Sunday, September 11, 2011

Kabbalah, Cabala, Qabbalah -- What's the difference?

Let's say you've got 3books onmysticism --
with titles spelled 3 different ways:
Kabbalah --- Cabala --- Qabbalah
Are they all the same thing?
Should they be listedin the same categories?
Or what???
Kabbalah (the most gemonly accepted spelling) is a Hebrew word meaning "that which has been received." It was originally a form of Jewish mysticism -- and among Jews it still is -- but has also been adopted by other groups. Hence the differences in spelling. Because Hebrew is written with a different alphabet, each group made its own decisions about how to render the word into the Roman alphabet.
Although it is not a hard-and-fast rule, the three spellingsindicate three very different markets -- and often give a clue as to which group would be most interested in the book. And that, in turn, gives you a better ideahow to list it. (The same definitions canhelp buyers find the type of books they want, too.)
Kabbalah is the spelling prefered by writers using the traditional Jewish form of this mysticism. It is alsothe spelling used by most Jewish presses. The Jewishform is monotheistic and is closely entwined with the traditional rituals, liturgy, and practicies of Judaism. In some cases, there is also an overlap with Hasidic Judaism, because the Hasidic philosophy incorporates many concepts from Kabbalah. If you do a search for Kabbalah, you will find primarily Jewish items. So, a book of this type would be best listed under:
Books

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