Simple Kabbalah: A Simple Wisdom Book (Simple Wisdom (Conari)) [Hardcover]

Kim Zetter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Simple Wisdom (Conari) | Publication Date: January 2000

Simple Kabbalah is an accessible guide to the complex principles and history of this Jewish mystical belief system. In her clear and concise prose, journalist and Jewish scholar Kim Zetter outlines the history of this ancient set of beliefs, presents its key tenets, and explains its main symbol, the Tree of Life. She then shows how to practice the wisdom of kabbalah in everyday life through meditation and exercises for calming the mind and sharpening awareness. Readers learn how this esoteric knowledge can affect every aspect of life, from attitudes about work and the environment to social and personal interactions.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

To convert complex spiritual ideas to clear, lucid terms, Conari Press established the Simple Wisdom series. Simple Kabbalah follows comparable books on Feng Shui and Meditation in attempting to make esoteric topics readily accessible. Kabbalah, or "received tradition," is the Jewish mystical answer to all questions about God, people and the universe, supposedly hidden within the Hebrew Scripture. Kabbalists devote themselves to unraveling these secrets. Zetter, a journalist who specializes in Jewish affairs, began studying Kabbalah 10 years ago when she lived in Israel. She provides a straightforward explanation of Kabbalah and then offers a brief history, beginning in the 12th and 13th centuries, when the canonical text of Kabbalah, the Book of Zohar, appeared. Next, she sets forth key principles of Kabbalah and examines the text of Genesis to demonstrate the techniques Kabbalists use to unearth deeper meanings in received traditions. A chapter is devoted to the Tree of Life, the crucial symbol of Kabbalah, and the book concludes by exploring Kabbalah's significance for human behavior. The labyrinthine mysteries of Kabbalah remain perplexing, but this book is a useful introduction for those who wish to investigate arcane elements of Jewish theology and philosophy. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

This latest entry in the "Simple Wisdom" series has the courageous goal of attempting to make the notoriously forbidding practices and ideas of Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalah "simple." Zetter, a longtime journalist on Jewish and Israeli topics, has done an admirable job making Kabbalah accessible, with clear descriptions of the history of Kabbalah, its theology, and of the mystical Tree of Life at its center. Highly recommended, especially for collections where Jewish topics are in demand.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press; First edition (January 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573241709
• ISBN-13: 978-1573241700
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,579,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excelent Introduction, February 26, 2001

By 

David Cohen (Pennington, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Kabbalah: A Simple Wisdom Book (Simple Wisdom (Conari)) (Hardcover)

This is probably the best introduction to Kabbalah available. The author introduces Kabbalah through an interesting overview of its history and then delves into the main ideas. Two of these chapters are exceptional because the ideas they address are usually not included in other introductory books: the chapter about God and the introduction to Genesis according to Kabbalah. The final chapters analyze the Tree of Life, always pointing how this knowledge can be utilized for our own growth.

Although I've only finished the book last week, I know I'll read it again soon.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My first Kabalah book :) EXCELLENT!, February 9, 2004

By 

J. Horvath "MJH" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Simple Kabbalah: A Simple Wisdom Book (Simple Wisdom (Conari)) (Hardcover)

I choose this book as my introduction to Kabalah and could not have been more pleased. It presented alot of material in a straight forward, easy to understand mannor. An easy read, full of valuable information. Highly recommended!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book!, June 27, 2005

By 

NCS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Simple Kabbalah: A Simple Wisdom Book (Simple Wisdom (Conari)) (Hardcover)

I am very interested in learning Kabbalah, and this book got me hooked! It is very easy to understand, seems to hit all the major facts and concepts and is wonderfully written. It is like a textbook of Kabbalah 101 for me, I am highlighting things and writing in the margins, but I will never sell it back! :) It is a great reference book that I am sure I will go back to again and again and read many times over, no matter how far I get in my studies of Kabbalah. If you are on the fence, BUY IT!! You won't be sorry.

One thing I also like about the book, it states traditional Kabbalah belief, not radical or cult-ish belief as in some other books.