Belogski's Books

Immortality, Resurrection, And The Age Of The Universe: A Kabbalistic View

2007-10-18T20:49:00.000+01:00

Aryeh Kaplan, KTAV/AJOS, 1993

Kaplan, the celebrated author of some 50 books, as also a physicist of some renown, which is evident in this posthumously-published collection of his essays. As the title suggests, the subjects are hardly light reading, but Kaplan’s outstanding ability to make complex subjects accessible to the layman prevails, and the work is a pleasure to read. The essays deal with: the age of the universe, longevity and immortality in Judaic sources, the concept of resurrection, astrology and what he calls ‘male and female’. The first is of special interest (it’s material that I’ve used on many occasions) as it tackles a difficult subject head-on, using a candid and (at least in some circles) unpopular stance and quoting some vital and little-known sources to support his theory. The second half of the book is a translation of the ‘derush ohr hachayim’, written some 166 years ago. It addresses the discovery of fossils, other scientific developments of the time and a Jewish approach to these and other key matters. It was intensely controversial at the time of its publication and after, and a worthy text with which to conclude a remarkable book.

Immortality, Resurrection, And The Age Of The Universe

Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect And Find It's Not Bad to Be Good

2007-10-10T20:54:00.000+01:00

Wendy Shalit, Random House, 2007

This is Wendy Shalit’s second book on the theme of modesty and women reclaiming control in the rapacious sexual environment that pervades much of the contemporary American student and work worlds. Her first book, ‘A return to modesty’ was written when she was interested in, but not committed to Jewish observance; this one post-dates her Teshuvah. She explores the issues of commitment-free relationships, casual sex, the claim in some segments of society that pornography empowers women, and, most significantly, the pressures placed on women to behave ‘badly’ to satisfy contemporary expectations. She claims that many women would prefer not to be promiscuous, but are unable to resist expectations, with the resulting damage to their ability to form happy relationships and self-esteem. She also suggests that aggression and rudeness have become desirable traits in much of society, with calamitous consequences. The book is thorough to the point of being tedious, but offers some interesting and thought-provoking observations.

Girls Gone Mild

Finding The God Of Noah: The Spiritual Journey of a Baptist Minister from Christianity to the Laws of Noah

2007-09-07T16:40:00.000+01:00

J. David Davis, Ktav, 1996

This unusual (and not all that well-written) book is amply described by its subtitle: ‘the spiritual journey of a Baptist minister from Christianity to the Laws of Noah.’ It is an autobiography of a man who would now call himself a Noachide. Davis, who understandably has become a figure of considerable dislike among some Christian groups in the USA began his quest towards observance of the seven Noachide commandments very gradually. When researching into the origins of baptism he discovered that it was ‘borrowed’ from the Jewish mikveh practice. Little by little, he abandoned Christianity in favour not of Judaism, but of the little-known Torah code for gentiles – the seven Mitzvos of the Noachides. He eventually removed the steeple (which he now understood to be a pagan phallic symbol) from his church and converted it to a place of Noachide worship, losing about half of his constituents in the process. He invited rabbis to give classes and began a Noachide movement. His highly unusual life makes a most interesting study.

Finding The God Of Noah

Jewish Mysticism: The Infinite Expression Of Freedom

2007-08-31T16:45:00.000+01:00

Rachel Elior, Littman Library, 2007

Rachel Elior, professor of Jewish Philosophy at the Hebrew University has produced a masterpiece: it addresses the most esoteric areas of Jewish thought in an accessible, sensitive and highly readable way. Some idea of the complexity of the work is conveyed by the translators’ introductory note: ‘we were particularly interested in translating this book because of the extraordinary challenges it presented and because of the importance of its inclusive cultural message’. The book has four section, the first of is a fascinating tour of the literature and objectives of Jewish mysticism. The other three sections deal in turn with the limitless levels of meaning in sacred Jewish texts, the boundless numinous life of the mystic and the mysteries that Kabbalistic sources detect within the Hebrew language. The appendix is also an excellent resource for historical and literary figures of the world of Jewish mysticism and, like all of Professor Elior’s books, it is thoroughly indexed and resourced.

Jewish Mysticism

Abraham! Abraham! Kierkegaard And The Hasidim On The Binding Of Isaac

2007-08-24T16:48:00.000+01:00

Jerome I. Gellman, Ashgate Publishing, 2003

This small book is a gem, containing several essays addressing unusual Hasidic approaches to understanding the Akeidah, contrasting them particularly with the famous ‘teleological suspension of the ethical’ approach of Kierkegaard. Some of the essays are updated version of Professor Gellman’s earlier material in ‘the fear, the trembling and the fire’, but others are completely new. The central part of the book is devoted to Gellman’s main thesis – the similarity between the approaches of the 19th century Ishbitzer Rebbe and Kierkegaard. This might be summarised by the attitude to what Gellman calls ‘sinning at God’s behest’. In addition, the book contains fascinating studies on the attitude to Rabbi Nahman of Breslov to the Akeidah, some creative Midrashic readings and a study of some modern thinkers, such as Yeshayahu Leibowitz and David Hartman.

