The Gift of Kabbalah: Discovering the Secrets of Heaven, Renewing Your Life on Earth - Softcover

Frankiel, Tamar

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1580231411 ISBN 13: 9781580231411

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 2003

Synopsis

The first comprehensive, down-to-earth introduction to explain the primary message of Kabbalah―that we are to become like God.

Unlike the faddish books that just discuss Kabbalah as a magical system, or those that treat it as if it were separable from Judaism, this inspiring book makes accessible the mysteries of Kabbalah with thorough scholarship and depth of spiritual insight. It traces the evolution of Kabbalah in Judaism and sets forth its most important gift: a way of revealing the connection that exists between our "everyday" life and the spiritual oneness of the universe. Including hands-on "personal Kabbalah" exercises that help bring the teachings into your life, The Gift of Kabbalahexplores:

• Healing from the Source
• Holiness in the Ordinary
• Contemplating Your Place in History
• Building a Positive Structure for Life
• The Soul's Contract with God
• ... and much more.

About this title

Review

Kabbalah, the tradition of Jewish mystical wisdom, has found popularity of late among New Age gurus and Hollywood celebrities like Madonna. In The Gift of Kabbalah, Tamar Frankiel offers a practical guide for reclaiming Kabbalah's religious meaning, beginning with its origins in ancient times. The word's Hebrew root means "to receive"; Kabbalah means "the received tradition," which probably originated several centuries B.C. Until the Middle Ages, the tradition was shrouded in secrecy. Since then, it has become increasingly public, notably in the Hasidic movement, which began in 18th-century Ukraine. Frankiel guides readers through the primary concerns of Kabbalah (its theology, cosmology, and anthropology). And practical exercises draw readers' attention to Kabbalah's imperative: "Bring God into the world. You and I, each one of us personally, has the job of bringing God in, daily, nightly, weekly, yearly." In plain language, this book describes the awesome responsibility and great pleasure of receiving Kabbalah's gifts, and makes some of Judaism's greatest mysteries more accessible to readers of all religious traditions. --Michael Joseph Gross

About the Author

Tamar Frankiel, PhD, is recognized as one of the leading teachers of Jewish mysticism today. She teaches Jewish mysticism and comparative religion at the Academy for Jewish Religion, Los Angeles, and is the author of many books, including The Voice of Sarah: Feminine Spirituality and Traditional Judaism. She is coauthor of Minding the Temple of the Soul: Balancing Body, Mind, and Spirit through Traditional Jewish Prayer, Movement, and Meditation and Entering the Temple of Dreams: Jewish Prayers, Movements, and Meditations for the End of the Day (both Jewish Lights). She lectures frequently on topics of Jewish mysticism. Frankiel lives with her husband and five children in Los Angeles.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1580231411
• ISBN 13: 9781580231411
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 250