The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters (Hardcover)

by Richard Seidman (Author), Lawrence Kushner (Foreword) "Aleph and aluph, Hebrew for "leader" or "chieftain," share the same root, ..." (more)
Key Phrases: mayim chayim, suggested action, Aleph Beit, Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Nachman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Divination--telling the future by magical means--is a dodgy business. Deuteronomy deemed it "repulsive to God." And yet Jews have always attempted to discern the future in various ways, including the casting of lots and meditation upon the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the Aleph Beit. Richard Seidman presents a primer for the latter form of divination in The Oracle of Kabbalah. A brief historical overview of Jewish divination--beginning with the fact that the Hebrew word for letter, ot, also means "sign, symbol, or miracle"--leads to direct instruction on using Hebrew letters as a means of divination.(The letters printed on a deck of cards are included with this book.) The basic technique is as follows: "Take three slow, deep breaths from the belly. Formulate a question ... pray for inspiration and receptivity," pick a card, look up the description of the letter you've drawn, meditate on that letter's meaning, and "be receptive to any glimmers of intuition that arise." --Michael Joseph Gross

Review
Readers of all world views should find this book to be spiritually rich. -- The Tampa Tribune, March 3, 2002

Seidman's book is a manual of practice that once can turn to again and again. -- The Jewish Review, November 1, 2001

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; 1st edition (September 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312241739
• ISBN-13: 978-0312241735
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #228,634 in Books (See Bestsellers 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 Compassionate and Accessible, November 25, 2001

By A Customer

Richard Seidman's Oracle of the Kabbalah is a gift for those seeking to apply traditional wisdom to their everyday lives. The ancient meanings of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet are presented along with inspirational discussions that run the gamut from the humorous to the profound and draw on other wisdom traditions. The author's personal reflections help anchor the teachings to our common experiences.

Rabbi Kushner's foward and the author's introduction ground one in the history and application of these mystical letters. The book and its companion set of cards are very user friendly, providing one with an insightful and welcome perspective when seeking direction.

I'm grateful to Richard Seidman for providing me with both a compassionate form of guidance and a readily accessible introduction to these sacred letters. This is a book that I'll refer to again and again.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you, Mr. Seidman!, September 30, 2001

By	Ruth Codier (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Richard Seidman's ORACLE OF THE KABBALAH is a profound, joyful, and beautiful set of divination with accompanying text. Using the model of THE MEDINCE CARDS and others that have followed, Seidman raises the art to a new level. He illuminates the spirituality and magic of the ancient hebrew letters to engage us in the modern tasks of inner decision making and spiritual transformation in our lives for the new millienium. His take on the mystical meanings of the hebrew letters is both Jewish and not, integrating strands of thought from his own varied spiritual and philosophic explorations. THE ORACLE OF THE KABBALLAH raises the genra of divination cards to a seriously ecumenical level of mysticism, witty, touching, helpful and profound.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep mysticism, October 3, 2001

By	guy richardson (Reno, NV USA) - See all my reviews

Usually people don't think of Jews as being mystics, but many of us are. Jewish mysticism is different from New Age mystricism in that Jewish mysticism is grounded in text -- and letters. From there, it takes flight. This book is a good start for Jews and non-Jews alike, especially if you have trouble with the conventional idea of Big-Guy-in-the-Sky God. If the idea of hidden depths in Hebrew letters intrigues you, also take a look at Larry Kushner's "The Book of Letters" ....