"Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all acknowledge the Hebrew Bible to be Sacred Scripture. And yet these different, and often contradictory, religions each has its own way of reading the Bible, and interpreting it according to its own later sacred literature." "The Seventy Faces of Torah explains in clear and accessible language the Jewish art of reading and interpreting the Bible and introduces the reader to the major texts and genres of rabbinic literature."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The Torahs Seventy Faces: Commentaries on the Weekly Sidrah Compiled by Simcha Raz Edited with an Introduction by Dov Peretz Elkins The weekly Torah portions have served throughout history as a treasure for teaching and preaching, for law and lore, for discussion and dialog. In each portion, one finds viewpoints and background which elevate the soul, give a sense of awe and wonder, spark encouragement in times of crisis, and motivate creativity and human action. It is no wonder that, over the course of generations, wells of wisdom have sprung from the depths of these weekly lections, from which we can sustain our spirit and slake our thirst, each person according to need and temperament. Pearls of wisdom, ethical lessons, parables, wise proverbs, and tales of parents and children: it is all there. * Our task in this collection of commentaries was to assemble a selection of these treasures, and to present to the reader choice nuggets from these hewn stones. Among the selections are sources from ancient rabbis, Talmudic scholars, and masters of the Midrash, as well as teachers from all periods of our history biblical commentators, Hasidic saints, pious educators and purveyors of ethical tales. The commentaries touch on a plethora of subjects, including relations among people, with our Maker, and with ourselves. In all this, we come to know that our holy Torah has never known boundaries. In every generation, the "people of the book" invested their thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs, recognizing that within these chapters of the Torah are embedded not only pathways that reach to the distant past, but also forms of expression for the harried present and for dreams of the future. (From the Preface)
The Torah's Seventy Faces: Commentaries on the Weekly Sidrah Compiled by Simcha Raz Edited with an Introduction by Dov Peretz Elkins The weekly Torah portions have served throughout history as a treasure for teaching and preaching, for law and lore, for discussion and dialog. In each portion, one finds viewpoints and background which elevate the soul, give a sense of awe and wonder, spark encouragement in times of crisis, and motivate creativity and human action. It is no wonder that, over the course of generations, wells of wisdom have sprung from the depths of these weekly lections, from which we can sustain our spirit and slake our thirst, each person according to need and temperament. Pearls of wisdom, ethical lessons, parables, wise proverbs, and tales of parents and children: it is all there. * Our task in this collection of commentaries was to assemble a selection of these treasures, and to present to the reader choice nuggets from these hewn stones. Among the selections are sources from ancient rabbis, Talmudic scholars, and masters of the Midrash, as well as teachers from all periods of our history biblical commentators, Hasidic saints, pious educators and purveyors of ethical tales. The commentaries touch on a plethora of subjects, including relations among people, with our Maker, and with ourselves. In all this, we come to know that our holy Torah has never known boundaries. In every generation, the "people of the b
Over the past twenty-five years, the presidency of Yeshiva University has been a mighty pulpit from which Dr. Norman Lamm has addressed many of the critical issues that have faced world Jewry and confronted Modern Orthodoxy. As spokesman for the institution that he leads, the movement he champions, and the Jewish people he loves, Dr. Lamm has fearlessly addressed such issues as the possibilities for faith and real religious commitment in the modern world: unity within a fragmented and contentious Jewish community, morality within a libertine contemporary society, and the prospect for Zionism and Israel within the world of nations. He has defined the parameters and structured the vision of Modern Orthodoxy as a vibrant and attractive religious phenomenon that combines fidelity to Jewish tradition while embracing the modern world of knowledge and culture, with tolerance for all Jews and civility toward all humankind. This is the definitive work on modern orthodoxy.
Each of the poems in Seventy Faces arose in conversation with the Five Books of Moses. These poems interrogate, explore, and lovingly respond to Torah texts-the uplifting parts alongside the passages which may challenge contemporary liberal theology. Here are responses to the familiar tales of Genesis, the liberation story of Exodus, the priestly details of Leviticus, the desert wisdom of Numbers, and the anticipation of Deuteronomy. These poems balance feminism with respect for classical traditions of interpretation. They enrich any (re)reading of the Bible, and will inspire readers to their own new responses to these familiar texts.
Over the past twenty-five years, the presidency of Yeshiva University has been a mighty pulpit from which Dr. Norman Lamm has addressed many of the critical issues that have faced world Jewry and confronted Modern Orthodoxy. As spokesman for the institution that he leads, the movement he champions, and the Jewish people he loves, Dr. Lamm has fearlessly addressed such issues as the possibilities for faith and real religious commitment in the modern world: unity within a fragmented and contentious Jewish community, morality within a libertine contemporary society, and the prospect for Zionism and Israel within the world of nations. He has defined the parameters and structured the vision of Modern Orthodoxy as a vibrant and attractive religious phenomenon that combines fidelity to Jewish tradition while embracing the modern world of knowledge and culture, with tolerance for all Jews and civility toward all humankind. This is the definitive work on modern orthodoxy.
We are brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends. We are smiling, laughing, crying, cheering. We are all ages, colors, lifestyles, and abilities. We are the face of Jewish life today.
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.
This book examines biblical and rabbinic law as a coherent, continuing legal tradition. It explains the relationship between religion and law and the interaction between law and morality. Abundant selections from primary Jewish sources, many newly translated, enable the reader to address the tradition directly as a living body of law with emphasis on the concerns that are primary for lawyers, legislators, and judges. Through an in-depth examination of personal injury law and marriage and divorce law, the book explores jurisprudential issues important for any legal system and displays the primary characteristics of Jewish law. A Living Tree will be of special interest to students of law and to Jews curious about the legal dimensions of their tradition. The authors provide sufficient explanations of the sources and their significance to make it unnecessary for the reader to have a background in either Jewish studies or law.
