Dovber Pinson

Toward the Infinite is a guide to focusing on the Kabbalistic Hitbonenut - deep contemplation method of meditation. It encompasses the entire meditative experience and takes the reader on an engaging journey through meditation, beginning with the readying of oneself for the meditation and continuing through the actual meditative experience. The various states and expansiveness of consciousness are discussed. Whereas we may begin on a level of ego-centricity, we slowly peal away the shells of superficiality and attain a state of total bitul ha'yesh -negation of separate self and dip into a condition of ayin - nothingness and non-awareness. Ultimately, the journey comes full circle with the positive effects the meditation has on the meditator's daily life. Written for a wide range of readers, this book deliberately excludes learned quotations and references yet it is uncompromising in the truth of its teachings. This intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging exploration of mediation is both inspirational and spiritually uplifting.

Meditation and Judaism is a comprehensive work on Jewish meditation, encompassing the entire spectrum of Jewish thought—from the early Kabbalists to the modern Chassidic and Mussar masters, the sages of the Talmud, to the modern philosophers. Both a scholarly, in-depth study of meditative practices, and a practical, easy to follow guide, Meditation and Judaism is for anyone interested in meditating the Jewish way. The word meditation calls to mind the traditional, obvious associations that society has accumulated. Meditation and Judaism attempts to broaden our view of meditation, demonstrating that meditation is prevalent within so many of the common Jewish practices. While there are many paths that lead in the same direction, the ultimate destination of meditation is a metamorphosis into a more G-dly and spiritual person. This scholarly work is sourced in authentic Jewish thought, yet it has been written in a manner that will appeal to the modern reader. It is an enlightening read for the scholar and the layman alike.

Meditation and Judaism is a comprehensive work on Jewish meditation, encompassing the entire spectrum of Jewish thought_from the early Kabbalists to the modern Chassidic and Mussar masters, the sages of the Talmud, to the modern philosophers. Both a scholarly, in-depth study of meditative practices, and a practical, easy to follow guide, Meditation and Judaism is for anyone interested in meditating the Jewish way. The word meditation calls to mind the traditional, obvious associations that society has accumulated. Meditation and Judaism attempts to broaden our view of meditation, demonstrating that meditation is prevalent within so many of the common Jewish practices. While there are many paths that lead in the same direction, the ultimate destination of meditation is a metamorphosis into a more G-dly and spiritual person. This scholarly work is sourced in authentic Jewish thought, yet it has been written in a manner that will appeal to the modern reader. It is an enlightening read for the scholar and the layman alike.

What is Jewish Music? What makes a song "sound Jewish?" What is the place of music in Jewish history and philosophy? The author writes, "What is known to us as Jewish music is actually a compilation of styles and rhythms gathered over centuries and obtained in various manners and from countless sources. However, musicologists the world over agree that the purity of the Jewish song has always been retained. The quality which makes it uniquely Jewish, regardless of the influence on it, has remained untouched and clearly identifiable. "What is this quality? What is it that makes a song sound Jewish? It is a note of longing, of a child yearning to unite with his parent, a nation pining for its homeland and lost temple, a soul in this world remembering the holiness above and longing to reunite. Each song resonates with the entirety of the Jewish experience, the devastations and victories, the separations and reunifications and above all the constant bound with the eternal. "The study of Jewish music is vast and requires volumes to contain it. There are many who have analyzed its unique qualities and have written extensively on it. Their examination of music is essentially a lesson in history, another means of glimpsing a rich and diverse past. "There is yet another way to examine a song, and that is, to view it as an eternal message, as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago, at the time of its composition. Each song tells its own story in the heart of the one who sings it. It evokes a unique response in each listener. A tune can touch a soul, in a way no words ever could. "The study of music as response is what I aim to portray in this work. Music can be used in a myriad of ways in our everyday lives. Especially today with all of the gadgets that can convey music, we are bombarded by sound. Just by taking a long walk, a person changes zones of melodies, beats, and compositions of various types. Our bodies seem to vibrate to uninvited songs and noises that permeate the air around us. But invited

This is a comprehensive look at the intriguing concept of reincarnation as taught by the masters of the Kabbalah and as analyzed by major Jewish thinkers throughout history. Rabbi DovBer Pinson, born and raised in a Hasidic family immersed in the study of Jewish mystical thought, has made a thorough search of Jewish teachings in order to present his readers with a rich and engaging study of life's most perplexing question: What happens after a person dies?