Receiving Holiness

Dr. Jay McCrensky, professor of Judaism and Kabbalah, in this landmark work, applies Kabbalah to every aspect of Jewish practice. The book provides both a clear and scholarly introduction to the tradition of Jewish mysticism, spirituality and Kabbalah and an in-depth understanding of the kabbalistic interpretation of Shabbat, the High Holidays, Sukkot, Hanukah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Passover, Counting of the Omer, Shavuot. wedding rituals, mourning rituals, and prayer interpretation. Receiving Holiness: Understanding Judaism through Kabbalah is written for both the student of basic Judaism and the scholar, teacher and rabbi striving to discover new spirituality in Jewish practice and new meaningfulness to Jewish rituals and celebration. It provides the kabbalistic essence of the many prayers, customs and rituals whose meanings have been lost. For instance, what is the spiritual symbolism of lighting Shabbat and holiday candles, reciting Kiddush, waiving the lulov, reciting the Shema, donning tefillin, the Tu Bishvat Seder, leaning to the left at the Passover Seder, the components of the Seder Plate, the Counting of the Omer, Tashlich, circling during the wedding and funeral ceremonies, the mikva and many more core rituals of traditional Judaism? Dr. McCrensky is a leading authority on contemporary Kabbalah. In his discussion, he combines Zoharic, Lurianic, Hasidic, Jewish Renewal, and Ashlagian (Kabbalah Centre) orientations. A theme of Receiving Holiness is the concept of spiritual and mystical receiving of the potencies emanated from the unknowable source. The Zohar and other source texts strive to experience the Divine source through four categories of flows, what Dr. McCrensky defines as receiving C. H. E. R. The C flows are receivable forces that enable mankind to serve as creation-partners in ongoing creation. The H represents the reception of holiness, enabling one to feel holy and experience the presence of God. The E stands for ethics, reception of the ability to determine right from wrong and to make ethical choices. The R is the Divine flow representing revelation, the ability to draw in new insight, discovery, ideas, understanding and wisdom. Jewish study, prayer and ritual enable kabbalists to become more balanced, ethical, holy partners in continuing creation and betterment of the world (tikun olam). But Judaism has lost the symbolism and meaning of both prayer and practice during the past three hundred years. In a generation after 18th century rabbis forbid the study of Kabbalah until the age of 40 due to fear of false messiahs, the kabbalistic meaning of most Jewish rituals became lost. This book strives to restore and revitalize Jewish spirituality by re-discovering the kabbalistic meaning of Jewish ceremonies, services and symbols.