Abraham! Abraham!

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Learning Yiddish

2007-07-29T07:42:00.000+01:00

Benjamin Blech, Apha Boooks, 2000

A really fun book by the well-known modern-Orthodox author and part of a large, excellent series which really aren’t for idiots at all. There are several Jewish books in this series, including one on Hebrew, the Middle-East and the Talmud. They are all good additions to a library. The book is very attractively presented, yet packed with good material, just like the others in the series. The main text only occupies about half of the page: the rest is taken up with boxes with titles like ‘a gut vort’, ‘oy vey’ and ‘khap a nash’, giving interesting snippets of information. The objective of the book is to give the reader some sense of the context of Yiddish, some basic vocabulary, as well as a great deal of humour, including full Yiddish translations of sections of Hamlet and the Gettysburg Address. Chapters deal with pop culture, life at home, odd-sounding words and even a few exercises to help the reader remember some of them. Great fun.

The Complete Idiot's Guide To Learning Yiddish

Four Arguments For The Elimination Of Television

2007-07-20T08:43:00.000+01:00

Jerry Mander, Perennial, 1978

This is not strictly a Jewish book, although it is written by a Jewish (albeit assimilated) author, and examines a theme often raised in religious circles: the value or otherwise of television. Mander, a disaffected advertising mogul, speaks from the heart about the damage he considers television causes to individuals and to society as a whole. He argues without any religious motivation that television is irredeemable and dangerous beyond control. Some of his arguments are dated (and others unconvincing), but the bulk of the book is makes fascinating and disturbing reading. His four arguments are named: ‘the mediation of experience’, ‘the colonisation of experience’, ‘the effects of television on the human being’ and ‘the inherent biases of television’. While I found the third and fourth arguments problematic, the first two are very powerful. He explains that the television version of reality has replaced ‘actual reality’ in many peoples’ minds and explores the consequences. A disquieting, gripping read.

Four Arguments For The Elimination Of Television

The Talmud: A Reference Guide

2007-07-13T15:59:00.000+01:00

Adin Steinsaltz, Random House, 1989

Rabbi Steinsaltz’s reference guide to the Talmud is an excellent English-language resource for students and potential Talmudists at all levels of ability. It offers clear and concise definitions of important phrases, concepts and translations of commonly-met but not-so-easily-translated words. The first part of the book offers a good introduction to the whole Talmud experience – its history, purpose and an excellent chapter on the historical background, culture and language of the Talmud. Following this, there are various reference sections, dealing in turn with Jewish communities of the Talmudic era, the sages of the Talmud, the tractates, the layout of a page of Talmud, and various glossaries. The main part of the work provides sections on methodology, terminology halachic concepts, Talmudic weights and measures, and the process of decision-making. It’s an invaluable resource.

The Talmud: A Reference Guide

The Rabbi's Cat

2007-07-06T07:12:00.000+01:00

Joann Sfar, Pantheon Books, 2005

This graphic novel, originally in French, is an unusual read. It looks like a children’s book, but it isn’t: it contains some definitely adult material and the themes are also intended for an older audience. Starting in Algiers in the 1930s, the book tells the story of an amiable widowed rabbi, his attractive (and badly behaved) daughter and his cat. The cat gains the ability to speak by eating a parrot and thereafter is the central character of the story. The cat, wanting to covert to Judaism, engages the rabbi in all manner of dialogue. This and the other events of the narrative (which include the rabbi’s daughter falling in love with a very ‘modern’ rabbi, cultural changes, and advancing modernity) enable the book to explore key religious and theological issues. These are clearly the actual objective of the author. The artwork is interesting, attractive, although not superb. Would make a good gift.

The Rabbi's Cat

Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society

2007-06-29T07:06:00.000+01:00

Rabbi Jacob Joseph School, Semi-annual journal

This journal, edited by Rabbi Alfred Cohen, is an invaluable resource. Now at its 53rd edition, it has covered hundreds of contemporary halachic issues. While the articles are generally of good quality (and some are written by major authors), the most useful aspect of the journal, at least from my perspective, is the plethora of sources, which I have used extensively for shiurim. The contents of the current edition (Pesach 2007) will be a good example:

The Unscrupulous Butcher
The Valance of Pain in Jewish Thought and Practice
Woman and Prayer
Kashrut for Children
Pareve Meat
Yemenite Shofar: Ideal for the Mitzvah?

The articles sometimes respond to current issues in the Jewish world (e.g. butcher) or to recent research (e.g. shofar). It’s a fabulous resource and only $32 for a two-year subscription.

No on-line purchase, but click here to download a subscription form

Messianism, Zionism, And Jewish Radicalism

2007-06-22T10:42:00.000+01:00

Aviezer Ravitzky, University Of Chicago Press, 1993/6

Ravitzky, an observant member of the faculty at Hebrew University divides his readable work into four sections, dealing with a modern manifestation of Jewish thought and observant life in its attitude to Messianism. Following the introduction, the subjects tackled are a) radical anti-Zionism in the world of Satmar and Neturey Karta, b) Messianic religious Zionism, c) the dilemma of Agudat Yisrael and d) the Messianism within Chabad. The studies are thorough, well-sourced and convincing presentations of radically different yet highly-influential ideologies. Each is seen as a response to a Jewish world in need of re-interpretation in the light of changing circumstances, war, the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. Parts of the book are a little dated, as there have been significant developments in all four of these groups since its publication, but the book remains the most important of its genre.

