The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse On The Essence Of Jewish Existence And Belief (0465082726) - Reviews and Prices
Jewish Book Mall - Jewish Books, Magazines, Music CDs, & Seforim
jewishbookmall.com Info and Reviews - Reviews and Prices
Home / Books / The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse On The Essence Of Jewish Existence And Belief
The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse On The Essence Of Jewish Existence And Belief (0465082726) - Customer Reviews, Information, Ratings, and Prices
The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse On The Essence Of Jewish Existence And Belief (0465082726) - Reviews and Prices
An expanded edition of the classic text of Jewish mysticism (Kabala) by the world famous Talmudic scholar
From Madonna's music videos to the glossy pages of celebrity magazines and back to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Jewish mysticism has stepped into the modern consciousness like never before. In this classic work, world-renowned scholar Adin Steinsaltz answers the major questions asked by modern Jews about the nature of existence in God's universe. The title The Thirteen Petalled Rose is taken from the opening of the classic Jewish text on mysticism, the Zohar, and refers to the "collective souls of the Jewish people," which scholars have likened to the fullness of a rose and its thirteen petals.
Along with a new preface by the author, this edition contains a new chapter on prayer that provides the most up-to-date account of the Kabbalistic view of devotion. Another new chapter recounts and interprets the prophet Elijah's Introduction to the Zohar. "Steinsaltz possesses a mind of the quality that occurs perhaps once or twice in a generation, or several generations.... In [The Thirteen Petalled Rose] one can encounter the classical Jewish mystical view of reality, delineated lucidly, concisely, profoundly and, what is so rare, believingly. It is an utterly authentic expression of Judaism yet so unknown even among the well-informed and therefore so necessary, so welcome." (Herbert Weiner, Oxford University)
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A Rose that glows, and prose that flows.:
If you want an insider's view of the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbala, start here. This book is so well written, with such knowledge and care and belief, by such a very bright, worldly mind as Adin Steinsaltz's, that his is the one to read. So why do I only give it four stars? Well, first the good stuff, because I do recommend it, after all: This is probably Steinsaltz's most popular work. It primarily covers Jewish mysticism, but is subtitled more generally as "A Discourse On The... more info
For the intellectual:
I have to admit that most books I read, others consider very heavy and difficult. For me, this book was very difficult, until I had a study session about it. This book should be savored, and shared.
Laura Weakley
beautiful but challenging:
Reading this short but intense volume is like wandering in heavy fog, deep in a beautiful and mysterious forest, without a map or compass. The silence washes over you and you feel you are with God, but which way is north? Which way is east? Where is the river? The information is so esoteric and abstract, the book may require multiple readings to be understood - which is not a bad thing. With a second reading I would be prepared to take notes line-by-line, draw diagrams with arrows - I can't see any of it... more info
an explanation, not a justification:
Most of this book outlines the world view of the kabbalistic wing of traditional Judaism, paying great attention to the alleged facets (or sefirot) of the Deity. It doesn't really explain how Jewish thinkers reached these conclusions, so it isn't likely to be useful to people who are not predisposed towards mysticism. Nor does Steinsaltz explain the role of non-Jews in his worldview: if Jewish behavior affects the various "worlds", is non-Jewish behavior relevant? There are a few points I liked in this... more info
