This book, written by the rabbi who authored the bestselling audiotape series 'The Mystical Kabbalah', is the first to bring Kabbalah - a Jewish mystical tradition dating back centuries - to a wide audience.

Reviews

Rabbi Cooper, who directs the Heart of Stillness Hermitage in Boulder, Colo., offers insight into the everyday practice of mystical Judaism. Using tales of the Hasidic masters as well as stories from the Torah, Talmud and Mishnah, Cooper delves into the mysteries of life and death. One of the great quests of modern religious people, says Cooper, is to find greater wisdom and higher spiritual awareness. Through these stories, he aims to show that seekers must actively pursue wisdom and awareness through meditation and study rather than await such wisdom to be revealed to them. What is the soul? What is the purpose of creation? What is holiness? These, he argues, are the questions that must form the foundation of the search. At the heart of Kabbalah, says Cooper, is the revelation of the unity of all things, a unity he cleverly illustrates by comparing DNA (science's "tree of life") to the tree of life from the Kabbalah. Exercises for meditation accompany each of these reflections. Cooper's lively prose and his syncretist attitude toward religion make this a rewarding book. (Aug.)

"Rabbi Cooper opens wide the centuries-old treasure house of the Jewish tradition. This is a wise book...broad and accessible. It's one of those books that people will read a lot over the years"—Jack Kornfield, bestselling author of A Path with Heart



"David Cooper's rich wisdom and practical exercises bring Judaism alive in an exciting new way."—Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of A Woman's Book of Life



"Offers insight into the everyday practice of mystical Judaism...lively prose...a rewarding book."—Publishers Weekly



"A superb, sensitive, and gentle guide."—Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now