Cohen: A Tapestry of the Soul (2010)

Here is a quote introducing an interview with Yedida Cohen from last week on the Israel National Radio:

Why did G-d create the world? What is our purpose in life? Why does evil exist? What should we be doing with our lives? Tamar interviews Yedida Cohen, author of the book, “A Tapestry of the Soul ” – In essence, this book is a study guide to the “Introduction to the Zohar” by Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag. It is for those who want to learn directly from Rabbi Ashlag himself, without any intermediary or subjective additions by another author. It is meant to be used as a tool to explore who we are, what are our souls’ deepest desires are and how we can understand what we are here in this life for.

The full title of the book is:

A Tapestry for the Soul
The Introduction to the Zohar by Rabbi Yehudah Lev Ashlag
Explained using excerpts collated from his other writings including suggestions for inner work.
Compiled by Yedidah Cohen

It was published by Nehora Press in April. The publisher’s blog has a new entry each month. On the website proper site you will find lesson one of the book, a few blurbs, the table of contents and the synopsis. The latter is a really an extended version of the table of contents with a paragraph long summary of each of the 18 lessons. They are:

• Questions on the nature of God
• Inquiries into the nature of creation
• The ultimate aim and purpose of creation
• The substance of creation; the essence of the souls; affinity and difference of form
• The nature of evil; the different routes that body and soul travel; the purpose of the mitzvot in the healing of the will to receive for oneself alone; the means by which the higher levels of the soul are drawn to the person
• The states in which the souls exist simultaneously; free will; the nature and purpose of suffering
• The true nature of the body and its purpose; the end of suffering; where am I acting from?
• The essence of the soul; how desire begets needs and needs give birth to thoughts as to how to satisfy those needs; the differences between people
• The language of the branches; the revival of the dead; the true goal and fulfillment of the will to receive
• The work of our lives; further concerning the framework of uncleanness
• The purpose of the higher worlds; the final state of the souls; the development of the wills to receive
• The perception of the person who splits the shell of the will to receive for oneself alone
• The relationship of the soul with the higher worlds; the mitzvot
• The lights of the Sephirot, the vessels and the worlds; the ascension of the soul through the worlds
• The ascension of the soul (continued)
• The holographic nature of reality and its relationship to Torah; the nature of the book of the Zohar and its authorship
• The revelation of the Kabbalah in our generation and the nature of our generation compared to previous generations
• The innermost aspect of the Torah and its relationship to Israel and the world