Practical Kabbalah: A Guide to Jewish Wisdom for Everyday Life
Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish wisdom that explains the laws of spiritual energy. Up until very recently the Kabbalah was reserved for the elite, those who only after years of scholarship and practice were allowed to enter this mystical realm. However, one doesn't need to devote one's life to intense study to reap the rich rewards of the Kabbalah. With just a basic understanding of a few key concepts, our lives can be enriched immensely. We can then begin to fulfill our deepest dreams and...
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Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish wisdom that explains the laws of spiritual energy. Up until very recently the Kabbalah was reserved for the elite, those who only after years of scholarship and practice were allowed to enter this mystical realm. However, one doesn't need to devote one's life to intense study to reap the rich rewards of the Kabbalah. With just a basic understanding of a few key concepts, our lives can be enriched immensely. We can then begin to fulfill our deepest dreams and reach our most important goals, becoming the people we long to become. By learning to understand the Sefirot—the ten spiritual properties that flow from the cosmic source into our heart—we can connect to the universe and profoundly transform our experience of daily life. For example, Hessed, or "loving-kindness," represents the desire to be generous, while Gevurah is the desire to focus intently or withhold. These properties must be balanced in order for harmony and well-being to occur. Rabbi Laibl Wolf shows how to maintain that balance and enjoy a healthy and productive life by using simple meditation and creative visualization techniques to grasp the spiritual nature of our life. Practical Kabbalah draws upon ancient wisdom but offers a modern interpretation and easy-to-understand techniques for delving deeper into our selves and our world and for reaping the bounteous gifts that were always meant for us. Publishers Weekly Kabbalah is the richest repository of ancient Jewish mysticism. Its myriad writings express the profundity of God's mysteries and "explain the eternal laws of how spiritual energy moves through the Cosmos." For centuries, holy men have devoted their entire lives to plumbing its depths. Rabbi Wolf, who leads workshops and seminars on Kabbalah, believes that the great wisdom of Kabbalah can be used in everyday life to achieve balance and harmony. In the first section of the book, Wolf provides a useful introduction to the history of Kabbalah and its interpretation. He discusses Kabbalah's many layers and paints a picture of the kabbalist, someone whose life is devoted to prayer and the study of Kabbalah. In his second section, Wolf elaborates upon the 10 Sefirot, "the spiritual energies of Mind and Emotion," that make up Kabbalah. The Kabbalah teaches that the universe's creation is incomplete and these Sefirot are the tools we can use to "create the environment through which the universe can be perfected." For example, Wolf interprets "Hessed" as the "unlocking flow of love." He notes that "Hessed is the dominant flow that propels us to a state of oneness and unity." As in the other meditations, Wolf offers a variety of meditation exercises on the Sefirot so that the Sefirot can be woven into everyday life. The author uses stories from Hasidic teachers, biblical stories and personal anecdotes to illustrate the ways that Kabbalah can guide seekers to spiritual unity. (June) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
\ Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly\ Kabbalah is the richest repository of ancient Jewish mysticism. Its myriad writings express the profundity of God's mysteries and "explain the eternal laws of how spiritual energy moves through the Cosmos." For centuries, holy men have devoted their entire lives to plumbing its depths. Rabbi Wolf, who leads workshops and seminars on Kabbalah, believes that the great wisdom of Kabbalah can be used in everyday life to achieve balance and harmony. In the first section of the book, Wolf provides a useful introduction to the history of Kabbalah and its interpretation. He discusses Kabbalah's many layers and paints a picture of the kabbalist, someone whose life is devoted to prayer and the study of Kabbalah. In his second section, Wolf elaborates upon the 10 Sefirot, "the spiritual energies of Mind and Emotion," that make up Kabbalah. The Kabbalah teaches that the universe's creation is incomplete and these Sefirot are the tools we can use to "create the environment through which the universe can be perfected." For example, Wolf interprets "Hessed" as the "unlocking flow of love." He notes that "Hessed is the dominant flow that propels us to a state of oneness and unity." As in the other meditations, Wolf offers a variety of meditation exercises on the Sefirot so that the Sefirot can be woven into everyday life. The author uses stories from Hasidic teachers, biblical stories and personal anecdotes to illustrate the ways that Kabbalah can guide seekers to spiritual unity. (June) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalTwo rabbis, a world apart (Benyosef in Jerusalem, Wolf in Australia), take quite different approaches to bringing the Kabbalah to modern readers. Kabbalah, a set of ancient mystic Jewish teachings, dates from ancient times but reached its flowering in 18th-century central Europe. Over the centuries, there have been many great teachers of Kabbalah. Benyosef bases his teachings on those of Rafael Moshe Luria, a modern master of Kabbalah and a direct descendant of the famous 16th-century Kabbalist R. Isaac Luria. Benyosef guides the reader through the holidays and festivals of the Jewish year and shows how these events can be celebrated and understood via concepts developed by Moshe Luria. The text will speak to those already familiar with the Kabbalah and who wish to contrast the Lurian approach with that of other Kabbalists. Beginners will find the text rough going. In contrast, Wolf (who bases his teachings on those of the late Lubavicher Rebbe Schneerson) shows how the Kabbalah fits into other mystic traditions such as Zen Buddhism and Hinduism. Using meditation exercises, Wolf, who is also a psychologist, hopes to bring the reader to inner peace and spiritual communion with God. Recommended for larger religion or Judaica collections.--Olga B. Wise, Compaq Computers Inc., Austin, TX Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.\ \
