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Everything Is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism

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Everything is God is a book with a great deal of heart. The reader can easily tell that Jay Michaelson is a very sincere thinker on Jewish matters and in the wider world of spirituality. With this in mind, it is easy to forgive the book some of its shortcomings. For one, the work is not overtly Jewish. Michaelson quotes Hindu and Buddhist sources far more than traditional Jewish ones. The reader gets the impression that Michaelson is more comfortable in that world. Second, the book is organized in a way that does not help the reader access this difficult subject matter. Michaelson should have thought more about the arrangement of his materials. With that said, this is a grounded and beautiful work. Michaelson presents a picture of God, spirituality, and Jewishness which appealing, productive and humane.

There is a growing segment of Judaism which is nondual in nature -- it joins other nondual paths such as Buddhism, Vedanta Hindusim, Sufism, and nondual Christianity as a specific iteration of the universal. Nonduality is found at the summit of nearly every mystical tradition in the world.

Everything is God: The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism is groundbreaking in its scope, intellectual honesty, and devotional fervor. The book is divided into two sections: theory, and practice. Throughout are many quotes from Ramakrishna, Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta, the Baal Shem Tov, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Rabbi Arthur Green, and other nondual luminaries.

Reading Everything is God is a blessing -- discovering the language and methods of nondual Judaism provides insights into delving deeper into other traditions, in particular Vedanta Hindusim. And, it is refreshing and rewarding to begin to understand that Judaism and other nondual paths are enriched, not impoverished, when they come in contact with other traditions.

For the traditional Jew on the spiritual path, there are few contemporary books that can help him or her find his way toward reconciliation of organized religion, rationality, and spirituality . This is one of them, and is a highly recommended read.

There are many different layers to this book. For one, the book can serve as a guide to other teachings and readings. Michaelson is clearly a scholar of this highest order, and the wealth of knowledge that he brings is vast. Every other page, I found myself looking up online another name, adding more and more books to my Amazon queue, as I try to take in the big picture of the spiritual path.

Second, after Michaelson explains the nature of non-dualism, he shares, with much detail, how non-duality within Judaism has a rich history. He shows how such an understanding follows the mystical traditions of Kabballah and the devotional inclinations of the Hasidic movement, and more. While non-duality may not be your mainstream Young Israel Judaism, it isn't beyond the pale either.

Last, Michaelson describes how a traditional observance of Halacha today is not entirely inconsistent with such a non-dual understanding. While Hasidic Rabbis were somehow able to reconcile a divine Torah and the commandments with non-duality, Michaelson's approach is very different and doesn't invoke a divinely given Torah -- he sees observance of Mitzvot as acts of love toward one's non-dual God. "Stupid" acts, he calls them, but valuable practices nonetheless.

This last section is the most practical one, and the one that left me with the most questions. While I respect Michaelson's approach and methods of reconciliation, I doubt that it could work for many people other than philosophers of Michaelson's ilk. For the non-philosopher, such as myself, one's response is more likely to be, "ok, I get it, but still - wear tzitzit every day?"

In summary, the book led me to realize the devotional path to enlightenment (Bhakti) is well served by religion. But the path of knowledge (Jnana) is far more difficult. I still can't help but wonder - why would a seeker of spiritual truths choose, or stay with, Judaism? Are there not better systems -- Buddhism, Vedanta or better yet, non religious approaches such as Harding's Headless Way -- that are specifically geared toward helping a person along the spiritual path -- and that these might be better approaches? Why struggle to make it work in a religion where spirituality is a fringe movement and where one has to write a book whose title alone, incorporating the word "Radical", attests to the hoops that one must go through to make it work with the truth that one has come to discover?

This book is a wonderful read to those who have been "awakened" and have learned a bit, either through books or experiences, and are now looking to explore spirituality in the context of Judaism. I can't promise it holds all the answers for you, but it is a worthwhile part of the journey.

Thank you Jay for helping this Judeo-Buddhist touch the depth and the summit of my faith of origin. This book, Everything is G-d, is nothing less than a homecoming for Jews like myself who have embraced the non-dualistic traditions of the East to seek personal growth and fulfillment.

Gary Reiner has articulated my profound respect and love for this book. Having grown up in the era of "A Serious Man," Judaism was a convention rather than a spiritual path that could illuminate my life. As so many other Jews of my generation, I found that "path with a heart" within Vipassana Buddhism. My "Rabbis" were Ram Dass, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, James Baraz and Sharon Salzberg.

Having savored a touch of mysticism through my meditation practice, I remained alienated from the Jewish identity inculcated by my parents and extended family. During an arduous and devastating time in my life, I miraculously overcame some of my aversions and suspicions towards Chabad, an accessible school of Hasidic practice. I discovered a form of Judaism that spoke to the non-dualism of Hashem that was congruent with my "Buddhist values."

Everything is G-d is a great opus of the human spirit. It is philosophical, it is poetry and it is practical. It satisfies the mind, the heart and yes, involves the body. I will read and reread this book to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts and wisdom. I gratefully appreciate Jay Michaelson's fierce authenticity and revelation of his true Self.

Rumi wrote, "If you open your love to the great Love, you will be helping many people that who you will never see or never know." This book solidified my commitment to the lineage of seekers and finders who pass on this love.

Why ?

It made me go back to my book shelf and dust off my old copy of Baruch Spinoza's Ethics. And there, I found "God" (whatever that is)... I had somehow forgotten.

This book is like a spark that re-ignites the search for the connectedness of everything. And indeed, Everything is God, I just never knew of this connection to a Radical Path of Non-dual Judaism. I had always come to this realization obliquely, raised in the tradition of Black Elk, the Upanishads, Vedas, and the early Catholic Mystics.

Now I need to go back and read Einstein, Sagan, Eckhart, Rumi and all the others that had an almost pantheistic (atheistic ?) idea of "God" - God does not exist as a separate entity, because God is infinite and you cannot make something separate from the infinite.

This book is in top condition - brand new. It also came very fast despite holiday time. I definitely recommend this company.

I read the book. The good news is that Mr. Michaelson reviews some of the mystical literature and presents it (rather haphazardly) in a novel way. The bad news for me is that he offers a post modern spin which fits with the non-commital view and therefore spins Judaism's renderings.

It is all there, Mr Michaelson, in the Torah. You haven't said anything new. In fact, I don't think describing human beings as subject to robotic consciousness and their guts as G-d navel gazing is going to inspire me.

PS. I am not a fundamentalist.

While I have not read this book, I have lived in India and am familiar with the tendency of people to measure everything else from the perspective of the extensive experience and writing of India's spiritual traditions. It is unfortunate, however, to see someone who is obviously so unfamiliar with Jewish spirituality that he does not realize that Torah is the foundation of the knowledge that G-d is One, but not in a numerical sense. It is India that has many schools of thought regarding 'non-dualism'. Torah is very clear: There is nothing else besides G-d. We say it every day in our prayers.
I wish the author well in his search.
Eytan