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Rating: 
Summary: Sharing in "The Gift of Kabbalah"
Review: Dr. Frankiel invites readers to join her on a journey through the worlds of Kabbalah. During this journey one discovers that there is more to life than the everyday world of action. Frankiel encourages her fellow travelers to seek meaning and purpose for their existence by forming a connection with the Divine Creator through study, prayer, meditation, and action. Through a connection between Divine will and human action we are able to fulfill our purpose by becoming an integral part of the infinite process of creation. Furthermore, Frankiel encourages us to realize our full potential in the creation process through her presentation of the Ten Sefirot, the branches of the Tree of Life that lives within the center of the Jewish mystical landscape. She informs us that according to Jewish mystical teachings we embody the Tree of Life, which consists of the ten Divine qualities that are manifested in each creative act. Frankiel offers that as human beings, formed in the Divine image, we are the only creation born with the ability to consciously create because we have been blessed with Divine gifts that include wisdom, understanding, and knowledge. Through these gifts we are given the honor and responsibility to manifest the Divine presence in the world of action. Thus, as Frankiel proposes, the human purpose is creation in accord with Divine will. Although Frankiel presents the possibility of perfection as a goal we can all strive for, she is quick to point out that Jewish teachings focus on the journey toward perfection rather than its ultimate attainment. Along with Divine qualities we have also inherited the freedom of choice from our primordial father and mother who chose to separate from the Divine realm, which opened the door for evil to enter the world. Frankiel suggests, after numerous generations of separation from our Divine homeland many of us have forgotten our connection to our Creator. Hence, many actions in the world reflect our egotistical human will and separation from the Divine energies that lay dormant within us. However, there is hope for a better world. Recently, in the last forty years, it appears that there has been a renewed interest in spirituality, especially in the United States. It arose when many people were experiencing feelings of depression, emptiness, and alienation despite economic prosperity and technological advancements that afforded a more leisurely lifestyle and increased life expectancy. Indeed, the human fascination with something beyond physical existence is evident throughout history. As Frankiel proposes, our fascination in realms beyond the material world may be caused by an eternal longing of the heavenly spirit or soul that lives within each one of us for our common Divine heritage. Sadly, along with our human longing for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment comes our ability to choose drug abuse, alcoholism, and chronic depression as escape routes from the pain of alienation. However, there are other avenues we can travel that lead to a fulfilling, purposeful, and meaningful life. Dr. Frankiel offers us a way, within the framework of Kabbalah, to realize our potential with the aid of spiritual and physical practices that can unlock our imagination and creative powers. In recognizing and experiencing our connection to the Divine that lives within us, we are able to begin the process of discovering and cultivating our unique talents. Nonetheless, Dr. Frankiel warns us that personal spiritual practice and cultivation, although seemingly rewarding and satisfying, is only part of the process leading toward realizing our full human potential. Through the discovery and utilization of our unique abilities to manifest Divine will, we simultaneously fulfill our Divine mission of creation and perhaps, if only for moments at a time, we will experience the intense joy of being one with the Creator and all creation. Dr. Frankiel reveals her unique talents for spiritual insight and compassionate communication to give readers of all faiths the opportunity to share in "the gift of Kabbalah."
Rating:
Summary: The Gift
Review: This book is truly a gift. Most books on Kabbalah available to the non-Hebrew speaking public focus on the "mystery" of the Tree of Life. Instead, Dr. Frankiel discusses in clear, precise, uncluttered language, how the cosmic energies of Creator descend into manifestation. Many books on Kabbalah indicate that deep study of the Tree of Life is reserved for married Jewish males over forty. Instead, Dr. Frankiel makes the sefirot available to any student of mystical truth. She offers a generous and refreshing sip from the Jewish well. She refers to non-Jewish sources (Brian Swimme, Thomas Berry) as liberally as she refers to the rabbinical tradition. She uses non-Jewish people as examples of the sefirot at work in the manifest world (Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi) as freely as she refers to the Jewish sages. Most importantly, Dr. Frankiel gives the reader concrete exercises which allow and encourage one to feel -- to embody -- the energies of the Tree of Life. I think the section which is filled with exercises, meditations, and "homework" is the most valuable aspect of the book. Rather than telling me what to think about the Tree of Life, she teaches me how to experience it for and in myself. In other words, rather than giving me a fish, she teaches me how to fish... This is a very good book. It is well researched, it is fresh, it is clear, and it is written by a spiritual practitioner who lives her teachings. I strongly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: The Gift
Review: This book is truly a gift. Most books on Kabbalah available to the non-Hebrew speaking public focus on the "mystery" of the Tree of Life. Instead, Dr. Frankiel discusses in clear, precise, uncluttered language, how the cosmic energies of Creator descend into manifestation. Many books on Kabbalah indicate that deep study of the Tree of Life is reserved for married Jewish males over forty. Instead, Dr. Frankiel makes the sefirot available to any student of mystical truth. She offers a generous and refreshing sip from the Jewish well. She refers to non-Jewish sources (Brian Swimme, Thomas Berry) as liberally as she refers to the rabbinical tradition. She uses non-Jewish people as examples of the sefirot at work in the manifest world (Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi) as freely as she refers to the Jewish sages. Most importantly, Dr. Frankiel gives the reader concrete exercises which allow and encourage one to feel -- to embody -- the energies of the Tree of Life. I think the section which is filled with exercises, meditations, and "homework" is the most valuable aspect of the book. Rather than telling me what to think about the Tree of Life, she teaches me how to experience it for and in myself. In other words, rather than giving me a fish, she teaches me how to fish... This is a very good book. It is well researched, it is fresh, it is clear, and it is written by a spiritual practitioner who lives her teachings. I strongly recommend it.
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