Lawrence Kushner describes Honey from the Rock as "an attempt to synthesize some of the world view of classical Jewish mysticism, or Kabbala, with the ordinary life experience of its author." In the introduction, Kushner also explains that the book "works best, not as a primer on Kabbalah, nor as a glimpse into the private places of a liberal Rabbi, but as a means of enticing the reader to allow a Kabbalistic world view to inform his or her everyday life." After providing that explanation of his project, Kushner's book takes flight. He begins: "There is a place as far from here as breathing out is from breathing in. For the word is very near you.... Where life forever holds gentle sway over death, where people are human with the same grace that a willow is a willow, where the struggle and the yearning between male and female is at last resolved. It is, to begin with, all inside us." There are no false words in this book, no straining logic, no lazy vagueness, no awkward didacticism. Honey from the Rock walks through 10 different "gates" to Jewish mysticism, from the "Wilderness" of preparation for prayer to the "Higher Worlds" of which some are granted glimpses. Each chapter will help clarify your vision a little more and teach you to become a little more present. Each one will also make you smile. --Michael Joseph Gross
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Wisdom teacher of the highest caliber.:
It was one of my great privileges and honor to have had the opportunity to study under Rabbi Kushner while a gradate student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. Rabbi Kushner is a wisdom teacher of the highest quality and his book Honey from the Rock is one of those rare books which touches the depths of our own hearts, and speaks forcefully to the quiet voice of wisdom inside of each of us. Moreover, Rabbi Kushner can open doors long sealed shut, and reveal some essential beauty... more info
An amazing book!:
I can't do justice to this wonderful book. The author weaves biblical quotes, biographical experiences, poetry, physics and theology into a mystical journey that is as engaging as it is accessible. Thank you for this wonderful journey, Rabbi Kushner...or rather, thank you for showing me that I was on the journey all along and didn't appreciate it.
"it is to begin with, all inside us":
A reprint of "Honey from the Rock: Ten Gates of Jewish Mysticism", with an added preface and foreword, this is a book I've treasured and read many times since I bought the first edition in 1983. It's poetic, with a warmth and humanity that touches the heart an illuminates the mind. Its 10 chapters are broken down into short pieces (93 in all), and when quoting from the Torah or a rabbinical saying, the original Hebrew is written below the quote. This slim volume could easily be read in one day, but I... more info
