Customer Reviews

The Hebrew Letters: Channels of Creative Consciousness (The Teachings of Kabbalah Series)

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Having purchased this book back in Feb. 2002, the book is a necessary part of my research. Though one could criticize its
particular philosophical bent, it is filled with copious amounts of translation and idea and understanding. I have it placed along side Dovid Leitner's 'Understanding the Aleph-Beis'. Rabbi Ginsburgh is the Head of the Od Yosef Chai yeshivot, and Kollel Menucheh Rachel. His is American by birth but now lives and teaches in Israel for the most part.
This book should be purchased and cherished by those that want a really fine reference for the Orthodox mind bent on the more mystical aspects or a good outline of study on the Aleph-Bet. A wonderful book, truly a gem! Get it before it disappears.

Wonderful exposition on the power and mystery of the aleph-bet. Each letter is fully elaborated upon as to its significance in the three levels of being (Nature, Soul, and Divinity). You would be hard-pressed to find another work this good in English. However, in keeping with the core teachings of Chabad, this beautiful wisdom is meant only for the Jew. Non-Jewish souls arise from the levels of impurity (see Tanya, ch.6): "The lower grade consists of the three kelipot which are altogether unclean and evil, containing no good whatever.... From them flow and derive the souls of all the nations of the world, and the existence of their bodies..." The author of this work has not been abashed to publicly proclaim such bigotry, but that still does not mean that a non-Jew cannot benefit from his work. Like Ramakrishna said: "Eat the fish and spit out the bones."

The book, The Hebrew Letters, is a rara avis and, I think, should be required reading for student initiates and above. It is hard to find and well-worth the extra cost compared to other books of a similar topic.