Wednesday, October 24, 2018

SHABBOS PROJECT BOOK RECOMMENDATION # 2 Key to the Locked Garden: Learning to Enhance the Shabbat Experience


Key to the Locked Garden offers the reader teachings and instructions for Shabbat observance that once were available only to an elite few. The book is based on the teachings of Rabbi Moses Luria z''l, a descendant of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the holy Ari z''l, and a Chasidic master of our times who brought divine service to an experiential level. The author, who asked by Rabbi Luria to make his teachings available in English, advises that Rabbi Luria once confided to Rabbi Yoel Benharrouche, one of his close talmidim, that he came to the world to transmit through his writings the teachings of the Inner Torah that the holy Ari z''l was unable to complete due to his untimely death. The teachings of the Ari z''l have their origin in the Zohar. Rabbi Moses Luria s explanations shed further light upon the complex teachings of the holy Zohar and of the Ari z''l, adding allegorical explanations based on human relationships that enable one to relate to these lofty concepts. The author's intention was to further amplify these teachings in order to make them available, not only to Torah scholars able to grasp the original writings, but to all the Community of Israel. Rabbi Moshe Schatz, in his approbation to the book, notes, 'Benyosef so brilliantly brought the Kabbalistic concepts to life, particularly for the layperson, that even a Kabbalist who is familiar with them will find much that is new to him in reading this book.' In the words of Benyosef, 'Upon starting to write this book my intention was to share with the reader that spiritual darkness is an optical illusion and that all we need to do to dissolve it is to draw to ourselves the Shabbat consciousness. When the Shabbat Queen takes leave of us at the end of Shabbat, most of the Shabbat consciousness leaves as well. Key to the Locked Garden transmits the teachings of the Torah's Inner dimension as revealed by the holy Zohar, teaching us how to unlock our inner garden, draw the Shabbat consciousness to ourselves, and retain it during the weekdays.'Order here.

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