmuel HeHasid of Regensburg[90] Leviticus 20:7 Always Be Prepared—Menachem Mendel of Rymanov’Emor[91] Leviticus 21:1–2 Priests in Thought—Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir[92] Leviticus 23:2 Keeping Festivals Holy—Yishayah HaLevi Horowitz[93] Leviticus 24:19 It Will Come Back on You—Yisra’el ben Shmuel of ModzhitzBe-har[94] Leviticus 25:2 Trust Only in God—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica[95] Leviticus 25:23 Only Passing Through—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of Sudylkov[96] Leviticus 25:35,36 Taking No Personal Interest—Elimelech of LyzhanskBe-?ukkotai[97] Leviticus 26:3 Making God—Zohar III, 113a[98] Leviticus 26:13 “Two Structures”—Mordechai of Chernobyl[99] Leviticus 27:33 The Love of Inferior Things—Dov Ber, Maggid of MezritchNumbersBe-midbar[100] Numbers 1:1 The Spread of Torah—Naftali Zevi Horowitz of Ropshitz[101] Numbers 2:2 Advice against Greatness—Avraham Yissachar Ber HaCohen of Radomsk[102] Numbers 4:20 Cheap Imitations—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of SudylkovNaso’[103] Numbers 4:46–47 Joy Is Also a Mitzvah—Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher ben Chlava [104] Numbers 6:26 A Gift from a King—Simchah Bunam of Pshische[105] Numbers 7:9 Exertion Required—Menachem Mendel of KotzkBe-ha‘alotekha[106] Numbers 8:3 Keeping It Fresh—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica[107] Numbers 9:18 Moving On with the Help of God—Yishayah HaLevi Horowitz[108] Numbers 12:3 Accepting Yourself—Simchah Bunam of PshischeShela?-Lekha[109] Numbers 13:32 Beyond the Earthly—Ze’ev Wolf of Zhitomir[110] Numbers 14:13–16 Why God Can Forgive—Moshe Leib of Sasov[111] Numbers 15:39 Not Even If You Have a Good Heart—Menachem Mendel of KotzkKora?[112] Numbers 16:1 The Ongoing Struggle—Ya’akov Zevi Yolles[113] Numbers 16:22 The Spirit in Flesh—Hayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar[114] Numbers 17:23 Producing Blossoms and Almonds—Simchah Bunam of Pshische?ukkat[115] Numbers 19:2 The Secret of the Red Heifer—Menachem Mendel of Vorki[116] Numbers 20:14 Brothers on the Inside—Ya’akov Yosef of Polonnoye[117] Numbers 21:17–18 Prayer as Meditation—Rabbenu Bachya ben Asher ben ChlavaBalak[118] Numbers 22:23 The Soul Can See Everything—Uri of Strelisk[119] Numbers 23:9 Turning Things Around—Menachem Mendel of Rymanov[120] Numbers 24:5 The Internal Takes Precedence—Avraham Noach HaLevi Heller of DolinaPin?as[121] Numbers 25:12 Inner Conflict—Ya’akov Yosef of Polonnoye[122] Numbers 27:16 Leaders: Military and Spiritual—Ya’akov Yosef of Polonnoye[123] Numbers 28:2 Feeding God—Pinchas of KoretzMattot[124] Numbers 31:2 Moses Never Has Left Us—Pinchas of Koretz[125] Numbers 31:21 The War after War—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[126] Numbers 32:22–23 Becoming Pure before God—Menachem Mendel of RymanovMase‘ei[127] Numbers 33:1–2 Journeys of Purification—Yisra’el ben Shabbetai Hapstein, Maggid of Koznitz[128] Numbers 34:2 Conquering Evil Within—Elimelech of Lyzhansk[129] Numbers 35:6–7 Repairing What We Have Damaged—Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of AptaDeuteronomyDevarim[130] Deuteronomy 1:17 Overcoming Doubt—Ya’akov Yosef of Polonnoye[131] Deuteronomy 1:31 No Two the Same—Elazar ben Yehudah of Worms[132] Deuteronomy 2:24 Concentration and Humility in Prayer—Menachem Mendel of RymanovVa-’et?annan[133] Deuteronomy 4:39 Nothing but God—Yishayah HaLevi Horowitz[134] Deuteronomy 5:5 Ego Gets in the Way—Kalonymos Kalman HaLevi Epstein[135] Deuteronomy 6:4 The Meaning of Divine Unity—Moshe Alsheich‘Ekev[136] Deuteronomy 8:3 The Spirituality of Eating—Hayyim Vital[137] Deuteronomy 9:15–17 The Weight of the Law—Hayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar[138] Deuteronomy 10:21 Prayer Is Divine—Pinchas of KoretzRe’eh[139] Deuteronomy 11:26 Today—Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev[140] Deuteronomy 13:4 Testing Times—Yisra’el ben Eliezer, Ba’al Shem Tov[141] Deuteronomy 15:22 Why Eating Is Like Sleeping—Ya’akov Yitzchak HaLevi Horowitz, Seer of