The Schocken Book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies

The Schocken Book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies
Author:
Publisher: Schocken
Total Pages: 360
Release: 1997
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

For the first time, this book brings together the few accounts that exist of the Jewish mystics' encounters with the Divine. The sources span 2,000 years and are drawn from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. They include depictions of peak religious experiences and visions, examples of ecstatic prayer, and counsel on how to keep company with the Divine.

The Schocken Book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies

The Schocken Book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies
Author: Louis Jacobs
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 1998-07-28
Genre:
ISBN: 9780517329597

A unique and inspiring collection of accounts by people who have encountered God, from Biblical times to the present. Foreword by Karen Armstrong The Schocken Book of Jewish Mystical Testimonies brings together the few accounts we have by Jewish mystics of their encounters with the divine. The sources collected in this volume--spanning two thousand years and including material from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East--include depictions of peak religious experiences and visions, examples of ecstatic prayer, and counsel on how to keep company with the divine. Supplemented with commentary by Louis Jacobs, one of the world's most knowledgeable scholars of Jewish mysticism, these accounts offer an exciting new window on Jewish religious experience and inspiration to spiritual seekers of all persuasions. From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition

The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition
Author: Lawrence A. Hoffman
Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2004-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1580232000

An accessible introduction to the concepts of Jewish mysticism and how they relate to our lives. Allows us to experience mysticism's inexpressible reverence before the mystery of creation and celebrate the quest to transform ordinary reality into holiness.

Jewish Mystical Autobiographies

Jewish Mystical Autobiographies
Author: Morris M. Faierstein
Publisher: Paulist Press
Total Pages: 392
Release: 1999
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 9780809105045

Here are first-time English translations of the autobiographical works of two important and influential Jewish mystics. In The Book of Visions Rabbi Hayyim Vital (1542-1620), foremost disciple of R. Isaac Luria, describes his mystical experiences in great detail. In The Book of Secrets, Rabbi Yizhak Isaac Safrin of Komarno (1806-1874) recounts incidents in his life and visionary experiences.

Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah

Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah
Author: Frederick E Greenspahn
Publisher: NYU Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2011-11-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0814733360

Over the past generation, scholars have devoted increasing attention to the diverse forms that Jewish mysticism has taken both in the past and today: what was once called “nonsense” by Jewish scholars has generated important research and attention both within the academy and beyond, as demonstrated by the popular fascination with figures such as Madonna and Demi Moore and the growing interest in spirituality. In Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah, leading experts introduce the history of this scholarship as well as the most recent insights and debates that currently animate the field in a way that is accessible to a broad audience. From mystical outpourings in ancient Palestine to the Kabbalah Centre, and from attitudes towards gender to mystical contributions to Jewish messianic movements, this volume explores the various expressions of Jewish mysticism from antiquity to the present day in an engaging style appropriate for students and non-specialists alike.

A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader

A Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism Reader
Author: Daniel M. Horwitz
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
Total Pages: 674
Release: 2016-04
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0827612869

An 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 their development, 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, the great mystical revival, and twentieth-century mystics, including Abraham Isaac Kook, Kalonymous Kalman Shapira, and Abraham Joshua Heschel. A final chapter addresses today's controversies concerning mysticism's place within Judaism and its potential for enriching the Jewish religion.