Here is a review (or more like description) of a book that does not fit into my narrow Jewish Kabbalistic interests on at least multiple accounts. Éliphas Lévi and the Kabbalah - The Masonic and French Connection of the American Mystery Tradition by Robert L. Uzzel is about Eliphas Levi, who despite sporting Hebraic name was a Frenchman (from the 19th century). It was written by a Christian theologian. But the review is from today, the book was published recently, two months ago and it is related to Kabbalah’s influence (on Levi and consequently on a whole family of magickal traditions), so why not mention it. The review is on the blog of the publisher, Cornerstone, that is why it reads more like a description than a critical analysis. I looked into the sample chapter [PDF] posted by the publisher, about Levi’s life. I liked the style and the content, the book sounds interesting and well researched if you are into spiritualism and freemasonry, but I will probably skip it.

On January 1, 1837 an earthquake shook and destroyed most of the city of Safed and Tiberias at 2 PM. There were between 2 and 4000 victims. This HaAretz article covers the story through the eyes and words of the people who gathered to commemorate the event. They quoted Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach of Avritch [1765-1840, a Rebbe in Europe for forty years and in Zefat for ten, a disciple of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev] saying that “this city is the place from which the Kabbalah, the Zohar and the piyyutim (liturgical poems) went out, and therefore it is forbidden to leave.” This page recalls the traditional version of the miracle how he protected his community during the quake. Meanwhile the HaAretz article put it in current political context how “in times of hardship, the residents of Safed remained constant to the rabbi’s remarks on.” (To have some connection to a “Kabbalah book” I would like to point out that the story found at my second link is probably from Rossoff’s book: Safed: The Mystical City.)

This Chabad article by Naftali Silberberg summarizes somewhat cynically what Kabbalah books are about:

Open up a book of Kabbalah, and you will discover that:
a) there are countless spiritual worlds.
b) In actuality nothing exists but G-d alone; everything else–including ourselves–are merely extensions of the Divine energy.
c) Everything which occurs is for the best, because all is preordained by G-d. d) The physical is absolutely trivial. Torah, prayer and mitzvot are the truly important things in life.

Then he gives the scientific counterargument for these points. Instead of arguing them he points out the “Belief alone isn’t enough.” The unavoidable synthesis is presented at the end: “An entity becomes real to a perceiver […] when it is understood. The purpose of chassidism is to make G-d a real part of our life.” I love the simplicity of the message. Unfortunately it is using circular logic. What the author means by understanding is not explicated. It is probably a life-long process, so I don’t expect him to do it in a few lines. But without that it is based on belief. I don’t have a problem with that, but let’s not try to make it sound like a scientific argumentation.

Mirta Kupferminc is an Argentinean Jewish artist. She published five books, The word “publish” may not directly apply to her work, because they are handmade individual artworks. One of them is Borges y la Cábala, senderos del Verbo (Borges and the Kabbalah: paths to the Word.) Its 123 pages contain 29 original etchings. Below is a picture of a page from it. I would love to see the original, along with her other books, such as “Safarad, a man standing on his dream.”

I read this blog entry and I realized it is a copy of an article from the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle. It describes a retreat designed for Jewish Chabad women. What grabbed my attention is the list of speakers at the end. It gave a peak for me into the world of Chabad books on Kabbalah. Most of the invited authors wrote several volumes and from the summarizer’s point of view some of them relate to Kabbalah. I will have to do a little bit more search on them, because so far I couldn’t find any extensive or sufficient information which I could use to evaluate the works.. For the time being let the edited list speak for itself.

• Rabbi Sholom B. Wineberg, director of Kansas City’s Chabad House, has written more than 25 books on Jewish mysticism, Torah and marriage. His newest three-volume work is titled “Healthy in Mind Body and Spirit.”
• Rabbi Yosef Y. Jacobson is a world-renowned expert on Kabbalah and Chassidut. He will be featured throughout the weekend teaching classes on Tanya, the seminal book of Chabad Chassidut. He is the author of the acclaimed tape series, “A Tale of Two Souls” and “Captain, My Captain,” and teaches Kabbalah, Chassidic spirituality and Talmud at the Rabbinical College Chovevay Torah in Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Devorah Alevsky is one of the creators of a series of Rosh Chodesh women’s groups and the Inner Visions Kabbalah workshop. Her topics include the significance of the three special mitzvot of the Jewish woman; lighting candles, making challah and Taharat Hamispacha - family sanctity - as well as the origins of the wedding ceremony.