Messianism, Zionism And Jewish Radicalism

The Mystical Origins Of Hasidism

2007-06-15T08:24:00.000+01:00

Rachel Elior, Littman Library, 2006

Rachel Elior, a leading expert in Hasidic thought and Jewish mysticism, has published numerous books and articles. This excellent work appeared in 1999 in Hebrew, but has only recently been published in English. The author traces the origins of Hasidism in the 18th century to earlier mystical thought. She demonstrates conclusively that while Hasidism was an innovative mass-movement, its ideals, modes of practice and Kabbalistic innovations were firmly based in previous scholarship and elite activity. Its main deviation was to promote these to the masses. She also shows how the critics of Hasidism were mistaken in many of their assumptions, especially their concern that there were Sabbatian aspects to the Hasidic teachings. Elior’s chapters on the phenomenon the tzaddik and autonomous religious leadership are superb: I also found her section on the development of the Kotzk School to be of special interest. The book has an excellent bibliography (from which I hope will be taken a number of further studies for this column) and a useful section on recent scholarly developments in the field of Hasidim too.

The Mystical Origins Of Hasidism

The Regal Way: The Life And Times Of Rabbi Israel Of Ruzhin

2007-06-08T01:10:00.000+01:00

David Assaf, Stanford University Press, 2002

David Assaf, who is professor of Jewish history at Tel Aviv University, has published a number of books of interest on Chassidut. This is a wonderful study of one of the most contentious figures of early 19th century Jewry, the Rebbe of Ruzhin. Known as the exemplar of a controversial style of leadership, he was known neither for his great scholarship nor his writings, but for his extravagant life-style and noble demeanour. He was the originator of a dynasty that adopted ‘the regal way’, a life of overstated grandeur, which was justified on the grounds that the tzaddik needed to centralise all the resources of the community in order to elevate them. Assaf’s presentation is easy to read and quite fascinating, especially the accounts of the problems Rabbi Israel faced, his imprisonment, his flight from Russia to Austria and the opposition he faced from both the non-religious world and even Chassidic antagonists. Assaf’s study shows the incorporation of hagiography into academic study and demonstrates a light and non-judgemental outlook. A good read, for all sorts of reasons.

The Regal Way

Where God Was Born

2007-06-01T01:06:00.000+01:00

Bruce Feiler, William Morrow, 2005

Feiler, the author of several books on similar ‘walking the Bible’ themes, is an American writer who comes from an assimilated Jewish home and describes his own discovery of his roots and of religion in general. In this work, which is enjoyable and well-written, he travels to Israel and all over the Middle East, meeting people of interest and visiting sites of ancient archaeological value. He describes his feelings at each place, tends to meet people who share his view of the religious world (lots of common goals) and is moved by treading places so replete with history and significance. Yet Feiler, while very respectful of the Bible, seems to be verifying his own flimsy attachment to Judaism throughout the book. The many inaccuracies about Jewish practice are frustrating, and his view on the development, history and nature of ancient Israel informed entirely by non-Jewish ideas. His tale is engaging and his plea for moderation and the implementation of the ideals of the Bible in a peaceful way attractive, but not very Jewish.

Where God Was Born

The Hasidic Movement And The Gaon Of Vilna

2007-05-11T19:21:00.000+01:00

Elijah Judah Schochet, Aronson, 1994

Schochet, who seems to have been named for the Vilna Gaon, presents a rounded and well-documented study of the conflict between the Gaon and the nascent Chassidic movement. In the first half of the book, he presents an interesting study of the ideology of the Gaon, and the huge clash that this engendered with the Chassidim, especially with the Alter Rebbe of Lubavitch. The history and texts of the various bans are particularly useful as are the detailed studies of the infractions, actual and alleged of the new movement. The author considers the challenges posed by Chassidut to the existing rabbinical order and the priority its devotees attributed to charisma and personality, rather than to traditional scholarship. The second half of the book offers a very useful account, again well-documented of the character, scholarly achievements and asceticism of the Gaon himself. His final section ‘evolution out of conflict’ leaves the reader with plenty of food for thought about the lasting, and surprising impact of the conflict.

The Hasidic Movement And The Gaon Of Vilna

Coming Home: 20 Glimpses From The Road Of Return In Modern America

2007-05-04T19:18:00.000+01:00

Compiled by Bostoner Rebbe, Israel Bookshop, 2005

This is an interesting study of 20 typical cases of modern Ba’aley Teshuvah (returnees to Judaism), all of whom have had some association with the Rebbe of Boston, an English-speaking charismatic leader who divides his time between his communities in Jerusalem and Boston. The stories are interesting, although contain no critical elements and try to paint a picture of a broad range of returnees to the Jewish fold. The autobiographical accounts include those of a relative of the Earl of Huntingdon who became a Chassid, an aspiring American politician (whose parents thought that his religious developments indicated the need for psychiatric treatment) and fellows living in Venezuela and Lebanon. We learn of a photographer and a geophysicist who became religious in their youth and of a convert among other Ba’aley Teshuvah. While the book is typical of a certain genre of literature, it is interesting because of the involvement of the Rebbe in each of the subject’s life.

Coming Home

Torat Eretz Yisrael: The Teachings Of HaRav Tzvi Yehuda HaKohen Kook

2007-04-27T18:29:00.000+01:00

David Samson, T.E.Y., 1991

Rabbi T.Y. Kook was the son of the famous Rav Kook, first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Palestine. He was a controversial figure, who seemed to bridge two worlds: he lived in the Ge’ulah neighbourhood of Jerusalem and dressed in conservative style, yet was the rabbi and inspiration of the Gush Emunim ‘settler’ movement and advocated settlement and expansion in all areas of Biblical Eretz Yisrael. He also served as head of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshivah. Scholars are divided as to whether his writings were, as he claimed, a natural fulfilment of the aspirations of his illustrious father or his own, radicalised version thereof. This collection, in English, is a representative sample of his writings about the belief system of the Jewish people and the special nature of the land and state of Israel. The collection provides the reader with a good sense of the ideology of Rav Kook: inspiration, radical, eschatological in tone, with a messianic fervour, especially in relation to the land and the state.

Torat Eretz Yisrael

Jesus In The Talmud

2007-04-20T18:13:00.000+01:00

Peter Schafer, Princeton University Press, 2007

Peter Schafer has compiled a history of the life of Jesus as he believes it is seen by the rabbis of the Talmud. With painstaking care, he pieces together scattered references in the Talmud to build up a picture of the Jesus known to the Jewish sages of old. Some are less than complimentary. I found this book interesting on two accounts. First, the content itself: although the book is not the easiest of reads, Schafer presents a convincing picture of the ‘Talmudic Jesus’. This is especially interesting in the light of the fact that many scholars reject the very notion of a ‘Talmudic Jesus’, assuming that the remarks in our literature refer to someone else. Schafer demonstrates that the sages had a robust attitude to various aspects of Jesus’ existence: his conflict with the sages, his followers’ claim that he was the Messiah and his execution. Second, the author offers an invaluable English-language appendix, in which he provides comparative manuscripts for the sections of the Talmud dealing with Jesus. It is evident that our Vilna editions have been heavily censored. A good addition to my library.

Jesus In The Talmud

Haggadah Of The Chassidic Masters

2007-03-30T13:09:00.000+01:00

Shalom Meir Wallach, ArtScroll, 1990

I like this Haggadah, which contains the standard ArtScroll text, translation and instructions as well as selections from well-known Chassidic teachers. Some of it is quite rigorous – e.g. an analysis of the Targum by a 19th century Polish Rebbe which exposes a key element of the Seder’s methodology. Other parts comprise Rebbe stories, some inspiring, some silly. I particularly like some of the introductions and cute stories of the particular practices of Rebbes.

The piece referred to above:

The Rebbe of Sochachov, author of Avnei Nezer, noted that the Aramaic translation of Onkelos renders ‘you shall tell your son’ as ‘you should show your son’. We are to show him the Exodus, have him see it, in a sense, not merely tell him about it. (Neot Deshe)

This book contains a great collection of stories – some will be good to keep your guests awake at the Seder, others for Yom Tov meals.

Haggadah Of The Chassidic Masters

Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels

2007-03-23T11:07:00.000Z

Hella Winston, Beacon Press, 2005

This is a disturbing book, in which a sociologist examines the lives of people breaking away from rigid Charedi communities, sometimes finding extreme alternatives. The book consists mainly of case-studies of members of the Satmar and Lubavitch communities who are living double lives: in their Jewish world they are normal members of society, but outside they live wild, often immoral lives. The studies are fascinating and engaging, but portray tortured, damaged individuals, who will never really be comfortable with themselves and are unable to find a happy balance in their lives. Sometimes the two worlds cross, with potentially explosive results for the one living the double life and the insular community to which the contradiction has been exposed. The book is well-written and researched and a good read, but is quite unbalanced. Many of those who go astray eventually return to Jewish observance, albeit not quite to the same style life from which they broke away.

