Do you recommend a version of the Zohar?

[Yid613]

Do you recommend a version of the Zohar??

The Zohar, and most Kabbalistic works, assumes that you understand the other areas of the Torah. This includes the Tanach (OT, from a Jewish perspective), the Talmud (Bavli and Yerushalayim), and various Midrashim. Commentary helps lower the bar but still a good knowledge of the basics is important.

Therefore I would first recommend a good Chumush (First five books of the OT with commentary). The Zohar is arranged by parashas (weekly Torah reading) so you’ll want a Chumush anyway so you can see which section It is talking about.
A good online one is the The Judaica Press Complete Tanach with Rashi - Classic Texts
A good one in book form is the ArtScroll.com -- Stone Editions of the Chumash

For a deeper insight into each parashas "The Midrash Says" is very good. It brings additional information from the various Midrashim and the aggados of the Talmud.

Mystical Concepts In Chassidism :: Kehotonline is a good basic Kabbalictic book. It explains many of the basic concepts.

"Likkutei Sichos" (Collection of Talks) by the Lubavicher Rebbe provides a more mystical understanding of each parashas base on the Zohar and other Kabbalictic texts. I’ve seen some of the volumes in book form and online at Sichos In English

But you want to read the Zohar so . . .
There are three English translations that I am aware of. The first is by The Soncino Press. This version is the one you are most likely to see in Judaica stores. It is a translation based on accepted texts. However the English is a bit dated and it does not contain the complete text. It only contains those sections of the Zohar that are related to each parashas.

The next version is the Pritzker Edition by Daniel Matt. I’ve read some of his other book and he has a lot of non-Jewish Ideas. This translation seems very scholarly not overly reflecting his own ideas. He also did a very good job footnoting the text. The footnotes contain references to Talmudic and Midrashic sources and some commentary. Currently only those sections related to Bereishis (Genesis) and half of Shemos (Exodus) are translated. The problem however is that he is trying to determine what the original text was and use that as bases for the translation but he is not doing so guided by the accepted meaning. Therefore his translation does have errors.

The last version that I am aware of is from the Kabbala Center. It is advertised as a complete translation. But the material girl is not a Kabbalist and nether are those who play with red strings and Kabbala water. I would be very leery of anything from the Kabbala Center.

[NoahideHiker]

Aren't there strict rules concerning the study of Kabbala such as being married, of a certain age, and having had a complete understanding of Torah as well as learning and studying with an established Kabbalist?

[Yid613]

Originally Posted by NoahideHiker

Aren't there strict rules concerning the study of Kabbala such as being married, of a certain age, and having had a complete understanding of Torah as well as learning and studying with an established Kabbalist?

You are correct, I do not know the exact Halachic reason it can now be taught but one non-Halachic explanation I’ve heard is that extraordinary time’s call for drastic measures. The Jews of Eastern Europe under the oppression of xtainity were in a bad way.

There is a story, can’t remember the source, about a King who had a sick son. All the doctors gave their options and suggested cures. One suggested crushing the crown jewels and feeding them to the Kings son. When all the other cures failed that is what the King did.

From: Kislev 19 - Special Days on the Chassidic Calendar

. . . The founder of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760), revealed to his disciples gleanings from the mystical soul of Torah which had previously been the sole province of select Kabbalists in each generation. This work was continued by the Baal Shem Tov's disciple, Rabbi DovBer, the "Maggid of Mezeritch . . .

Rabbi Schneur Zalman went much farther than his predecessors, bringing these teachings to broader segments of the Jewish population of Eastern Europe. . . .

In the fall of 1798, Rabbi Schneur Zalman was arrested on charges that his teachings and activities threatened the imperial authority of the Czar, and was imprisoned in an island fortress in the Neva River in Petersburg. . . . After 53 days, he was exonerated of all charges and released.

Rabbi Schneur Zalman saw these events as a reflection of what was transpiring Above. He regarded his arrest as but the earthly echo of a Heavenly indictment against his revelation of the most intimate secrets of the Torah. And he saw his release as signifying his vindication in the Heavenly court. Following his liberation on Kislev 19, he redoubled his efforts, disseminating his teachings on a far broader scale, and with more detailed and "down to earth" explanations, than before

I should have included Tanya the book that caused Rabbi Schneur Zalman’s imprisonment in my previous post. I would recommend reading the second section, Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah, before the Zohar. It’s available with commentary online at Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah - Lessons in Tanya