Moses Cordoveros Introduction To Kabbalah

First published in 1587, Moses Cordovero's now classic introduction to Kabbalah, Or Ne'erav, was intended to serve several purposes; it was meant both to provide a justification for the study of Kabbalah and to encourage that study by providing detailed instructions for interested laymen on how to go about that study; indeed, it was intended as a precis of Cordovero's much larger Pardes Rimmonim. In many ways, Cordovero was ideally suited to compose such a work. His teacher of rabbinics was no other than R. Joseph Caro, author of the Shulhan Arukh, which rapidly became the halakhic code par excellence. His master in Kabbalah was Solomon ha-Levi Alkabetz, whose sister he subsequently married. The result of his studies with both was no less than a kabbalistic "code", a systematic kabbalistic theology of the Zohar, the basic text of Jewish mysticism. But this work was too large, and too complex to be easily mastered. Moreover, it assumed too much previous knowledge to serve as an introduction to the subject; hence the need for Or Ne'erav. Or Ne'erav succeeded in fulfilling all these purposes, and has remained a classic introduction to the study of Kabbalah - and is used as such to this day. Dr. Robinson's accurate but readable translation is the first English rendition of this essential work. -- Back cover.

This is the first translation with commentary of selections from The Zohar, the major text of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. This work was written in 13th-century Spain by Moses de Leon, a Spanish scholar.

Explains the Tree of Life in 20th-century terms so that its blossoms may flower for another season. The best introductory text, written by a living practicing teacher from the classical tradition.

An introduction to the seven Midrash compilations with a lucid account of their main points. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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The Kabbalah of Forgiveness is a new translation of the first chapter of Rabbi Moshe CordoveroÕs classic work Date Palm of Devorah (Tomer Devorah) with a modern commentary by Dr. Henry Abramson. Emerging from the 16th-century Safed Circle, a group of kabbalists working in northern Israel, Date Palm of Devorah earned a rare place in the history of Jewish ethical literature, primarily based on the glorious introductory chapter that discusses the Thirteen Levels of Mercy and how these Divine attributes can be applied in daily life. Steeped in metaphysics and mysticism, Date Palm of Devorah brings the loftiest, most esoteric concepts of Judaism and translates them to the everyday realities of human interaction.

"In this book, Joseph Citron offers the first comprehensive analysis of Prague Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz's (1565-1629) magnum opus of Jewish ethical literature, the Shnei Luhot Ha-Berit. Citron's close philological analysis reveals the pioneering nature of the work in creating an organic Jewish theological system rooted in the mystical structures of Kabbalah, cultivating an orthodoxy in thought and legal practice based upon its principles. Emotion, psychology, self-actualisation and joy are all presented as essential facets of religious life, significantly influencing the 17th-century Sabbatean movement, the 18th-century Hasidic movement, and the Orthodox movement of the 19th century. The book is essential for scholars and laypeople alike wishing to understand the evolution of European Judaism in the early modern period"--

Donated by Sydney Harris.