The Essential Kabbalah (Daniel C. Matt)
Flat Academic Exegesis of the Kabbalah
[My 3-star Amazon review (NDA) of “The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism” by Daniel C. Matt.]
Daniel Matt’s “The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism” (which is a collection of selected Jewish mystical writings), is, at best, a mediocre, exoteric text. At worst, it graphically illustrates how poorly Jewish mysticism compares to the foremost mystical traditions, such as Hindu Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Christian Hermeticism, and Daism (the teachings of Adi Da). I think that most eclectic mystics who read books in these traditions would rate them well above the material presented by Dr. Matt. It saddens me to say this, because I am Jewish by birth.
Dr. Matt is an academic, and his Introduction is what you’d expect from someone from the academy--clearly and cleanly written, but bereft of any radical, esoteric insight. First off, he has no real understanding of the Sephirot. Not only are his attributions weak, but he doesn’t even mention Da’at, the mystical sephira that unites all the other ones. It is not possible understand the Tree of Life without understanding the relationship between this sephirah and the other ten. Secondly, Dr. Matt never mentions the relation between the Sephirot and astrology. The fact is, each of the sephira correlates with a planet (which includes the sun and moon), and this explains how one can practically use the Kabbalah as a tool of divination. In short, Dr. Matt’s Introduction is hardly demystifying; it’s just a “safe,” skimpy, superficial history of the Kabbalah in order to introduce his selection of Jewish mystical writings.
Apart from offering nothing particularly insightful in his Introduction, Dr. Matt’s selection of “essential teachings” is poor in my estimation, and fails to provide substantive explanation or instruction for anyone wanting to practice Jewish mysticism. For example, the thirty-two paths of Wisdom are mentioned in the chapter Creation, but Dr. Matt doesn’t say what these paths are; instead he refers us to another text for an explanation.
We Jews need a “messiah,” an enlightened kabbalist who can expertly explain both the mystical-ecstatic and theurgical-theosophical Kabbalah from the highest perspective. Until such a one emerges, mediocre texts like “The Essential Kabbalah” will receive undue praise.
[My 3-star Amazon review (NDA) of “The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism” by Daniel C. Matt.]
Daniel Matt’s “The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism” (which is a collection of selected Jewish mystical writings), is, at best, a mediocre, exoteric text. At worst, it graphically illustrates how poorly Jewish mysticism compares to the foremost mystical traditions, such as Hindu Advaita Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism, Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, Christian Hermeticism, and Daism (the teachings of Adi Da). I think that most eclectic mystics who read books in these traditions would rate them well above the material presented by Dr. Matt. It saddens me to say this, because I am Jewish by birth.
Dr. Matt is an academic, and his Introduction is what you’d expect from someone from the academy--clearly and cleanly written, but bereft of any radical, esoteric insight. First off, he has no real understanding of the Sephirot. Not only are his attributions weak, but he doesn’t even mention Da’at, the mystical sephira that unites all the other ones. It is not possible understand the Tree of Life without understanding the relationship between this sephirah and the other ten. Secondly, Dr. Matt never mentions the relation between the Sephirot and astrology. The fact is, each of the sephira correlates with a planet (which includes the sun and moon), and this explains how one can practically use the Kabbalah as a tool of divination. In short, Dr. Matt’s Introduction is hardly demystifying; it’s just a “safe,” skimpy, superficial history of the Kabbalah in order to introduce his selection of Jewish mystical writings.
Apart from offering nothing particularly insightful in his Introduction, Dr. Matt’s selection of “essential teachings” is poor in my estimation, and fails to provide substantive explanation or instruction for anyone wanting to practice Jewish mysticism. For example, the thirty-two paths of Wisdom are mentioned in the chapter Creation, but Dr. Matt doesn’t say what these paths are; instead he refers us to another text for an explanation.
We Jews need a “messiah,” an enlightened kabbalist who can expertly explain both the mystical-ecstatic and theurgical-theosophical Kabbalah from the highest perspective. Until such a one emerges, mediocre texts like “The Essential Kabbalah” will receive undue praise.
