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Kabbalah: A Love Story
Sometime, somewhere, someone is searching for answers . . .
. . . in a thirteenth-century castle
. . . on a train to a concentration camp
. . . in a New York city apartment
Hidden within the binding of an ancient text that has been passed down through the ages lies the answer to one of the heart’s eternal questions. When the text falls into the hands of Rabbi Kalman Stern, he has no idea that his lonely life of intellectual pursuits is about to change once he opens the book. Soon afterward, he meets astronomer Isabel Benveniste, a woman of science who stirs his soul as no woman has for many years. But Kalman has much to learn before he can unlock his heart and let true love into his life. The key lies in the mysterious document he finds inside the Zohar, the master text of the Kabbalah.
. . . in a thirteenth-century castle
. . . on a train to a concentration camp
. . . in a New York city apartment
Hidden within the binding of an ancient text that has been passed down through the ages lies the answer to one of the heart’s eternal questions. When the text falls into the hands of Rabbi Kalman Stern, he has no idea that his lonely life of intellectual pursuits is about to change once he opens the book. Soon afterward, he meets astronomer Isabel Benveniste, a woman of science who stirs his soul as no woman has for many years. But Kalman has much to learn before he can unlock his heart and let true love into his life. The key lies in the mysterious document he finds inside the Zohar, the master text of the Kabbalah.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
March 1, 2017
Signs of the Times
This charming little book is the perfect sequel (or antidote) to anything involving modern physics, especially Quantum Gravity and String Theory. It's also not a bad companion to calm the spirit after much post-modernist fiction.
Kabbalah is attractive because it is neither rationalist nor dogmatic, yet it respects both thought and faith. It neither preaches nor proves; it simply invites consideration. Kabbalah does not provide truth; it hints at reality. What better way to present Kabbalah therefore than as a love story between a rabbi and a cosmologist?
There is a perennial controversy about the date and authorship of the central text of Kabbalah, The Zohar. Attributed to both the 13th century Moses de Leon and to the 2nd century sage Simeon bar Yochai, The Zohar is without doubt a sign of its times when it reached its 13th century form. Mysticism had been on the rise for two centuries in the dominant Christian society. Gregory the Great, John Scotus Eriugena, Bernard of Clairvaux, Raymond Lulle, William of St. Thierry, and Hugh of St. Victor were Christian voices reacting to a growing rationalism and dogmatism that were affecting the lives of medieval Jews as well as Christians.
The principle technique of Kabbalah is the exposure of language. It is intentionally obscure, vague, ambiguous in order to redirect thought and to require the questioning of vocabulary and logical categories. Kushner interprets this explicitly as a literary device:
This is Kabbalistic Semiology: the world conceived as a sign, that is, a story. This applies to the world in general but also especially to sacred texts. According to The Zohar, the stories of God and the Israelites in the Torah cannot be what they superficially appear to be because God would have written more interesting stories. The task of Kabbalah therefore is to uncover the hidden stories of the Torah, the meanings placed there by God within, or really beyond, the language.
Interestingly, this idea of the theology of the sign, of language, was also a principle concern of the 'Seraphic Doctor' of the Catholic Church, St. Bonaventure. Born a generation before Moses de Leon but very possibly known by him, Bonaventure also considered the world and its components as signs to be interpreted not taken at face value. Bonaventure was subsequently overshadowed by his contemporary Thomas Aquinas and Thomas's very Aristotelian rationalism.
Not until the 20th century, in the 'dialectical theology' of the Swiss Karl Barth did the insights of both Bonaventure and de Leon return to mainstream theology. Barth plays continuously, for example, with the simultaneous process of hiding and revealing that occurs in all language about God. This dialectic is the central theme of Kabbalah.
Kushner's weaving together of a simple love story with what might be called the universal love story of the cosmos with itself is totally apt. According to Kabbalah, both Creation and the Creator learn together what it means to love through their experience with each other. The relationship between Creature and Creator is necessarily tenuous, each making exploratory advances and unexplained retreats. There is progress and there is alienation; affection and disgust; communication and misunderstanding.
Ultimately it is the mutual commitment to find the meaning of love that continuously re-creates the world. Neither Creature nor Creator knows the final result, but simply trusts in the other. This is not a means to some other end - heaven, salvation, etc. - it is purpose pure and simple. Nothing else matters.
