Rabbi David Cooper’s Ecstatic Kabbalah

Rabbi David Cooper’s Ecstatic Kabbalah is a journey into the practice of mystical techniques.  It is not a detached theoretical discussion, nor is it an esoteric tract for the few.  Rather, it provides exercises and techniques that any person can do. 

If you have read Rabbi Cooper’s other works, there is not much that is new here.  He is influenced by the work of Rabbi Abraham Abulafia, but he also practiced Buddhism and Sufism, and although this book is “Jewish” in primary sense of the word, other influences are apparent.

Ecstatic worship is not about reading books, or even saying standard prayers or engaging in communal worship (although those elements play a part) but rather about the direct encounter between the person and their inner world.  So, books like Rabbi Cooper’s really hold the key to unlocking the vitality of Judaism for so many Jews who are disaffected with the normative way their religion is practiced.

But it takes effort, time, patience and practice.  It takes work. But it is worth it.