“Meditation and The Bible” is another of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan’s masterpieces explaining the world of Kabbalah, meditation and the Torah itself. For those interested, there are 3 main primers that I always recommend when it comes to getting a great intro into the world of Jewish mysticism…
If you’re the type of person who’s wondering about the power of the mind and being able to tap into the soul – then this book, together with Rabbi Kaplan’s other books on meditation, “Meditation and Kabbalah” (see review) and “Jewish Meditation” are for you.
So many today are seeking an authentic path into the world of Jewish mysticism but they don’t know where to begin. For those whose Hebrew skills are good enough, there is, of course, a whole other world waiting to be studied, and I hope to speak more about these books in the future. For those who lack Hebrew, but whose souls are bursting with fire to enter into the world of the soul, Rabbi Kaplan’s books are really the best place to begin. In fact, I would go so far as to say, that the sincere student of the soul who lacks the Hebrew skills to read the original texts, but who begins his journey here, will find themselves thirsting to begin their studies into learning Hebrew – just so that they can get into these beautiful books, taking the soul to heaven!
Meditation and The Bible takes the student into some of the best of basic texts to start with. The student who is unable to read the original Hebrew, will be able to get a glimpse into such works as Shaarei Kedushah (Gates of Holiness by Rabbi Chaim Vital), the Rambam and the Ramchal as translated by Rabbi Kaplan. Indeed Rabbi Kaplan translated the Ramchal’s entire work “Derech Hashem” (The Way of God) which contains a substantial amount of material discussing some beautiful concepts into the world of Jewish mysticism.
The book is divided into three sections – The Traditions, The Prophets and Verbal Archaeology. The reader is introduced into the traditions of Kabbalah and meditation through a variety of original texts. Then the reader finds out more about the prophets of the Jewish people – prophetic methods, Divine Names, the meditative position and much more! In the third section, Rabbi Kaplan takes the reader through various terms used in the Tanach (the Jewish Bible in its entirety of 24 books) for which no useful and appropriate translations have ever been given. At least – not until now, where Rabbi Kaplan shows us how these words are directly related to meditation – and just how frequently the reader of the Tanach encounters authentic Jewish meditation without even realising it!
It is sad that so much of the authentic Jewish mystic tradition exists only in the hands of a few today. Most of the original tradition ended up in places where it shouldn’t have, with people today having popularised and indeed perverted certain forbidden practices and practices which are in fact not correct or in any way connected with Judaism.
Those wanting a proper path in the Jewish mystic tradition can feel safe and secure studying the texts which I discuss in these book reviews and other places. Readers need not rely upon my endorsement if they feel I am promoting something for an ulterior benefit. Readers will immediately see that the writers are people devoted to the sincere tradition without compromising upon real authenitic Torah and without any desire for anything less than sharing with the reader the beauty of authentic Torah and Judaism.
At the time of Rabbi Kaplan’s writing his works on Jewish meditation, the Lubavticher Rebbe had been coming out with the importance of authentic kosher mediation being taught to the Jewish people. I strongly believe that Rabbi Kaplan was at the forefront of such teachings and that those studying his works will find themselves on a path of purity that can only lead to further holiness, a love of Torah, a love of the Jewish people and a love of God.
I include below the video of the Rebbe speaking about the importance of a proper education into the world of kosher Jewish meditation. Please keep tuned for a further review where we will discuss Rabbi Kaplan’s book “Jewish Meditation” – a practical guide where I hope to share a further video there too.
