The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis – Commentary on Genesis 1-3 by David Chaim Smith. Out now.
DAAT PRESS are proud to announce the release of The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis – Commentary on Genesis 1-3 by New York based writer, artist and mystic David Chaim Smith. Available now on Amazon.com.
The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis is the first book of its kind. It rigorously re-examines the first three chapters of the book of Genesis from a radical non-theistic position, completely removing the concept of a creator God. Despite this ‘heretical’ position, the book utilizes a traditionally precise kabbalistic vocabulary and structure. Previous works that have attempted to unpack the text invariably rely on theistic dogma and mythology. Smith’s book is absolutely devoid of conventional religious ‘truth’, and probes the ultimate mysteries using epistemological and ontological questioning from a base of gnostic realization. The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis was previously only available to a small group of Smith’s students and close colleagues, but it is now apparent that this work is enormously important and had to be made available to a wider audience.
‘An amazing book – boy does it have chutzpah!’
– Hymenaeus Beta, Frater Superior, O.T.O.
‘A gifted artist who has a deep contemporary understanding of Jewish mystical wisdom, David Chaim Smith takes us into the domain where zero is one, where the all is nothing, and where the creative moment is constantly renewing itself. ‘The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis’ is not a book simply to read, but to contemplate and live with.’
– Rodger Kamenetz, author of ‘Burnt Books’ and ‘The Jew in the Lotus’
Smith has previously discussed his work on the Thelema Now! podcast which can be found on the USA Grand Lodge O.T.O. website. He has also recently been interviewed specifically about ‘The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis’ for the podcast. Watch the Grand Lodge site for details of when the interview will be aired.
Information about David Chaim Smith:
Smith was born in 1964 in New York City. His education and early career was as a visual artist throughout the 1980s. In 1990 he began an immersion into the Hermetic Qabbalah, which included ritual work with several occult orders. In 1997 he abandoned visual art for dedication to mystical practice, from which came a unique blend of Chassidic mysticism and traditional Kabbalah with Hermeticism. This coalesced through working with the 13th century text Fountain of Wisdom, which he mapped out diagrammatically. The resulting symbol system served as the basis for his 2007 return to visual art. He currently lives in New York City with his wife Rachel. See: www.davidchaimsmith.com for more information about the artist and his work.
Information about Daat Press:
Daat Press is a new publishing house based in Glasgow, Scotland (UK). We are a small group of writers, editors and artists with over fifteen years experience working in art, art criticism and academic publishing for national and international publications. The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis is our first publication.
Daat Press is dedicated to publishing inspired and experimental work in these areas: Aesthetics, Art, Art Theory, Fiction, Mysticism and Psychoanalysis.
See: www.daatpress.com and email: contact@daatpress.com for more information.