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Title: Gates of Light: Sha'Are Orah (The Sacred Literature Trust Series) by Joseph Ben Abraham Gikatilla, Avi Weinstein ISBN: 0-7619-9000-3 Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield (non NBN) Pub. Date: 29 January, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Ian Myles Slater on: An Important Contribution
Comment: This is a full translation of an important, but generally neglected, work of theoretical Kabbalah. It explains in detail the doctrine of the Sefirot (or Sephirot), the creative emanations of the unknowable God. It arranges them in ascending order (toward Divine Totality), rather than the descending order (toward the created world) in which they are usually presented, It could, therefore, at least in theory, be used as a meditation guide, although it does not seem to have been considered even devotional reading. (Descriptions of Kabbalistic meditation practice were rarely committed to writing, so the absence of evidence on this point may not be evidence of absence, but so far as I know this is only a reasonable speculation.)
"Gates of Light" is a clear exposition (well, clear for mystical theology), rather than a series of parables to be interpreted, which may account for its being studied, but not often quoted, and not being the subject of commentaries by later Kabbalists. It also suffered from being known as the work of a "modern" writer, instead of being offered, like the "Zohar," as a rediscovered text from the time of the Talmudic sages. "Gates of Light" may still be too sparse in language to appeal to devotional readers, but I would hope that those with a personal, spiritual, interest in Kabbalah would use it to improve their grasp of the intellectual foundations of the movement.
Students of the history of Kabbalah, to whom the translation seems mainly directed, will find this translation of great interest. So will students of Kabbalah in history (a slightly different topic). Although the book was eclipsed in fame in its own time and later by the "Zohar," an abridged Latin version was influential in Christian circles during the Renaissance, when ultimately Neo-Platonic theories of divine emanations were extremely popular. Its availability in English is therefore of importance outside the circles of those interested in Judaica, or in Kabbalah in particular.
I have one, relatively minor, objection to this version. For some reason, the translator has chosen to render the technical term for emanations, "Sefirot" (singular form Sefirah"), as "Spheres," as though derived from the Greek "sphaira." As Gershom Scholem, among others, demonstrated at length, the actual origin is the root "sfr," originally referring to counting or numbers. The word "sefer," meaning "book" (i.e., an account of things) is the most generally familiar form to those with a little Hebrew. "Sefirah" was also linked, as a significant word-association, with the Biblical word "sappir," meaning a gem (Greek and Latin "sapphire," but not necessarily the modern stone). The pun on the Greek word does eventually appear in the literature, but it does not seem likely to have had much currency in thirteenth-century Spain. The decision makes for easier reading, but could suggest extraneous associations, such as the crystalline spheres of medieval astronomy. This is a minor objection, but the reader unfamiliar with the field may find the choice confusing.
Rating: 3
Summary: Understandable Kabbalistic teachings
Comment: This is one of the most straight forward texts on the workings of Kabbalism in print that I've read. The author methodically ascends the Tree of Life, stopping by each sefirot and describing its purpose and how it relates to the unfathomable One. The author describes each sefirot as a gate that leads to further understanding. Within each gate, the author pulls together many scriptures in support of his esoteric interpretation and his belief of how one can properly ascribe their prayers so that they are heard on high. Although not easy reading by today's standards, it certainly is much easier to comprehend than the Zohar for example and accessible to those with some patience. For those studying the history of Kabbalah, this text helps the reader understand the teachings and development of the Kabbalistic sect in and around the 13th century. However, this is certainly not an introductory text and should only be read after student has at least a rudimentary understanding of Kabbalism and an intermediate grasp of the Tanakh.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Key to the Tree of Life
Comment: In this book, you can find all necessary explanation as to the mystical and symbolic meaning of the Sephiroth, given here as the Ten Names of the Most High, which are Gates ("Gates of Light") to spiritual enlightenment. It is essential for all practitioners of the Kabbalah.
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Title: Bahir by Aryeh Kaplan ISBN: 0877286183 Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser Pub. Date: September, 1990 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation by Aryeh Kaplan ISBN: 0877288550 Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser Pub. Date: May, 1997 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Zohar: Pritzker Edition (Zohar. Pritzker Edition, Vol 1) by Daniel C. Matt ISBN: 0804747474 Publisher: Stanford Univ Pr (T) Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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Title: Zohar by Moshe Miller ISBN: 0970089406 Publisher: Fiftieth Gate Publications Pub. Date: 25 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Meditation and Kabbalah by Aryeh Kaplan ISBN: 0877286167 Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser Pub. Date: May, 1989 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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