THE JEWISH LIGHTS SPIRITUALITY HANDBOOK: A Guide to Understanding, Exploring & Living a Spiritual Life

Just a decade ago, says Matlins in his introduction, few people were talking about Jewish spirituality. But in recent years there has been increased interest in "this spirituality thing." Almost every star of that revival has contributed at least one essay to this rich but uneven anthology. Arthur Green and Lawrence Kushner offer moving reflections on Shabbat. In a meditation on psychotherapy, Ira F. Stone speaks of the importance of loving other people. For the more practically minded, there's Jack Riemer and Nathaniel Stampfer's essay on "Writing an Ethical Will." Still, the collection is far from flawless. Some of the contributions seem out of place: a two-pager by Tamar Frankiel argues that non-Jews can learn from Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), but it is hard to imagine that many non-Jews are going to spend enough time with this handbook on Jewish spirituality to be persuaded by her short piece. And some of the contributions are a tad shallow. Dannel Schwarz and Mark Hass's "Be Mystical. Be Happy" is no more profound than a Bobby McFerrin song, and David Cooper's reflections on meditation are similarly superficial. (With skimpy evidence—and a debatable interpretation of the famous midrash about the four rabbis who enter pardes —Rabbi Cooper concludes that "talmudic scholars had extraordinary respect for contemplative practice.") Overall, this volume presents Jewish spirituality chavurah -style; devotees of Kushner et al. will treasure this anthology, although a few of the essays don't quite measure up. (Aug.)