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Practical Kabbalah: A Guide to Jewish Wisdom for Everyday Life
Kabbalah is an ancient Jewish wisdom that explains the laws of spiritual energy. Up until very recently the Kabbalah was reserved for the elite, those who only after years of scholarship and practice were allowed to enter this mystical realm. However, one doesn't need to devote one's life to intense study to reap the rich rewards of the Kabbalah. With just a basic understanding of a few key concepts, our lives can be enriched immensely. We can then begin to fulfill our deepest dreams and reach our most important goals, becoming the people we long to become.
By learning to understand the Sefirot--the ten spiritual properties that flow from the cosmic source into our heart--we can connect to the universe and profoundly transform our experience of daily life. For example, Hessed, or "loving-kindness," represents the desire to be generous, while Gevurah is the desire to focus intently or withhold. These properties must be balanced in order for harmony and well-being to occur. Rabbi Laibl Wolf shows how to maintain that balance and enjoy a healthy and productive life by using simple meditation and creative visualization techniques to grasp the spiritual nature of our life.
Practical Kabbalah draws upon ancient wisdom but offers a modern interpretation and easy-to-understand techniques for delving deeper into our selves and our world and for reaping the bounteous gifts that were always meant for us.
By learning to understand the Sefirot--the ten spiritual properties that flow from the cosmic source into our heart--we can connect to the universe and profoundly transform our experience of daily life. For example, Hessed, or "loving-kindness," represents the desire to be generous, while Gevurah is the desire to focus intently or withhold. These properties must be balanced in order for harmony and well-being to occur. Rabbi Laibl Wolf shows how to maintain that balance and enjoy a healthy and productive life by using simple meditation and creative visualization techniques to grasp the spiritual nature of our life.
Practical Kabbalah draws upon ancient wisdom but offers a modern interpretation and easy-to-understand techniques for delving deeper into our selves and our world and for reaping the bounteous gifts that were always meant for us.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 1999
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278 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 12, 2016
Kabbalah is the ancient Jewish wisdom that unlocks the secrets of the universe and allows us to reach our full potential.
In this volume, Rabbi Laibl Wolf explains how the basics of Kabbalah and how we can use it to create balance in our lives and relationships and further our goals.
He begins by explaining the roots of Kabbalah with the Hebrew patriarch Abraham, and it's similarities with Hinduism and Buddhism.
Explaining that some of Abraham's sons migrated from the Land of Israel to India.
In Brahman Indus means the |"other sider"- the Ivri! (Hebrew). Furthermore the Deity BRAHMAN, is simply a rearrangement of the basic letters of the father's name ABRAHAM. Abraham's great grandson Ashurim said to have created the spiritual commune known as the ashram".
The author explains the blueprint of the Cosmos and who the kabbalists are before introducing the ten sefirot, the ten divine attributes that manifest through the four "worlds" or "realms" called Olamot, and which actualize the lowest Olam as the ten aspects of personality consisting of mind and emotion.
He examines each of the ten sefirot (attributes) we need for balance and fulfilment.
These are
Chochma- wisdom
Bina- understanding
Da'at- knowledge
Hessed- kindness
Gevurah- strength
Tiferet- The beauty of balance
Netzach- connection
Hod- empathy
Yesod- determination and dedication and
Malchut- sovereignty, and the combination of the other nine sefirot into one.
The book includes meditations and words by luminaries such as Deepak Chopra and the Dalai Lama, explaining how their insight into ancient wisdom fits in with the wisdom of kabbalah and therefore ultimately Judaism.
It provides a blueprint for fulfillment, understanding and living life to the full, all through a meaningful connection with the Creator.
In this volume, Rabbi Laibl Wolf explains how the basics of Kabbalah and how we can use it to create balance in our lives and relationships and further our goals.
He begins by explaining the roots of Kabbalah with the Hebrew patriarch Abraham, and it's similarities with Hinduism and Buddhism.
Explaining that some of Abraham's sons migrated from the Land of Israel to India.
In Brahman Indus means the |"other sider"- the Ivri! (Hebrew). Furthermore the Deity BRAHMAN, is simply a rearrangement of the basic letters of the father's name ABRAHAM. Abraham's great grandson Ashurim said to have created the spiritual commune known as the ashram".
The author explains the blueprint of the Cosmos and who the kabbalists are before introducing the ten sefirot, the ten divine attributes that manifest through the four "worlds" or "realms" called Olamot, and which actualize the lowest Olam as the ten aspects of personality consisting of mind and emotion.
He examines each of the ten sefirot (attributes) we need for balance and fulfilment.
These are
Chochma- wisdom
Bina- understanding
Da'at- knowledge
Hessed- kindness
Gevurah- strength
Tiferet- The beauty of balance
Netzach- connection
Hod- empathy
Yesod- determination and dedication and
Malchut- sovereignty, and the combination of the other nine sefirot into one.
The book includes meditations and words by luminaries such as Deepak Chopra and the Dalai Lama, explaining how their insight into ancient wisdom fits in with the wisdom of kabbalah and therefore ultimately Judaism.
It provides a blueprint for fulfillment, understanding and living life to the full, all through a meaningful connection with the Creator.
