What guided Abraham in war and peace? What did Isaac really think about his two sons? How did the debacle of the Spies unfold? In New Interpretations on the Parsha, on the weekly Torah readings and on the holidays, an outstanding scholar answers these and many other questions. Combining erudition with sociological and psychological insight and written in a clear and straightforward style, this is a book of rare originality, intelligence and religious force.
In this second volume of his long-anticipated five-volume collection of parashat hashavua commentaries, Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks explores these intersections as they relate to universal concerns of freedom, love, responsibility, identity, and destiny. Chief Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy, and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under Gods sovereignty. Erudite and eloquent, Covenant Conversation allows us to experience Chief Rabbi Sacks sophisticated approach to life lived in an ongoing dialogue with the Torah.
Every human being is presented with the ''human challenge'': How do I grow? How do I become wise? How do I sanctify the world around me and make it a better place? How do I work on my character? How do I integrate work and food and intimacy into my life's goals? This volume is an attempt to answer these questions for the intelligent and sensitive adult reader. It draws significantly on deeper Jewish thought, balancing brevity with profundity. The Human Challenge provides a rich and exciting entry point for those who are at the early stages of their relationship with Judaism as well as significant benefit to those with an extensive background, as it provides a methodical and sourced overview of topics that may otherwise remain as fragmented insights.
In this first of five Parsha Companions, Rabbi David Fohrman delves into the biblical text, asking intriguing questions and detecting patterns that, once you see them, seem to leap off the page. He helps the reader really listen to the Torah ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚"ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚€ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚" carefully, lovingly, and attentively. The reader's reward is the chance to perceive the richness in the Torah many of us had never imagined was there, and to be touched deeply by a close encounter with the words of our Maker.
Whether you are studying the Bible for the first time or you're simply curious about its history and contents, you will find everything you need in this "accessible, well-written handbook to Jewish belief as set forth in the Torah" (The Jerusalem Post). George Robinson, author of the acclaimed Essential Judaism, begins by recounting the various theories of the origins of the Torah and goes on to explain its importance as the core element in Jewish belief and practice. He discusses the basics of Jewish theology and Jewish history as they are derived from the Torah, and he outlines how the Dead Sea Scrolls and other archaeological discoveries have enhanced our understanding of the Bible. He introduces us to the vast literature of biblical commentary, chronicles the evolution of the Torah’s place in the synagogue service, offers an illuminating discussion of women and the Bible, and provides a study guide as a companion for individual or group Bible study. In the book’s centerpiece, Robinson summarizes all fifty-four portions that make up the Torah and gives us a brilliant distillation of two thousand years of biblical commentaries—from the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud to medieval commentators such as Rashi, Maimonides, and ibn Ezra to contemporary scholars such as Nahum Sarna, Nechama Leibowitz, Robert Alter, and Everett Fox. This extraordinary volume—which includes a listing of the Torah reading cycles, a Bible time line, glossaries of terms and biblical commentators, and a bibliography—will stand as the essential sourcebook on the Torah for years to come.
Rooted in Torah: Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch on the Weekly Parashah and the Holidays is a treasure trove of profound ideas, psychological insights, and creative analysis of biblical Hebrew. For the first time, a selection of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's incisive commentary on the Torah appears in brief, accessible essays, organized by parashah and themes from the Jewish calendar. The author has adapted Rabbi Hirsch's original, flowery style to a concisely written, easy-to-read format ideal for the modern reader.The book focuses on Rabbi Hirsch's use of Hebrew roots to mine the biblical text for meaning and message. Every parashah includes three essays, making this volume a perfect companion to each of the three Shabbat meals. Whether studied at the Shabbat table, in shul, or in the beit midrash, this work will enhance and illuminate the reader's understanding of the Hebrew language, the Torah text, and the timeless legacy of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.
In the Jewish tradition, reading of the Torah follows a calendar cycle, with a specific portion assigned each week. Following on this ancient tradition, Torah Queeries brings together some of the world's leading rabbis, scholars, and writers to interpret the Torah through a "bent lens." This incredibly rich collection unites the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and straight-allied writers, including some of the most central figures in contemporary American Judaism. All bring to the table unique methods of reading and interpreting that allow the Torah to speak to modern concerns of sexuality, identity, gender, and LGBT life. Torah Queeries offers cultural critique, social commentary, and a vision of community transformation, all done through biblical interpretation. Written to engage readers, draw them in, and at times provoke them, Torah Queeries charts a future of inclusion and social justice deeply rooted in the Jewish textual tradition. A labor of intellectual rigor, social justice, and personal passions, Torah Queeries is an exciting and important contribution to the project of democratizing Jewish communities, and an essential guide to understanding the intersection of queerness and Jewishness.
A compelling collection of thoughts on the weekly Torah portion by the acclaimed Jewish philosopher, Yeshayahu Leibowitz. Revealing his rational views on the nature of God and his relationship with Man, Leibowitz challenges our conceptions of the purpose of prayer and the presence of holiness in the world. With unflis\nching honesty and conviction, he demands compliance with Jewish law for its own sake, irrespective of expectations of reward or punishment.
