The twenty-two
letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the Aleph Beit, are not merely the building
blocks of a language, but something far more profound. Each letter is an
ancient key that can help unlock the great secrets of the spiritual world, a
set of powerful symbols that can grant insight into the mysteries of our own
souls. The Aleph Beit are part of Kabbalah, the teachings and wisdom of
Jewish mysticism, and have been a closely guarded secret for centuries.
According to the earliest known book on Jewish mysticism, The Sefer Yetzirah
(The Book of Creation), the entire universe was formed through the
combinations of these twenty-two letters, and ancient mystics, drawing on
the divine power residing in the letters, would meditate upon their forms,
using them as portals through which they could discover the secrets of the
past, the future and the human soul.
Inspired by the tarot, another mystic system of divination and meditation,
Richard Seidman has created The Oracle of Kabbalah. To unlock the
power of the letters, the reader draws a card at random from the deck, and
then, using the book as a guide, meditates upon the card's symbol. When one
is uncertain or afraid, the cards will bring guidance and support. When one
has questions about how to act, the cards will show you the path that is
already deep inside you. And when one has questions about what is yet to
come, the cards will reveal the answers already printed on your soul.
As Seidman writes in his introduction, "Each letter is an archetype and each
letter is a koan and each letter is a dream and each letter is a poem."
These twenty-two letters, infused with the wisdom and philosophy of Kabbalah,
form the basis of The Oracle of Kabbalah. Each of the twenty-two
cards features one of the original Hebrew letters, and serves as both a
guide and a teacher, initiating us into deeper levels of intuition and
spiritual understanding, while helping us to discover the mystic potential
the lies within us all.
Kabbalah, it is said, was
brought down from heaven by angels. The great mystics of Judaism originally
passed its teachings by word of mouth only, believing that the secrets of the
kabbalah transcend the written word. In this great oral tradition, The Mystical
Kabbalah will immerse listeners in this traditional school of sacred wisdom for
reaching peace through union with God.
On this unparalleled
five-cassette study course, Rabbi David Cooper who has been acclaimed as one of
todays leading teachers of Jewish meditation synthesizes this uniquely preserved
wisdom with elegant meditations he developed during his years of study and
research in the Old City of Jerusalem. Here are original teachings on the
sephirot, the mystical structures that underpin all reality the ohr ain sof the
original light of creation ... the magid our inner guide to mystical insights,
and much more. Both practical and inspirational, The Mystical Kabbalah is the
perfect introduction to Judaisms most time-honored system for spiritual growth.
Rabbi David A. Cooper
... is an author, teacher, and co-rabbi of the Makom Ohr Shalom congregation in
Los Angeles. He is an active student of the worlds great spiritual traditions,
and founder of the Heart of Stillness Hermitage in Jamestown, Colorado.
Rabbi Coopers many books include Entering the SacredMountain;
The Heart of Stillness
This
book is a reprint of the now-classic work that was first published by
Scholem in the 1960's, and still an excellent intro today. Not a "New Age"
work by any means, Professor Scholem's book takes an academic (but readable)
approach to such questions as: The meaning of Torah in Jewish mysticism, the
nature and purpose of kabbalistic rituals, religious authority vs.
mysticism, etc. Of special interest is the chapter, "The Idea of the Golem,"
which presents the theory that, contrary to popular folklore, the Golem was
not some sort of physical automaton. Rather, it was a group exercise in
meditative visualization!
This
richly printed and illustrated little book is a meditation on ideas,
mystical experiences and ancient rabbinical stories sparked by each letter
of the Hebrew alphabet, a transliteration of the Aleph Bet in the original
language. I recommend it to those interested in Jewish studies, in
meditation, and in mysticism. It is short but it contains much wisdom. It is
also a beautifully designed little book and a fitting travel companion.
