Kabbalah and the Art of Being ― The Smithsonian Lectures

This new approach introduces Kabbalah as a spiritual Jewish way of living, a practical wisdom for living, creativity and well being, and not merely a religious phenomenon or esoteric theology. Professor Shokek suggests that the Kabbalistic theme of Creation is the central ingredient in the spiritual teachings of Jewish mysticism. He skilfully reveals the core questions that emerge from the wisdom of the Jewish sages, opening up a lively avenue of debate in this increasingly popular area of study.

Shimon Shokek received his PhD from the Department of Jewish philosophy and Kabbalah at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he taught for several years. He is currently Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Mysticism at Baltimore Hebrew University, and has lectured at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. He is the author of Jewish Ethics and Jewish Mysticism in Sefer Ha-Yashar, 1991 (English) and Repentance in Jewish Ethics, Philosophy, and Mysticism, 1995 (Hebrew).