Background
Steven A. Fisdel was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is the son of Jack and Edith (Osterback) Fisdel.
Jerusalem, Israel
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
610 Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605, USA
Spertus College of Judaica
(The Practice of Kabbalah: Meditation in Judaism emphasize...)
The Practice of Kabbalah: Meditation in Judaism emphasizes meditation within Judaism as the practical core of Jewish mysticism. In this volume, Rabbi Steven Fisdel explores, Jewish meditation practices as the experiential side of Kabbalah and therefore as one of the primary sources for the development of the mystic thought and belief in Judaism. This work focuses on a variety of mystic traditions within Kabbalah that relate directly to meditative practice. It incorporates several different schools of thought and represents various periods in the development of Kabbalah. Among the traditions included for elucidation are the mysticism of the Hebrew alphabet, the Ayin meditation of Dov Baer of Mezeritch and Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, as well as selections from the Sefer Yetzirah and the Zohar. The Practice of Kabbalah is designed to assist the reader in learning to extract meditation practices from the text of kabbalistic classics with the understanding that profound mystical and theological insight often comes from spiritual experience. This experience (regardless of whether it leads to or results from contemplation and thought) often emerges from deep meditation. In this volume, Rabbi Fisdel carefully explains meditation practices that represent direct illustration of all the principles and schools of thought covered in this work. For additional reference, the appendix contains a series of graduated meditations designed to assist the reader in developing greater proficiency in meditation. The Practice of Kabbalah is the result of twenty-five years of intense study, personal experience, and teaching. The doctrines and practices described in this original work are drawn directly and exclusively from traditional Jewish sources. Both the novice and the experienced meditator will benefit from the variety of meditations included here that allow for their integration into any meditation regimen.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568215088/?tag=2022091-20
1996
(The Dead Sea Scrolls reflect the belief and experience of...)
The Dead Sea Scrolls reflect the belief and experience of generations of Jews, spanning a period of almost three centuries, from the Maccabean Revolt to the destruction of Jerusalem. Steven A. Fisdel seeks to open a window onto this critical period of time, so pivotal in the development of Judaism and in the emergence of Christianity. By presenting the historical backdrop and letting the scroll literature speak for itself, this work gives the reader a better understanding of the state and content of Jewish belief during the height of the Greco-Roman Era; an age of broad diversity in religious thought and of great spiritual richness.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568219733/?tag=2022091-20
1997
(Rabbi Steven Fisdel pulls back the curtain on Jewish myst...)
Rabbi Steven Fisdel pulls back the curtain on Jewish mysticism. Welcoming seekers of any belief system, The Meditation Within Kabbalah offers step-by-step instructions on how to meditate, as well as a guide to meditating on the Hebrew alphabet, the names of God and the Tree of Life. This book is an educational triumph on the purpose and how-to's of meditation.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/149033825X/?tag=2022091-20
2014
educator Missionary translator author
Steven A. Fisdel was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. He is the son of Jack and Edith (Osterback) Fisdel.
Fisdel received his bachelor's degree at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1972 and both his Bachelor of Hebrew Letters degree and master's degree at Spertus College of Judaica in Chicago in 1973 and 1977, respectively. He was also trained and received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement.
Fisdel served for 12 years in the congregational rabbinate in California. He also served as a core faculty member of Chochmat HaLev, a centre for Jewish meditation and spirituality, from its inception and was for many years a visiting scholar at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur.
Currently, Fisdel is the founder of the Center for Jewish Mystical Studies in Albany, California. However, he maintains a private practice doing psycho-spiritual profiling, spiritual counselling and Kabbalist Healing work. He teaches and lectures widely on the Kabbalah, the nature of consciousness, meditation and the practical application of mysticism to the process of inner repair and soul development.
(The Dead Sea Scrolls reflect the belief and experience of...)
1997(The Practice of Kabbalah: Meditation in Judaism emphasize...)
1996(Rabbi Steven Fisdel pulls back the curtain on Jewish myst...)
2014Rabbi Fisdel is a Kabbalist.
According to Fisdel's point of view, the great beauty of life is that it provides each individual with a precious opportunity within a unique context to experience oneself and to learn from the experiences. From living life on a spiritually conscious level, we gain a much fuller sense of who we really are. Moreover, the more one willingly opens himself or herself to the dimensions of the spirit, the broader and more enriching the experiences are.