LublinShofetim[142] Deuteronomy 16:18 Judgment Within—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[143] Deuteronomy 18:13 Raising Love and Fear to God—Yisra’el ben Eliezer, Ba’al Shem Tov[144] Deuteronomy 19:14 Making God Real—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of SudylkovKi Tetse’[145] Deuteronomy 21:10 The War against Evil—Moshe Teitelbaum of Ujhely[146] Deuteronomy 23:19 Praying without Desire—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica[147] Deuteronomy 25:19 Blotting Out Amalek Within—Yisra’el ben Eliezer, Ba’al Shem TovKi Tavo’[148] Deuteronomy 26:11 How to Rejoice—Mordechai of Neschiz[149] Deuteronomy 26:16 Timeless Prayer—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[150] Deuteronomy 28:31 Backward Curses—Pinchas of KoretzNitsavim[151] Deuteronomy 29:9 Standing before God—Yisra’el Friedman of Ruzhyn[152] Deuteronomy 29:28 The Hidden and the Revealed—Hayyim Vital[153] Deuteronomy 30:11–12,14 The Shechinah in Our Mouths—Baruch ben Yechiel of MedzibodzVa-yelekh[154] Deuteronomy 31:1 Controlling Our Words—Elimelech ben Hayyim Meir Yechiel of Grodzhisk[155] Deuteronomy 31:12 Fixing Holiness in Our Minds—Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica[156] Deuteronomy 31:18 When God Is in Hiding—Simchah Bunam of OtvotzkHa’azinu[157] Deuteronomy 32:1 Without Knowing What We Say—Menachem Mendel of Rymanov[158] Deuteronomy 32:18 Forgetting God—Menachem Mendel of Kotzk[159] Deuteronomy 32:47 The Torah as Advice—Meshullam Feibush HaLevi Heller of ZbarazhVe-zo’t Ha-berakhah[160] Deuteronomy 33:1 The Never-Recurring Now—Hayyim ben Menachem Mendel of Kosov[161] Deuteronomy 33:18 Business and Study—Hayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar[162] Deuteronomy 34:12 Returning to the Beginning—Moshe Hayyim Efraim of SudylkovAppendix 1: Original TextsAppendix 2: The Teachers

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Book SynopsisAn unprecedented annotated anthology of the most important Jewish mystical works, A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader is designed to facilitate teaching these works to all levels of learners in adult education and college classroom settings. Daniel M. Horwitz’s insightful introductions and commentary accompany readings in the Talmud and Zohar and writings by Ba''al Shem Tov, Rav Kook, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and others. Horwitz’s introduction describes five major types of Jewish mysticism and includes a brief chronology of theirdevelopment, with a timeline. He begins with biblical prophecy and proceeds through the early mystical movements up through current beliefs. Chapters on key subjects characterize mystical expression through the ages, such as Creation and deveikut (“cleaving to God”); the role of Torah; the erotic; inclinations toward good and evil; magic; prayer and ritual; and more. Later chapters deal with Hasidism, Trade Review"Horowitz offers a very readable and enjoyable introduction to the broad expanse of Jewish mystical literature from biblical to modern times."—Mark Verman, Religious Studies Review"Rabbi Horwitz has done a masterful job of collecting important excerpts from the vast storehouse of mystical literature, and annotated each selection with a perceptive analysis. This collection will remain the classic book of study on kabbalah and Jewish mysticism for decades to come."—Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins“A gateway into the world of Jewish spirituality. . . . An important resource, very well done.”—Rabbi Jack Riemer, editor of The World of the High Holy Days“Rabbi Horwitz has written a fine book of accessible scholarship, one that will be welcomed by rabbis, educators, and adult education classes. Strongly recommended.”—Rabbi Judith Abrams, the late former head of Maqom, School for Adult Talmud Study, and coauthor of The Messiah and the Jews“Very solid, carefully thought-out, and well researched, making a very complicated subject quite accessible.”