A lucid in-depth presentation of the meditative techniques and practices used by the ancient Kabbalists.
The Kabbalah is divided into three branches-the theoretical, the meditative, and the magical. While many books, both in Hebrew and English, have explored the theoretical Kabbalah, very little has been published regarding the meditative methods of the various schools of Kabbalah. Aryeh Kaplan's landmark work, reveals the methodology of the ancient Kabbalists and stresses the meditative techniques that were essential to their discipline, including:
- the use of pictures or letter designs as objects of meditation
- the repetition of specific words or phrases, such as the divine names, to produce profound meditative state
In addition, Meditation and Kabbalah presents relevant portions of such meditative texts as: The Grellier Hekhalot, textbook of the Merkava School; the works of Abraham Abulafia; Joseph Gikatalia's Gales of Light; The Glltes of Holiness; Gale of The Holy Spirit, textbook of the Lurianic School.
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan has translated Sefer Yetzirah, the oldest and most mysterious of all kabbalistic texts, and now brings its theoretical, meditative, and magical implications to light. He expounds on the dynamics of the spiritual domain, the worlds of the Sefirot, souls, and angels. When properly understood, Sefer Yetzirah becomes the instruction manual for a very special type of meditation meant to strengthen concentration and to aid the development of telekinetic and telepathic powers.
