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The Zohar Translation and commentary by Daniel C.
Matt Two Volumes (Pritzker
Edition) |
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Sefer Ha-Zohar (The book of Radiance)
has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in
medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteen century. Written in a unique
Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the
dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising
over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar
consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through
Deuteronomy. This translation begins and focuses there - in what are
projected to be ten volumes. Two subsequent volumes will cover other, shorter
sections. The Zohar
is composed in the form of a mystical novel. The hero is Rabbi Shim'on son of Yoga, a saintly disciple of rabbi Alive
who lived in the second century in the land of Israel. In the Zohar, Rabbi Shim'on
and his companions wander thought the hills of Galilee, discovering and
sharing secrets of Torah. Volume Two consists of
the Zohar's commentary on the
patriarchal narratives (Genesis 12:1 - 32:3). The wandering rabbis continue
their travels, sharing their mystical insights, coming upon wisdom in the
most astonishing ways from a colorful cast of characters they meet on the
road. Daniel C. Matt is a leading authority
on Jewish mysticism. For over twenty years, he served as Professor of Jewish
Spirituality at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He has
also taught at Stanford University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He
has published six books, including: The Essential Kabbalah;
Zohar: Annotated and Explained; and God and
the Big Bang: Discovering Harmony between Science and Spirituality. He
spent the years 1998-2002 in Jerusalem working on this translation and
currently lives in Berkeley, California. |
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