Simple Kabbalah: a Simple Wisdom Book

219 Pages·2004·2.28 MB·English

by  Zetter, Kim

SIMPLE KABBALAH

S I M P L E
KABBALAH
K i m Z e t t e r
Foreword by Ira Steingroot
CONARI PRESS
Berkeley, California
Copyright © 1999byConari Press
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or re-
produced in any manner whatsoever without written permis-
sion, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or
reviews. For information, contact: Conari Press, 2550 Ninth
Street, Suite 101,Berkeley, California 94710-2551.
Conari Press books are distributed by Publishers Group West.
Cover illustration: The Tree of Life,courtesy of the
Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley, ca
Cover and book design: Claudia Smelser
Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zetter,Kim
Simple Kabbalah / Kim Zetter.
p. cm. — (A simple wisdom book)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN: 1-57324-170-9
1. Cabala—History and criticism. I. Title. II. Series.
bm526 .z47 1999
296.1'6—dc21 99–28435
cip
Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper.
01 02 03 phoenix 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
For My Parents, with Love and Gratitude

SIMPLE KABBALAH
List of Illustrations ix
Foreword by Ira Steingroot xi
one What Is Kabbalah? 1
two ABrief Historyof Kabbalah 29
three Some Key Principles of Kabbalah 69
four Understanding Genesis 97
five The Tree of Life 127
six Practical Kabbalah 151
Numerical Chartof the Hebrew Alphabet 195
Glossary 197
For Further Reading 203
Acknowledgments 205
vii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1.Tree of Life Showing the Ten Names of God 79
2.Tree of Life Showing the Four Worlds
and the English Names of the Sefirot 88
3.Tree of Life Showing the Twenty-two Letters
of the Hebrew Alphabet in their Corresponding Paths 108
4.Tree of Life Showing the Ten Sefirot
and the Corresponding Event in Creation 130
5.Tree of Life Showing the Sefirot,
the Twenty-two Paths, and the Four Worlds 132
6.Tree of Life Showing the Four Worlds
and the Qualities of Each Sefira 158
Table of the Sefirot 143–144
ix