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The Book of Words: Talking Spiritual Life, Living Spiritual Talk
"According to the Hebrew Bible, God made the world with words. God just spoke and the world became reality. (The Aramaic for 'I create as I speak' is avara k'davara , or in magician’s language, abracadabra .) ... This does not protect words from the numbing effects of overuse in any religious tradition.... We need to dust off the words, shake away the accretions, wonder again about what they originally might have meant and enable ourselves to live in the word."
―from the Introduction With creativity and poetry (and occasional heresy) Kushner dusts off thirty classical Hebrew words, shakes them free of the effects of generations of overuse, "re-translates" them and liberates their ancient holy power. The result is a contemporary spiritual guide for your personal religious life. According to the Hebrew Bible, God made the world with words. God just spoke and the world came into being. Words therefore are not merely sounds signifying something else; they are instruments of creation, primary reality itself. They need only to be read, spoken and interpreted. And to know them is to know reality itself. Kushner has designed the book himself, seamlessly blending graphics and content. In doing so he evokes the aesthetics of an ancient manuscript and a vision of our power to shape the future. Each finely crafted chapter begins with a Hebrew word and Kushner’s provocative English translation. At the bottom of the page is a transliteration of the Hebrew along with its more customary English rendering. In addition to his own intriguing definition, he includes a biblical citation anchoring the word, along with a more recent text showing the word’s evolution. Finally, we are offered a personal, meditative exercise designed to enable you to “live in the word.”
―from the Introduction With creativity and poetry (and occasional heresy) Kushner dusts off thirty classical Hebrew words, shakes them free of the effects of generations of overuse, "re-translates" them and liberates their ancient holy power. The result is a contemporary spiritual guide for your personal religious life. According to the Hebrew Bible, God made the world with words. God just spoke and the world came into being. Words therefore are not merely sounds signifying something else; they are instruments of creation, primary reality itself. They need only to be read, spoken and interpreted. And to know them is to know reality itself. Kushner has designed the book himself, seamlessly blending graphics and content. In doing so he evokes the aesthetics of an ancient manuscript and a vision of our power to shape the future. Each finely crafted chapter begins with a Hebrew word and Kushner’s provocative English translation. At the bottom of the page is a transliteration of the Hebrew along with its more customary English rendering. In addition to his own intriguing definition, he includes a biblical citation anchoring the word, along with a more recent text showing the word’s evolution. Finally, we are offered a personal, meditative exercise designed to enable you to “live in the word.”
142 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 3, 2023
Great read!
A good base level read on Jewish spirituality. Do I agree with all of the concepts? No, but I can't fault a book too much based on different opinion. Definitely a little old fashioned in concepts of G-D and gender roles. But I'd still recommend giving it a read and forming your own view. Many great concepts, some maybe not? Anyhow, overall enjoyable, and thought provoking.
A good base level read on Jewish spirituality. Do I agree with all of the concepts? No, but I can't fault a book too much based on different opinion. Definitely a little old fashioned in concepts of G-D and gender roles. But I'd still recommend giving it a read and forming your own view. Many great concepts, some maybe not? Anyhow, overall enjoyable, and thought provoking.
March 15, 2025
I was trying to research magickal power words but I got distracted and ended up here. Not mad about it though. This book is fascinating and offers some interesting thoughts on the Divine and prayer that can be applied to any religion.
March 7, 2017
If one thinks about a deeper being, an existence that extends beyond what we can see, then this book is a worthy companion for that journey. It is a series of words that hold deep spiritual and existential meaning. It can be read in one sitting, or as I preferred, by selected one word each day.
December 29, 2009
An Episcopal priest friend of mine put me onto this book, which is a real delight. One doesn't read it so much as snack on it. Enjoy
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews