Mystic Tales from the Zohar - by Aryeh Wineman (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Zohar, composed in the late 13th century, is the central text of Jewish mystical tradition. Woven into its series of homilies on the Torah are many stories and parables. This work translates eight of the most interesting and well-developed narratives found in the Zohar, together with notes and detailed commentary. The richness of the Zohar narrative comes alive in Wineman's translations from the medieval Aramaic and in his analysis of the stories. The papercuts by artist Diane Palley express the beauty, mysticism and complexity of these texts.

Book Synopsis

This book includes translations of eight of the most interesting and developed narratives found in the Zohar, the central medieval Jewish mystical text. Wineman's artful translation, together with commentaries and notes, reveals the richness of the Zohar.

Aryeh Wineman is the author of The Hasidic Parable, Mystic Tales of the Zohar, and Ethical Tales from the Kabbalah.

From the Back Cover

Mystic Tales from the Zohar translates eight of the most interesting and well-developed narratives found in the Zohar, together with notes and detailed commentary. Wineman's commentary combines a keen literary sensitivity with a deep knowledge of Jewish mysticism and of the milieu in which these stories were created. It traces the zoharic author's transformation of earlier motifs and defines the qualities of the underlying mindset that expresses itself in these stories. In addition to his clear and comprehensive introduction to the Zohar, Wineman has provided a glossary, notes, and a bibliography, making the book accessible to the widest possible readership. The beauty of the words and the art in Mystic Tales from the Zohar make it a lovely gift book.