The Gift of Kabbalah

by Tamar Frankiel

Book Overview

Kabbalah is primarily a path of action, one that enables us to transform the world. This accessible, intelligent guide gives you the vocabulary and the tools to begin to understand the intricate world of this long-standing mystical tradition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1580231411
• ISBN13: 9781580231411
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
• Length: 250 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Sharing in "The Gift of Kabbalah"

Dr. Frankiel invites readers to join her on a journey through the worlds of Kabbalah. During this journey one discovers that there is more to life than the everyday world of action. Frankiel encourages her fellow travelers to seek meaning and purpose for their existence by forming a connection with the Divine Creator through study, prayer, meditation, and action. Through a connection between Divine will and human action we are able to fulfill our purpose by becoming an integral part of the infinite process of creation. Furthermore, Frankiel encourages us to realize our full potential in the creation process through her presentation of the Ten Sefirot, the branches of the Tree of Life that lives within the center of the Jewish mystical landscape. She informs us that according to Jewish mystical teachings we embody the Tree of Life, which consists of the ten Divine qualities that are manifested in each creative act. Frankiel offers that as human beings, formed in the Divine image, we are the only creation born with the ability to consciously create because we have been blessed with Divine gifts that include wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Through these gifts we are given the honor and responsibility to manifest the Divine presence in the world of action. Thus, as Frankiel proposes, the human purpose is creation in accord with Divine will. Although Frankiel presents the possibility of perfection as a goal we can all strive for, she is quick to point out that Jewish teachings focus on the journey toward perfection rather than its ultimate attainment. Along with Divine qualities we have also inherited the freedom of choice from our primordial father and mother who chose to separate from the Divine realm, which opened the door for evil to enter the world. Frankiel suggests, after numerous generations of separation from our Divine homeland many of us have forgotten our connection to our Creator. Hence, many actions in the world reflect our egotistical human will and separation from the Divine energies that lay dormant within us. However, there is hope for a better world. Recently, in the last forty years, it appears that there has been a renewed interest in spirituality, especially in the United States. It arose when many people were experiencing feelings of depression, emptiness, and alienation despite economic prosperity and technological advancements that afforded a more leisurely lifestyle and increased life expectancy. Indeed, the human fascination with something beyond physical existence is evident throughout history. As Frankiel proposes, our fascination in realms beyond the material world may be caused by an eternal longing of the heavenly spirit or soul that lives within each one of us for our common Divine heritage. Sadly, along with our human longing for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment comes our ability to choose drug abuse, alcoholism, and chronic depression as escape routes from the pain of alienation. However, there are other avenu

The Gift

This book is truly a gift. Most books on Kabbalah available to the non-Hebrew speaking public focus on the "mystery" of the Tree of Life. Instead, Dr. Frankiel discusses in clear, precise, uncluttered language, how the cosmic energies of Creator descend into manifestation. Many books on Kabbalah indicate that deep study of the Tree of Life is reserved for married Jewish males over forty. Instead, Dr. Frankiel makes the sefirot available to any student of mystical truth. She offers a generous and refreshing sip from the Jewish well. She refers to non-Jewish sources (Brian Swimme, Thomas Berry) as liberally as she refers to the rabbinical tradition. She uses non-Jewish people as examples of the sefirot at work in the manifest world (Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi) as freely as she refers to the Jewish sages.Most importantly, Dr. Frankiel gives the reader concrete exercises which allow and encourage one to feel -- to embody -- the energies of the Tree of Life. I think the section which is filled with exercises, meditations, and "homework" is the most valuable aspect of the book. Rather than telling me what to think about the Tree of Life, she teaches me how to experience it for and in myself. In other words, rather than giving me a fish, she teaches me how to fish...This is a very good book. It is well researched, it is fresh, it is clear, and it is written by a spiritual practitioner who lives her teachings. I strongly recommend it.