The best-selling author of The Essential Kabbalah now
offers readers the best introduction to the Zohar.
The splendor and enigmatic appeal of the Zohar, the major text of the Jewish mystical tradition, has never intrigued readers of all faiths more than it does today. But how can we truly understand it?
Daniel C. Matt brings together in one place the most important teachings from the Zohar, the cornerstone of Kabbalah—described as a mixture of theology, mystical psychology, anthropology, myth, and poetry—alongside facing-page stories, notes, and historical background that illuminate and explain the text. Ideal for the first-time reader with no prior knowledge of Jewish mysticism.
Guides readers step-by-step through the texts that make up the Zohar—midrash, mystical fantasy, commentary, and Hebrew scripture—and explains the inner meanings of this sacred text, recognized by kabbalists as the most important work of mystical teaching, in a way that is both spiritually enlightening and intellectually fascinating.
Praise for Daniel C. Matt
“Matt writes from within the shrine of the great mystery. He enables us to appreciate Jewish mysticism as he presents the masters of the Kabbalah in a way that initiates and illuminates us.”
—Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter, Aleph: Alliance for Jewish Renewal
“America’s foremost poet laureate of Kabbalah.”
—Lawrence Kushner, author of God Was in This Place & I, I Did Not Know, and
The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition
“Professor Matt's lyrical translations make sparks of light shimmer from Judaism's most famous mystical classic. With his helpful annotations, he offers us glimpses of the Zohar's radical biblical interpretations as well as its mystical techniques. An exciting book as well as a rich source for contemplation!
—Tamar Frankiel, author of The Gift of Kabbalah:
Discovering the Secrets of Heaven, Renewing Your Life on Earth
Andrew Harvey is the author of many critically acclaimed books, including Son of Man. His memoir A Journey in Ladakh was praised as "one of the best books available on the Western experience of Tibetan spiritual life." His just-published memoir Sun at Midnight was praised by Deepak Chopra, who said, "for those who have gone through the dark night of the soul and for those seeking a genuine understanding of spirituality, this is a very inspiring story." Harvey is also the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Born in India, he was the youngest person ever awarded a fellowship to All Souls College, Oxford. He has devoted the past thirty years of his life to study and experiencing the world's spiritual traditions and is widely recognized as one of our greatest communicators of mysticism and contemplative living today.
