Customer Reviews

Nine and a Half Mystics: The Kabbala Today

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This is another one of those 20th century classics that I am delighted to see back in print. First published in 1969, it remains an excellent and very readable introduction to Jewish mysticism as practiced by Jews in modern times. I discovered it in the early 1970's and literally wore out my first copy. It was one of the pivotal books in my own personal quest, and remains a favorite today.

The "half mystic" in the title is Rabbi Herbert Weiner (Reform), who describes his personal interactions with various Jewish mystics and schools of thought, ranging from the highly academic university professor, Gershom Scholem, to the Breslover Hasidim in Israel, to an eccentric old scholar living in obscurity on East Broadway. There's a fascinating interview with the late Lubovitcher Rebbe (Menachem M. Schneerson) back in the days when he still met with seekers one-to-one, a personal invitation to a Belzer Hasidic wedding celebration, and a dip in the holy mikveh used by 16th-century Rabbi Isaac Luria. Especially interesting are Weiner's experiences among various Hasidic groups in Jerusalem, in a more spiritual time before the "ultra-Orthodox" became so highly politicized. In short, the book is a sort of travelogue through two critical decades, bridging the kabbalah from the last generation to remember the pre-Holocaust world, and into the modern era. For this reason alone, it's a very valuable testimony.

But don't get me wrong --- this book is not just history. Weiner's quest is as valid today as it was over 30 years ago. Interwoven with his personal experiences are clear explanations of the teachings, given in the context where he first received them. His quest to unravel the secrets is your quest also. Little by little, the book teaches you about kabbalah in a very practical, down-to-earth way. Highly recommended!

Purchased this book 8 years ago and had a somewhat stumbling but intrigued read. Re-read 9&1/2 this spring and "got it". This book is at the center of my religious/mystical collection now. I rank it more usefull but every bit as engaging as the Carlos Castaneda books. Where author Weiner also descibes the mystical, anthropological, and psychological views of a culture but leaves the reader with a variety of clear thinking tools for every person's everyday use

Rabbi Herbert Weiner writes in an engaging manner about a personal journey, almost like a travelogue, into the historical, social and spiritual concepts underlying Kabbalistic thought. What I love most about the book is how he intersperses a great deal of historical knowledge in each chapter which makes the ideas come alive. The beauty of the writing is how the sparks of knowledge burn even into these modern times. They can light a fire in today's world. A sound spiritual base is a prerequiste to the building of a meaningful life in a most confusing and chaotic world. The historical basis of the ideas are presented along with the most current expressions of this practice, 1969 at the time it, although the book was updated in 1992.

Rabbi Weiner visits synogogues in New York and Israel. The Rabbi visited one of the last living legends of Kabbalistic thinking, an old scholar, S. Setzer, whose specialty was the Zohar. Setzer published articles in a newsletter of old world beliefs and practices from an apartment in New York. The reader is introduced to the unique historical roots and perspectives of the Zohar and its practice in the old world. Proper terminology is used within the spiritual practice to introduce those unfamiliar with the meaning. Rabbi Weiner takes a physical and spiritual journey to Israel where he speaks to eminent authors or their relatives in this field of study. He discusses the perspectives of Martin Buber, Gershom Scholem, and the Bratzlaver and Lubavitcher movements. He shares with us the modern use of the Kabbala in spiritural nonsecular circles that are seeking "self-knowledge". Overall this book brings the subject of the Kabbala to a wider audience. It shows how the concepts and spiritual practices of the past can bring meaning to life and perhaps, personal peace and understanding, to individuals living in a chaotic and confusing world. Most highly recommended. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

In this pioneering work Herbert Weiner recounts his meetings with a number of Jewish teachers in Jerusalem. He reveals a world or worlds which at the time were little known outside the Holy Land . This book has about it the feeling of discovery, of new promise in the world of Jewish learning. It is inspiring and still very much worth reading today.

A lucid introduction to Jewish mysticism as it exists in the modern era. I've read quite a lot on the topic, yet the book taught me things I honestly did not know previously. Also, I appreciate the fact that Weiner generally avoids the syncretism that is common in works that attempt to relate Jewish mysticism to the contemporary spiritual quest.

Looking with mild curiosity thru old books in my back room, I happened upon a bit ragged old 1969 paperback edition of this "Nine and a Half Mystics" work. As I started to read it, I quickly realized it was a very fine little gem of a book. The clarity and density of Herbert Weiner is directly seen -- especially for someone like me with an only somewhat bare familiarity with the various topics. This author claims, in all modesty, to be merely the "half" mystic [half-outsider] due to NOT being totally inside any single Kabbala mystical group covered. The parallels with Neo-Platonic Gnosis are covered near the opening of this book -- which I greatly appreciate as a Rosicrucian. This results in an unusually unbiased account of each of the nine Kabbala mystical variants covered concisely but with just necessary knowing and sufficient feeling to make each a "Door" due to the author's direct contact and warm interest with each group. Various angles, dialectics and cross-currents are presented in an historical humanistic context, yet rich with trans-historical spiritualist content in ideal balance -- to further extend the path opening thru each "Door". Way worth reading slowly with full reflection to savor each "Door" and its path. Especially worthy of full attention is the quoted goal of Jewish mysticism in the section on "Application of Mysticism to Life" of chapter four ["Chambers Within Chambers"]. Tikkun Olam +++

Review of several related streams in the Hassidic tradition of mystic practice. Not a "How to" but does whet one's appetite for the experience.

Herbert Weiner does a nice job of surveying the development and condition of Hasidic and mystical Judiasm. The book itself was written in the mid to alte 1960's, and the afterword rolls you forward to the 80's. Even so, for someone interested in Jewish mysticism and the development and emergence of Hasidism in the 17th through 20th Centuries, the book offers colorful commentary, great background, and homespun storytelling. There isn't a ton on kabbala in the book - but the emphasis on mysticism and Hasidim and the interplay with the kabbala are explored at the outset. If you have interest in the subject, particularly the modern history of Jewish mysticism, this is a must read.