Literary Review - Kabbalah of Yeshua, by Zusha Kalet

This is a review of the book Kabbalah of Yeshua, by Zusha Kalet.  I read the book and enjoyed it very much.  I definitely plan on reading it again!  


Mystical Masterpiece (2007)
By Joburgpete "irridium" (Johannesburg)

This intriguing book is divided into two parts: 1. Yeshua and 2. Kabbalah, which is the soul of the Torah and includes writings like the Zohar, Bahir and Sefer Yetzirah. The purpose of studying Kabbalah is to understand more profoundly and to increase one's faith in Mashiach, according to the author, whose explanation of Kabbalah is of the theosophical variety.

Part One: Yeshua, starts with the chapter Defining the Disciple. Kalet refers to various texts like Mattityahu 13: 10 - 11, 6: 10 - 34, 28: 18 - 20 and Yochanan 17: 21 - 24 to explain why Yeshua spoke to the multitudes in parables but in plain words to his disciples. The author quotes the words of Saul in 2 Corinthians 12: 1 - 6 to show that this apostle had mystical experiences, just like Kefa(Acts 11:4 - 5) and Yochanan (Revelation 4: 1 - 2).

Chapter 2 examines the difference between speaking to the crowds vs. to the disciples by quoting from the Besorah of Matityahu, Mark, Luke and Yochanan. It is important to clarify who the audience is in the scriptures. The next chapter explains the Rabbinic Kabbalistic approach to the Bible through the Pardes system. The types of Rabbinic literature are discussed in chapter 4 - the five books of Moses and the four types of the Oral Torah: Mishna, Gemara, Midrash and Kabbalah.

The four levels of interpretation are covered in chapter 5. They are Pashat (Simple), the literal which gave rise to Mishna, Remez (Hint), the allegorical, hint or cross-reference level of the Gemara, D'rash (Threshing), the parabolic and possible level of interpretation that produced the Midrash, and Sod (Secret), the mystical which contains the hidden or subtle level of scripture which produced Kabbalah.

Chapter 6 explains the application of the four levels to the Brit Chadasha (New Covenant). The first three Besorah writers are synoptic, telling the story of Yeshua by narrating many of the same events, whilst Yochanan has an entirely different approach. Vessels Of Honor And Dishonor is the next, in which the author deals with concepts from the Tree of Life as they relate to passages in various books of the Besorah.

The Torah of Life and Torah of Death are discussed in chapter 8. The author explains that Torah is the body and Kabbalah is the soul. In other words, the Torah of the Spirit produces a life in union with Mashiach and sets us free of sin and death (Romans 8:1 - 2). Likewise, "bread" is written law while "wine" is oral law. In the next chapter, further biblical exegesis is provided, such as the 3-fold teaching, 3 different groups of people and 3 types of sin, as well as discussions on the evil (Yetzer HaRa) and good (Yetzer HaTov) inclinations and the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh).

The first chapter of Part Two deals with Halacha, the next one is a history of Kabbalah with reference to Simeon Bar Yochai, Moses de Leon, Abraham ben Simon Abulafia, Abraham Azulai and Isaac Luria, and chapter 12 explores the five levels of the soul with examples and quotes from both the Old and New Testament. The five realms or worlds are discussed in the following chapter, with reference to the letters of the Tetragrammaton.

Then follows a detailed description of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life (with an illustration), and an explanation of concepts like Ein Sof and the contraction (Tzimtzum) that allowed creation to occur. The three Sefirot at the top of the tree refer as follows: Keter (crown) = Father, Chochma (wisdom) = Yeshua and Binah (understanding) = Ruach HaKodesh. All the Sefirot are explained with their corresponding qualities, letters and biblical personalities. Our lives must be balanced with fruit (Chesed) and gifts (Gevurah) of the Spirit so that we may bring a beautiful offering (Tif'eret) to the Lord.

There are 3 pages of endnotes, a bibliography divided into sections for Kabbalah, Breslov and the Noahide Laws and the book concludes with a short biography of the author Zusha Kalet. The Kabbalah of Yeshua is a most absorbing work that ought to be studied in-depth, which I intend to do. It is truly amazing to learn of all the extraordinary connections between the Old and New Testament that I have previously been unaware of.


For more information on this book go to:
http://www.facebook.com/l/baabe;www.KabbalahNation.org