—Rabbi Dr. Byron L. Sherwin, the late former Distinguished Service Professor, Spertus Institute Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceLandmark Dates and Key Figures in Jewish Mysticism Part 1. The Roots of Jewish Mysticism1. What Is Jewish Mysticism?2. Mysticism in the Bible Part 2. Early Mystical Pursuits3. Mysticism in the Talmud: Entering the Pardes4. Song of Songs and Ma’aseh Merkavah5. The Temple: The Meeting Place for God and His People6. Ma’aseh Bereshit, Sefer Yetzirah, and Sefer ha-Bahir: The Roots of Kabbalah7. Hasidei Ashkenaz: Mystical Moralism Part 3. Basic Concepts in Kabbalah8. The Ein Sof: That Which Is Endless9. The Sefirot: Perceiving God10. Deveikut: Cleaving to God11. Tzorekh Gavoha: The Divine Need Part 4. Further Developments in Kabbalah12. Prophetic-Ecstatic Kabbalah: Abraham Abulafia13. The Role of the Torah14. Sexuality in Jewish Mysticism15. Sin, Teshuvah, and the Yetzer ha-Ra: Tikkun16. Lurianic Kabbalah17. The Problem of Evil in Kabbalah18. Mystical Experiences, Ascetic Practices Part 5. Additional Issues in Kabbalah19. Four Worlds, Four Levels of Soul: Death and Transmigration20. Magic21. Messianism22. Prayer and Ritual in the Mystical Life Part 6. Hasidism23. The Ba’al Shem Tov and His Teachings24. The Role of Prayer and the Ba’al Shem Tov’s Successors25. The Growth of Hasidism and Its Search for Truth26. Chabad Hasidism Part 7. Mysticism, Action, and Reaction27. Three Twentieth-Century Mystics28. Concealment and Distortion of Jewish Mysticism Suggestions for Further ReadingNotesGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThis groundbreaking presentation of Neo-Hasidic philosophy gathers and analyzes the writings of its progenitors: five great twentieth-century European and American Jewish thinkers—Hillel Zeitlin, Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Shlomo Carlebach, and Zalman Schachter-Shalomi—along with a young Arthur Green. Trade Review"A New Hasidism describes the renewal of Jewish life that I and so many of our colleagues have found to be meaningful. It draws us into an important conversation that will enrich our lives and the lives of those we touch as teachers and rabbis."—Rabbi Laura Geller, CCAR Journal: The Reform Jewish Quarterly"A compelling, enjoyable book and a centrally important contribution to the study of Neo-Hasidism. We are seeing with this book the early stages of an exciting new field of study, toward which Green and Mayse do an excellent job orienting us, particularly by providing for us an initial set of questions, texts, and suggestions for further reading. Although this book is recommended especially for audiences in Jewish and Jewish studies settings, it is accessible—and likely quite interesting—to broader audiences, both in the academy and outside it."—Steven Kaplin, Reading Religion“After reading these two intellectually informative and spiritually rich works, we ask how indeed twenty-first-century Jews living in comfort, in freedom, in modernity in an age of feminism and egalitarianism, at a time when they draw close to those who have been ‘other’ will adapt the spiritual teaching of their eighteenth- and nineteenth-century ancestors. Judaism will be much enhanced by such adaption as has been this reader.”—Michael Berenbaum, Jewish Journal “For more than a hundred years, people in search of religious renewal who are not Hasidic have found inspiration in Hasidism. Now Arthur Green and Ariel Mayse, both scholars of Hasidism and committed spiritual seekers, have assembled critical texts for the fashioning of Neo-Hasidism in the twenty-first century. The result is a landmark contribution to Jewish spirituality.”—David Biale, Emanuel Ringelblum Distinguished Professor of Jewish History at the University of California, Davis, and editor in chief of Hasidism: A New History“A New Hasidism is a treasure for the heart and mind. With this superb two-volume anthology in hand, contemporary seekers and scholars have a broad spectrum of spiritual wisdom with which to contemplate the history and contemporary character of Neo-Hasidism. The first volume provides the ‘roots’ of the modern reinterpretation of Hasidism in Europe and America; the second displays the ‘branches’ spreading over Jewish life in the United States and Israel in our times. Together they mark a major moment of our Jewish religious renaissance.”