Bahir

Rating:
Summary: Early Kabbalistic Literature
Review: As far as the study of Kabbalah is concerned, this book is necessary and the only English version I'm aware of. This is certainly not light reading and very esoteric in nature. Without the commentary of Mr. Kaplan, this text would be incomprehensible to all but the very elite of the Kabbalistic scholars, which I'm not. Extreme patience and focus is required when reading and I highly recommend that one read the commentary for each of the 200 points as you go. Of course this makes for lots of page turning, but much easier comprehension. With that said, one can find many gemstones within the pages of this book that are largely allegorical in nature. Although I find the gematria a bit of a stretch at times, I certainly can't definitively discount the exegesis either. The work along the sefirot and the meditative implications I thought were the most useful of the teachings in these pages, but not intended for the beginner. The commentary on the levels of the soul and universes I also thought were particulary interesting and useful for understanding some of the Hebraic connotations of the Bible.

Rating:
Summary: Early Kabbalistic Literature
Review: As far as the study of Kabbalah is concerned, this book is necessary and the only English version I'm aware of. This is certainly not light reading and very esoteric in nature. Without the commentary of Mr. Kaplan, this text would be incomprehensible to all but the very elite of the Kabbalistic scholars, which I'm not. Extreme patience and focus is required when reading and I highly recommend that one read the commentary for each of the 200 points as you go. Of course this makes for lots of page turning, but much easier comprehension. With that said, one can find many gemstones within the pages of this book that are largely allegorical in nature. Although I find the gematria a bit of a stretch at times, I certainly can't definitively discount the exegesis either. The work along the sefirot and the meditative implications I thought were the most useful of the teachings in these pages, but not intended for the beginner. The commentary on the levels of the soul and universes I also thought were particulary interesting and useful for understanding some of the Hebraic connotations of the Bible.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Text
Review: Before his tragic death, Rabbi Kaplan was a practicing Kabbalist who wrote several ground-breaking books on Kabbalah. Notably, he wrote 3 books on Jewish Meditation and commentaries on both the Sefer Yetzirah and the Book Bahir. His "Bahir" provides considerable commentary and explanation of the text, though much of it is still a mystery--so don't expect a complete exposition of a definitive sort. None exists at least in English as far as I can determine. But, this one is a terrific start. The origins of the 3 greatest Kabbalah books (Yetzirah, Bahir, and Zohar) are shrouded in mystery. They are attributed to ancient Masters (pseudoepigraphic) which is actually not unusual in medieval times. Gershom Scholem popularized Kabbalah through his academic studies (though he may not have meant to do this at all) though he was not a Kabbalist. He was an historian-great historical data but absurd personal opinions. Not so for Aryeh Kaplan who is obviously a practitioner not just an academic. Nevertheless, "Bahir" is replete with esoteric symbolism. Symbols (as opposed to signs) do not have a definitive meaning. They aren't supposed to. They have many "meanings." Thus, this text, though obviously very heavy duty metaphysically, is very difficult to understand today. It's relationships to the other 2 main texts in Kabbalah is highly relevant and interesting. So, along with the Sefer Yetzirah, this is a book for the serious student of Kabbalah to ponder and meditate upon for a long, long...time.

Rating:
Summary: That (obscure) Bahir connection...
Review: Everything seems to be in the Bahir. It seems that Sefer Yetzirah just elaborated on certain aspects of Sefer HaBahir, and that Sefer HaZohar just elaborated on both Bahir and Sefer Yetzirah, but for the sake of the un-understanding that is, i.e. to make something accessible to people who do not (and obviously ought not to) have any access to the (obscure) matters that are discussed, i.e. vulgarisation for the sake of "spreading" some kind of "knowledge." If this almost sounds like demagogical brainwashing, with a non avowed political intention and disguised agenda, in the end result it's probably not too far from the truth (just exchange a few words with some religious fanatics, and you'll immediately see what I'm talking about, and you'll probably come to the conclusion that those hot-blooded Zealots would be far better off doing integristic politics instead of religion)

I must also confess that, as an inveterate Bible student, I never liked the writings of the Zohar and its deterministic pseudo-revelations (i.e. red is... white is... and such and such is...) Neither could the Zohar and its avowed intentional and deterministic mysticism (even hardly) be considered as proponents of Monotheism anymore, which is, in my humble opinion, the Cornerstone upon which all Judaic writings ought to be finally judged. The Zohar is rather a subtle precursor of the present vulgarisation-prone new-age era (i.e. paganism disguised as religion). If early Kabbalah encountered such staunch (and healthy) opposition, it is precisely because it was considered that its symbol-charged approach negated good old plain Monotheism.

Kaplan states in one of his commentaries, that even though the mystical path that is treaded seems to be totally obscure, do not fear and hesitate to go ahead, as to God (?!) nothing is obscure (?!)... such an absurd statement, if extrapolated, could lead to another one (which I just made up): "If on your search for God you end up meeting face-to-face with the Devil, just go right ahead, as even the Devil might be God in some kind of a strange and obscure disguise..." All jokes aside, I believe that Kabbalah and its three fundamental books (Bahir, Yetzirah, Zohar) are just plain crap. Remarkably, the Bahir found its origin in the country of France (the home-country of most Francs-Macons, various lodgers, several Illuminati, indescribably stupid and bloody religious persecutions, the cruelest and bloodiest of all Revolutions, and also the nest of a lot of other weirdo movements, among which the Raelian sect before it was expulsed... well, Vive La Liberté!). Another funny thing is the basis on which Gershom Sholem (the so-called modern secular expert on Kabbalistic texts and sources) started out his career. As a young European student, he heard a famous University Professor (universally acknowledged for his deep knowledge and fluency of obscure sacred -read Kabbalistic- texts) tell him that the absurdity of such old mystical texts is not astonishing in itself, but that the astonishing thing is that so many good-natured and well-intentioned people devote time and strength and energy and means to the deciphering of such texts... Gershom Sholem (whom I never liked) was quick to figure out he could make a big career for himself if he followed the career path of the Professor with a just a little bit more sincerity and gullible devotion, and the funny thing is that he actually did...