Philosophers like Daniel Dennett and scientists like Carlo Rovelli make the case that our intuitions of human purpose and intention and consciousness are illusory. While admitting they cannot demonstrate this contention empirically, they insist on its superiority. In other words, they have made a pre-rational, an aesthetic, choice about how to view the world. Having made that choice, the world appears to conform. This is the power of aesthetics: to create the world around us. The real illusion is that we claim this power as illusory while we exercise it. Kabbalah is a mode of grappling with this illusion.
This charming little book is the perfect sequel (or antidote) to anything involving modern physics, especially Quantum Gravity and String Theory. It's also not a bad companion to calm the spirit after much post-modernist fiction.
Kabbalah is attractive because it is neither rationalist nor dogmatic, yet it respects both thought and faith. It neither preaches nor proves; it simply invites consideration. Kabbalah does not provide truth; it hints at reality. What better way to present Kabbalah therefore than as a love story between a rabbi and a cosmologist?
There is a perennial controversy about the date and authorship of the central text of Kabbalah, The Zohar. Attributed to both the 13th century Moses de Leon and to the 2nd century sage Simeon bar Yochai, The Zohar is without doubt a sign of its times when it reached its 13th century form. Mysticism had been on the rise for two centuries in the dominant Christian society. Gregory the Great, John Scotus Eriugena, Bernard of Clairvaux, Raymond Lulle, William of St. Thierry, and Hugh of St. Victor were Christian voices reacting to a growing rationalism and dogmatism that were affecting the lives of medieval Jews as well as Christians.
The principle technique of Kabbalah is the exposure of language. It is intentionally obscure, vague, ambiguous in order to redirect thought and to require the questioning of vocabulary and logical categories. Kushner interprets this explicitly as a literary device:
"Judaism is a religion of books. The entire tradition is initiated by a novel...the Five Books of Moses...This is what distinguishes Jewish fundamentalism...each word issuing from the Source of Meaning must obviously contain an infinity of meanings.... The Zohar, itself masquerading as a commentary on God's novel, becomes inexhaustible."
This is Kabbalistic Semiology: the world conceived as a sign, that is, a story. This applies to the world in general but also especially to sacred texts. According to The Zohar, the stories of God and the Israelites in the Torah cannot be what they superficially appear to be because God would have written more interesting stories. The task of Kabbalah therefore is to uncover the hidden stories of the Torah, the meanings placed there by God within, or really beyond, the language.
Interestingly, this idea of the theology of the sign, of language, was also a principle concern of the 'Seraphic Doctor' of the Catholic Church, St. Bonaventure. Born a generation before Moses de Leon but very possibly known by him, Bonaventure also considered the world and its components as signs to be interpreted not taken at face value. Bonaventure was subsequently overshadowed by his contemporary Thomas Aquinas and Thomas's very Aristotelian rationalism.
Not until the 20th century, in the 'dialectical theology' of the Swiss Karl Barth did the insights of both Bonaventure and de Leon return to mainstream theology. Barth plays continuously, for example, with the simultaneous process of hiding and revealing that occurs in all language about God. This dialectic is the central theme of Kabbalah.
Kushner's weaving together of a simple love story with what might be called the universal love story of the cosmos with itself is totally apt. According to Kabbalah, both Creation and the Creator learn together what it means to love through their experience with each other. The relationship between Creature and Creator is necessarily tenuous, each making exploratory advances and unexplained retreats. There is progress and there is alienation; affection and disgust; communication and misunderstanding.
Ultimately it is the mutual commitment to find the meaning of love that continuously re-creates the world. Neither Creature nor Creator knows the final result, but simply trusts in the other. This is not a means to some other end - heaven, salvation, etc. - it is purpose pure and simple. Nothing else matters.
Philosophers like Daniel Dennett and scientists like Carlo Rovelli make the case that our intuitions of human purpose and intention and consciousness are illusory. While admitting they cannot demonstrate this contention empirically, they insist on its superiority. In other words, they have made a pre-rational, an aesthetic, choice about how to view the world. Having made that choice, the world appears to conform. This is the power of aesthetics: to create the world around us. The real illusion is that we claim this power as illusory while we exercise it. Kabbalah is a mode of grappling with this illusion.
September 16, 2014
This short novel is about Rabbi Kalman Stern, a middle-aged man who fears that he is a failure. He does not have a permanent job at a congregation, cannot finish a doctoral dissertation, and lost his first wife in a divorce. Worst of all, he fears that he has lost his ability to love someone.
