Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah [Paperback]

Gershom Scholem (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 1995

One of the great masterpieces of Western religious thought, the Zohar represents an attempt to uncover hidden meanings behind the world of appearances. It is the central work in the literature of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition.

This volume of selected passages from the Zohar, culled by the greatest authority on Jewish mysticism, offers a sampling of its unique vision of the esoteric wonders of creation; the life and destiny of the soul; the confluence of physical and divine love; suffering and death; exile and redemption.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

From the Inside Flap

One of the great masterpieces of Western religious thought, the Zohar represents an attempt to uncover hidden meanings behind the world of appearances. It is the central work in the literature of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition.

This volume of selected passages from the Zohar, culled by the greatest authority on Jewish mysticism, offers a sampling of its unique vision of the esoteric wonders of creation; the life and destiny of the soul; the confluence of physical and divine love; suffering and death; exile and redemption.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Schocken (February 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805210342
• ISBN-13: 978-0805210347
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.3 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Jewish Texts > Zohar
  • #20 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Jewish Texts > Kabbalah
  • #85 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Mysticism

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Glimpse at the Mysterious Zohar, March 9, 2002

By 

A. J. Valasek (Clemmons, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah (Paperback)

This book was primarily written for those people that want to get a flavor for the large compilation of writings known as the Zohar. The Zohar is the most widely used text in the study of Kabbalah. This book, written by Gershom Scholem, takes various exerpts from the Zohar to give the reader a basic idea of what manner of instruction and knowledge one can find in the Zohar. His selections are chosen to cover most of the stages of life and the major questions concerning what lies after and possibly our return. For taking such a small selection, Scholem masterfully picked his selections to provide a smooth transition between subjects. This book is very short and can be read in a couple of days without too much effort. Let the reader beware, if you choose to obtain the full version after reading this book, you might be surprised to find that much of the text is extremely difficult to understand. Scholem definitely chose those exerpts that are not too difficult to understand for this book. In spite of its brevity, I would recommend this book because it adequately portrays the Jews rich scholarship over the centuries and their constant striving to understand the more mysterious matters of their existence.

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting First Look, April 14, 2003

By 

James K. Hoffman "Book Addict" (Jersey Village, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah (Paperback)

This was an intense book and was frightfully challenging at times. Part of the challenge was due to a lack of cultural relevance. The book makes reference to all kinds of Jewish history and culture without any explanations. It felt as though I were missing huge chunks of important references.
But, that being said, what I was able to grasp was enormous. This book really put a new spin on the Old Testament for me. It made me think about allegory and allusion in a whole new light. The layers and layers of mythic and mystic knowledge that it hints at being concealed in the various Scriptures is both tantalizing and invigorating. And, perhaps most importantly of all, it has left me wanting more.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars prayer book, November 18, 2001

By 

catherine guelph "catrina_g" (milano, italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah (Paperback)

I enjoy this small book by Herr Doktor Gershom Scholem. "Zohar : The Book of Splendor : Basic Readings from the Kabbalah" is a collection of passages from the Zohar. The Zohar is a five volume set which is the central work in the literature of the Kabbalah. It was written in the late 13th Century CE in Spain. As such, this little book is much too small to be considered as anything but snippets and favourite passages. At the same time, I find solace in the meditations. Like many prayer books, I find it helps to centre myself spiritually as I conform my conscious mind to my faith. If you are interested in a book of meditations to strengthen a prayer life, this book may be interesting to you.