Honey from the Rock Anniv Ed PB [Deluxe Edition] [Paperback]

Lawrence Kushner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2000

Honey from the Rock: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Lawrence Kushner describes Honey from the Rock as "an attempt to synthesize some of the world view of classical Jewish mysticism, or Kabbala, with the ordinary life experience of its author." In the introduction, Kushner also explains that the book "works best, not as a primer on Kabbalah, nor as a glimpse into the private places of a liberal Rabbi, but as a means of enticing the reader to allow a Kabbalistic world view to inform his or her everyday life." After providing that explanation of his project, Kushner's book takes flight. He begins: "There is a place as far from here as breathing out is from breathing in. For the word is very near you.... Where life forever holds gentle sway over death, where people are human with the same grace that a willow is a willow, where the struggle and the yearning between male and female is at last resolved. It is, to begin with, all inside us." There are no false words in this book, no straining logic, no lazy vagueness, no awkward didacticism. Honey from the Rock walks through 10 different "gates" to Jewish mysticism, from the "Wilderness" of preparation for prayer to the "Higher Worlds" of which some are granted glimpses. Each chapter will help clarify your vision a little more and teach you to become a little more present. Each one will also make you smile. --Michael Joseph Gross

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; 3 Sub edition (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580230733
• ISBN-13: 978-1580230735
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Mysticism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "it is to begin with, all inside us", May 1, 2002

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Honey from the Rock Anniv Ed PB (Paperback)

A reprint of "Honey from the Rock: Ten Gates of Jewish Mysticism", with an added preface and foreword, this is a book I've treasured and read many times since I bought the first edition in 1983.
It's poetic, with a warmth and humanity that touches the heart an illuminates the mind. Its 10 chapters are broken down into short pieces (93 in all), and when quoting from the Torah or a rabbinical saying, the original Hebrew is written below the quote.
This slim volume could easily be read in one day, but I don't think you would want to...it's a book to savor and reflect upon, because in its simplicity, there is much depth.

"The begining was seeing for even one moment
That there was something more to reality
Than meets the eye.
The end is seeing for even one moment
That the apparent multiplicity
Is in reality a unity"

...

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing book!, April 12, 2004

By 

Adam S. Glantz "vabound2000" (Herndon, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Honey from the Rock Anniv Ed PB (Paperback)

I can't do justice to this wonderful book. The author weaves biblical quotes, biographical experiences, poetry, physics and theology into a mystical journey that is as engaging as it is accessible. Thank you for this wonderful journey, Rabbi Kushner...or rather, thank you for showing me that I was on the journey all along and didn't appreciate it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great and Approachable Work, April 2, 2011

By 

Edward J. Barton (Tukwila, WA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Honey from the Rock Anniv Ed PB (Paperback)

A profound book, by a profound author. Kushner expertly weaves the concepts of the universal mystic journey into the fabric of Judiasm, providing the reader with insights - ancient and modern - into Jewish mysticism. His easy to read style belies the fact that you will never truly understand the contents - like any mystical writing - it has so many meanings and layers that it transcends full understanding. Whether it is a story of the bird on a front porch, or the comparison of Moses and Elijah or the composition of the Lurianic Tree of Life, Kushner will provoke deep thought in a light style. A great read.