Meditation and Kabbalah

Excellent!One of the best books you can buy on Kabbalah,period.

Areyh Kaplan is the single most athoritative writer on the Kabbalah today. Although I must include Zev ben Shimon Halevi in that pantheon. Both of these authors bring much need light onto a subject that is now very "chic." Not so Kaplan, a true scholar. But it is not for beginners. Althought I must say that the knowledge in the Kabbalah is not for beginners, period. There was a reason that both the Cordoverian and Lurianic schools insisted that the study of the Kabbalah should be started at the age of 40. And this was centuries ago when life expectancy was much less than it is today. I must warn you that this very dense and speaks directly to the "real" Kabbalah, and not all of the western appropriated magicians of the turn of the century. If you are sincere in studying Kabbalah and are willing to put in the time and effort, this is a must!

"An exciting masterpiece. So rationally writen and explicitly put that it leaves one flabbergasted for life. By far a work of a wizard."

Rabbi Kaplan, Z"L, as ever, does a great job by inheriting the world the first translation of the almost forgotten methods of meditation used by the Talmudic sages, Chasidim, R. Abulafia, R. Luria, Baal Shem Tov, etc. They all seem dangerous (if you understand Kabbalah fully and are guided by an excellent teacher, there will be no problem) but are a good reference on the evolution and diversification of these techniques to attain revelation and ecstasy. 100% recommendable, easy to read.

This is the best, most Jewishly-authentic book on kabbalah available in English today. Neither a pop "new age" book nor a contemporary attempt to "update" Judaism, it was written by a practicing orthodox rabbi who knew what he was talkng about! Rabbi Kaplan's clear explanations and lucid translations of important source texts were among the first to appear in English, making this almost-forgotten meditation tradition more accessible once more. Should be on the shelf of every serious Jewish seeker.