Unchosen

The Carlebach Haggadah: Seder Night With Reb Shlomo

2007-03-16T20:39:00.000Z

Chaim Sefansky, Urim Publications, 2001

This is a wacky Haggadah, as its title indicates. It contains the usual text of the Haggadah, instructions for Pesach preparations, laws of the Seder, etc. Beneath the text are Carlebach stories. They are presented in the way one could imagine Carlebach telling them, with liberal uses of phrases like ‘my friends’ and ‘sweet friends’. Some of the stories have little to do with the Seder, but are of general inspirational value and of the Chassidic Rebbe genre. Here is a representative example:

Burning the Chametz

The Karliner says: ‘How do you burn the chametz? With the fire of your heart, with the fire of serving God’. And the fire goes on burning all through Pesach. The holy Rebbe David Lelover says: ‘I once learned how to serve God from the Cossacks. I was passing by a fort where Cossacks got their basic training and I saw them beating another Cossack as a punishment. I asked them, ‘What did he do?’ and they answered, ‘Last night her as standing guard and in the morning we found him half frozen.’ I said he should be given a medal, since despite the cold he held out. The Cossacks laughed and said, ‘You don’t understand! If you’re really serving the Czar of Russia, everything you do gets done with so much fire, it keeps you warm.’’ So on Pesach we are really serving God, once we’ve found the chametz and burned it and our hearts are on fire. (pg. 10-11)

A fun book to browse over Yom Tov.

The Carlebach Haggadah

Ramban As A Guide To Today’s Perplexed

2007-02-23T20:36:00.000Z

Moshe M. Eisemann, Kishenev Yeshivah, 2006

This small book, written in aid of the Kishenev Yeshiva is subtitled ‘mining the Chumash commentary for help in coping with our topsy-turvy world’. It’s an easy read from the master of small but challenging books, Rabbi Moshe Eisemann from Baltimore. The author contends that the best source for understanding the key issues in Jewish thought today is Nachmanides’ commentary on the Torah. Known as the most important commentary after Rashi, and the primary conceptual text, this mediaeval work offers profound insights into the very nature of existence, human beings, Divine influence following creation, free will, miracles, ‘hester panim’, the Garden of Eden, the final end of Mankind, Divine providence, etc. Rabbi Eisemann feels that most issues raised today in the area of Jewish thought can be answered by a careful reading of the Ramban’s commentary. He approvingly quotes the late Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky to the effect that the Ramban does not merely offer commentary to the Torah, but provides a complete philosophy of Judaism. He is particularly interested in viewing the Mitzvot as part of a grand system for personal growth realising the Divine plan in this world.

Ramban As A Guide To Today’s Perplexed

Noble Soul: The Life And Legend Of The Vilna Ger Tzedek Count Walenty Potocki

2007-02-09T00:33:00.000Z

Joseph H. Prouser, Gorgias Press, 2005

This book offer an analysis of the numerous stories, legends, historical accounts, poetry, oral accounts, plays and apocryphal literature surrounding Avraham ben Avraham, known to history as the Vilna Ger Tzedek. He was a contemporary (and according to most accounts, a close disciple) of the Vilna Gaon, who was eventually appended by the Lithuanian authorities and burned at the stake for failing to renounce his new faith. He is buried close to the Gaon in Vilnius. Prouser offers an excellent presentation, which is well resourced, but disappointingly, is rather devoid of analysis. One may have hoped that he would try to uncover the ‘real Potocki’, yet does little work in that direction. Nonetheless, the book is interesting and readable. Some of the material is odd; Prouser provides us with some very strange, but fascinating, parallels to the story of the Ger Tzedek and finishes the book with a poor and ill-conceived discussion of conversion. He advocates proselytising in certain circumstances, based on self-serving reading of texts; one wonders if this appendix was the author’s real motive in writing the book. An interesting read.

Noble Soul

A Person Is Like A Tree: A Sourcebook For Tu BeShvat

2007-02-02T06:58:00.000Z

Yitzhak Buxbaum, Jason Aronson, 2000

Just image, an entire, 275 page book devoted entirely to the celebration of the minor festival of Tu B’Sh’vat. Well, here it is. Yitzhak Buxbaum has produced a marvellous manual for everything you ever wanted on the subject. The book deals with now-quite-trendy Tu B’Sh’vat Seder, which comes to us as a tradition from the mystical circle of the Arizal in 16th century Sefat, but also covers all sorts of other material (he does have to fill nearly 300 pages!). Contents include: ‘the history and customs of the Tu B’Sh’vat celebration’, ‘the spiritual meaning of Tu B’Sh’vat’, ‘the main elements of a Tu B’Sh’vat feast’, ‘a fruit box of teaching and tales’, ‘shorter teachings’, ‘indexed teachings’, ‘longer teachings’, ‘tales’. Buxbaum by profession is really a story teller, as his other books demonstrate. He describes himself elsewhere as a ‘student of Carlebach’ with Semichah in story-telling. A slightly mad book that is also a really useful repository of tales, ideas and recipes for Tu B’Sh’vat.

A Person Is Like A Tree

Chosen By God

2007-01-26T00:40:00.000Z

Joshua Hammer, Little, Brown & Co., 2001

Not one of my favourite recent reads, this book nonetheless provides an interesting insight into religious change and the response it generates in others. Hammer, a journalist charts his rather rocky relationship with his brother. Originally from an American secular background, Hammer’s brother is a Baal Teshuvah with quite extreme inclinations. For the first few years of the brother’s religious journey, they have very little to do with each other, but Joshua decides to re-establish contact with his brother. He spends many Shabbatot with his brother’s family, engaging fully with his lifestyle to try to understand it as best as possible. Hammer describes his brother’s life-changes, and the factors he believes were significant in his background. He also considers his brother’s poverty, his constant need to seek new religious authority figures, as well as the struggles he has with his own children. The book is annoying in parts, as there are some inaccuracies. Examples are ‘8th Av’ – the commemorative fast and the reference to ‘Stalin-Kolin’ Chassidim. I think he meant ‘Karlin-Stolin’!

