Seidman - A new oracle of Kabbalah: mystical teachings of the Hebrew letters

Praise forA New Oracle of Kabbalah

Jewish sages teach that each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is an awesome universe. Richard Seidman gently guides readers to explore the use of these letters to open mysterious gates of wisdom hidden within each one of us. Oracle of Kabbalah is an excellent tool for discovering the teachings of our own souls and is highly recommended.

Rabbi David A. Cooper, author of God is a Verb

These cards, grounded in ancient mystical knowledge, offer many doorways to the great mysterious, and the power of our own personal truth. To experience them is to realize the infinite depth and exquisite beauty of creation.

David Carson, co-author of The Medicine Cards

You dont have to be Jewish to love Oracle of Kabbalah. Richard Seidman has made the ancient wisdom and power of the Hebrew letters accessible to us all, so we can use it to help us better deal with the challenges of modern life.

Monte Farber and Amy Zerner, authors of The Enchanted Tarot

Seidmans Oracle of Kabbalah is a feast of honey, humor, cultural diversity, and an outrageous insistence on hope. Though well rooted in indigenous Jewish understandings, a thousand flowers of the worlds teachers make this personal divination style one that promotes the Divine in Nature and community without losing the nobility of the individual.

Martn Prechtel, author of The Smell of Rain on Dust: Grief and Praise

In these wide-ranging, mystical, sometimes fanciful meditations on the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, Richard Seidman introduces the reader to a contemporary installment of both Judaisms millennial love affair with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and a clever invitation to enter the conversation.

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, author of The Book of Letters

Richard Seidman offers us a direct, clear, and practical approach to the Divine Mystery. His understanding of the Hebrew Aleph Beit and his guidance in interpreting each letter ignites an inner lamp that can illumine the most shadowed corners of the soul.

Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro, author of The Way of Solomon

AUTHORS NOTE

With gratitude to the trees of this world, the author will donate a portion of the profits of each book to Friends of Trees in Portland, Oregon, USA, to support the planting of new trees.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2015 by Richard Seidman. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.

White Cloud Press books may be purchased for educational, business, or sales promotional use. For information, please write:

Special Market Department

White Cloud Press

PO Box 3400

Ashland, OR 97520

Website: www.whitecloudpress.com

Cover art and Hebrew calligraphy by Shoshannah Brombacher

Cover and interior design by Christy Collins, C Book Services

First edition: 2015

15 16 17 18 19 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Seidman, Richard, author.

A new oracle of Kabbalah: mystical teachings of the Hebrew letters / Richard Seidman.

pages cm

This edition of Oracle of Kabbalah is a revised and expanded version of the book that was first published in 2001--Preface.

ISBN 978-1-93595-283-1

1. Hebrew language--Alphabet--Religious aspects--Judaism. 2. Cabala. 3. Spiritual life--Judaism. I. Title.

PJ4589.S418 2015

492.411--dc23

2015025633

To my father, Herbert Seidman, and my mother, Phoebe Seidman. May their memories be blessings.

To Aryeh Hirschfield, beloved rebbe of blessed memory.

To all our ancestors, no matter their tribes or original homelands, whose indigenous voices were silenced, but whose songs and stories still might echo through us.

And, with all my love, to Rachael Resch.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

by Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro

Abby Laytons inspiring example and generous spirit enabled me to find a Jewish path. This book would not exist if not for her influence.

I am grateful to Rabbi Aryeh Hirschfield, of blessed memory, for his initial inspiring presence and his continued guidance. For months, during the rainy Oregon winter, he and I would meet each week to read through my manuscript chapter by chapter. Rabbi Aryeh helped correct the Hebrew, clarified confusing points, and offered many helpful suggestions.

I thank my wife, Rachael Resch, for unfailing love, staunch support, wise perspective, brilliant insights, skillful editing, artistic vision, and for happy times.

I am grateful for the love and support of my mother, Phoebe Seidman, and my father, Herbert Seidman. May they both rest in peace.

Ilan Shamirs enthusiasm and perspective helped guide the early writing. Many other friends provided important feedback and encouragement, including Gordon Quinlan, John Ciminello, Ruth Resch, Nelson Foster, Donna Redisch, Aki Fleshler, Alon Raab, Hank Stratton, Ron Marson, Pat Ferris, and Steve Berman. Howard Lanoff, Babs Smith, Pat Ciminello, and Sharon Dvora were other stalwart supporters. I thank them all for their assistance and friendship.

I am grateful to my teachers Robert Aitken, Nelson Foster, Martn Prechtel, Paul Richards, and Stephen Victor. Their influence pervades these pages and my life.

Deborah and Rabbi David Zaslow have been good friends and supporters.

Thank you to Rabbi Julia Melanie Vaughns for her deep knowledge of the Hebrew letter mysteries and generous sharing of her expertise and wisdom.

I offer great gratitude to Shoshannah Brombacher for her intimacy with the Hebrew letters and for her beautiful artwork that graces the book cover and cards.

Deep thanks to Rabbi Rami Shapiro for his profound Foreword.

I appreciate proofreader Jill Bailin and her meticulous attention to detail.

Thank you to Steve Scholl and White Cloud Press for helping bring this new edition out into the world.

Thank you to all the humans I have forgotten to thank, to my ancestors, to the Angel of Writing, to the holy Hebrew letters themselves and their descendants, the letters of the Latin alphabet, and to all the many known and unknown beings and forces who have conspired to sing us into life and sing this project into life.

Oracle of Kabbalah was originally conceived of and published as a book and card divination set. If you would like to purchase a deck of Hebrew letter cards to accompany this book, please go to www.whitecloudpress.com or http://tinyurl.com/oracle-deck.