The Sefer Yetzirah is perhaps the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts. In this landmark work of mystical studies, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan brings the text’s theoretical, meditative, and magical implications to light. The book explores the dynamics of the spiritual domain, the worlds of the sefirot, souls and angels. Rabbi Kaplan explains that when properly understood the Sefer Yetzirah becomes an instruction manual for a very special type of meditation meant to strengthen concentration and to aid in the development of telekinetic and telepathic powers. Through the use of various signs, incantations, and divine names, initiates could also influence or alter natural events. This translation includes the meditation in five dimensions, the transition from binah to chakhmah consciousness, the point of infinity, kabbalistic astrology, Ezekiel’s vision according to the Sefer Yetzirah, and the mystery of the 231 gates. Also included is a digest of all major commentaries on the text of the Sefer Yetzirah and a bibliography of many of the major kabbalistic works that discus it, as well as extensive notes regarding the various aspects of the translation. Rabbi Kaplan’s translation is based on the Gra version of the text, which is thought to eb the most authentic. Also included is the short version, the long version, and the Saadia version, making this volume the most complete work on the Sefer Yetzirah available in English.

"In thirty-two mysterious paths of wisdom did the Lord write, the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, the Living Elohim, and King of the Universe, the Almighty, Merciful, and Gracious God; He is great and exalted and eternally dwelling in the Height, His name is holy. He is exalted and holy. He created His Universe by the three forms of expression: Numbers, Letters, and Words." So, famously, begins the Sepher Yetzirah. The “Book of Formation” embodies the fundamental part of the secret learning, or Kabala, of the Jews. This tradition (Kabala means “to hand down”) was probably never put into writing until Rabbi Akiba ben Joseph produced the “Book of Formation,” or “Book of Numbers and Letters,” in the second century after Christ. In order to render his work unintelligible for the profane he used a veiled language, and expressed himself in riddles and conundrums.

Questions of how the divine presence is understood and interacts within the world have been around since the time of the biblical prophets. The Jewish mystical tradition conceives God as active, just, powerful, and present while allowing for divine limitation so as to understand the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people in their history. Jewish Mysticism surveys Jewish visionary and mystical experience from biblical and ancient Near Eastern times through the modern period and the emergence of modern Hasidism. Marvin Sweeney provides a comprehensive treatment of one of the most dynamic fields of Jewish studies in the twenty-first century, providing an accessible overview of texts and interpretative issues. Sweeney begins with the biblical period, which most treatments of Jewish mysticism avoid, and includes chapters on the ancient Near East, the Pentateuch, the Former Prophets and Psalms, the Latter Prophets, Jewish Apocalyptic, the Heikhalot Literature, the Sefer Yetzirah and early Kabbalistic Literature, the Zohar, Lurianic Kabbalah and the Shabbetean Movement, and the Hasidic Movement. Placing Jewish apocalyptic literature into the larger development of ancient Jewish visionary and mystical experience, Sweeney fills gaps left by the important but outdated work of others in the field. Ideal for the scholar, student, or general reader, Jewish Mysticism provides readers with a fresh understanding of the particular challenges, problems, needs, and perspectives of Judaism throughout its history.

How are alchemy, astrology, magic, and numerology related to Jewish mysticism? The fabulous, miraculous, and mysterious are all explored in this comprehensive reference to Jewish esotericism-the first of its kind! From amulets and angels to the zodiac and zombies, the "Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism" features over one thousand alphabetical entries. Rabbi Geoffrey W. Dennis offers a much-needed culmination of Jewish occult teachings that includes significant stories, mythical figures, practices, and ritual objects. Spanning the Bible, the Midrash, Kabbalah, and other mystical branches of Judaism, this well-researched text is meant to trigger insight, spark inspiration, and illuminate one of the oldest esoteric traditions still alive today.

Provides overview, from antiquity onwards, on various Western religious esoteric movements. This book includes topics such as: alchemy, Gnosticism, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism, Theosophy and more.

