Simple Kabbalah - Hardcover

Zetter, Kim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0785815112 ISBN 13: 9780785815112

Publisher: Castle, 2002

Synopsis

Simple Kabbalah is an accessible guide to the complex principles and history of this Jewish mystical belief system. In her clear and concise prose, journalist and Jewish scholar Kim Zetter outlines the history of this ancient set of beliefs, presents its key tenets, and explains its main symbol, the Tree of Life. She then shows how to practice the wisdom of kabbalah in everyday life through meditation and exercises for calming the mind and sharpening awareness. Readers learn how this esoteric knowledge can affect every aspect of life, from attitudes about work and the environment to social and personal interactions.

About this title

From AudioFile:

Kabbalah is the rich Judaic set of principles that anyone can use to understand the mystical nature of the soul, of God, of our future, and of our relationships to each other. Zetter has written a masterful account of the influence of Kabbalah on mankind over the ages and a respectful look at this part of Jewish culture and thought. Theodore Bikel, one of our most respected and beloved actors, gives this material the reverence it deserves by transcending awareness of himself and inhabiting the essence of the author's message. Though this unabridged audio is probably more detailed and enigmatic than some listeners will want, these qualities are splendidly woven into the text and are well worth the extra attention required. T.W. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Kirkus Reviews:

A better title might be Jewish Mysticism for Dummies. Zetter, sometime contributor to the Los Angeles Times and Jerusalem Post, summarizes Jewish mystical teachings for an audience of nonspecialists and seekers. Her first five chapters provide an adequate introduction: she walks readers through some of the key kabbalistic texts, and we also meet figures from the history of Kabbalah. Readers will become acquainted with a few central kabbalistic conceptsthat God created and destroyed seven worlds before ours, that creation is ongoing, that God created the universe through ten ``emanations'' or ``forces'' (sefirot). The volume culminates in a final chapter about ``practical Kabbalah.'' Here, Zetter falls down. Ostensibly addressing the relevance Kabbalah has to postmoderns, the book degenerates into holistic pap: ``When we exhibit lovingkindness, we heal the world because acts of lovingkindness bring unification''; ``To experience a Gevurah [strength] consciousness, Kabbalists advise us to examine areas of our life that are out of balance . . . eating too much or watching too much TV . . . . Instead of eating a bag of potato chips for an evening snack, we might want to opt for something healthier.'' Instead of exploring, say, the ways Jews in the Jewish Renewal movement are integrating kabbalistic teachings into their worship services, Zetter ends on a weak note: Random Acts of Kindness with a faintly Jewish flavor. (6 illustrations) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Castle
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0785815112
• ISBN 13: 9780785815112
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 204