Meditation and Kabbalah

Rating:
Summary: Wow!!!
Review: "An exciting masterpiece. So rationally writen and explicitly put that it leaves one flabbergasted for life. By far a work of a wizard."

Rating:
Summary: Wow!!!
Review: "An exciting masterpiece. So rationally writen and explicitly put that it leaves one flabbergasted for life. By far a work of a wizard."

Rating:
Summary: Pure and very complex
Review: Areyh Kaplan is the single most athoritative writer on the Kabbalah today. Although I must include Zev ben Shimon Halevi in that pantheon. Both of these authors bring much need light onto a subject that is now very "chic." Not so Kaplan, a true scholar. But it is not for beginners. Althought I must say that the knowledge in the Kabbalah is not for beginners, period. There was a reason that both the Cordoverian and Lurianic schools insisted that the study of the Kabbalah should be started at the age of 40. And this was centuries ago when life expectancy was much less than it is today. I must warn you that this very dense and speaks directly to the "real" Kabbalah, and not all of the western appropriated magicians of the turn of the century. If you are sincere in studying Kabbalah and are willing to put in the time and effort, this is a must!

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Summary: Meditation and Kabbalah by Aryeh Kaplan
Review: Excellent!One of the best books you can buy on Kabbalah,period.

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Summary: This book should be renamed: A history of some Rabbi's
Review: I thoguth the title was misleading - I was expecting this book to actually be about meditation. It is more like a research reference on the subject. I think it should be called: A History of Some Rabbi Guys and their Students, With Some Allusions to Meditation Techniques Here and There.

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Summary: Valuable contribution
Review: The late Aryeh Kaplan was a Rabbi, scholar, and Kabbalist. In addition to his valuable and readable commentaries on Sefer Yetzirah and Sefer Bahir, he wrote three books on meditation. The other two are: "Meditation and the Bible" and "Jewish Meditation." From a practical perspective, "Jewish Meditation" is far and away the best, however, reading the other two provides one with a more inclusive, theoretical background and context within which to practice. This volume is quite valuable and a contribution to both meditation per se and to Kabbalah. I'd put it in the middle of the 3 in value if forced to choose. It's rare to find an author who is both scholar and practitioner, so Kaplan's books on Kabbalah are particularly valuable and accessible to the reader. Of course, they are not introductory books--of which there are innumerable versions in bookstores. It helps to have a solid background in the basics before tackling Kaplan's texts. But it isn't essential--especially for "Jewish Meditation." I would place them as intermediate level texts--more or less on a par with the average Ze'v ben Shimon Halevi texts. Kaplan's are more scholarly in nature, however. They are appropriate to both the serious student and the serious practitioner of Kabbalah.

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Summary: Pure and very complex
Review: This is a very good book for those that are competent in the basic terminology of Kabbalah. If you're not, you will struggle with this text. This book gives the reader a very broad appreciation for the art of meditation through a broad compilation of the various Kabbalistic literature that is unaccesible to most people and nearly impossible to taste if your language is only English. This book covers all of the major schools and their most noticeable differences and provides enough "meat" to contemplate the various methods of meditation themselves. This book is not an expositon on the Bible, but it is biblicaly based although not readily apparent. If you're looking for your first book on meditation, don't start here, this isn't a beginners text. Instead try Kaplan's other book, "Jewish Meditation." However, if you're ready to take a deeper look and wan't to gain a broader perspective on the various methods, this is an excellent text.

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Summary: A crucial study of meditation
Review: This is a very good book for those that are competent in the basic terminology of Kabbalah. If you're not, you will struggle with this text. This book gives the reader a very broad appreciation for the art of meditation through a broad compilation of the various Kabbalistic literature that is unaccesible to most people and nearly impossible to taste if your language is only English. This book covers all of the major schools and their most noticeable differences and provides enough "meat" to contemplate the various methods of meditation themselves. This book is not an expositon on the Bible, but it is biblicaly based although not readily apparent. If you're looking for your first book on meditation, don't start here, this isn't a beginners text. Instead try Kaplan's other book, "Jewish Meditation." However, if you're ready to take a deeper look and wan't to gain a broader perspective on the various methods, this is an excellent text.

Rating:
Summary: A scholarly study of technique
Review: This is not a how-to book, but a book which outlines the various Kabbalistic meditative techniques. Along with Sepher Yetzirah and other books, it gives deep insight into the mechanics and practice of kabbalistic techniques. For this purpose, as a study of them, it is excellent. I have not read Kaplan's practical book, but I intend to do so soon.

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Summary: No rubbish, only the "purest gold" translated
Review: This is the best, most Jewishly-authentic book on kabbalah available in English today. Neither a pop "new age" book nor a contemporary attempt to "update" Judaism, it was written by a practicing orthodox rabbi who knew what he was talkng about! Rabbi Kaplan's clear explanations and lucid translations of important source texts were among the first to appear in English, making this almost-forgotten meditation tradition more accessible once more. Should be on the shelf of every serious Jewish seeker.