Readings of Light - but not light reading

There is no dearth of English-language "beginner" books on Kabbalah today, thanks in part to the recent popularization of the ancient trove of Jewish mysticism.  But most of these books are penned by authors either of the "academic" persuation, whose knowledge of the field is antiseptic at best, or of the "occult" school, who see Kabbalah as a Jewish version of arcane "wisdoms" such as theosophy, alchemy, tarot cards, or whatnot.  The rest, although faithful to Jewish tradition and therefore authentic and authoritative, are geared by and large for the beginner.   Only a few are suitable for the student or reader who has passed the beginning stage and wants to sink his teeth into something more delectable.

Enter Apples from the Orchard - Gleanings from the Mystical Teachings of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria - the Arizal - on the Weekly Torah Portion, a selection of original texts from the writings of Rabbi Chaim Vital, chief disciple of the Arizal superbly translated by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky.

Each selection begins with the Biblical verses on which the texts are  based, provided in vocalized Hebrew followed by a very readable English translation.  The Hebrew text selected from the various published works of the Arizal's teachings is then quoted, together with an English translation, followed by an original commentary elucidating the texts, written for those who have at least a minimal background in Jewish mystical teachings (Kabbalah). Rabbi Wisnefsky provides detailed explanations, often citing and referencing the views of the Talmud, Midrash, Rashi and other commentators to clarify the difficulties in the verse upon which the Arizal expounds.

One of the greatest challenges in presenting such Jewish mystical writings for consumption by those who are not steeped in the metaphors and methods of Kabbalistic exegesis is finding reference points in the contemporary mindset and experience to which the averagbe inteolligent individual can relate.  It seems to me that this book has done a marvelous job in this respect.

Another prodigious hurdle to those who are not native Hebrew speakers is that Kabbalistic works in general, and the Arizal's in particular, rely - often heavily - on nuances, alternative meanings, associations and equivalences (numerical and others) that can leave the uninitiated totallly baffled.  In Apples from the Orchard this difficulty has been overcome supremely well.  The commentary literally spells out the words, pointing out the nuances, providing the alternative meanings, associations and numberical values and so on.

Another very useful feature of this commentary is the liberal use of tables to summarize, compare and contrast concepts and couch them in a structural hierarchy.

The explanations themselves are more folksy than technical, reflecting their author's desire to make the commentary accessible rather than academically rigorous.

Accordingly, many of the explanations have been gleaned from contemporary teachers, rather than from classical commentators.

In all, Apples from the Orchard sheds ample light upon some of the most abstruse Kabbalistic writings while remaining eminently readable, although the work is by no means light reading.

But beyond its value as a resource for intermediate students of Kabbalah, this book stands to make a perhaps greater contribution.  I refer to the fresh perspective on sexuality that emerges from a thorough reading of the text.   Although it is far from being a manual of sexuality, the book does not shy away from the fact that Lurianic Kabbalah uses the analogy of sexual experience to illuminate, and indeed enhance our relationship with G-D.  In the translator's words (taken from the preface):

     "There is no embarrassment about sexuality here; the subject is treated frankly and   opently, as the integral part of life and our mentality it truly is.  We see in these teachings the awsesome power of the misuse of sexual energy as well as the sublime heights to which holy sexuality can lift us.  Yes, it is easier to follow either the extreme of total denial or the extreme of total indulgence, it is far more challenging to take the middle path and fuse intense physicality and intense spirituality.  But the rewards of taking the latter path are far greater, and it is really the only way to navigate the pitfalls endemic to the extremes.  G-D has programmed us with both a strong sexual drive and a strong spiritual drive, and ignoring one at the expense of the other is simply a recipe for disaster.  On the contrary, each has the capability of enhancing the other.

It is in this light that I believe the Arizal's message is of paramount importance for our generation.  Never before have so many of us been so free to choose any style or variety of sexuality available.  We need guidelines better than those commonly available to us; guidelines that speak to us as mature human beings capable of making mature choices.  The attitude toward sexuality espoused in these pages answers nobly to this need."

For all these reasons, I highly recommend Apples from the Orchard as a valuable contribution to the kabbalistic or even general bookshelf.

    Rabbi Moshe Miller

Rabbi Miller has taught in Jewish educational institutions in English, Jerusalem, New Jersey, Detroit and Chicago, and is currently a contributing scholar of the Jewish Learning Institute, for whom he has written several courses.  He is the author and translator of numberous scholarly works including Mishnas Chabad, Zohar with commentary, Tomer Devorah, and many others, and is a regular contributor to KabbalahOnline.org.