April 14, 2019
This is a really good book for the beginner. It will not mislead you as so many other books I have read on the subject might. The author goes onto my list as one of the good ones for this subject. I think it is important to have a list of people you trust regarding this subject. It also depends on your level of training. Do you know Hebrew, or can you handle Hebrew words interspersed throughout a text after they are defined? Most Jews can do this who have studied anything at all.
If you are utterly baffled by Judaism, I suggest a different book. Try one of these...
Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know about the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History by Joseph Telushkin
To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life by Hayim Halevy Donin
This is My God: A Guidebook to Judaism by Herman Wouk
The authors I trust in regard to Kabbalah are the following (not a comprehensive list):
Daniel C. Matt
Areyeh Kaplan
Gershom Scholem
Herbert Weiner
Lawrence Fine
Arthur Green
Joseph Dan
And now, Laibl Wolf.
I hope that helps.
If you are utterly baffled by Judaism, I suggest a different book. Try one of these...
Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know about the Jewish Religion, Its People, and Its History by Joseph Telushkin
To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life by Hayim Halevy Donin
This is My God: A Guidebook to Judaism by Herman Wouk
The authors I trust in regard to Kabbalah are the following (not a comprehensive list):
Daniel C. Matt
Areyeh Kaplan
Gershom Scholem
Herbert Weiner
Lawrence Fine
Arthur Green
Joseph Dan
And now, Laibl Wolf.
I hope that helps.
February 17, 2025
What this book does well is introduce fundamental kabbalistic concepts with concrete examples. I’d recommend this book for someone completely unfamiliar with the topic. The author examines mental and emotional processes through the lens of Kabbalah to describe the four worlds and ten spheres very clearly.
June 18, 2019
This guy is amazing, a true legend. The concepts are deep and mystical and he has done quite the job of making them more digestible for the lay person like me. Having said that, I’m no Jew and carry a strong faith in another tradition so I had less invested in really sinking my teeth into the many complicated concepts. I think I took some pearls and gems and just enjoyed a more superficial reading of it...I’m sure I did not do justice to this great work.
June 10, 2018
As a somewhat religious Jew, I was looking for something legitimate written by an Orthodox Rabbi to give me a foundation in Kabbalah. And, as a yoga teacher, I really appreciated how this Rabbi wove in Hindu and Buddhist thought in a very open-minded way. Great read!
March 14, 2020
This is a bad book. It is not only inaccurate when it comes to Kabbalah (calling da'at a sephira and often ignoring keter), but it discusses other cultures in insensitive and racist ways, places Kabbalah into the New Age movement, and praises Deepak Chopra. Avoid this book.
February 23, 2018
After reading it to completion once before several few years ago, I attempted to read it again August 27 2011 and I get the feeling I am not supposed to be reading it right now. I do not know if it is the subject or the author as this is not exactly the world's most entertaining read.
Dec 12, 2012, I was able to finish the book. I am not entirely sure why but it was much easier this time. I was able to get through several chapters each day for the past two days.
Dec 12, 2012, I was able to finish the book. I am not entirely sure why but it was much easier this time. I was able to get through several chapters each day for the past two days.
September 20, 2019
Internal transformation to live the Kabbalah
After read this book I am not the same person, Kabbalah is science and an art, in order to practice it we need profound changes in our inner self to improve ourselves as human beings. This book aboard the 10 sephirots and their relationship in our body and our daily lives: mind, emotions, relationships.
After read this book I am not the same person, Kabbalah is science and an art, in order to practice it we need profound changes in our inner self to improve ourselves as human beings. This book aboard the 10 sephirots and their relationship in our body and our daily lives: mind, emotions, relationships.
August 24, 2025
A lot of moderately interesting exercises in here but it felt like a severe watering down of the Kabbalah and trying to equate it to the sanitized New Age-friendly variants of Buddhism and yoga we see all too much of.
October 21, 2020
Not very instructive. Needed more practical examples. A little too filler-y for me.
August 11, 2022
I learned a lot.
October 15, 2022
A great pshaat level introduction to the basics of Kabbalah and it's everyday application to life through mindfulness and meditation.
November 13, 2024
Enjoyed the diagrams and brief descriptions of the 10 Sefirotics (spiritual energies in body); but a chapter to each wasn't as engaging and neither were exercises.
May 11, 2025
Easy to understand
Mr. Wolf took a difficult subject and breaks it down in a way everyone could understand! That’s genius! Thank you!
Mr. Wolf took a difficult subject and breaks it down in a way everyone could understand! That’s genius! Thank you!
September 12, 2022
Excellent - looking forward to more from him!
Currently reading
April 10, 2011Just the little I have read so far makes me go "wow .... "!!
Read
September 1, 2013Excellent. Would make a great discussion group book.
May 21, 2015
I own this book and I've only read a part of it. Don't know when I'll get back to it.
Had to shift it to my Read shelf in order to stop seeing it as 'reading'. :/
Had to shift it to my Read shelf in order to stop seeing it as 'reading'. :/
January 26, 2015
Very helpful and easy to read. Quite happy I own this book <3
May 24, 2024
Good overview of the history, concepts(sefirot), etc.
Some of the meditation exercises seem a bit of a stretch to me.
Some of the meditation exercises seem a bit of a stretch to me.
April 7, 2013
No lo entiendo, supongo que es porque no es para principiantes este libro.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews