{"product_id":"the-zohar-volume-2-hardcover","title":"The Zohar: Volume 2 - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDaniel C. Matt\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSefer ha-Zohar\u003c\/i\u003e, \"The Book of Radiance,\" has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth 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 \u003ci\u003eZohar\u003c\/i\u003e consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy. This translation begins and focuses here in what are projected to be ten volumes. Two subsequent volumes will cover other, shorter sections. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eZohar\u003c\/i\u003e's commentary is composed in the form of a mystical novel. The hero is Rabbi Shim'on son of Yohai, a saintly disciple of Rabbi Akiva who lived in the second century in the land of Israel. In the \u003ci\u003eZohar\u003c\/i\u003e, Rabbi Shim'on and his companions wander through the hills of Galilee, discovering and sharing secrets of Torah.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn one level, biblical figures such as Abraham and Sarah are the main characters, and the mystical companions interpret their words, actions, and personalities. On a deeper level, the text of the Bible is simply the starting point, a springboard for the imagination. For example, when God commands Abraham, \u003ci\u003eLekh lekha, Go forth... to the land that I will show you\u003c\/i\u003e (Genesis 12:1), Rabbi El'azar ignores idiomatic usage and insists on reading the words more literally than they were intended, hyperliterally: \u003ci\u003eLekh lekha, Go to yourself!\u003c\/i\u003e Search deep within to discover your true self.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt times, the companions themselves become the main characters, and we read about their dramatic mystical sessions with Rabbi Shim'on or their adventures on the road, for example, an encounter with a cantankerous old donkey driver who turns out to be a master of wisdom in disguise.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUltimately, the plot of the Zohar focuses on the ten \u003ci\u003esefirot\u003c\/i\u003e, the various stages of God's inner life, aspects of divine personality, both feminine and masculine. By penetrating the literal surface of the Torah, the mystical commentators transform the biblical narrative into a biography of God. The entire Torah is read as one continuous divine name, expressing divine being. Even a seemingly insignificant verse can reveal the inner dynamics of the \u003ci\u003esefirot\u003c\/i\u003e--how God feels, responds and acts, how She and He (the divine feminine and masculine) relate intimately with each other and with the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis sensitive commentary and translation of the classic text of Kabbalah is of foundational importance for an understanding of Jewish mysticism.'\"--Jewish Book World\u003cbr\u003e\"While translation may be an art, it can also be genuine scholarship of the highest order. . . . Restoring the Zohar to our comprehension, these volumes are a monumental contribution to the history of Jewish thought.\"\u003cbr\u003e--Koret Jewish Book Award, \u003cbr\u003ePhilosophy and Thought, 2003-2004, \u003cbr\u003eThe Zohar: Pritzker Edition, Volumes I and II\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eDaniel Matt is widely thought to be the best translator of the Zohar into English. His works include Zohar, The Book of Enlightenment (Paulist Press, 1983)--a selection of Zohar passages presented in English--and The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism (Harper San Francisco, 1995). Dr. Matt has recently returned to the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, after a period of work in Jerusalem.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 460\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.22 x 10.44 x 7.16 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 31, 2003\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757615120672,"sku":"9780804748681","price":65.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/7fd9e4b1000de8ddf280ced1afbe6561_08ab65e2-f4ec-4677-92b3-53adee535be4.webp?v=1780106819","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/the-zohar-volume-2-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}