Kalman meets a kindred spirit, a woman astronomer who wonders about the universe. They are mutually attracted, but he cannot bring himself to fully give himself to love. Kalman is an expert on the Kabbalah, the collection of Jewish mysticism. He had a mystical experience when visiting Safed, in Israel, when he was given an old book from the Kabbalah. The book, literally, had his name on the title page. The binding starts to come apart, and Kalman finds an ancient love letter that had been part of the cover, and has become separated.
The story alternates between the present time, the recent past, and the ancient past. The novel manages to expertly interweave a modern love story with an ancient love story, and thread the ideas of the Kabbalah throughout. It is interesting how the story of Kalman's visit to Safed is repeated again and again, and each time it is mystical, but different. The entire book is profound, beautifully written, and quite engaging.
Kalman meets a kindred spirit, a woman astronomer who wonders about the universe. They are mutually attracted, but he cannot bring himself to fully give himself to love. Kalman is an expert on the Kabbalah, the collection of Jewish mysticism. He had a mystical experience when visiting Safed, in Israel, when he was given an old book from the Kabbalah. The book, literally, had his name on the title page. The binding starts to come apart, and Kalman finds an ancient love letter that had been part of the cover, and has become separated.
The story alternates between the present time, the recent past, and the ancient past. The novel manages to expertly interweave a modern love story with an ancient love story, and thread the ideas of the Kabbalah throughout. It is interesting how the story of Kalman's visit to Safed is repeated again and again, and each time it is mystical, but different. The entire book is profound, beautifully written, and quite engaging.
March 29, 2013
Absolutely amazing! This books transcends space|time and integrates the mystical essence of kabbalah with the subtle complexity of love. I absolutely adore the richness and life in these pages. One of my favorites, I continually reread...it had me from the first glance of its page!
June 14, 2011
I didn't get into it right away, because I thought the author was pretending to have a story while teaching kabbalah. But then I saw how the flowering story was interwoven with those principles, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying a warm-hearted tale very reminiscent of When Harry Met Sally.
May 1, 2012
So far: wonderful. (Rabbi) Lawrence Kushner is an adjunct professor at the Hebrew Union College in NYC and has taught on Jewish spirituality and mysticism for years. The novel is full of quotes from the Zohar with an interesting and mysterious plot alternating between the 13-14th century Europe and modern-day New York. Those who are interested in the Kabbalah (*not* the Madonna version) and Jung's synchronicity theories would enjoy this immensely. Haven't finished it yet so I hope the ending won't be a disappointment.
note: after finishing the book, I must say that it lived up to my expectations. There are also some wonderful quotes (mostly from primary sources ie. Kabbalistic writings, the Bible, etc.)
note: after finishing the book, I must say that it lived up to my expectations. There are also some wonderful quotes (mostly from primary sources ie. Kabbalistic writings, the Bible, etc.)
April 24, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Interesting history scattered through the book. Also I enjoyed the idea of jewish mystic meets astronomical scientist.
December 28, 2020
This was a beautiful little, magical realism story which managed to combine cozy, enchanting and informative together into a lovely reading expereince.
Rabbi Kalman Stern has a book, it is an old, old copy of the Zohar, one of the prime mystical books of Judaism. After having had the book for about twenty years, the back binding falls apart, and Kalman finds a mysterious page inside that is much older than the Book itself, it has been bound into the cover. Possibly even written by a very venerable historic figure.
If you ever wanted to know more about the Zohar and the mystic elements of Judaism, or a little more history of the Sephardic Jews, this book does a lovely job of blending some history a theology with a couple of love stories; There is Rabbi Kalman's growing relationship in modern day America, there is also the intellectual love between the writer of the letter and a woman back in historic Spain. The main love story though is really the enchantment a philosophical person can feel with the world around them, in all it's confusing complexity.
As well as all the different periods and themes there is a strong magical realism element that means that you do not exactly get concrete answers at times.
The book itself is also a central figure, which of course I loved, since books are such a huge focus in my life.
Rabbi Kalman Stern has a book, it is an old, old copy of the Zohar, one of the prime mystical books of Judaism. After having had the book for about twenty years, the back binding falls apart, and Kalman finds a mysterious page inside that is much older than the Book itself, it has been bound into the cover. Possibly even written by a very venerable historic figure.
