The Cabala: It's Influence on Judaism and Christianity

by Bernhard Pick

Be the Cabala is a dangerous subject. Traditional stories try to discourage your curiosity. For instance, there is the tale about four sages in a secret garden (of the Cabala): one of them looked around and died; another looked around and lost his reason; the Third eventually tried to destroy the garden; only the fourth entered and returned ot safety. But if you insist on entering into the Cabala, you choose a sure guide with Bernhard Pick's account of the mystical tradition in Judaism, opening the way to the Cabalistic secret garden. Following his guide you can discover the power of a religious tradition that is suddenly again enriching modern understanding. Pick deftly describes the visionary teaching of the Cabalists and their conflicts with orthodox Judaism from the 7th to the 18th centuries, reaching back to Philo to find the roots of their intriguing beliefs. Pick's history pays special attention to the book of Zohar, revealing the key to the mathematical doctrines that fascinated such Renaissance luminaries as Raymond Lully, Pico di Mirandola, Henry More and Jacob Boehme - not to mention Faust! The very word Cabala means to receive; the Cabalistic mystical goal is to touch Divinity. Pick proves that a scholar can pack a brief text into an exciting, orderly account - and be charming at the same time. His book is an excellent introduction to a mysterious religious underground. This edition is an unabridged reprint of the 1913 Open Court clothbound edition.

Genres: Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion

Paperback

First published December 2, 2010

Reviews

[Amalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this, Bernhard Pick traces the origins and background of the Kabbalah to Jewish scholars of mediaeval Spain. He doesn't show any deeper roots to it. The focus is more academic.

If you are a beginner like myself and looking for an introduction written by an advocate of the Kabbalah, it's better to start with some of the other books on the subject. I think this is more suitable for academic studies, not for a newbie.