Comments on: Book review: A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters (Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yepez)

By: Bob Weisenberg

Bob Weisenberg — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:08:08 +0000

Thanks, Todd. That's very helpful. Here's a very funny video on the topic: Kabbalah Crash Course http://ilanadonna.com/downtowndharma.com/wordpres... Bob Weisenberg http://YogaDemystified.com

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:16:12 +0000

I wouldn't say it's a pure hasidic text for the faithful. It incorporates ideas and writings that might be considered anathema to what Zalman calls hasidism's third turning. The suggestion that there is a fourth turning of hasidism would be deemed problematic to most of them them, even more that a movement outside of the Orthodox establishment is being identified with that turning. But I don't think it quite fits what you're looking for either. It's more an attempt to translate what's universal in hasidism into today's language while "grafting" neo-hasidism onto the Beshtian hasidism that preceded it than it is a book relating Jewish mysticism to other traditions.

If you're looking for more ecumenical discussion of Jewish kabbalah then you might find that Jay Michaelson's site on the subject, LearnKabbalah, is helpful as well as his recent text, The Radical Path of Nondual Judaism. Zalman's other text on hasidic masters, Wrapped in a Holy Flame, may be helpful in part but unlikely so in entirety. It was adapted from a series of talks he gave at Naropa University.

By: BobWeisenberg

BobWeisenberg — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:33:43 +0000

I was interested in this book because I've been discussing the philosophical similarities between Vedanta Yoga and Kabbalah with my Orthodox Jewish son. However, after browsing through this book on Amazon, I concluded it's not what I'm looking for. It appears to be more of a pure Hasidic text for the faithful than an insight into the universal nature of mysticism I was hoping for, and which some of the promotional materials seem to promise. Would you agree?

Thanks for the review.

Bob W. (http://www.myyogabook.wordpress.com)