Front Matter (PDF) - Stanford University Press

Patricia Myers, and especially Mariana Raykov and Rob Ehle. Rabbi
Jackson,
E. S. Stein's expert copyeditingpolished this Book of Radiance.
David
I toiled and exulted over the Zohar, I have received sound advice and
As
encouragement from my far-¯ung siblings: Rabbi Jonathan Matt (Israel),
warm
Matt (Iowa), and Debbie Erdfarb (New Jersey).
David
wife, Ḥana, and I have been delvingtogether into the Zohar ever since we
My
discoveringand sharingits new-ancient meanings, gazinginto each other's
met,
through its penetrating lens. Thank you for your compassionate wisdom
souls
unfailingsupport. You bringto life the verse: On her tongue, a Torah of love
and
31:26). You help me understand the words of Rabbi El'azar (Zohar
(Proverbs
``Isaac embraced faith, seeing Shekhinah dwellingin his wife.''
1:141a):
angelic children, Michaella and Gavriel, have never lost their sense of
My
and I thank them for arousingmine. May this translation touch you
wonder,
open up new worlds!
and
Yehiel Poupko, co-chair of the Academic Committee, has excited and
Rabbi
me ever since our ®rst meetingseven years ago. Descended from a
inspired
kabbalist, the Shelah (Isaiah Horowitz), he is intimately bound to the
famous
and has devoted himself to spreadingits light. I thank him for conduct-
Zohar
project so deftly and passionately.
ingthis
Miller, vice president of Zohar Education Project, Inc., has vitalized
Glen
adventure through his vision and devotion. On a practical level, he has
this
the ark of Zohar through countless legal and administrative passage-
navigated
I am profoundly grateful.
ways.
J. Pritzker has generously supported and heartened all of us
Thomas
this long process. I thank him deeply. And I wonder: Is there a correlation
through
between Tom's passion for exploringcaves to discover ancient Asian
and the fact that, accordingto tradition (see below, page 571), the Zohar
art
composed in a cave?
was
Margot. How can I express my gratitude to you? You have enabled
Finally,
to devote myself to what I loveÐthat is every scholar's dream. You have
me
only sponsored this immense project; you have participated, probingthe
not
and commentary, skillfully guiding the entire process. I hope that I
translation
responded to your bold generosity by opening up the Zohar for you and
have
all those who, thanks to you, will be illumined by its rays. To you I dedicate
for
Acknowledgments
xxiv
this translation.
D.C.M.