Customer Reviews

Kabbalah Simply Stated

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Bob Waxman has that rare quality of being able to make a complex subject accessible to everyone. If you want to understand the fundamentals of kabbalah, then Kabbalah Simply Stated is the answer. You will learn more from this introductory work than from most other volumes ten times as long.

-Edwin Harkness Spina, author of the award-winning, visionary thriller, Mystic Warrior

Mystic Warrior: A Novel Beyond Time and Space

I really enjoyed this book which is Kabbalah 'simply stated', but is certainly not for simpletons. I've read the book a few times and still learn something new each time I read it. The clever drawings help to explain some complicated ideas that words alone cannot convey. There is a deep understanding of Kabbalah inherent in the Rabbi's definitions and explanations. He has obviously mastered his subject, and that's why he's able to summarize profound philosophical doctrines in layman's terms. This book is filled with unbridled optimism, a sense of universal love and plenty of hope for the future. It's definitely a shot of spiritual adrenaline!

I'm glad I found this book. It was recommended to me by a friend, but it sat on my bookshelf for awhile because I'm not Jewish and I wasn't sure I'd understand it. Well, the minute I started reading it, something inside of me said - "this sounds like everything you've always believed in" - and it just felt right. This book was a great affirmation for me because all my intuitive truths are in it. Now, I see Kabbalah as a universal study of religious common sense and Godly wisdom. The great thing about this book is that it constantly stresses the importance of looking inside yourself to find the answers to life's most difficult questions. I'm not sure I totally understand the Tree of Life, but I'll get it eventually. The diagrams are great and the artwork is intense. Donag definitely makes Kabbalah easier to understand, but putting all this knowledge into practice on a daily basis will surely be the most difficult challenge for all of us.

I've read many intro books on Kabbalah and this one is by far the best. I normally don't write reviews, but there are so many disappointing books written on this subject, that I am motivated to tell others about how good this one really is. First, the book is written in dialogue, so it's easy to read. My wife and I read it together because it reads like a play, and not only did we learn a great deal about Kabbalah, but we also had a few good laughs together (there are some very funny lines spoken by the Rabbi as he gets his points across). There isn't any agenda here to convert anybody to becoming a kabbalist, and all the spiritual claims are backed-up with logic and common sense examples that we could relate to.
The book also a good value because I've spent three times as much on other books that were shallow and uninteresting. The artwork from the Zfat Kabbalah Museum is inspiring and the diagrams are very helpful. Even though this book is 'simply stated', it isn't for simpletons. The Rabbi forces you to think about some profound philosophical ideas and sometimes we had to read a paragraph twice before we really understood the point that was being made. Overall, this is a smart, enjoyable book that I will continue to use as a reference source. The glossary comes in handy when some Hebrew words need to be understood.

This is one of the few books I have read about Kabbalah that explains the basic concepts in an intelligent and truthful manner. I use this book as one of my standard teaching tools in all my classes in Brooklyn and New York City. There are many students who attend my classes who have been misled by certain Kabbalah organizations and this book helps to set them straight. Some of these Kabbalah organizations have a a 'cult-like' following and their members purposely slander excellent Kabbalah books like this one. Not only does this book explain the wisdom of Kabbalah, but there are also beautiful illustrations from The Kabbalah Art Museum in Zefat, Israel. Rabbi Abraham was a brilliant teacher of Kabbalah and this book is a tribute to his intellect, compassion and deep understanding of this subject.

I've always been a skeptic and I don't believe in mystical religion. My wife hounded me for 2 months to read this book and I wanted no part of it. I told her it was a waste of my time. Well, I've eaten alot of crow because I couldn't even fake not liking this book. In fact, I have to admit that I genuinely and thoroughly enjoyed the Rabbi's insights and logical statements.
I just bought copies for my three kids who go to Kabbalah classes in California. They just cannot believe I actually like a book about Kabbalah. Now, we talk on the phone about Golems, Tzaddiks, Adam Kadmon and Sephirot. So, besides the fact that this book is intelligent and sensible, I now have much more interesting conversations with my wife and kids. I am actually glad that my wife kept pestering me to read it.

This book was fun to read and I really enjoyed it. It touches on some very interesting topics in Kabbalah that I didn't understand before. The part I liked best was the explanation of the Tree of Life and the diagrams that show how it works. I've never understood the Tree of Life and now I think I finally understand it. The dialogue really helped me understand how Kabbalah can be practical and how to use it in my everyday life. I'm going to use this book as a reference source from now on because it defines all the Hebrew words so clearly. The glossary is really helpful and I'll continue to use it as a dictionary. Also the book isn't boring and it was a good primer for a beginner like me. Some of the subjects like the Shekinah I'd like to know more about, so now I'm reading other books to find out more. That's what I liked most about this book. It introduced me to the basic ideas in Kabbalah and it's inspired me to dig deeper into the subjects I really like. I hope to find more books like this one that are easy to read and make Kabbalah fun to learn. Even my daughter in 8th grade loved it! I also liked "God is A Verb" by Rabbi Cooper because it's easy to read too and filled with interesting stories. The books about the history of Kabbalah don't really interest me and they can be very boring.