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The Lamp of God: A Jewish Book of Light
The Lamp of God is the exceptional work of a unique Jewish thinker of our time. In it, Freema Gottlieb has meditated deeply on the role of light as a supreme metaphor in Jewish thought and mysticism. At once poetic, profound, scholarly and inspirational, it has stunning insights on almost every page, and is a major work of Jewish spirituality in its own right. A rare, lovely and enchanting work, and one that will make you think and feel more deeply about Judaism, humanity and God.
Since time immemorial, Jewish tradition has used light as a metaphor for the divine presence in our world. Woven into the very language of Jewish theology and essential to the most basic ritual objects—such as Shabbat candles and the menorah—light has become a fundamental subject of meditation and contemplation in Jewish religious thought.
In this groundbreaking study, the light metaphor in Judaism is explored from many perspectives. Sifting through the important texts that make up the core of Jewish spiritual writings, THE LAMP OF GOD shows that notions such as brightness, darkness, shadows, sparks, flames and other light-related images form the basic ways that the Jewish people speak about God and grapple with the mysteries of our universe.
In every major Jewish writing, light is the most common image. Introduced in the very first chapter of the Bible when God says, “Let there be light,” light infuses kabbalistic and Hasidic thought as well as classic texts, such as the Talmud and Midrash. Whether one examines the Talmudic sages’ investigations of our physical world or the mystics’ attempts to communicate ineffable metaphysical ideas, light emerges as the one central and essential expression of Jewish thought. Drawing upon the huge body of Jewish literature—from the earliest sources to those of the modern period—THE LAMP OF GOD demonstrates that a close and careful examination of light and light imagery is essential to a well-developed understanding of Judaism.
Since time immemorial, Jewish tradition has used light as a metaphor for the divine presence in our world. Woven into the very language of Jewish theology and essential to the most basic ritual objects—such as Shabbat candles and the menorah—light has become a fundamental subject of meditation and contemplation in Jewish religious thought.
In this groundbreaking study, the light metaphor in Judaism is explored from many perspectives. Sifting through the important texts that make up the core of Jewish spiritual writings, THE LAMP OF GOD shows that notions such as brightness, darkness, shadows, sparks, flames and other light-related images form the basic ways that the Jewish people speak about God and grapple with the mysteries of our universe.
In every major Jewish writing, light is the most common image. Introduced in the very first chapter of the Bible when God says, “Let there be light,” light infuses kabbalistic and Hasidic thought as well as classic texts, such as the Talmud and Midrash. Whether one examines the Talmudic sages’ investigations of our physical world or the mystics’ attempts to communicate ineffable metaphysical ideas, light emerges as the one central and essential expression of Jewish thought. Drawing upon the huge body of Jewish literature—from the earliest sources to those of the modern period—THE LAMP OF GOD demonstrates that a close and careful examination of light and light imagery is essential to a well-developed understanding of Judaism.
520 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2016
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