Chosen By God

The Fear, The Trembling And The Fire

2007-01-19T00:38:00.000Z

Jerome K. Gellman, University Press of America, 1994

This most unusual book, whose subtitle is ‘Kierkegaard and Hasidic Masters on the Binding of Isaac’ is authored by an Orthodox professor at the University of the Negev. In case this seems a remarkably narrow subject, the author has written another book on the same subject, in a field invented by A.J. Heschel, who wrote about the comparison between the thought systems of Kotzk and Kierkegaard. The key part of the study serves to compare the ‘knight of faith’ of Kierkegaard’s ‘Fear and Trembling’ with the approaches of various key Jewish thinkers, with a particular emphasis on the ideas of the Izbitzer Rebbe and his student Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin. Both of these controversial figures advanced the idea of ‘sinning for God’ as a means of understanding the akeidah, as well as other difficult Biblical narratives. Gellman also explores the approaches of other major Chassidic thinkers with Kierkegaard’s ‘teleological suspension of the ethical’ and considers the contribution of Rav Kook’s to the debate. On route, we are treated to a comparison of Rav Kook’s thought with the writings of Hegel. A great intellectual adventure.

The Fear, The Trembling And The Fire

The Evolution-Creation Struggle

2007-01-12T00:35:00.000Z

Michael, Ruse, Harvard University Press, 2005

Ruse, a professor at Florida State University and prolific writer on the subject of evolution, offers a serious academic background to the development of evolutionary theory before and after Darwin and its perceived clash with religion. He gives both ‘sides’ of the debate careful and sensitive treatment in a manner rarely found in this discipline. The author’s basic contention is that both evolutionism and creationism are attempts to understand the world in an era where traditional religion (read Christianity – about which Ruse is quite candid) no longer has the answers. Each attempts to explain the origin and purpose of life; as such, the two sides are closer together than one might otherwise think. His analysis is interesting, accessible (I have no training in the biology at all) and even-handed. He makes an important distinction throughout the book between evolution and evolutionism, which certainly resonates. Although his arguments are entirely based in Christian responses to evolution (Judaism is hardly mentioned) and therefore admit no concept of traditional interpretation (Oral Law), the book is a great introduction to the subject and very thought provoking.

The Evolution-Creation Struggle

All Is In The Hands Of Heaven: The Teachings Of Rabbi Mordecai Joseph Leiner

2006-12-25T13:36:00.000Z

Morris Faierstein, Gorgias Press, 2005

This work, an academic study of the life and teachings of the ‘Ishbitzer’, gave me much pleasure. The thought of Ishbitz and its related schools of Kotzk and Socatchev, are fields of special interest to me. They offer an unusually intellectual and often controversial way of looking at the world. Most contentious among these thinkers was the Ishbitzer, Rabbi M.J. Leiner, who flourished in Poland in the first half of the 19th century. His ideas were considered so radical that they were originally published by a gentile! Faierstein covers the main areas of thought for which the Ishbitzer was best known – determinism, berur (personal clarification), radical reinterpretation of Biblical narrative and antinomianism. His analysis is clear, supported by extensive material from the Ishbitzer’s writings and very well-sourced. He also provides adequate, albeit not extensive background, biography and offers an interesting perspective on the Ishbitzer’s notorious split from his former friend and Rebbe, the Kotzker, in 1839. The book also contains a small amount of material on the Ishbitzer’s grandson, the Rebbe of Radzin (another contentious figure) as well as a fascinating study of the famous ‘Friday Night Incident in Kotzk’, which brought the Kotzer Rebbe much grief. A significant contribution to scholarship in this growing field.

All Is In The Hands Of Heaven

The Documentary Hypothesis And The Composition Of The Pentateuch

2006-12-14T17:39:00.000Z

Umberto Cassuto, Shalem Press, new edition 2006

Cassuto, chief rabbi of Florence in the 1920s and latterly chair of Bible studies at the Hebrew University was a well-known scholar, who wrote in Hebrew as well as in his native Italian. This small work, translated in 1961 from the 1941 Hebrew original is actually an embellished transcript of a series of lectures delivered in Jerusalem in 1940. It is a scholarly, yet accessible, demolition of the Graf-Wellhausen documentary hypothesis of the origin of the Torah. It is based upon his much larger work on the same theme, ‘La questione della Genesi’, which I will leave Italian readers to review! In eight digestible sections, totalling only 120 pages, Cassuto carefully dissects what he calls the ‘five pillars’ on which Wellhausen’ theory rests. They are: the use of different names for the Deity, variations of language and style, contradictions and divergences of view, duplications and repetitions, signs of composite structure in the sections. Cassuto’s sensitivity to nuances in the text is remarkable. Interestingly, although the book is not primarily focused on this, his approach suggests maintaining the integrity of the text, approaching it as an integrated whole using literary techniques.