If you ever wanted to know more about the Zohar and the mystic elements of Judaism, or a little more history of the Sephardic Jews, this book does a lovely job of blending some history a theology with a couple of love stories; There is Rabbi Kalman's growing relationship in modern day America, there is also the intellectual love between the writer of the letter and a woman back in historic Spain. The main love story though is really the enchantment a philosophical person can feel with the world around them, in all it's confusing complexity.
As well as all the different periods and themes there is a strong magical realism element that means that you do not exactly get concrete answers at times.
The book itself is also a central figure, which of course I loved, since books are such a huge focus in my life.
May 7, 2014
It's a novel, a quirky love story in fact, that jumps back and forth between the present, the near past and the long ago past. It's also a book about Kabbalah - mystical Judaism. Kushner is a man who does not believe in coincidences, a man that sees traces of "the ineffable" in every interaction of human beings and every moment of life. The mysteries of life are hidden, he says, but everything happens for a reason and part of the joy is searching for why and what it means. In fact, the main character in the story finds his ability to love (and in turn his own path in life) in the magical words of an ancient book and the mystical secrets that are hidden (literally) within its covers.
What I enjoy most about Kushner's writing is his combination of concise, fluid prose and his remarkably beautiful and hopeful view of life. He is a man of hope, a teacher and a lover of books and the words they contain. Yes, it's a love story, but not just the discovered love between a man and a woman. It's also a love story about this remarkable world that we have been gifted in all of its beauty and with all of its failings.
As a novel it's not bad. As a tale of hope and optimism for the human race, a teacher's lesson plan on how to live life, it is better.
What I enjoy most about Kushner's writing is his combination of concise, fluid prose and his remarkably beautiful and hopeful view of life. He is a man of hope, a teacher and a lover of books and the words they contain. Yes, it's a love story, but not just the discovered love between a man and a woman. It's also a love story about this remarkable world that we have been gifted in all of its beauty and with all of its failings.
As a novel it's not bad. As a tale of hope and optimism for the human race, a teacher's lesson plan on how to live life, it is better.
April 5, 2020
I'm saving the mystical jokes for the moment.
If you dive into the story without reading anything about it first, you'll fumble for a while. The parallel stories are disconnected yet connected. Indeed, the World of Separation within the World of Unity. It's fairly simple book to read but I have a feeling that its interpretation will vary according to experience of the reader and/or readers.
I enjoyed this. For the multitude of mysticism, all seem to declare the same.
If you dive into the story without reading anything about it first, you'll fumble for a while. The parallel stories are disconnected yet connected. Indeed, the World of Separation within the World of Unity. It's fairly simple book to read but I have a feeling that its interpretation will vary according to experience of the reader and/or readers.
I enjoyed this. For the multitude of mysticism, all seem to declare the same.
March 29, 2012
Romancing the Kabbalah
Rabbi Harold Kushner's 2007 mystical novel is more than a spiritual romance (although it reads quite well as one); it is a celebration of Jewish mysticism and spiritual insight that uses rich metaphor and prose to immerse the reader in an experience rather than just tell a story. Interwoven plots, historical revelations, and profound insight make "Kabbalah, A Love Story" an entertaining introduction to Jewish mysticism. The most profound insight is also one of the simplest- "People become mystics ... for one of three reasons: because they've had a mystical experience, because they want one, or because they're in love."
Although the book offers only a brief introduction to a very complex subject, Kushner's spiritual novel can help a reader new to Jewish traditions understand the power and allure of the Kabbalah. In the end, Kalman discovers that "knowing ultimate truth and giving yourself to your lover are effectively identical. You move from this World of Separation to the World of Unity by giving yourself away, and once you can do that, new life is the reward."
My take: Kushner's first novel operates on many levels at once, and all deal with love. The late-blossoming romance between Kalman and Isabel parallels another love story in 13th-century Spain that suggests how the Zohar came to be written. However, the greatest love story to me is Kalman's (and Kushner's) love for the Zohar itself. To read "Kabbalah, A Love Story" is to immerse one's self in the magic of Jewish mysticism, where we discover our true nature only by opening ourselves to love.
The story feels like magical realism in spiritual expression, rich with metaphors that help expose essential truths- "That's the way it is with a good book: Just when you think you've read all its words, the damn thing falls apart in your hands and you have to start all over again." The novel suffers from a predictable plot and stiff characters, but the beauty of the message, the pull of those multi-layered love stories, and the powerful questions Kushner poses both engaged and challenged me to the last page.
For more reviews of spiritual/metaphysical novels, see Fiction For A New Age.
