Customer Reviews

Kabbalah Handbook: A Concise Encyclopedia of Terms and Concepts in Jewish Mysticism

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This is a great resource and answer book. I've studied Kabbalah for three - four years now and this book has completed my collection. It's great for learning and understanding the Hebrew language and the Hebrew Alphabet. I recommend this book for student's of Kabbalah or for those seeking to understand Judaism better.

Many Jewish rituals actually find their origins in Kabbalistic mysticism. In addition "Kabbalah's influence on other traditions is very strong" according to the author. This book is not based on the recent upswing of interest or the "fad" of embracing the religion, but rather tries to embrace the "authentic" Jewish Kabbalah. In the front of the book the author includes a brief pronunciation guide to Hebrew words, explains gender distinctions between them, and explains how each entry is set up in the book. Take for example, the word for mother, matrona. The word is given, it is written in Hebrew, the pronunciation is given and then explained.

MATRONA

mah-tro-NAH

"Matrona is a Latin word meaning `mother.' Matrona sometimes appears in Kabbalistic literature as a synonym of Shekhinah, the feminine aspect of the Divine." (P. 206)

In this book you will find more than five hundred concepts and their definitions, set up in a similar manner. Some are rather short as in the word "matrona," while others, that call for more detail, are lengthier and have sidebar materials or charts. In the very comprehensive appendix are the 613 Mitzvot (commandments) as they appear in the Torah, a timeline of Jewish mysticism (date, historical period, significant events, movements and figures) in chart form, sacred names (pronunciation, Hebrew, Gematria value, meaning, Biblical source), the lunar calendar, a list of Jewish holy days (includes explanation), an excellent index, and additional recommended book resources.

This handbook is really handy to get used to and/or review some Kabbalah's concepts and specific vocabulary. This is a great book to have for a comprehensive reading while studying Kabbalah. I liked that the author inserted the 613 mitzvot and the 13 Maimonides principles as well as a chronology for an easy-to-follow history.