Short essays on Parashat Hashavua. Talks on the Parasha recreates the warm, intimate atmosphere of a personal encounter with Rabbi Steinsaltz. While providing insights that are meaningful for the Jewish collective, it speaks to every individual as well. To Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, the Torah contains within it many worlds. The themes, the language, the myriad ways in which to understand and interpret it ¿ all of these are worlds that both exist independently and are connected to one another, inextricably linked from within and from without. What emerges from the totality of the Torah¿s manifold shades of meaning is that the Torah is essentially ¿the book of the chronicles of man.¿ The Torah ¿ addressing, in particular, the Jewish people and the individual ¿ helps the reader understand not only what happened in the past and what ought to happen in the future, but also the meaning of his or her own life.
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.
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.
The characters and heroes of the Bible are some of the best known in all of history. We encounter them again and again, in art, literature, and folklore. Yet these Biblical men and women remain among the most elusive, enigmatic and least understood of any heroes. Biblical Images, a collection of twenty-five portraits of Biblical figures, explores what is hinted at in the Scriptures to help us understand these characters from within, to analyze their motives, and to appreciate their spiritual experiences and aspirations. It is a subtle yet penetrating study of men and women of the Bible who personify profound truths about the human experience. Book jacket.
God didn’t design the Seder to put your kids to sleep. Instead, the Seder is an experience your family should love, treasure and remember. Have you ever wondered that there might be something more to Passover, the Seder and in the Haggadah—something that just might hold the secrets to living the life of joy and meaning that you were intended to? In The Telling, Mark Gerson, host of The Rabbi’s Husband podcast and renowned Jewish philanthropist, shows us how to make the Seder the most engaging, inspiring, and important night of the Jewish year. By using this book, you’ll be able to: · Lead the Seder with wisdom, confidence and fun that guests will remember · Make the Haggadah burst alive with insight for our opportunities, questions and challenges · Show Gentile friends the richness of the Jewish tradition · Instill a lasting love of Judaism within your children · Bring your family closer together and closer to God The Telling will enable you to see what the Haggadah really is: The Greatest Hits of Jewish Thought. This understanding will enable you to provide your guests with the most interesting, insightful and practically helpful night of the year—with teachings and lessons that will continue to brighten in the year to come. What leaders are saying about The Telling: Senator Joseph Lieberman: In The Telling, Mark Gerson brilliantly illuminates some of the big questions from the Haggadah whose answers can define what constitutes a meaningful life. By showing how the Haggadah enables its readers to deploy ancient Jewish wisdom to help answer the most contemporary questions, this book will help your Pesach to be what it can be: a life-guiding event, every year, for anyone who learns enough to give it the opportunity. Yossi Klein Halevi, Author of Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor and Like Dreamers Once a year, shortly before Pesach (emphatically not Passover!), Mark Gerson steps out of his role as a world-class entrepreneur and becomes a teacher of Torah—or more precisely, of the Haggadah. Those sessions have become legendary, and this book helps explain why. Here is Gerson's inimitable voice—passionate, erudite and most of all deeply in love with Jewish wisdom. Read this book to understand why the Haggadah has endured as a seminal Jewish text and why it remains no less relevant today than when it was first written. Gordon Robertson - CEO, The Christian Broadcasting Network "The Telling is the perfect introduction for those desiring to explore this aspect of Jewish life. This book is full of knowledge and thought-provoking questions and answers to the many mysteries that surround this sacred Jewish holiday." Sarah Waxman - Founder, At the Well "Just when I thought I knew everything about the Haggadah, I opened up Mark's book, and sure enough, I found myself thinking differently, questioning, and wrestling with big new ideas. I am excited to bring these ideas forward to my family's Seder and meaningful conversations all year round." Pastor Judy Shaw - Judy Shaw Ministries "As believers, there is so much we can gain from the story of the Exodus Passover, when God brought the children of Israel out of bondage by His mighty hand. With the powerful book The Telling by Mark Gerson, you will learn from a Hebrew perspective many hidden aspects of the Passover story that will bless your life. Get ready to encounter the God of the miraculous like you never have before!"
Can an ancient king supply a salve for our modern spiritual restlessness? "King Solomon wisely taught that we must live each stage of our lives in a constructive way. As long as we have goals and aspirations, we are alive; we are growing; we are using the gift of time in a meaningful way." ―from Chapter 1, “When There Is Life―Live!” Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD, mines the biblical literature attributed to King Solomon, the Hebrew Bible's model of wisdom, for the answers to life’s important questions. Ecclesiastes―What is life’s meaning and mission? What is my significance in the vastness of space and the eternity of time? Proverbs―How can I help maintain a healthy society, with a focus on truth, compassion and moral courage? The Song of Songs―How can I achieve a genuine, soul-satisfying relationship with God? More than biblical commentary, Rabbi Angel shows us how Solomon’s wisdom can soothe the contemporary disquiet of all of us seeking a thoughtful, challenging and spiritually vibrant approach to life.
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz ¿ renowned scholar, philosopher and spiritual guide ¿ here reveals the essence of the Jewish calendar. With a unique combination of intellectual brilliance and accessibility, Rabbi Steinsaltz probes the meaning of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, Hanukka, Purim, Pesah and the other Jewish holidays. His insights provide whole new ways of understanding the holidays, appreciating their depth, and experiencing them to their fullest: ¿Our festivals and holidays, remembrance days and special occasions, ensure that the paths of our lives do not remain merely dusty roads lacking meaningful points of distinction¿ These special days are the landmarks, signposts, and lights along the way¿openings through which we may emerge from the stagnancy and rut of life¿s routine. They provide us with opportunities not only to celebrate and mourn, but also to renew and change ourselves¿¿
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's mystical teachings on the weekly Torah portions are widely studied by students and admirers around the world. The Rebbe saw the weekly Torah portion as an inexhaustible source of new ideas, insight into current issues, and profound relevance for daily life. He urged his followers, as well as everyone who came into contact with him, to seek daily inspiration from studying the Torah.This second volume of DAILY WISDOM, in the tradition of the highly acclaimed first volume of DAILY WISDOM, presents these daily inspirations in a clear, user-friendly format. Like its predecessor, this volume comprises 378 daily lessons, each of which offers a taste of the Rebbe's vast and deep teachings, filled with love for humanity, pragmatic optimism, and the conviction that evil and negativity will disappear when we learn to emphasize goodness and kindness. These ideas are woven together throughout the book, resulting in a precious daily resource that will enrich and elevate the lives of all readers.
In My Rebbe, celebrated author and thinker Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz shares his firsthand account of this extraordinary individual who shaped the landscape of twentieth-century religious life. Written with the admiration of a close disciple and the nuanced perceptiveness of a scholar, this biography-memoir inspires us to think about our own missions and aspirations for a better world.