Rabbi Harold Kushner's 2007 mystical novel is more than a spiritual romance (although it reads quite well as one); it is a celebration of Jewish mysticism and spiritual insight that uses rich metaphor and prose to immerse the reader in an experience rather than just tell a story. Interwoven plots, historical revelations, and profound insight make "Kabbalah, A Love Story" an entertaining introduction to Jewish mysticism. The most profound insight is also one of the simplest- "People become mystics ... for one of three reasons: because they've had a mystical experience, because they want one, or because they're in love."
Although the book offers only a brief introduction to a very complex subject, Kushner's spiritual novel can help a reader new to Jewish traditions understand the power and allure of the Kabbalah. In the end, Kalman discovers that "knowing ultimate truth and giving yourself to your lover are effectively identical. You move from this World of Separation to the World of Unity by giving yourself away, and once you can do that, new life is the reward."
My take: Kushner's first novel operates on many levels at once, and all deal with love. The late-blossoming romance between Kalman and Isabel parallels another love story in 13th-century Spain that suggests how the Zohar came to be written. However, the greatest love story to me is Kalman's (and Kushner's) love for the Zohar itself. To read "Kabbalah, A Love Story" is to immerse one's self in the magic of Jewish mysticism, where we discover our true nature only by opening ourselves to love.
The story feels like magical realism in spiritual expression, rich with metaphors that help expose essential truths- "That's the way it is with a good book: Just when you think you've read all its words, the damn thing falls apart in your hands and you have to start all over again." The novel suffers from a predictable plot and stiff characters, but the beauty of the message, the pull of those multi-layered love stories, and the powerful questions Kushner poses both engaged and challenged me to the last page.
For more reviews of spiritual/metaphysical novels, see Fiction For A New Age.
February 9, 2008
A mystical love story that weaves in people from different times and places and spiritual Kabbalistic teachings. A delightful read. Also special because I know the author.
August 28, 2008
Trust your ability to absorb what's important. Remember, all the good stuff is already recorded in sacred text anyway.
January 21, 2009
I loved this book. It's dense and incomprehensible and no, I don't know how to describe it. But reading it is a lot like getting glimpses of the sky between beautiful, dramatic storm clouds.
July 30, 2011
beautiful and light the book unites the spiritual, the carnal and the neurotic in a story of love
November 3, 2024
All over the map, from medieval Spain to the Israel town of Sefed to 1990s Manhattan, Rabbi Kushner in his first novel dramatically unfolds the message within the binding of a copy of the Kabbalah's text The Zohar. He interweaves narratives from a shy rabbi at Columbia, his elusive love interest, an alluring, fetching astronomer, a mysterious keeper of a Sephardic synagogue in shambles, and a pair of scholars on their train destined for the death camp. Plus whoever's compiling the original text.
It roams about considerably, and for a short narrative, takes detours into neon signs, elevators, and the binding of books. I can't say this potpourri produces a knockout effect as to its blend of disparate ingredients, but it kept me up two nights into the wee hours, so as entertainment with a moral, it at least met my expectations. The magic realism didn't always enchant me, but Kushner is imaginative.
The problem is that the big reveal of the supposedly cryptic message didn't appear to me that dazzling or profound. I couldn't grasp why experts in the field would be that perplexed, or that bowled over, by its contents. Perhaps readers more susceptible to the rather New Age tone may find this successfully imagines the moral at its core. From my perspective, if not the author, isn't this body of knowledge one to be approached through Torah, observance, and care, given the risks it exposes the unwise to?
It roams about considerably, and for a short narrative, takes detours into neon signs, elevators, and the binding of books. I can't say this potpourri produces a knockout effect as to its blend of disparate ingredients, but it kept me up two nights into the wee hours, so as entertainment with a moral, it at least met my expectations. The magic realism didn't always enchant me, but Kushner is imaginative.
The problem is that the big reveal of the supposedly cryptic message didn't appear to me that dazzling or profound. I couldn't grasp why experts in the field would be that perplexed, or that bowled over, by its contents. Perhaps readers more susceptible to the rather New Age tone may find this successfully imagines the moral at its core. From my perspective, if not the author, isn't this body of knowledge one to be approached through Torah, observance, and care, given the risks it exposes the unwise to?
March 9, 2021
So, when I started the Kushner, I thought "What is this? A test? Okay, I'm not worthy, I get it."
