Zohar: The Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah

by Gershom Scholem

One of the great masterpieces of Western religious thought, the Zohar represents an attempt to uncover hidden meanings behind the world of appearances. It is the central work in the literature of the Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition. This volume of selected passages from the Zohar, culled by the greatest authority on Jewish mysticism, offers a sampling of its unique vision of the esoteric wonders of creation; the life and destiny of the soul; the confluence of physical and divine love; suffering and death; exile and redemption.

Amazon customer review: “The book is very short – only about 125 pages. It is written in very easy to understand English by a well-known scholar on the subject, Gershom Scholem, and provides the reader with a nice introduction to some of the more prominent and interesting components of the Zohar. The introduction to the book sets the stage for the reader by providing sufficient background and explanation so that the reader, once immersed in the Zohar translation itself, has a framework to understand and evaluate the context. The excerpts from the Zohar will make the reader think, and provide a glimpse into some of the more esoteric Jewish rabbinical thought. A good intro on the subject.”