Practical Kabbalah

June 14, 1999
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.

August 1, 1999
Two 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 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.