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Seekers of the Face by Melila Hellner-Eshed

Seekers of the Face

Secrets of the Idra Rabba (the Great Assembly) of the Zohar

Melila Hellner-Eshed

Stanford University Press · Print & ebook · September 14, 2021

A magisterial, modern reading of the deepest mysteries in the Kabbalistic tradition.

Jewish TheologyKabbalah & Jewish MysticismJewish Scriptures
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Who it’s for
A reading of the Idra Rabba explores its tradition, hidden layers of psyche, and sacred images.
Genres
Kabbalah & Jewish Mysticism, Jewish Scriptures, Jewish Theology
Published
Stanford University Press, September 14, 2021

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About this book

A magisterial, modern reading of the deepest mysteries in the Kabbalistic tradition. Seekers of the Face opens the profound treasure house at the heart of Judaism's most important mystical work: the Idra Rabba (Great Gathering) of the Zohar. This is the story of the Great Assembly of mystics called to order by the master teacher and hero of the Zohar, Rabbi Shim'on bar Yochai, to align the divine faces and to heal Jewish religion.

Continue reading

The Idra Rabba demands a radical expansion of the religious worldview, as it reveals God's faces and bodies in daring, anthropomorphic language. For the first time, Melila Hellner-Eshed makes this challenging, esoteric masterpiece meaningful for everyday readers. Hellner-Eshed expertly unpacks the Idra Rabba's rich grounding in tradition, its probing of hidden layers of consciousness and the psyche, and its striking, sacred images of the divine face. Leading readers of the Zohar on a transformative adventure in mystical experience, Seekers of the Face allows us to hear anew the Idra Rabba's bold call to heal and align the living faces of God.

Idra Rabba Mysteries

A reading of the Idra Rabba explores its tradition, hidden layers of psyche, and sacred images.

Come here for

  • The Idra Rabba’s place in Zohar tradition
  • Its probing of consciousness and psyche

Expect

  • Daring anthropomorphic language about God’s faces and bodies
  • The Great Assembly of mystics and its call to heal Jewish religion

Where it sits

Kabbalah & Jewish Mysticism100%
Jewish Theology31%
Jewish Scriptures27%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Jewish Literary Criticism
  • Jewish Scriptures
  • Kabbalah & Jewish Mysticism
Authors
Melila Hellner-Eshed
Publisher
Stanford University Press
Published
September 14, 2021
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Jewish Literary Criticism