The Zohar: Volume 2 -- Daniel C. Matt

<p><i>Sefer ha-Zohar</i>, The Book of Radiance, has amazed and overwhelmed readers ever since it emerged mysteriously in medieval Spain toward the end of the thirteenth century. Written in a unique Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the <i>Zohar</i> consists of a running commentary on the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy. This translation begins and focuses here in what are projected to be ten volumes. Two subsequent volumes will cover other, shorter sections. </p> <p>The <i>Zohar</i>'s commentary is composed in the form of a mystical novel. The hero is Rabbi Shim'on son of Yohai, a saintly disciple of Rabbi Akiva who lived in the second century in the land of Israel. In the <i>Zohar</i>, Rabbi Shim'on and his companions wander through the hills of Galilee, discovering and sharing secrets of Torah.</p> <p>On one level, biblical figures such as Abraham and Sarah are the main characters, and the mystical companions interpret their words, actions, and personalities. On a deeper level, the text of the Bible is simply the starting point, a springboard for the imagination. For example, when God commands Abraham, <i>Lekh lekha, Go forth... to the land that I will show you</i> (Genesis 12:1), Rabbi El'azar ignores idiomatic usage and insists on reading the words more literally than they were intended, hyperliterally: <i>Lekh lekha, Go to your