Seeing God: Ten Life-Changing Lessons of the Kabbalah

Jewish mystical doctrines concerning God and the universe continue to attract widespread interest, although the Kabbalah's inaccessible complexities require the kind of interpretation that is offered in this book. Aaron is a Jerusalem rabbi who founded the Isralight institute, where he teaches Judaism with special emphasis on the esoteric lore of Kabbalah. His first effort to bring Kabbalah to a wider audience was 1997's Endless Light, which set forth in relatively simple language the Kabbalah's answers to life's fundamental questions. This book furthers that attempt by explaining Kabbalah's conception of God. In essence, Aaron asks how humans can see that which is invisible, infinite and indescribable. He boldly asserts that his answer to that question as found in this book will provide ""a whole new vision. Life will never be the same."" Aaron focuses on a central principle of Kabbalah: the 10 sefirot, usually referred to as the ""emanations"" by which God is revealed. For Aaron, they are God's ""ethereal, spiritual `qualities'... [that] can't really be understood intellectually, only experientially."" Using simple stories, personal anecdotes, Talmudic homilies and ""seeing exercises,"" Aaron explores each of the sefirot: community consciousness, life, mastery, magnificence, justice, kindness, truth and beauty, logical thinking, creative intuition, will and awareness. Although Aaron's claim for the life-changing nature of his book is somewhat grandiose, he succeeds in presenting one of Kabbalah's most perplexing notions in plain language that can be readily grasped. This is a major achievement. (Jan.)