Kabbalah Simply Stated [Paperback]

Azriel Abraham (Author), Bob Waxman (Author), Phillip Ratner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 31, 2004

One rainy afternoon a young man meets a wise Rabbi from Jerusalem and his life changes forever. Over the next thirteen years the young man and the Rabbi develop a close relationship as the Rabbi teaches the young man about: The Secrets of the Soul, The Four Worlds of Existence, What Happens After Death, The Journey of the Soul, What the Stars are Telling Us, The Language of Numbers, Hidden Symbols in the Torah, The Lost Books of the Bible and Man’s Direct Connection to the One Divine Source.>

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Waxman has that rare quality of making a complex subject accessible to everyone! A must read for Kabbalah students! ...You will learn more from this introductory work than from other volumes ten times as long!” —Edwin Harkness Spina, author of Mystic Warrior

“Finally a book on Kabbalah that isn’t dry, confusing, intimidating or unreadable. Highly informative and extremely entertaining!” —Dr. L. Cantrell, Ph.D., International Center for Kabbalistic Studies

“Rabbi Abraham takes the Kabbalah out of the realm of hodge-podge fantasy…a rare talent to articulate the major tenets of prolific philosophers and scholars and combine them into a basic instruction manual.” —Rabbi A. Holtzman, New York

From the Publisher

At the present time one of the most urgent needs is for the simplication of Kabbalistic teachings. Kabbalah should be made simple to understand. New students are always complaining that it is too difficult for them and that their Biblical education has not been deep enough for them to understand it. This beautifully written book takes the reader to new heights on a spiritual journey by reading the conversations of a profound Rabbi and his inquisitive new student. All the major Kabbalistic topics are explained in easy-to-read dialogues with over twenty graphic illustrations explaining these concepts visually. 'Kabbalah Simply Stated' is a curriculum guide for those readers who wish to be properly introduced to this timeless, universal and ancient philosophy. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Paragon House (October 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557788421
• ISBN-13: 978-1557788429
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,928,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just finished reading this book tonight., November 23, 2003

By 

Arlene Ross (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kabbalah Simply Stated (Paperback)

While everything is still fresh in my mind, I wanted to share my thoughts with others who may be interested in this book. First, the reason I bought the book was because of a review I read here on Amazon. Everything that person said in his review was true and accurate. I have read many other books on Kabbalah, but this one is different. It's written in dialogue, so I automatically became wrapped up in the relationship between the Rabbi and Neer. They are two very likeable people and their fondness for each other adds a unique emotional dimension to the book. I could really feel the affection and respect they had for one another. A few of the chapters I had to read twice, but overall, the book is very readable. The Rabbi uses common-sense analogies to get his points across and it's hard to argue with his comparisons between the physical and spiritual worlds. Again, it's the engrossing dialogue that makes this book work so well.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now, I understand what Kabbalah is all about!, November 18, 2003

By 

"april728" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kabbalah Simply Stated (Paperback)

I have read more than a dozen books on Kabbalah and have attended many lectures and seminars. Like most of my friends, I have found Kabbalah to be contradictory, confusing and at times, illogical. After reading this wonderful, informative and entertaining book, I now have a true understanding of the basic concepts that Kabbalah has to offer. The dialogue between the Rabbi and the author makes the book enjoyable because it's written in everyday language. The Rabbi has a great sense of humor, and the author asks the same exact questions that I would have asked in the same situation. Don't think this book is like "The Dummies Guide to Kabbalah" - it's not. It's filled with detailed explanations of Kabbalah's most complex philosophical ideas, but it's written in an easy to read style. Just about anyone (even my friends who barely graduated from community college) can understand these important ideas that are the foundations of whole philosophy. I only wish the glossary had pronunciation markings for a few of the Hebrew words that I'd like to pronounce properly. Otherwise, I loved this book, and I'd recommend it to anyone who really wants to understand what Kabbalah is all about.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From one Rabbi to another, November 20, 2003

By 

"rabbiholtzman" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kabbalah Simply Stated (Paperback)

I'm a Rabbi now for 32 years, and I must say that Rabbi Abraham, who speaks about Kabbalah in this book, was an astute, no-nonsense teacher with a biting sense of humor. He takes Kabbalah out the realm of hodge-podge fantasy, and puts it squarely into the category of Jewish esoteric philosophy. There are hints of Maimonides, Spinoza, Mendelsohn and Hermann Cohen in the Rabbi's teachings. I can also see the influences of Gershom Scholem, Aryeh Kaplan and Moshe Idel. Rabbi Abraham had a rare talent to articulate the major tenets of these prolific philosophers and scholars, and combine them into a basic instruction manuel on how to live a good life based in rightousness. There's an important message in this book for everyone, and I admire the Rabbi's chutzpah as he tells his new student exactly what's on his mind.