More seriously, I believe that spiritual things are best said by not saying them, but by simply alluding to them, in one form or another... Didn't the Lord Jesus Himself constantly use parables throughout His Teachings? What has to be understood will be eventually understood (by people that are meant to understand)... extrapolated explications and vast elaborations will only create vast cohorts of straying people (am rav), people that end up being prone to nothing but contention (witness the endeavour of Constantine and the spiritual state of today's Christian church).

I'll end this reviews with a small advice, as the below reviews seem to be packed with rather bizarre and extravagant commentators and comments. You'll do yourself a very big favour if you avoid magicians and pseudo-mystics of all sorts, whether they be/are Jewish, a-Jewish, non-Jewish, pseudo-Jewish, anti-Jewish or pro-Jewish... in the end, when confronted to disguised sorcery, veiled occultism, new-age golden-dawn lodgers, incantation-prone biblical interpretations, etc., all genetic differences seem to vanish in an absurd and blurred pit of despond... religious crap, irrelevant of its alleged genetic origin, still remains religious crap...

So it is my humble opinion that you better stick to a sound fundamental analysis when it comes to Holy Writ. The lectures of the Rav are probably still some of the most soul-elevating and inspiring ones there are in Judaism. If you're keen on Gematriot, the German books of F. Weinreb are still unabated in scope and accessibility (unfortunately only two of them have been translated in the English language, among which the excellent, but alas already unavailable, Roots Of The Bible), at least if you do not wish to get drowned (like some vulgar Mizrahi-Egyptian-lodger) in the depth of an Ocean of almost inaccessible teachings and sayings, which end up being used at random (and at will) by various soul-manipulators and modern psychic button-pushers...

Rating:
Summary: A New Interpretation of The Ancient Kabbalistic Classic
Review: Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, of blessed memory, has accomplished much in the field of Judaic studies during his lifetime. By far the most amazing are his Kabbalistic works, like this, the Bahir. The Bahir is one of the oldest texts of the Kabbalah. Tradition assigns it to Rabbi Nehuniah Ben Ha-Kana of the first century CE. This fantastic book not only presents an accurate translation of the text, but also an interpretation which relates it to modern Judaism and as a supplement, the original Hebrew text. The Bahir is a revolutionary book; the Zohar and subsequent Kabbalah is literally based on its foundation. It is the oldest known book that actually presents the array of the Sefirot (Divine Emanations) and it deals largely with interpretations of the Bible.

Rating:
Summary: Bahir for Adeptus Major 6=5 and Adeptus Exemptus 7=4
Review: This is the only English version of the Sefer Bahir that is available to Gentiles. The original manuscripts are all in the original Hebrew.

Aryeh Kaplan was an Adept of the Jewish Qabalah and there are many essential "keys" revealed within the pages of his translation of this scroll. These "keys" are hermetically sealed, however, and only with the help of an Adept might an Initiate discover them and utilize them.

This Scroll requires a deep and penetrating knowledge of Judaica: The Torah, Neviim, Kesuvim, Midrash Rabbah, and Mishneh-Talmud. It also requires a deep and penetrating knowledge of Hebrew. One should also be familiar with the Sefer Yetzirah and the essential basics of Lurianic Qabalah.

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Within "Chavurah Nogah - Guild of Venus" (copyright), my own version of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Bahir is the Primary Text used for the Grades of Adeptus Major 6=5 and Adeptus Exemptus 7=4.

Each of these Grades consists of 100 Lectures from the Bahir, since the Bahir consists of 200 Midrashim. And every Adept of the "Chavurah Nogah" must purchase for themselves a copy of the Sefer Bahir by Aryeh Kaplan, as well as having access to my own Lectures on the matter.

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Shalom - Soror Samhain

Rating:
Summary: Very insightful
Review: Two things to keep in mind about this book; 1) it is ancient and 2) there were more than one sect of jewish Qabbalists running around at the time. This may not have some of the principle beliefs that most modern Qabbalists have via the Golden Dawn, but it is this growth that lets us learn about ourselves and the universe. Keep in mind that some corresponances may not be the same as the ones you have been studying, thus it is open for experimentation.

About the book itself...It is an astounding work that many early Qabbalists used as a reference before the Zohar became translated (only 35% of it). If you read and thought upon the things said on each page or section for one week, you may understand it, because it goes back and forth. What was not revealed before is later, so thus you must backtrack and make the connection yourself. This is a definite study book. You must STUDY this book to truly glean the maximum amount of knowledge from it.

This is not an easy read and it has no spells or magickal workings in it. It is a discussion between rabbi's about the Bible, Qabbalah, and other modes of Jewish thought and religion. This pertains mostly to the dogmatic Qabbalah that so many of us hear about, but really don't see or study.

It is well worth the money to buy this book if you are at all interested in the Qabbalah, the Bible, or Jewish teachings. It will reveal things for you if you have the patience and the tenacity.

Seek and ye shall find. <- It's not just an empty saying.

One of the best books to study dogmatic Qabbalah, and I would recommend this book to anyone who was a Magickal student, or someone who was merely interested in cultural religion. A MUST READ by all senses of the word. You are missing out on a lot of revealations if you don't buy this.