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Integral Halachah: Transcending and Including

by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Rabbi Daniel Siegel

179 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #07-0926; ISBN 1-4251-2698-7; US$22.00, C$25.30, EUR17.15, £11.37

In this book about Jewish practice through the lens of personal transformation and global consciousness, Reb Zalman applies his mystical vision to Halachah, the expression of vision in life's details.

About the Book

Reb Zalman turns to the implications of his reworking of Jewish mysticism. In previous books, he outlined his belief system using the kabbalistic image of the Ten S'firot, reframed the Lurianic concept of the breaking of the vessels, and argued for the continued centrality of a messianic teleology in Judaism. Now, he outlines how this new mystical vision can be applied to Halachah, the expression of vision in the details of living. Integral Halachah "transcends and includes," maintaining continuity with the past and providing flexibility for the present. This book is torah she-b'al peh/oral teaching, allowing for update and revision.

I deal with the rubble of the holocaust, so please don't expect order and precision. Rather, join me in relating to ancient questions needing new answers in this time of paradigm shift. How do we find meaning by continuing to be Jews? How do we connect to joy, to purpose, and why should we want to within a Jewish context, if it has been the cause of so much pain?

The way I can answer these questions is by creating a new, transcending, Judaism which honors the past and goes beyond it. Our practice must reference the larger purpose of the Jewish people in the world, our commitment to God and to what we call tikkun olam, to being agents of redemption. We now also know that we are not alone in this commitment, but part of something greater, a sharing with other people and paths. (Reb Zalman)

About the Authors

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, known as Reb Zalman, was born in Poland in 1924. One of the few remaining figures to bridge the piety of pre-holocaust Europe with the creative freedom of being Jewish in America, Reb Zalman is the catalyst and beloved Zayde, grandfather, of what is now known as the movement for Jewish spiritual renewal. He is an original thinker and teacher of Jewish mysticism, devotional practice, and social justice. For many years, he served on the faculties of institutions of higher learning including the University of Manitoba, Temple University and, most recently, as the holder of the World Wisdom Chair at Naropa University. He is the author of several books including Spiritual Intimacy, Credo of a Modern Kabbalist, First Steps to a New Jewish Spirit and Wrapped in a Holy Flame.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel is the first person to receive rabbinical ordination from Reb Zalman. Together with his life partner Hanna Tiferet, he cofounded Or Shalom, a Jewish renewal community in Vancouver, British Columbia and served as co-rabbi for B'nai Or of Boston. He served the Jewish student communities in Vancouver and at Dartmouth College and is currently the Director of Spiritual Resources for ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, the organization founded by Reb Zalman. He has edited or co-authored six other publications with Reb Zalman including The Kabbalah of Tikkun Olam, Renewal is Judaism Now! and Credo of a Modern Kabbalist. He is also the editor of Siddur Kol Koreh, a Jewish Renewal prayerbook.