—Michael Fishbane, Nathan Cummings Distinguished Service Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Chicago“In two sequential volumes, the diamonds of Hasidic spiritual teaching have been skillfully recut and set to offer seekers of all backgrounds entry into a challenging and soul-expanding opportunity. You are invited to enter a multigenerational conversation, deeply engage with the most inspiring teachings of Hasidic and contemporary teachers, build upon these insights, and carry them forward.”—Rabbi Marcia Prager, director and dean of the ALEPH Ordination Program and author of Path of Blessing: Experiencing the Abundance of the Divine“The impact of Neo-Hasidism on contemporary Jewish life cannot be overstated; its influence has penetrated farther and wider than is usually acknowledged. Yet what is Neo-Hasidism really—what are its main teachings, and where do those ideas stem from? Here, brought together for the first time, are the essential texts of Neo-Hasidism, from forebears like Hillel Zeitlin and Abraham Joshua Heschel, and from recent and contemporary thinkers like Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Arthur Green. Whatever their own relationship to Neo-Hasidism, students of Jewish thought and contemporary religious life cannot afford to miss these volumes. They are a veritable feast for seeker and scholar alike.”—Rabbi Shai Held, president and dean of the Hadar Institute and author of The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion“Over the past century, a number of creative spirits have reimagined Hasidism—infusing it with new energy, liberating it from its insularity and dynastic power structure, and translating its radical wisdom into a modern idiom. Now, for the first time, one of those creative spirits, together with his brilliant disciple, have chronicled that transformation and assembled its foundational documents (or ‘roots’) along with many of its recent literary ‘branches.’ Dip into these volumes to experience the renewal of Jewish spirituality.”—Daniel Matt, author of The Essential Kabbalah and the annotated translation, The Zohar: Pritzker Edition“Just when we are in such dire need of old/new tools for truth telling and loving kindness (chesed ve’emet), we receive these wise, passionate, intellectually compelling essays that continue the unfolding of the Neo-Hasidic revolution in our own times. These volumes will open minds, hearts, and even souls.”—Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, executive director of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality“Green and Mayse have masterfully crafted a living tree of Neo-Hasidic worldview and practice spanning the sources of Neo-Hasidic thought and their manifestations in contemporary Neo-Hasidism. These two wonderfully innovative volumes reveal a creatively alive Judaism informed by a deep legacy.”—Melila Hellner-Eshed, senior research fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute and author of A River Flows from Eden: The Language of Mystical Experience in the Zohar Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction Editors’ Note 1. Hillel Zeitlin Introduction What Is Yavneh? (Untitled Manuscript, ca. mid-1920s) What Does Yavneh Want? (1924) Admonitions for Every True Member of Yavneh (1924) The Fundaments of Hasidism (1910) Mystery of Thought (1928) Suggestions for Further Reading 2. Martin Buber Introduction The Life of the Hasidim (1908) Spirit and Body of the Hasidic Movement (1922) Interpreting Hasidism (1963) Suggestions for Further Reading 3. Abraham Joshua Heschel IntroductionPikuah Neshamah: To Save a Soul (1949) Hasidism as a New Approach to Torah (1972) Dissent (Date Unknown) Suggestions for Further Reading 4. Shlomo Carlebach Introduction Introduction to “The Torah of the Nine Months” The Torah of the Nine Months (Undated, 1970s) Suggestions for Further Reading 5. Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Introduction Hasidism and Neo-Hasidism (1960) Toward an “Order of B’nai Or”: A Program for a Jewish Liturgical Brotherhood (1964) Foundations of the Fourth Turning of Hasidism: A Manifesto (2014) Selections from an Interview with Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (ca. 2000) Suggestions for Further Reading 6. Arthur Green Introduction Notes from the Jewish Underground: On Psychedelics and Kabbalah (1968) After Itzik: Toward a Theology of Jewish Spirituality (1971) “Where Are We Going?”: An Address to the Neo-Hasidism Conference, New York City (2003) Suggestions for Further Reading Source Acknowledgments Notes

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Book SynopsisThis book is a radical exploration of the mystical teachings in the Gospel of John. It helps the reader to experience these spiritual truths for themselves, and go beyond the everyday mind which is dominated by the ego and realize their eternal Being, which Johns Gospel calls Logos. By approaching the teachings in a meditative state, the symbolism contained within the Greek text opens out and comes alive in the present moment. The Gospel is not a historical document; it speaks directly to each person now and the states of consciousness represented in the stories are accessible now. The book contains guided meditations to help bring this to life for the reader. This awakening concerns our relationship with the whole of life. Spiritual consciousness means that we are aware of the sacredness of our connections to each other as fellow human beings, and to the creatures of the natural world. Christ and the Logos contain both masculine and feminine in balance; at this critical time, our well-being and that of our fellow creatures is dependent on this realization.Trade ReviewPatterns of Creation brings the reader into the creative power of the present. Written with great clarity and considerable scholarship, this book achieves its aim, that of awakening the reader to a greater awareness of the spiritual consciousness that exists in each of us, enfolding us within the greater circle of life of which so many people are largely unaware. (Natasha Hoffman, Author, with Hamilton Hill, of Let the Standing Stones Speak (O Books), and with Carolyn North, of Voices Out of Stone (Findhorn Press)) Steve Pope is a marvelous Teacher, Scholar and Mystic. This book provides a modern way of approaching ancient Biblical texts and a practical roadmap to spiritual awakening. Through clear and penetrating insights, Steve helps the reader discover the deeper meaning hidden in the western mystical teachings. (Rev. Dr. Megan Wagner, PhD, Author of The Sapphire Staff, Provost and Director of Spiritual Psychology at The Chaplaincy Institute in California, USA.)

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Book Synopsis"Dancing In The Footsteps of Eve" is multi-layered odyssey of transition based on the mystical Four Worlds of kabbalah - Intuition, Intellect, Emotion and Action - animating the Mystic, the Student, the Dreamer and the Humanitarian within. Their interaction reveals an evolving image of Divinity, constantly present and continually changing, as ancient as Judaism and contemporary as the moment. "Exodus", more than a biblical book, emerges as the archetypal hero's journey. As children of Israel, we are encouraged to continue towards the promised land of our own spiritual maturity. The potential for balance, reconciliation and compassionate connection awaits the evolving human family.Trade ReviewThe real contribution of this book is to offer an intelligent, intimate, and relevant idea of God in a time of confusion and forgetting. (Thomas Moore, author Care of the Soul.) Heather Mendel's scholarship and knowledge of religious writings combine with her deeply felt reflections and enlightened consciousness to illuminate a remarkable personal journey by a woman steeped in Jewish tradition in search of the divine feminine. (Riane Eisler, author of The Chalice and The Blade.)

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