The Thirteen Petalled Rose - Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz (paperback)

The Thirteen Petalled Rose, written by the world-renowned scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, is based on the structures and assumptions of kabbalah, the largely esoteric theological system that deals with the relationships between man, Torah, the Commandments, and God.

As Rabbi Steinsaltz teaches, "kabbalah is the official theology of the Jewish people." While The Thirteen Petalled Rose can be viewed as an introduction to the essence of Jewish existence and belief, its author does not attempt to justify Judaism according to external criteria. It is not meant to be a book about its subject, but rather a book that grows out of its own world, the world of kabbalah. While most primers deal with practical matters, this volume touches largely upon issues of the soul. The Thirteen Petalled Rose is named after the symbolic image used to represent the People of Israel in the opening lines of the mystical Jewish text, the Zohar.
A book of extraordinary power, The Thirteen Petalled Rose has become a modern classic.

About the Author
Adin Steinsaltz is internationally regarded as one of the leading rabbis of this century. The author of many books, he is best known for his monumental translation of and commentary on the Talmud.