Halfway through, I was totally enchanted by this beautiful story. Then I stopped and read some reviews at Goodreads and thought "Yeah. What's with this sappy romance thing?"
When I finished it, I thought "I wonder if I would understand this book written by a rabbi about a rabbi reading a book written by a rabbi with a secret insert written by a rabbi better if I read it again a couple of times."
What is this? A test?
Halfway through, I was totally enchanted by this beautiful story. Then I stopped and read some reviews at Goodreads and thought "Yeah. What's with this sappy romance thing?"
When I finished it, I thought "I wonder if I would understand this book written by a rabbi about a rabbi reading a book written by a rabbi with a secret insert written by a rabbi better if I read it again a couple of times."
What is this? A test?
February 17, 2018
I read this book while sick with the flu, so there is nothing mixing Jewish mysticism and fever dreams. This short book combines the tale of a 14th century manuscript's effect on it's new owner, and an explanation of kabbalah (pronounced ka-ba-lah). This Jewish studies is based the concept that are different levels of reality, and man's goal to reach a higher level. Kabbalah is usually the domain the Hassidim, but aspects of it included the Kabbalah Shabbat service in Reform and Conservative Judaism. It seems esoteric until you have experienced a traumatic event which changes your doors of perception, like Alice in Wonderland.
September 5, 2026
i really appreciated this books insights and learnings about kabbalah in a palatable and approachable way with a historic lens. at times, i found the pacing a wee bit awkward / the phrasing but it didn’t prevent the teachings from the gut punches they gave
January 31, 2009
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner's, Kabbalah A Love Story is one of those novels that we all hope for every time we pick up a new book. We hope the story line is satisfying and whole. But we also want our characters to be "likable" and perhaps maybe even moves us. This book delivers in all areas and does not fall short.
Having much respect for other religions, I certainly do not feel qualified to discuss ninety-nine percent of the book's content, as I'm keenly aware of my intellectual deficiencies in Judaism and mysticism.
However, as a Roman Catholic woman who constantly questions her existence but has never as much as looked outside Christianity for a different perspective, much less for answers, I can attest to having "experienced" Kushner's novel rather than simply comprehending (or claiming to comprehend) written text.
Rabbi Kushner masterfully created his novel by weaving a couple's romantic courtship with history, Judaism and mysticism into one love story. The result was much more than the love between a man and a woman; but also about man's love for spirituality and enlightenment.
The author inspires the reader to expand the mind and experience the story of love as part of a greater being. He encourages the reader to explore God and Creation in everyday life while maintaining balance with faith and tradition. The author's vignettes of parallel centuries (Contemporary NY, Israel and 13 Century Spain) made for a very interesting reading.
It took me longer to read this particular book than perhaps other readers howeve, I had a handicap which I had to overcome. I purchased additional books(Zohar, Torah)conducted online research in effort to fully understand the author. However, the more I read the more questions I had so, I read more resulting in yet even more questions. Until I finally realized Rabbi Kusner's message hence, I "experienced" his novel.
Kabbalah A Love Story, like all good books, conceals more than it reveals.
Having much respect for other religions, I certainly do not feel qualified to discuss ninety-nine percent of the book's content, as I'm keenly aware of my intellectual deficiencies in Judaism and mysticism.
However, as a Roman Catholic woman who constantly questions her existence but has never as much as looked outside Christianity for a different perspective, much less for answers, I can attest to having "experienced" Kushner's novel rather than simply comprehending (or claiming to comprehend) written text.
Rabbi Kushner masterfully created his novel by weaving a couple's romantic courtship with history, Judaism and mysticism into one love story. The result was much more than the love between a man and a woman; but also about man's love for spirituality and enlightenment.
The author inspires the reader to expand the mind and experience the story of love as part of a greater being. He encourages the reader to explore God and Creation in everyday life while maintaining balance with faith and tradition. The author's vignettes of parallel centuries (Contemporary NY, Israel and 13 Century Spain) made for a very interesting reading.
It took me longer to read this particular book than perhaps other readers howeve, I had a handicap which I had to overcome. I purchased additional books(Zohar, Torah)conducted online research in effort to fully understand the author. However, the more I read the more questions I had so, I read more resulting in yet even more questions. Until I finally realized Rabbi Kusner's message hence, I "experienced" his novel.
Kabbalah A Love Story, like all good books, conceals more than it reveals.
