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Hi! I'm here to answer all your questions about those oddball books you can't find. Looking for a title, but not sure if it exists? Wanting to know who the real author is on a book you're pretty sure was written under a nom de plume? Where the heck is that Stephen King story your favorite movie is based on? Ask away!
Today's question:
The Kaballah
The Kabbalah (Pronounced Kah-Bah-Lah)..Or Quabbalah, or Cabala, or however people think it's spelled, started out as a book of Jewish mysticism. It is thousands of years old and presents a philosophical system of looking at the world (and also the Torah,*) through numbers. The spelling is difficult because Hebrew is written in non-English characters, and people tranlate them phonetically. I got this quote from Kaballah.com-
Someone told me about this great book called the Kaballah. They say it's a life changing book, but I keep finding different translations of it. Which one is the true edition?
     "Kabbalah is much more than an intellectually compelling philosophical system. It is a precise description of the interwoven nature of spiritual and physical reality - and it is a full complement of powerful, practical methods for attaining worthy goals within that reality. Simply put, Kabbalah gives you the tools you need to achieve happiness, fulfillment, and to bring the Light of the Creator into your life. It is the way to gain the peace and joy you want and deserve at the very core of your being."

However, Kaballah, as a word, has come to mean any mystical work or coded philosophy, in popular, and particularly New Age,  literature.

    So, at the risk of sounding cynical, it's a word pretty much open to interpretation for any group, and many have been written. There's a Christian Kaballah, a Hermetic Kaballah, a Magikal Kaballah, and of course, an Astrological Kaballah, to name a few.

     It also has thousands of versions, as it's been translated, re-constituted, and used in a different way by many different groups, each with their own spin. There is a caveat, though- the oldest version is strictly Jewish and should not even be attempted (say rabbis) until after you are 45 and have studied the Torah in depth for most of your life!

    What I usually do is tell someone who is looking for 'The Kaballah,' and doesn't have any further details other than 'It's an old book.' to
talk to a rabbi or check out kaballah.com, as they will need a little more spiritual guidance than I am able to give. (And I think we all agree I should not be giving spiritual advice to people)

    In short, asking for the Kaballah with no further information than the name is a bit like looking for the 'true' Bible- there is, as far as selling books is concerned, no one real translation/ edition/ whatever that anyone not affiliated with a particular religious point of view could feel comfortable giving out as  the 'official' version.

*The Torah is more commonly knwn as the Old Testament to Christians, it's the five books of Moses, here is more information
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