This book acquaints the reader with the world of the Kabbalah. The first part discusses the Kabbalist as a person: the personal transmission of Kabbalistic traditions, the Kabbalist's qualities and qualifications, prerequisites and early preparations, risks and achievements, as well as techniques for uncovering mysteries and the sources of revelations. The second part deals with the major themes in the teachings of the Kabbalah, such as the doctrine of the Sefirot, the Sitra-Ahra--good and evil, the creation of the world, the status of the Torah and its commandments, the doctrine of the soul...

The homiletical literature of hasidism is an innovative contribution to the Jewish hermeneutical tradition and an important element of the intellectual and social history of Judaism. In their sermons (derashot), the hasidic masters contemplate the nature and meaning of existence and provide guidance to disciples in their quest for self-transformation.

Ora Wiskind-Elper's original study explores 200 years of hasidic commentary, from the Ba'al Shem Tov to Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, placing a hitherto neglected subject on the map of scholarly enquiry. Drawing creatively on contemporary...