January 24, 2017
I have read about Kabbalah in nonfiction texts and have struggled to understand, but this novel opened a door for me to understand, at least a little bit, this Jewish mystical tradition and perspective. It is creatively plotted out, as any number of stories unfold and become one story.
September 12, 2010
A historical and romance novel with a remarkable back and forth time travel from the thirteenth century Castille in Spain to comtemporary Manhattan, Boston and Safad. The author uses the Kabbalah celestial philosophy as a link to the heart of the Astronomy Professor Isabel Benvenisti by the book's hero, Rabbi Kalman Stern.
Rabbi Stern's copy of the Zohar, the central book of the Kabbalah, miraculously provides him with life saving information enabling him to perform the greatest Mitzvah of his life.
A highly recommended novel. Delightful.
Rabbi Stern's copy of the Zohar, the central book of the Kabbalah, miraculously provides him with life saving information enabling him to perform the greatest Mitzvah of his life.
A highly recommended novel. Delightful.
October 17, 2013
in this 2007 novella, Kushner's characters speak in a rather twee way but this is to be expected in a broadly secular work from a spiritual leader. aside from this, i was surprised by its sparse but meaningful prose which reminded me of Kundera, Duras, post edit Carver, Janssen, Perec, Naomi Wolf and Barrico. there's wisdom in these pages - things that chime with pantheism, mysticism, Eastern spiritual ideas and quantum physics. made me want to find out more about the Kabbalah and esoteric spirituality and mysticism in general
June 3, 2014
This is a novel but as in all great writing, it includes profound truth.
Kabbalah is a form of Jewish mysticism. The love story is between us and God, life and Truth, and even between humans.
I recommend this book for anyone who feels a gnawing that Life is bigger than they can ever imagine and our connections to God and each other are deeper than we will ever know. This book will get you thinking and leave you with a smile on your face.
Kabbalah is a form of Jewish mysticism. The love story is between us and God, life and Truth, and even between humans.
I recommend this book for anyone who feels a gnawing that Life is bigger than they can ever imagine and our connections to God and each other are deeper than we will ever know. This book will get you thinking and leave you with a smile on your face.
August 21, 2012
Written as fiction, there is much to learn about as Rabbi Kalman Stern tries to decifer a page of ancient text that was hidden in the book binding of a copy of the Zohar, the master text of Kabbalah. In many ways this is a book that could be reread many times to fully benefit from the discussion of the text.
December 14, 2012
Some books seem, at once, to be so simple and yet deeply profound. This is one of those gems of a novel. Rabbi Kushner is a master storyteller. He is so intentional in his word choices, that the reader realizes that there is another, unspoken story just below the surface of the intertwined tales reflected in the prose. This is the book that I wish all books could be.
March 22, 2016
A great experience.
'Reading a book happens between the book and the reader; hence as the reader changes, the experience / meaning of reading that book also changes'
What an insight !
This is an amazing book that's both a love story & philosophical treatise in one.
I love this book. Someday...will re-read this one.
'Reading a book happens between the book and the reader; hence as the reader changes, the experience / meaning of reading that book also changes'
What an insight !
This is an amazing book that's both a love story & philosophical treatise in one.
I love this book. Someday...will re-read this one.
April 9, 2016
"'That one I believe I can answer. Think for a moment: What is the alternative? If God were to remove even the possibility of that ultimate knowing, it would also destroy creation. A universe with no chance of awareness, no self-reflection, is also void of even the possibility of redemption. Creation would be futile, pointless, a waste.'" p. 70
September 21, 2016
Extraordinarily written to provoke thought and ask profound questions about life and love. It deserves at least second or more readings
to pick up all the nuances. Carried away to places of serenity, calmness, and mystique of language; it taught me about the importance of keeping books and how they can belong to a person for a time or a season, for the right reason.
to pick up all the nuances. Carried away to places of serenity, calmness, and mystique of language; it taught me about the importance of keeping books and how they can belong to a person for a time or a season, for the right reason.
March 30, 2021
I’m just kind of spellbound by a tale that was told where I was in multiple stories in various centuries and at the same place and time simultaneously. I think this book is for anyone who ponders Spirit, life, mysticism, religion and history. I think the love woven throughout the book kept me coming back even when my brain hurt from the philosophy of it all.
July 22, 2015
This is the first that I read on the topic of Kabbalah and this book is actually a great place to start. It starts you thinking about how to read in a philosophic and symbolic way. You will get a small taste about what Kabbalah is.
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