The Mystic Quest: An Introduction to Jewish Mysticism

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent and Lucid Introduction
Review: I'm currently reading this book along with many others related to mysticism. This is an excellent and clearly presented introduction to Jewish mysticism. The chapter titles are as follows: 1) Seekers of Unity: The Nature of Mysticism 2) Bridging the Abyss: The History of Jewish Mysticism 3) Living with the Abyss: The Character of Jewish Mysticism 4) The Hidden and the Revealed: The Principles of Jewish Mysticism 5) The Calculus of the Divine World: The Teaching of the Sefirot 6) The Shekhinah: The Feminine Aspect of God 7) Language and Being: The Torah as God's Emanation 8) The Oneness of Being: The Destiny of the Soul 9) The Mystic Drama: The Religious Life of the Jewish Mystic 10) Uplifting the Sparks: Modern Jewish Mysticism 11) Jewish Mysticism and the Mystic Quest

For those interested in Christian Mysticism, check out the multi-volume "The Presence of God" series by Bernard McGinn, esp. the first volume "The Foundations of Mysticism." - Brad Clark

Rating:
Summary: Well-written, accessible, and Jewishly authentic
Review: This is one of the better introductions to Jewish mysticism on the market today. Although written in an academic style (plenty of citations, footnotes, etc.) it is still spirit-filled and inspiring. Unlike the overly-ponderous works of Gershom Scholem, this is a book that the average person with a college-level reading ability can pick up and understand.

The author, David Ariel, is (or was at the time this was published) President of the Cleveland College of Jewish Studies, and, I would assume, produced this book to fill a gap in the usual (i.e., heavily Christian/gentile) college philosophy curriculum. By doing so, he has no doubt educated quite a few professors as well as their students in the beauty and complexities of various forms of Jewish mysticism.

Ariel begins with the question "What is mysticism?" and a discussion of some non-Jewish writers on mystical topics, such a William James, Sigmund Freud, Aldous Huxley, Evelyn Underhill, etc. -- names whose works are generally more familiar to philosophy students than those of the Jewish mystics. He then goes on to present the basic concepts of Jewish mysticism (kabbalah) chapter by chapter, drawing on commentaries, Zohar, classical anecdotes from Jewish tradition, excerpts from the synagogue liturgy, etc.

One of the best features of this book is Ariel's gift for translating "archaic" symbols into modern language. On pp. 98-99, for example, he give a glossary of kabbalistic symbols and terms, then challenges the reader to use them to decipher a cryptic passage from the Zohar -- which becomes quite clear, once you understand the "code." He does an equally nice job with "Lecha Dodi," a Sabbath hymn that every Jewish congregation sings on Friday evening, but whose deeper kabbalistic meanings are seldom understood. His original translations of source materials are also excellent, making this a very accessible book without "talking down" to the reader. Highly recommended.