Perle Besserman - The Shambhala Guide to Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism

In language accessible to the non-specialist general reader, Perle Bessermans Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism emphasizes Kabbalahs spiritual disciplines, grounded in righteous living, devotional practices, and meditation.

Wisconsin Bookwatch

This is a work which explains the Kabbalah with as much clarity as it can be explained and with a genuine feeling for mystic lore. I recommend it to all readers.

Isaac Bashevis Singer

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jewish mystics from biblical times to the present have explored the hidden secrets of the Torah in quest of a single goal: to lose the self in the Infinite No-thingness (Ein Sof) and be at one with God. In language accessible to the layperson, this Shambhala Guide provides a detailed introduction to the complex world of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism. With an extensive background in meditation practice, Perle Besserman emphasizes Kabbalahs spiritual disciplines, grounded in righteous living, devotional practices, and meditation. She discusses the Kabbalistic universe, including the four worlds and ten sefirot; Jewish meditation techniques and instructions for beginning meditation; mystics and teachers from Rabbi Akiva and the Baal Shem Tov to Aryeh Kaplan; the often uneasy relationship between Kabbalah and mainstream Judaism; and applying the ancient wisdom of Jewish mysticism to life in the world of today.

A descendant of the Baal Shem Tov, PERLE BESSERMAN has studied Jewish mysticism with Rabbis Zvi Yehuda Kook and Aryeh Kaplan. She has written several books on mysticism, including Kabbalah: The Way of the Jewish Mystic (published under the name Perle Epstein), and is the editor of an anthology in the Shambhala Pocket Classics series, The Way of the Jewish Mystics. She presents workshops on womens spirituality around the United States and in Europe.

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THE SHAMBHALA GUIDE TO

KABBALAH AND JEWISH MYSTICISM

Perle Besserman

ILLUSTRATIONS BY Zo Trigre Besserman

SHAMBHALA

Boston & London

2014

SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS, INC.

Horticultural Hall

300 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

www.shambhala.com

1997 by Perle Besserman

Cover image: Opening page of Isaiah from the Parma Bible. Reproduced by permission of Viva Papi, Italy.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Besserman, Perle.

The Shambhala guide to Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism / Perle Besserman.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographic references and index.

eISBN 978-0-8348-2665-6

ISBN 978-1-57062-215-1 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. Cabala. 2. MysticismJudaism. I. Title.

BM525.B48 1997 97-19190

296.16dc21 CIP

In Memory of Jacob and Lillian Besserman

H ERE ARE the meanings and pronunciations of some key words and phrases used in this book, with occasional additional comments.

The pronunciation given corresponds roughly to the Sephardic pronunciation currently used in Israel and, increasingly, in communities worldwide. This is something of a compromise between the Ashkenazic pronunciation of European Jews and their descendants and that of the Jews from Arab countries and theirs.

The sounds used in the phonetic spellings should be pronounced as follows:

Adam Kadmon, the primordial human being, the cosmic man: a-dam kad-mon

Adon Olam, Lord of the Universe: a-don o-lam

Adonai, Lord: a-do-nai. Often used as a substitute for YHVH.

Assiah, Action: a-see-ya

Atzilut, Emanation: a-tzee-loot

Ayin, the 16th letter of the Hebrew alphabet: a-yeen

Baruch shem kevod malkhuto le-olam va-ed, Blessed be the Name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever: ba-rookh shem kvod mal-khoo-to le-o-lam va-ed

Bereshit, In the beginning, the first word of the Book of Genesis: bray-sheet

Beriah, Creation: bree-a

Binah, Understanding: bee-na

chakikah, engraving: kha-kee-ka

chatzivah, hewing: kha-tzee-va

Chayyah (sing.), living being; Chayyot (pl.): kha-ya, kha-yot

Chesed, Mercy: khe-sed

Chokhmah, Wisdom: khokh-ma

Daat, Knowledge: da-at

derash, the allegorical level of interpretation of the Torah: drash

Echad, One: e-khad

Ein Sof, literally, without end; the Infinite No-thingness: ayn sof

Eloheinu, Our God: e-lo-hay-noo

Elohim: e-lo-heem

gematria, number mysticism: ge-mat-ree-ya

Gevurah, Judgement: gvoo-ra

gilgul, turning over, reincarnation: geel-gool

hitbodedut, self-isolation, a meditation technique: heet-bo-de-doot

hitbonenut, contemplation: heet-bo-ne-noot

Hod, Majesty: hod

kavvanah (sing.), intention; kavvanot (pl.): ka-va-na

kelippot (pl.), husks, shells, shards; klippa (sing.): klee-pot, klee-pa

Keter, Crown: ke-ter

maggid, spirit guide: ma-geed

Malkhut, Kingdom: mal-khoot

nefesh, the vital level of soul: ne-fesh

neshamah, the spiritual level of soul: ne-sha-ma

Netzach, Splendor: ne-tzakh

peshat, the literal level of interpretation of the Torah: pshat

remez, the homiletical level of interpretation of the Torah: re-mez

Ribbono shel olam, Master of the universe: ree-bo-no shel o-lam

ruach, the intellectual level of soul: roo-akh

Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation): se-fer ye-tzee-ra

sefirah (sing.), sphere, world, emanation, stage of consciousness; sefirot (pl.): sfee-ra, sfee-rot

Shaddai: sha-dai

shefa, divine influx: she-fa

Shekhinah: shkhee-na

Shema Yisrael, Adonai eloheinu, Adonai echad, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is One. The quintessential declaration of Jewish faith: Shma yees-ra-el a-do-nai e-lo-hay-noo, a-do-nai e-khad.

Shema, Hear: shma

sod, the secret level of interpretation of the Torah: sod

Tiferet, Beauty: teef-e-ret

tikkun, repairing: tee-koon

tzaddik, righteous one: tza-deek

Tzevaot