Hasidic Art and the Kabbalah presents eight case studies of manuscripts, ritual objects, and folk art developed by Hasidic masters in the mid-eighteenth to late nineteenth centuries, whose form and decoration relate to sources in the Zohar, German Pietism, and Safed Kabbalah. Examined at the delicate and difficult to define interface between seemingly simple, folk art and complex ideological and conceptual outlooks which contain deep, abstract symbols, the study touches on aspects of object history, intellectual history, the decorative arts, and the history of religion. Based on original texts, the focus of this volume is on the subjective experience of the user at the moment of ritual, applying tenets of process philosophy and literary theory – Wolfgang Iser, Gaston Bachelard, and Walter Benjamin – to the analysis of objects.

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.

Faithful reissue of the Kabbalistic classic “Sepher Yetzirah” by the famous occultist William Wynn Westcott from 1893. This edition includes: The 32 Paths of Wisdom, The 50 Gates of Understanding, and the original illustrations by Westcott himself. Sepher Yetzirah, The Book of Formation – A Classic of Occultism The Sepher Yetzirah, Book of Formation or Creation, is one of the oldest and most enigmatic texts of Jewish Kabbalah, considered by many to be the cornerstone of occultism and magic. Traditionally attributed to the patriarch Abraham, this text offers a profound reflection on the creation of the universe through divine language, using the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the 10 sephirot or principles of existence. The Sepher Yetzirah by William Wynn Westcott William Wynn Westcott's version of the "Sepher Yetzirah" is especially important because it was one of the first English translations offered with a detailed commentary from an esoteric perspective, providing a vision from the realm of occultism, outside of more traditional Judaism. Westcott's translations of the Sepher Yetzirah are of fundamental interest to occultists and those interested in esoteric and magical Kabbalah. Additionally, this edition includes the texts “The 50 Gates of Understanding,” “The 32 Paths of Wisdom,” the “Supplement to Chapters IV and V,” notes, comments, as well as Westcott's illustrations. One of the Most Important Kabbalah Books - The Book of Creation According to historians, the origin of the Sepher Yetzirah is unknown, and its origins are so ancient that they have been lost to antiquity. It is believed to have been created from both the written and oral traditions (Mishnah), leading to the conclusion that the existing ancient versions were compiled around the year 200 CE. The Sepher Yetzirah in English Westcott's work is crucial because it opened the doors of the "Sepher Yetzirah" to a broader audience outside the traditional Jewish sphere, offering an essential guide for those seeking to understand reality, that is: the relationship between the microcosm of the human being and the macrocosm of the universe. Westcott's edition provides a fascinating approach for those interested in esoteric and less religious and closed spiritual pursuits, allowing the complex Kabbalistic concepts to be understood and applied in more mystical and spiritual contexts. The "Sepher Yetzirah" is a fundamental text for those interested in Kabbalah and occultism because it offers an explanation of the divine creative process that reveals the mystical structure of the universe. Through the combination of letters and numbers, this book becomes a key that unlocks the mysteries of creation, time, and space, providing a foundation for deep meditation and spiritual pursuit. Westcott's edition stands out for its clarity and its ability to connect traditional Kabbalistic teachings with the esoteric currents of his time, allowing the "Sepher Yetzirah" to remain a relevant and fascinating text for students of Kabbalah, occultism, and mysticism to this day. The Sepher Yetzirah is a work of great historical and cultural value, standing out as a practical guide for meditation, understanding, and spiritual introspection.

Novel agenda and methodology for contemporary Jewish scholarship and applies them to a variety of theological, Ethcal and legal issues, including medical ethics. provides an integration of biblical, rabbinic and mystical thinking.

Symbols of the Kabbalah: Philosophical and Psychological Perspectives provides a philosophical and psychological interpretation of the major symbols of the theosophical Kabbalah. It shows that the Kabbalah, particularly as it is expressed in the school of Isaac Luria, provides a coherent and comprehensive account of the cosmos, and humanity's role within it, that is intellectually, morally, and spiritually significant for contemporary life.