Jewish Esoteric Scholarship Life is GOOD!!!
 

I just acquired today the ENTIRE 4 volume set of Joseph Dan's Magnificent "Jewish Mysticism" which is apparently near impossible to find now. He put them all together in 1999, and they are touted as one of the absolutely MUST HAVE sets discussing the esoteric aspects of Judaism and the place for Gerschom Scholem in Judaic studies and Judaic mysticism and Judaic Kabbalah specifically.

I found them in a used bookstore of all places!!! When I asked the guy how much he started to look them up online and could not find them as a set. One volume he found for $144, another volume for $85, and he couldn't even find one of the volumes. So, he made me a deal of $200 for the entire set!!!! YEAH BABY!!!!!!

He is the Gerschom Scholem Chair scholar of Kabbalah at Hebrew University - or at least he was - and every bit as powerful, adept and into esotericism as Scholem was. This was 20 years ago, and I read online last night that this was absolute the must set of books for any serious person learning about Jewish spiritual and Kabbalah studies, but they are very difficult to acquire. So I waltz into a used bookstore in my po-dunk little town, and THERE THEY ARE! Un-Beeeeeee-Lievable! Gadfry I love it when stuff like this happens.

Now in making a very serious, dedicated effort to read the entire Zohar this year, this very important set shows up for me. I mean, whaddya do? BUY IT MAN! So, I blew my dough and will have to put it back into savings for the next couple months, but it's so well worth it. I have seen so many scholars use Dan's materials and say it is so important to make sure one is familiar with his impeccable scholarship. Now I can do so. Thank you dear Lord, THANK YOU!

And my wife just smiled, pointed to the laundry, and yelled REPENT! Or at least make up for thine indiscretion...... and then she hugged me and said I had better read them for that price. Read them?! I'm gonna read, reference, cross reference, memorize, use, enjoy, share, write, and wear them out!!!

Life is good, what can I say? Now then, I gotta go get the clothes out of the wash and put it in the dryer, be back later with updates......