[Fwd: Re: Fwd: Spiritrave "Dancing the Tree of Life": February 20]

[Kame'a Media <media...>]

Kober, Gary wrote:
> 
> Dear Ari:
> 
> While, even though as a Torah-observant Jew (of the non-aggressive
> variety), I wasn't offended by your advertising of the "spiritrave",
> having long ago participated myself in some pretty zany events of a
> similar nature, I found your characterization of the kabbalah fairly
> surprising, i.e.  "the codified drug- (or alcohol-) induced ravings of
> earlier Jewish non-conformists" (?!)

I wonder what has induced Ari's ravings, besides his general contempt
and hostility towards "religion"?  Why would this event be disparaged
before it happens?  What kind of message is such a posting sending to
performers and organizers?

Wolf  Krakowski


. Somebody correct me if I'm
> mistaken, but I was under the impression that the Kabbalists throughout
> Jewish history were highly involved members, if not leaders, of their
> communities and were thoroughly entrenched in the normative halachic
> tradition, certainly not outside it. Most were noted as much, if not
> more, for their contributions to the "meat and potatoes" of Jewish
> scholarship, i.e.  Torah commentary, Talmudic law, Jewish ethics, etc,
> as they were for their "mystical" writings, e.g. Shneur Zalman of Liadi,
> the Vilna Gaon,  the Ramchal, the Maharal of Prague, the Arizal, Yosef
> Caro (of Shulchan Aruch fame), the Ramban, the Rambam, R' Akiva, Shimon
> bar Yochai, to name a few.
> 
> Gary
> 
> 

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