Creativity and Sexuality: A Kabbalistic PerspectiveJudaism openly recognizes, as an integral part of human nature, the enigmatic relationship between yetzer, or physical desire, and yetzirah, or spiritual creativity. Creativity and Sexuality, written as a fictional dialogue, clearly delineates the psychic interdependence of these two drives, as well as the integration of the concepts as they are defined by both Jewish mysticism and modern psychology.Mordechai Rotenberg is interested in the impact of religion on the psychology of everyday life. He was prompted to write Creativity and Sexuality by the popularity of writings that explore Jewish texts on the subject of sexuality from a historical or literary point of view, but that do not hesitate to include psychological evaluations based on popular secondary psychological concepts. This work seeks to provide an accurate psychological analysis of sexuality and spirituality from a Jewish mystical perspective. As such, it both reconstructs the interdisciplinary bridge between Judaism and psychology and deconstructs some exegetical traditions. The goal is to present new paradigmatic options, which may help modern society struggle more efficiently with its sexuality. Ultimately, the author sees physical desire and spiritual creativity as a regulative continuum. People learn how to spend the tremendous power of energy that the sexual yetzer produces not only on physical sex, but on the spiritual yetzirah.In an introduction written especially for this new edition, the author explains the continuing relevance of Creativity and Sexuality, and the ongoing relationship between sexual desire and a healthy spiritual self-fulfillment. This volume will be of interest to students of Judaism, psychology, mysticism, and sexuality. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 32
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... devekut. I then argued that while obviously such a document was not discovered mainly because Kabbalists rarely documented their personal experiences, if in 300 years a text that explores the actual experience of a devekut (unio mystica) ...
... devekut. I then argued that while obviously such a document was not discovered mainly because Kabbalists rarely documented their personal experiences, if in 300 years a text that explores the actual experience of a devekut (unio mystica) ...
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... devekut, presents, as the subtitle reveals, numerous quotations from hasidic leaders that proclaimed how a person “ought” to attain devekut. Thus, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev is quoted (p. 150) as having stated: “If a man wants to ...
... devekut, presents, as the subtitle reveals, numerous quotations from hasidic leaders that proclaimed how a person “ought” to attain devekut. Thus, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev is quoted (p. 150) as having stated: “If a man wants to ...
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... devekut, which he interpreted as a successful climbing upward from the state of the nefesh-habehemit, “animalistic ... devekut in order to unite with God. While these interpretations obviously represent pathological distortions of ...
... devekut, which he interpreted as a successful climbing upward from the state of the nefesh-habehemit, “animalistic ... devekut in order to unite with God. While these interpretations obviously represent pathological distortions of ...
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... devekut, or the sexual passion associated with the physical yetzer. Now, since my critical comments about the misleading aura that ensues from the historical-philological study of hasidic-kabbalistic texts is predicated on the ...
... devekut, or the sexual passion associated with the physical yetzer. Now, since my critical comments about the misleading aura that ensues from the historical-philological study of hasidic-kabbalistic texts is predicated on the ...
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... devekut as an experience of communion that does not require complete obliteration of the self, Moshe Idel (1989b) has adduced evidence that the chabadian formulation of devekut as an experience of unio mystica was apparently so extreme ...
... devekut as an experience of communion that does not require complete obliteration of the self, Moshe Idel (1989b) has adduced evidence that the chabadian formulation of devekut as an experience of unio mystica was apparently so extreme ...
Contents
The Yetzer as Creative Neurosis | |
Ecstasy and Spiritual Sexuality | |
Romantic Flirting versus Sexual Harassment | |
The Mystic Closet of Romantic Flirting and Prophetic | |
The Patriarchic Pendulum and the Balancing Jewish | |
The Yetzer in the Sociopsychological Therapy Room | |
Bibliography | |
Index | |
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Common terms and phrases
according Accordingly aggressertive aggressive alien thoughts assertion behavior biblical biological broader ChaP Christian closet conceived conception constitutes contraction cosmogony creation myths creative imagination cultural Darwin’s described devekut divine ecstasy egalitarian energy erotic expanded experience expression feel feminist flirting Freud’s gender egalitarianism God’s hasidic human human sexuality ibid idea impact inherent interpretation Jewish Jews Kabbalah kabbalistic Kierkegaard lecture lovers Maimonides male and female means metaphoric midrashic Millett model of sexuality Musar mystic Nonetheless notion one’s orgasm patriarchic patterns of sexuality pendulum person physical and spiritual physical sexuality physical yetzer physiological possibility present prophecy prophetic psychoanalysis psychological Rabbi rebiographing relationship romantic love seduction sexual desire sexual harassment sexual repression sexuality and creativity Song of Songs soul spiritual creativity spiritual orgasm spiritual sexuality spiritual yetzira stress style sublimation Talmudic texts theory today’s Torah tzimtzum unio mystica union Weber’s Western woman women words yetzer-yetzira