The Kiss of God: Spiritual and Mystical Death in Judaism

by Michael Fishbane

Book Overview

The lines of Michael Fishbane's book trace the spiritual face of Judaism in one of its many appearances. Fishbane explores the quest for spiritual perfection in early rabbinic sources and in Jewish philosophy and mysticism. The "kiss of God," a symbol for union with God, and the ritual practices--meditation and performance--connected with it are presented.

The book identifies a persistent passion for religious perfection, expressed as the...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0295975555
• ISBN13: 9780295975559
• Release Date: September 1996
• Publisher: University of Washington Press
• Length: 168 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Fascinating Jewish Mystical Sources here-in

Seeking and Soaring: Jewish Approaches to Spiritual DirectionReclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice: Holy Days and ShabbatWhat does spiritual intimacy feel like, read like, in rabbinic literature? How is devekut, the experience of cleaving to God attained? What are the risks of such practices? Michael Fishbane explicates outstanding sources about when Moses' soul was taken by God with a kiss. Unfortunately many are summarized rather than written out whole and the Hebrew texts are referenced but not provided. Still, this pointed me to amazing depths of authentic Jewish mystical study. Thank you Dr. Fishbane!