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The Zohar: Annotations to the Ashlag Commentary

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Reviewing this book in terms of its content is an extremely daunting task. This is the basis for all that has been written by Kabbalists for our time. Even reading about the process that was undertaken to write The Zohar humbles us when we think of this monumental achievement.

What can be said about this book is that it is presented in such a way that if we truly have the desire to read it with the intention of discovering its wisdom, Rav Laitman will guide us through its depths and mysteries by making additional notations on Baal HaSulam's commentary. In the Prologue, we are given information about the author of the Zohar, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and about how the writing of the Zohar came into our world. Knowing this sets the stage for the actual wisdom of the Zohar presented to us in this book. In addition, there is a list of abbreviations and explanations that is situated before the text of the Zohar begins, giving us another tool we can use to discover this wisdom.

This is a book that we can use on our own to read and contemplate. It lends itself to doing just that, as each chapter is a wonderful story with so many layers to explore. If we read it with the intention of discovery and not understanding, we can receive its gift.

A beautiful book that has been given to us in English so that we might come to know why it is truly a book for our times.

This book is a must for any serious student of Kabbalah interested in delving into the mysteries of the ancient Kabbalistic volumes of The Book of Zohar. The Book of Zohar was written by Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai in the second century CE. In the 1930s-40s, Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag wrote an extensive commentary on The Book of Zohar called HaSulam (The Ladder) and suddenly the wisdom of Kabbalah contained in The Book of Zohar became more accessible to us.

Michael Laitman, in The Zohar, has taken the Ashlag commentary and provided us with an in-depth understanding of the first "book" in The Book of Zohar with 'The Introduction of the Book of Zohar.'

This seminal Kabbalistic text is written in a form of "code" and is difficult to understand without assistance from a Kabbalist. Laitman explains in current English the various terms, names, titles, and abbreviations that appear throughout The Book of Zohar. He then provides an English translation from the original Aramaic to each paragraph followed by a blending of Ashlag's commentary on the text and his own detailed explanations before moving on to the next paragraph.

The Zohar is an incredible gift to humanity at this point in our collective evolution and Laitman has opened the doors wide for us to access the wisdom of Kabbalah. Laitman provides us with clear understandings of concepts occurring throughout The Book of Zohar, such as Partzufim, Sefirot, Worlds, perceived Lights, concealment, revelation, Kelim, reception, bestowal and many more.

The Zohar is a book to be savored slowly, each taste of it deepening the desire for more. This book is an essential addition to the library of any serious student of Kabbalah.

The Zohar is unlike other books. It's meaning cannot be penetrated by merely reading it. And yet it contains all the wisdom and glory of Creation. In our present time we are most fortunate to have Rav Michael Laitman open the mystery of how to use this book. He is doing so with live lessons on the internet. By itself the Zohar is at best a curiosity. But combine this book with a teacher who truly understands it and then the Zohar is Life itself.

I think The Book of Zohar is a gift to mankind, and Dr. Laitman has provided access to the wisdom of Kabbalah to all who desire it. For me, he has made understanding the difficult concepts of partzufim, sefirot, receiving and giving, etc. easy to grasp.

The Zohar is a book to be relished as a precious opening into the spiritual worlds for each of us as we learn and explore the many layers of wisdom and apply them to our lives.

I have been seeking an authentic perspective on Kabbalah, and Dr. Michael Laitman offers this and makes study easy by explaining the unfamiliar words and expressions that appear in the book. He includes translations of the Aramaic and his own explanations throughout the text. All of which serves to make this ancient text comprehensible to everyone at any stage of learning.

This is an excellent book. I am about 1/4 way through it and I am very glad I purchased this book. It is very detailed and clarifies a lot of concepts and terms that are covered in genuine Kabbalah.

There is more wisdom to the Judaic religion than simply the Torah and the Talmud. "The Zohar: Annotations to the Ashlag Commentary" is a scholarly examination of the most formerly secret of Judaic texts for use with another set of sage Jewish writings in the Kabbalah. The Zohar itself focuses on one's relationship with God from religious, spiritual, and philosophical perspectives. A must for anyone who weighs much thought into the great intellectual subject of religion, "The Zohar" is not just for Rabbis anymore.