The Documentary Hypothesis And The Composition Of The Pentateuch

Four Hasidic Masters And Their Struggle Against Melancholy

2006-12-07T16:13:00.000Z

Elie Wiesel, Notre Dame, 1978

One of Wiesel’s little-known works, this book is a study of four great Chassidic Rebbes (Rabbis Pinchas of Koretz, Baruch of Medzebozh, Naftali of Ropshitz and the Chozeh of Lublin), and their struggles with depression. A most unusual book, it is based on a lecture series to a Christian group at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana and carries a forward by a Catholic theologian. It is written in Wiesel’s familiar style, slightly poetic, with ideas streaming into each other; it is psychological and thoughtful in its approach. Most interestingly, it views the melancholy of these leaders as central to their identity, as the medium of their communication with God and man. These leaders, in common with other geniuses, saw the world in a particular way, often largely defined by their tendencies to depression. Wiesel does a great job of describing their ups and downs and their effect on their ability to lead their followers. It is also packed with interesting Chassidic ideas and insights; at the back of the book one will find a ‘synchronology’ most useful genealogies and maps linked to events in the world at large.

Four Hasidic Masters

Defenders Of The Faith: Inside Ultra-Orthodox Jewry

2006-12-01T11:02:00.000Z

Samuel Heilman, Schocken, 1992

Heilman, a professor of Jewish studies at Queens College of the City University of New York, is a well-known commentator on the state of the observant Jewish world. (His latest book, for review once I have read it, is a study of the slide to the right perceived in American Orthodoxy). His comments are deeply considered and based on extensive research and personal experience. ‘Defenders of the faith’ is a study of the Charedi world in Israel in the early 90s. The author spent a great deal of time inside the communities he studied and quotes extensively from conversations and interviews. It is focused almost exclusively on Chasidic communities, although, as the author rightly points out, the dynamic in the Lithuanian communities hardly differs. While he attempts to avoid allowing his personal religious stance to interfere with the study, this is only partially successful. Heilman sees the Charedi world as a collection of paradoxes: risen miraculously from the ashes of the Holocaust, more influenced by modernity than it would care to admit, adhering to a set of rules and norms that seem to become continually stricter, vibrant and growing beyond all expectations. His analysis is interesting, occasionally frustrating, and well worth reading.

Defenders Of The Faith

The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee

2006-11-23T17:47:00.001Z

Wendy Mogel, Penguin Putnam, 2001

This small book is accurately described by its subtitle: using Jewish teachings to raise self-reliant children. The author is a clinical psychologist who leads popular parenting workshops in Los Angeles. She describes herself as having no Jewish content to her life at all until a number of years ago, when she began to discover Jewish teaching. She and her family have become somewhat more observant over the last ten years and she has clearly spent much time integrating Jewish ideas into her practice. She has really excellent advice about all the issues with which modern parents grapple. She tackles respect for parents, motivation at schools, overindulgence, children’s chores and responsibilities in a very sensitive and engaging manner. She has a strong Jewish approach, which she illustrates with quotes from the Talmud and Chassidic literature. Her Jewish material is largely accurate; the author’s occasional inaccuracies are certainly not enough to spoil the book. I learned a lot from her.

The Blessing Of A Skinned Knee

Kaddish For A Child Not Born

2006-11-18T22:05:00.000Z

Imre Kertesz, Hydra Books, 1997

Kertesz, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who was imprisoned in Auschwitz in his youth, won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1992. His book ‘Fateless’ was made into a recent film. This book makes very hard reading, as it consists of 95 pages of almost unbroken prose – no chapter divisions and few paragraph breaks. It is a kind of stream of consciousness in which the narrator speaks to a friend. The main themes are how the Holocaust has pervaded every aspect of his experience, memory and identity and the capriciousness of history. The narrator explains in a tortured manner how he refused his ex-wife’s request to have a child, unable to countenance bringing new life into a world in which such evil has existed and could recur. We are offered a glimpse of his ex-wife’s new family, children that could have been his. This is a sad exploration of failure, disappointment and haunted existence, filled with a sense that the smoke of the crematoria have clouded every moment of the narrator’s later life.

Kaddish For A Child Not Born

I am grateful to Moishe Adler for introducing me to this book and supplying me with a copy.

The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-hatred And The Jews

2006-11-12T07:42:00.000Z

David Mamet, Schocken, 2006

The award-winning playwright David Mamet has produced a beautiful, albeit very harsh read in this new book. Initially attracted by the excerpt on the back (which is exceptionally critical of self-hating Jews), I picked the book up in the USA and couldn’t put it down. Mamet addresses a theme that most to us don’t want to think about – the role of Jews in current anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activities. He offers a rigorous, yet almost poetically stated examination of what must be one of the most unpleasant realities of the modern Jewish world – that much of the invective directed against Israel is instigated by Jews. The author evinces a very strong Jewish identity (occasionally quoting Jewish sources), but sticks mainly to penetrating analysis of the desire to be seen to fit into the rest of the world; how repudiating one’s Jewish identity means for many showing how anti-Jewish one’s views are and how it never really succeeds in the eyes of one’s detractors. Highly recommended, albeit depressing, reading.

