Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125184 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Synopsis
For thousands of years, no book has been more shrouded in mystery than the Zohar, yet no book offers greater wisdom to humankind. As the central text of Kabbalah, the Zohar was conceived by the ancient kabbalists as a guide for gaining fulfillment in the material world and for drawing closer to the sacred light of the spiritual realm. In The Essential Zohar, the eminent kabbalist Rav P. S. Berg thoroughly fulfills this intention, interpreting the Zohar's teachings on evil, redemption, human relationships, wealth and poverty, and many other issues from a practical, contemporary perspective. The Zohar and Kabbalah have traditionally been known as the world's most esoteric sources of spiritual knowledge, but Rav Berg has dedicated his life to making this wisdom universally available. In truth, the Zohar came into being as a gift to all humanity. The Essential Zohar at last brings that gift to the world.

Customer Reviews

Alive with Meaning
In Part One: Foundations, the author explains that the Zohar is the central text of Kabbalah which is the spiritual heritage of all humanity. Kabbalah is not religious in the traditional sense of the term and isn't based on literal interpretations of scripture. Logical analysis is however an important tool for investigating spiritual matters. But logic in Kabbalah can take paradoxical forms. The authorship and structure of the Zohar and its relationship to the Hebrew alphabet are discussed here, as well as the dissemination of the Kabbalah. Here I have also found one of the clearest and most accessible explanations of the Ten Sefirot and the Tree of Life.

Part Two: Teachings, deals with creation, the Big Bang and the place where science and metaphysics meet. This section contains interesting discussions of fear, awe and the love of God, concealment, revelation, mercy, judgment, chaos, the Shekhina, temperance and certainty. Throughout, there are passages from the Zohar followed by Rav Berg's engaging and illuminating commentary which explains the working of concepts like Chesed (kindness), Gevurah (strength), Tif'eret (balance) and Malchut (the earthly realm) with practical examples. It includes the famous story of the donkey driver and includes analyses of the nature of desire, the significance of strangers, chaos which is evil, and the Shekhina (The Presence).

Part Three: Transformations, encompasses subjects as diverse as Noah and the flood generation, the story of Isaac, Jacob and his vicissitudes, Joseph's adventures, the golden calf, David and Batsheva. Other revelatory sections discuss concepts like soul mates, immortality, forgiveness, the reason why the wicked appear to be so strong, and how to connect to the Source of Life. In the conclusion, the author explains how Kabbalah may be used as a practical guide for transforming fragmentation and chaos into unity and fulfillment. The Zohar provides a bridge between everyday consciousness and our inner powers of transformation. And indeed, its surprise happenings, sudden insights and epiphanies have a salutary effect on the mind. In addition, the Zohar enables one to disconnect from darkness and negativity by reuniting us with the Creator's light.

Having widely investigated the esoteric side of many spiritual traditions, I have found this brief study of the Zohar of great worth. There are correspondences with other mystical paths but also significant differences. I was surprized to discover for example, a seeming acceptance of the idea of reincarnation, unusual in Western spirituality. Sure there are many directly contradictory statements but after the initial frustration, pondering these eventually does reveal a bigger picture and more profound insight. I have found this work extremely valuable in better understanding some key concepts of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The book concludes with a bibliography, index and short biography of the author.

Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone
This book perpetuates the cult of Berg's "Kaballah", to be distinguished from genuine Jewish Mysticism, Christian Kaballah (i.e. Agrippa etc.), and even the imaginative/daft Golden Dawn and Thelemic developments. By tackling the major text of the Zohar, Berg is attempting to hijack and re-invent Kaballah as his own exclusive and very expensive brand. Truth has always been hazy and obscured in "genuine" kaballah as it has in other traditions (i.e. Hermes Trimegestrous, de Geblin's Tarot, ad infinitum). But Berg, like a genuine cult leader, makes outrageous claims and is not to be trusted. For example, the Zohar is not thousands of years old, but is in fact a late medieval text historically proven to be written by Moses de Leon.
Berg's is not a "school of mysteries", but another new-age cult (with fulfilment equated to being rich) in pseudo ancient Jewish fancy dress. If you want to pay to be mislead, deluded and ripped off, Berg's your man. If you are interested in the history of the Kaballah, Scholem's works would be recommended. If you want to practice Kaballah....well Kaplan's "Meditation and the Bible", or even Gareth Knight's hermetic Christian books would be recommended. But even with these, the QBL shows itself as a tricky tradition with plentiful dubious claims. However, these recommended versions although quirky are at least sincere attempts to convey what is in essence beyond communication.

Spiritual Quantum Physics.
A good introductory book to what the Zohar is (22 volumes fundamental for Kabbalistic teachings). Rav Berg comments on selected passages from the Zohar and the Bible itself and explains their meaning in an utterly new dimension. I quite liked the frequent comparision of the Zohar with Quantum Physics.
One might or might not agree with all that it is written but it is worth reading. It definetly opens the door to a whole new idea of thinking and looking at the usual common things that surround us daily, starting from the Old Testament!