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‘The Torah is both hidden and revealed ... there is a secret meaning to the holy Torah that is not written down explicitly or explained in it’ This selection offers a comprehensive survey of the 'Kabbalah', the body of writings in the Jewish mystical tradition. It features texts from a variety of literary forms, from the earliest biblical sources through to the early twentieth century, with a section on 'practical kabbalistic knowledge and procedure' to appeal to the modern market.
This richly-illustrated dictionary captures the richness and vitality of Jewish religion and culture: the web of legend and folklore crucial to understanding Judaism. The result is a vital and long-needed companion for anyone seeking to understand the Jewish world now and in past centuries. It describes all the main characters and the legends that have grown up around them; Jewish methods of Biblical interpretation; the framework of Jewish law, literature and poetry; the festivals of the Jewish Year; the different languages and subgroups within the community; and the many countries that Jews have lived in, as well as the importance of the Holy Land. Also revealed is a comprehensive picture of another side of Judaism. This is a world populated by angels and demons; sages and Kabbalists; creatures unknown to zoologists; lucky and unlucky days and numbers; and the hope for a Messianic era when the dead will arise, and man will live in harmony with nature.
The Historical Dictionary of the Jews presents the history of the Jewish people and their religious culture in a way that makes clear how and why this small, ancient people have survived nearly four millennia and managed to play such an important role in the world-well out of proportion to their population. The Jews trace their origins far back in history to the early tribes of Judah and Moses. Over the centuries, they spread across much of the Western world, as well as into parts of Africa and Asia, until they were crushed by the Holocaust and were forced to find refuge in the United States and the new state of Israel. Because of that horrific event, of the estimated 15 million Jews living ...
A comprehensive survey of the Jewish mystical tradition An indispensable guide to thousands of years of spiritual inquiry, The Kabbalistic Tradition features writings from a variety of literary forms-from the earliest biblical sources through twentieth-century studies-as well as practical information and practices for the modern reader. These selections concentrate on the three main areas of Kabbalistic creativity-the literature of Zohar, the Lurianic corpus, and the Chasidic mystical tradition. Alan Unterman's enlightening introduction examines the unique characteristics of the Kabbalah and places this volume in its proper historical and philosophical context. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Documenting the life story, inspiring personality, and scholarship of Nehama Leibowitz, a recipient of the Israel Prize in Education, this biography discusses her strong views on issues such as Zionism, humanism, and feminism, as well as the influences that shaped her. The book also examines her pioneering approach to the study of the Hebrew Bible and the commentaries that forever changed the face of Jewish Bible study, as well as her acceptance as a prominent Torah scholar despite her gender and the future of her work in light of recent scholarship. Dozens of black-and-white photographs help tell the story of a brilliant teacher, an erudite scholar, and a forthright, warm, and humorous individual who left her mark on tens of thousands of people around the world.
Justice for All demonstrates that the Jewish Bible, by radically changing the course of ethical thought, came to exercise enormous influence on Jewish thought and law and also laid the basis for Christian ethics and the broader development of modern Western civilization. Jeremiah Unterman shows us persuasively that the ethics of the Jewish Bible represent a significant moral advance over Ancient Near East cultures. Moreover, he elucidates how the Bible’s unique conception of ethical monotheism, innovative understanding of covenantal law, and revolutionary messages from the prophets form the foundation of many Western civilization ideals. Justice for All connects these timeless biblical texts to the persistent themes of our times: immigration policy, forgiveness and reconciliation, care for the less privileged, and attaining hope for the future despite destruction and exile in this world.
The Wisdom of the Jewish Mystics is a selection of the most important writings, commentary, and ideas of the Jewish mystical tradition through the ages. The sayings are drawn primarily from the great Hasidic writers, like the Baal Shem Tov, who produced a new genre of mystical literature for laypeople. In his introduction, Dr. Unterman explains the background of kabbalistic thought and distills the quintessence of the mystics' wisdom.
Young men and women in Jerusalem, London, and New York seek identity, spiritual clarity, and that nice Jewish girl or boy. Along the way, they manage to survive being pelted with fruit in synagogue, internet dating during the Second Intifada, a romance with a potential terrorist, an existential crisis on an El Al plane, and being blacklisted from dating in Manhattan of 2029. Nothing can eliminate the hope of these heroic individuals. Unsure if they are starring in a tragedy or a comedy, they persistently aim for a deeper connection, a more meaningful life.
"If now a swell from the Deep has swept over this planetary ship of earth, and I, who alone chanced to find myself in the furthest stern, as the sole survivor of her crew . . . What then, my God, shall I do?" The Purple Cloud is widely hailed as a masterpiece of science fiction and one of the best "last man" novels ever written. A deadly purple vapor passes over the world and annihilates all living creatures except one man, Adam Jeffson. He embarks on an epic journey across a silent and devastated planet, an apocalyptic Robinson Crusoe putting together the semblance of a normal life from the flotsam and jetsam of his former existence. As he descends into madness over the years, he becomes increasingly aware that his survival was no accident and that his destiny?and the fate of the human race?are part of a profound, cosmological plan.
An introduction to Jewish beliefs and practices, demonstrating that Judaism is a living religion which retains the vitality found in the Biblical corpus, but which has gone on to develop institutions, modes of behaviour and ideas which constitute the singularity of Jewish expression.