The Cubs and the Kabbalist: How a Kabbalah-Master Helped the Chicago Cubs Win Their First World Series Since 1908 [Hardcover]

Byron L. Sherwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2006

Determined to bring his wife out of her own slump, Rabbi Jay Loeb practices a bit of magic based in the ancient Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah to help the perennial underdogs, the Chicago Cubs, win the World Series. In this modern-day tale, the rabbi suspects that his wife, Tamara, is having an affair. However, he feels no relief upon learning that her true obsession, and the cause of her erratic behavior, happens to be the hapless Chicago Cubs, whose prospects for the pennant are no better that year than they had been since they last appeared in the World Series in 1945. With his wife's law practice, family life, and health in jeopardy, Rabbi Loeb takes matters into his own hands and secretly performs a kabbalistic ritual in Wrigley Field that removes the park's legendary Billy Goat Curse. While the Cubs become invincible at home, they continue to struggle on the road, and upon discovering the cause of their new-found success, Cubs management commissions Rabbi Loeb to apply his kabbalistic knowledge to help the team go all the way. Ever mindful of his desire to restore his wife's well-being, Rabbi Loeb takes measures to neutralize other curses that have plagued the team—and help the players develop the spiritual strength they need to prevail.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A tale that will delight and reward its reader." -- Rabbi Geoff Dennis, author of The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic, and Mysticism

"I loved it from the opening pitch to the surprise, walk-off ending." -- Jim Langford, author of , The Cub Fan's Guide to Life and The Cub Fan's Book of Days

From the Publisher

Available October 15, 2005.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: West Oak Press (April 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976487403
• ISBN-13: 978-0976487401
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,254,116 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Are you ready for a little fun?, July 14, 2006

By 

Adam Daniel Mezei "Adam Daniel Mezei" (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Cubs and the Kabbalist: How a Kabbalah-Master Helped the Chicago Cubs Win Their First World Series Since 1908 (Hardcover)

Rabbi Sherwin's paean to perennial also-ran, the Chicago Cubs baseball team, in his THE CUBS AND THE KABBALIST might best be summed up with the following two word: "very cute."

It's true. It really *was* cute, and I had an exceptionally grand time turning the pages of this entertaining read, adding up to one of the more *fun* fictional pieces in my collection these past couple of weeks.

Admittedly, CUBS is safely nestled in the fictional world, folks. Sherwin blends his rigorously-researched reams of Cubs and other baseball statistics alongside the esoteric practice of Jewish Mysticism, or Kabala ("kabbalah"). I fell in love early and often with the way this story unfurled.

It begins with leading rabbi, Jay Loeb (J-Lo, anyone?), and his concerns over his wife Tamara. The author describes how the shalom bayit/bayis, or "peace of the home," chez Loeb has recently been disturbed by Tamara's frequent tirades railing against the annual stream of Cubs losses. We find ourselves at the point where it's beginning to affect her performance at work -- she's a lawyer, see -- and because of all this, Tamara's been stressing. Loeb's had enough, and he resolves on the spot to do something about it.

Like any loving husband might, the good rabbi seeks to ease his wife's pain, and rustles up a solution. Loeb eventually falls back on the mainstay of his rabbinical training and investigates the possibility of using his expertise in matters concerning the ancient Jewish Kabbalistic practice to provide a cure for what's been ailing Tamara's hapless beloved Cubs.

Soon, the Cubs begin cobbling together a series of seemingly-miraculous wins at home in the "Friendly Confines" of Shy-Town's [Chicago] Wrigley Field, mostly due to some clandestine "soul work" Loeb has been conjuring up in the silence of the night. Cue "The Golem of Prague" story -- for those of you who know it -- to explore the possibilities of what might happen to the rest of this story. (I won't give it away, but do expect a little twist at the end there. One which I think you're going to enjoy.)

This book is a pure pleasure read.

Sherwin doesn't overwhelm you with complex jargon, and while his subject material -- Jewish Mysticism -- is a very serious subject indeed, not to be trifled with lightly by any stretch (a la what Madonna, her husband Guy Ritchie, Bittney and others have been doing in Hollywood) -- he doesn't lord it over you inside the pages of this book. Delivered in a sometimes-humourous, sometimes-tongue-in-cheek style, Freud would be proud of Sherwin's cigar-is-just-a-cigar read -- I mean, c'mon!, it's baseball...our National Pastime (will it always remain so?). Don't expect some heavy non-fiction here, okay?

Byron L. Sherwin's quite obviously got the skills, ladies and gentlemen.

His narrative is tightly woven, and he leaves no stones unturned in CUBS. With a typical moviemaker's flourish, he ends his book with a cute little Epilogue a la what you might see in a happy Disney movie, and that made me smile. You'll learn of what "became" of the various players in this little drama, and I'll admit that it summed things up handily for this here reviewer.

On the beach?

A long flight across the ocean?

Or perhaps you're a baseball lover who's seeking an interesting little spin on the "Field of Dreams" narrative?

Then THE CUBS AND THE KABBALIST is probably for you.

-- ADM in Prague

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick read, entertaining., March 8, 2010

By 

M. Straube (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cubs and the Kabbalist: How a Kabbalah-Master Helped the Chicago Cubs Win Their First World Series Since 1908 (Hardcover)

This book was based on a autobiographical premise of the author's wife's problematic love affair with the Cubbies. The story was imaginative and was a quick read. Definitely a nice way to start off Spring Training and get ready for the coming season. It will not win any Pulitzer's but it will keep you turning the page. Unfortunately, if you are a Cubs fan, you will not find an implementable practical solution to the franchise's woes, but this novel does dare you to dream!

5.0 out of 5 stars High marks, November 14, 2008

By 

Steven L. Jordan (Wheaton, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Cubs and the Kabbalist: How a Kabbalah-Master Helped the Chicago Cubs Win Their First World Series Since 1908 (Hardcover)

This is a delightful fantastical tale, spun with a fine sense of plot. The research on the Cubs is nuanced, and Professor Sherwin takes his profound expertise in the Cabala and tells a wonderful story. This story could have used better editing (eliminating repititious snippits), but I recommend it to all, whether Cubs fans, Jewish scholars, or any lovers of a good yarn.