Kabbalah For Dummies

See how ancient Jewish mystical traditions and rituals can transform your life

Kabbalah For Dummies presents a balanced perspective of Kabbalah as an "umbrella" for a complex assemblage of mystical Jewish teachings and codification techniques. Kabbalah For Dummies also shows how Kabbalah simultaneously presents an approach to the study of text, the performance of ritual and the experience of worship, as well as how the reader can apply its teaching to everyday life.

Autorentext

Arthur Kurzweil is known as America's foremost Jewish genealogist. The author/editor of several books, he lectures extensively on the subjects of Judaica, magic, and mysticism.

Klappentext
Study, pray, and celebrate the Kabbalah way Understand the spiritual and ethical teachings of the practice Curious about Kabbalah? This friendly, plain-English guide clears up the common misconceptions about this mystical tradition, showing you how to incorporate its wisdom into your daily life. You'll explore the history of Kabbalah and its major texts, understand the mystical tree of life, examine Kabbalah controversies and conflicts, and see how Kabbalists grow closer to God. THE DUMMIES WAY

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Online cheat sheet
• Top ten lists

• A dash of humor and fun Discover:

• How to live life like a Kabbalist
• The big "secret" of Kabbalah
• What Kabbalah is — and isn't
• The importance of karma and reincarnation

• The contributions of great Kabbalists Get smart! @www.dummies.com

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Inhalt
Introduction 1

Part I: So, What's the Big Secret? Unmasking Kabbalah 9

Chapter 1: What Is Kabbalah? 11

Chapter 2: Magic, Mishegas, and Other Things that Kabbalah Isn't 29

Chapter 3: Looking Back: A Brief History of Kabbalah 35

Part II: Cutting to the Core of Kabbalah 53

Chapter 4: The Link between Heaven and Earth: Kabbalah's Own Top-Ten Countdown 55

Chapter 5: Everything (Even a Traffic Jam) Is for the Best 75

Chapter 6: Our Bodies Don't Have Souls; Our Souls Have Bodies 91

Chapter 7: Like Déjà Vu All Over Again: Reincarnation in Kabbalah 101

Chapter 8: Instant Karma's Gonna Get You 113

Part III: Livin' La Vida Kabbalah 125

Chapter 9: Living One Day at a Time 127

Chapter 10: Living One Week at a Time 149

Chapter 11: A Year in the Life of a Kabbalist 173

Chapter 12: A Kabbalist's Life Cycle 191

Part IV: Fine-tuning the Essential Skills of the Kabbalist 207

Chapter 13: Discovering the Kabbalistic Books that Really Matter 209

Chapter 14: Hitting the Books and Kissing Them: Studying Like a Kabbalist 227

Chapter 15: Praying Like a Kabbalist 245

Chapter 16: Knowing the Unknowable God 269

Part V: The Part of Tens 287

Chapter 17: (Almost) Ten Myths about Studying Kabbalah 289

Chapter 18: Ten Great Kabbalists in History 297

Chapter 19: Ten Places that Kabbalists Visit 313

Part VI: Appendixes 323

Appendix A: Books and Authors You'll Thank Me for Recommending 325

Appendix B: Patriarchs, Swindlers, Prophets, and Sinners: Meet 100 Torah Characters 329

Appendix C: A Glossary of Everything Kabbalah 335

Index 349