"In this work Afterman (Jewish mysticism and philosophy, Tel Aviv Univ., Israel) focuses on a central issue in the study and interpretation of Jewish mystical texts (Kabbalah): Did Jewish mystics have unitive experiences (unio mystica) with the divine—experiences like those of Christian, Muslim, and Hindu mystics, among others—or did they have relational, not unitive, experiences due to the presuppositions of Jewish theology?...Though not original in conception, this is a masterful survey of arcane but important Kabbalistic texts. It is a valuable addition to the literature due to its learned exposition of a wide array of classical mystical texts." -S.T. Katz, Boston University, CHOICE, February 2017, Vol. 54, No. 6

“Overall, this book will play a crucial role in future scholarly thought about mystical union in Judaism and it is highly recommended for all those interested in Jewish and cross-cultural mysticism, as well as medieval Jewish thought more generally.” -Joel Hecker, H-Judaic, H-Net Reviews, September, 2017