Much later I realized I probably had not understood the depths of the ideas in the book, but I was still intrigued by an approach to Judaism that I would never have imagined. He not only suggested I do so but recommended I read his book. So, when I left Zen (for a multitude of reasons that I won’t go into here), and was active on Ricochet at the time, I discovered the writings of His love for Judaism was alive and intriguing, and in commenting on one of his posts, I asked him if he thought I should give Judaism another try. (Zen doesn’t address G-d in its practice.)
Ironically, the more I meditated within the Zen framework, the more I felt a deep connection with G-d. I’d remained a Jew, but had never been religious, and never felt a strong affinity for my faith.
Several years ago, I decided to completely leave Zen Buddhism, which I had practiced for 20 years. In all fairness to you, the reader, I have to give you some background. To say I was shocked, thrilled, and terrified at the prospect of working on this kind of project would be an understatement.
Those were the words that expressed in an email he sent to me almost three years ago, inviting me to co-write a book about Judaism.
