As the rabbi of a Sephardic synagogue for over twenty years who is himself of Ashkenazic descent and trained in Ashkenazic yeshivot, Rabbi Haim Jachter has a unique vantage point from which to observe the differences in customs and halachot between Ashkenazim and Sephardim. In Bridging Traditions, Rabbi Jachter applies his wide-ranging expertise to explicating an encyclopedic array of divergences between Ashkenazic and Sephardic halachic practice, while also capturing the diversity within different Sephardic communities. Bridging Traditions is essential reading for Jews of all origins who are interested in understanding their own practices and appreciating those of their brethren, and in seeing the kaleidoscope of halachic observance as a multi-faceted expression of an inner divine unity.
In From David to Destruction, Rabbi Chaim Jachter offers new solutions to both classic and previously unaddressed issues in the study of Sefer Melachim and Tanach. Combining traditional commentaries with innovative interpretations, From David to Destruction provides key insights into the spiritual challenges faced by the Jewish leadership and nation during the First Temple period, and applies the narratives of Sefer Melachim to contemporary Hashkafic issues. From David to Destruction: Mining Essential Lessons from Sefer Melachim comprises an intensive study of Shlomo HaMelech, Yarav'am ben Nevat, Beit Achav, Eliyahu HaNavi, Elisha, Yeshayahu HaNavi, Achaz, Chizkiyahu, Menashe, Yoshiyahu, Yirmiyahu HaNavi, and more.ELIZABETH KRATZ, THE JEWISH LINK OF NEW JERSEY: "Learning Tanach is a pleasure at any phase of life; gleaning the layered lessons of our great books and interpreting the struggles, challenges and decisions of our Nevi'im and Melachim seemingly becomes more relevant to our own lives as we age. However, if at the age of 16 or 17 I had had the opportunity to learn Tanach with Rabbi Chaim Jachter, his teachings would certainly have carried me through these many years... How fortunate we are to now have the opportunity to both learn Tanach as adults, with all our varied life experiences in hand, and also sit, albeit vicariously, in Rabbi Jachter's class at TABC.... The book goes through Sefer Melachim chapter by chapter, combining both the main ideas of the Perakim with various questions, material points, commentaries and problems that came up during classroom discourse. In addition to quoting Chazal's explanations, it includes his students' thoughts and interpretations, as Rabbi Jachter has done in previous books. This book goes the extra step of adding Rabbi Jachter's own classroom thoughts and vignettes, often including modern examples of leadership choices and challenges similar to the ones faced by the protagonists of the Sefer."
From the late 1950's through 1980, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt'l ("the Rav" ) would annually deliver a 2-4 hour lecture (derasha) in Yiddish between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur on the topic of repentance and the Days of Awe. In this newly edited and expanded edition, the derashos from 1973-1979 as well as 1964 and 1966 are summarized.
Much confusion persists regarding the laws of pe'ot and electric shavers. Unanswered questions abound regarding these two areas of halachah. The product of thorough halachic and technological research, The Halachic Haircutting Handbook sets out to present what constitutes baseline halachah with respect to these issues. Included in this volume: - How far the pe'ot ha'rosh must extend - How short one may trim pe'ot ha'rosh - Shaving in halachah - The permissibility of electric shavers Breakdown of the types of electric shavers New evidence from Philips Norelco
Frumspeak examines the unique linguistic habits of Orthodox, native-born Americans. This book seeks to draw comparisons with parallel phenomena of Jewish linguistic creation including Yiddish and Ladino and reaches into the linguistic consciousness of the American Orthodox community to reveal how that community thinks, communicates, and educates. The Jewish religion molds the character of this community and determines how it works, builds a home life, celebrates, and educates children. By focusing on Jewish education, the community fosters an intimacy with the classic primary texts of Judaism. These texts are replete with memorable linguistic formulations, vivid imagery, and technical terminology, all of which govern the ways in which Orthodox Jews face the challenges of daily life. Orthodox children often gain academic exposure to sophisticated concepts years before they have to undertake the responsibilities of adulthood. With each new encounter a reference to rabbinic literature is drawn upon, and the classical terms become associated with tangible experience. The result is the English, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Yiddish amalgam that this book terms Yeshivish. Yeshivish grows increasingly prevalent as the American Orthodox community continues to grow into a strong, organized body responsible for its own education and welfare. Frumspeak examines the origins of Yeshivish and attempts to determine its place in religious and linguistic thought. As a dictionary, Frumspeak provides definitions for Yeshivish words and suggests an English equivalent for each. Every entry traces the etymology of the original word to the point at which the word enters the language. All definitions include a sentence drawn from actual experience, to exemplify each meaning and to distinguish it from others.
The Depths of Yonah is a fresh and thorough exploration of what is for many a highlight of the Yom Kippur service, the book of Yonah. This work is a beautiful blend of classic, contemporary and new insights into the beloved book of Yonah with an eye as to why Yonah cuts to the core of what we should be accomplishing on Yom Kippur. Readers of the Depths of Yonah will emerge with a deep appreciation for the richness of the book of Yonah and invigorated for a more meaningful Yom Kippur.
More than three centuries after Baruch Spinoza's excommunication from the Jewish community of Amsterdam, his legacy remains contentious. Born in 1632, Spinoza is one of the most important thinkers of the Enlightenment and arguably the paradigm of the secular Jew, having left Orthodoxy without converting to another faith. One of the most provocative critiques of Spinoza comes from an unexpected source, the influential twentieth-century political philosopher, Leo Strauss. Though Strauss was not an Orthodox Jew, in a well-known essay that prefaced his study of Spinoza, he critically examines modern philosophy's challenge to traditional religion. There he argues that while the Enlightenment had failed to decisively refute Orthodoxy, at the same time, Orthodoxy could only claim to believe its core tenets were true but could not claim to know they were true. Strauss leaves the question at an impasse; both the Enlightenment and Orthodoxy rest on axioms that neither side can fully prove or fully refute. Curiously, Strauss never asks Orthodox Jewish thinkers if his approach to defending Judaism against the claims of the Enlightenment is the same as theirs. This volume poses the question to a group of serious Orthodox Jewish thinkers in an attempt to find out if Orthodoxy has a better answer to the questions raised by Strauss than the one Strauss advanced on its behalf. The seventeen essays in this volume use a variety of approaches, drawing on traditional primary Jewish sources like Scripture, Talmud, and Midrash; medieval rationalists like Maimonides; Enlightenment-era Orthodox sources; Jewish mystical writings like Kabbalah and Chasidut; modern philosophical movements including postmodernism and analytic philosophy; and contemporary Jewish Bible interpretation. While the answers differ, what unites these essays is the willingness to take Strauss' question seriously and to provide "inside" answers, that is, answers given by Orthodox Jews. Much of modern thought tries to square the circle of how to live in a world without belief. The better question is whether it is possible to recover authentic religious belief in the modern world. This volume is an Orthodox Jewish attempt to answer that question, one that no serious person can approach with indifference.
