The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters

by Richard Seidman, Lawrence Kushner

The twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the Aleph Beit, are not merely the building blocks of a language, but something far more profound. Each letter is an ancient key that can help unlock the great secrets of the spiritual world, a set of powerful symbols that can grant insight into the mysteries of our own souls. The Aleph Beit are part of Kabbalah, the teachings and wisdom of Jewish mysticism, and have been a closely guarded secret for centuries. According to the earliest known book on Jewish mysticism, The Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Creation), the entire universe was formed through the combinations of these twenty-two letters, and ancient mystics, drawing on the divine power residing in the letters, would meditate upon their forms, using them as portals through which they could discover the secrets of the past, the future and the human soul.

Inspired by the tarot, another mystic system of divination and meditation, Richard Seidman has created The Oracle of Kabbalah . To unlock the power of the letters, the reader draws a card at random from the deck, and then, using the book as a guide, meditates upon the card's symbol. When one is uncertain or afraid, the cards will bring guidance and support. When one has questions about how to act, the cards will show you the path that is already deep inside you. And when one has questions about what is yet to come, the cards will reveal the answers already printed on your soul.

As Seidman writes in his introduction, "Each letter is an archetype and each letter is a koan and each letter is a dream and each letter is a poem." These twenty-two letters, infused with the wisdom and philosophy of Kabbalah, form the basis of The Oracle of Kabbalah . Each of the twenty-two cards features one of the original Hebrew letters, and serves as both a guide and a teacher, initiating us into deeper levels of intuition and spiritual understanding, while helping us to discover the mystic potential the lies within us all.

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Richard Seidman loves to make jokes and, as he puts it, “funny business.” He says that’s one of the main reasons he enjoys writing – to amuse himself and children (and also the big children that are called “grown-ups”).

For Richard, funny business is a way to love life, and it’s also a way to transform sorrows. His ancestors, their hearts full of stories and hopes, fled to the U.S. from Poland and Ukraine in the early part of the twentieth century. Forty years later, Richard was born in Brooklyn, New York.

When he was growing up, playing games and sports and reading were the main things he enjoyed, and they’re still the main things he enjoys today! 


Richard wound up in Portland, Oregon where in 1989 he founded the nonprofit tree-planting group, Friends of Trees. In 1996, he was honored as a “Community Hero” for his role as the group’s founder and carried the Olympic torch in its national relay.

In 2001, St. Martin’s Press published his nonfiction book for adults, The Oracle of Kabbalah: Mystical Teachings of the Hebrew Letters. Richard will be releasing a revised edition, The New Oracle of Kabbalah, in fall of 2014.

He’s a member of SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and a founding member of a local children’s book writing critique group. He’s also the editor and compiler of a nonfiction children’s book published by Benchmark Education, I Am Deaf and I Dance: A Memoir.

In the fall of 2013, after training in the martial arts for eighteen years, Richard earned a black belt in Shotokan Karate.

He now lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife, Rachael. For more information about Richard and his books for children, visit www.richardseidman.com.

Reviews

[L7od · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aumentou meu conhecimento de hebraico e certamente tem várias lições que me ajudam a ler melhor tarot. O livro é bem didático, por outro lado não é uma leitura muito criativa e abridora de portas.

[AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some good insights into the Aleph Beth. I will be reading this again and often.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting book on Kabbalah.