The Wicked Son

What’s Bothering Rashi?

2006-10-19T23:56:00.000+01:00

Avigdor Bonchek, Feldheim, 1997 onwards

This set of five volumes (a very kind gift from a congregant) is an attempt at ‘a guide to in-depth analysis of Rashi’s Torah commentary.’ One of my gripes at the methodology often taught to children is that little effort is expended in trying to identify difficulties in the verse that prompted Rashi’s commentary on it. Very often his comment is an answer to a question that he hasn’t stated. Bonchek tries to redress this. He divides his comments into ‘Your question’, ‘Questioning Rashi’, ‘Your answer, ‘What is bothering Rashi?’ , ‘Understanding Rashi’ and ‘Comparing Rashi comments’, among others. They are useful tools for understanding the thought processes that may have led to Rashi’s final comment. In Bonchek’s introduction, he tries to categorise Rashi’s comments, which works quite well. It is a useful study tool; inevitably, it only covers a small number of Rashis, but perhaps after a while, one will absorb his methodology and no longer need the book!

What's Bothering Rashi?

Rescued From The Reich: How One Of Hitler’s Soldiers Saved The Lubavitcher Rebbe

2006-09-26T09:07:00.000+01:00

Bryan Mark Rigg, Yale University Press, 2004

This is one of my most interesting recent lighter reads. The author, an academic at Southern Methodist University, became fascinated with what must qualify as the most unusual rescue story of the Second World War – the rescue of Rabbi I.J Schneersohn and his entourage in 1940 from the ruins of Warsaw. The book, which is extremely well sourced, reveals a plan that took shape in the

USA

, involving lawyers, politicians, and Lubavitch activists, which resulted in a truly astonishing sequence of events. Most amazing of all, however, is the fact that the rescue was actually conducted by a Wehrmacht officer, Ernst Bloch, who himself had a Jewish father. The final section of the study describes the attitude of the Rebbe to rescue efforts once he had arrived in the

USA

. The most interesting part is Rigg’s comparison of the attitude towards the Holocaust of the Rebbe and his successor, Rabbi M.M. Schneersohn. A great read.

Rescued From The Reich

Maimonides On The ‘Decline Of The Generations’ And The Nature Of Rabbinic Authority

2006-09-26T09:05:00.001+01:00

Menachem Kellner, SUNY Press, 1996

The lengthy title should not put the reader off this superb small book by a leading Modern Orthodox academic thinker. The author, an expert on the Rambam and mediaeval philosophy, writes in a readable fashion about complex issues. Here he tackles the thorny subject of rabbinic authority in the thought of the Rambam. Common wisdom states that the Talmudic rabbis are held to have special powers, and perhaps occupy a unique position in Jewish history, which invests them with a matchless degree of authority. The alternative to this would be to challenge the authority of the Talmud. Kellner demonstrates that, at least from the perspective of the Rambam, neither of these extremes is correct. He shows, using an exhaustive set of sources from the Rambam that certain circumstances (which could, at least in principle, be replicated) invested the Talmudic sages with great authority. This is a fascinating academic study that has wide-ranging consequences. It is much less obscure than this review indicates! A book to borrow, as it’s quite expensive for 100 pages.

Maimonides On The Decline Of The Generations

Kol Dodi Dofek – Listen, My Beloved Knocks

2006-09-26T09:05:00.000+01:00

J.B. Soloveitchik,. YU Press, 2006

This is a translation of one of the most famous addresses given by the late Rav Soloveitchik. It was originally delivered in Yiddish in the 50s to mark the 8th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, and later extensively elaborated upon and published in Hebrew in 1961. The name of the essay (taken from Shir HaShirim) indicates that God is ‘knocking’ – calling us to action and that we must not miss a key opportunity. The essay addresses the significance of the State of Israel (from a post-Holocaust perspective) and the obligation that its creation imposes on the modern Jew. A short book (just over 100 pages, with footnotes), it covers some of the most important ‘covenantal’ issues, including the covenants of Sinai, what the author calls ‘the covenant of destiny’ and the loneliness of the Jewish people in history. A classic of modern Jewish inspiration, it is well-worth reading, especially in this accessible and attractive new edition.

Kol Dodi Dofek

With Hearts Full Of Faith

2006-09-26T09:04:00.000+01:00

Mattisyahu Salomon, ArtScroll, 2002

Rabbi Salomon was my mentor and advisor in Gateshead, where he was the Mashgiach Ruchni (spiritual overseer) of the famous Yeshivah there. He subsequently went to the USA, where he now occupies a simlar position at the Lakewood Yeshivah in New Jersey. One of the main roles in the Yeshivah of the Mashgiach is to deliver the ‘schmooze’ – a kind of ethical, inspiration Torah discourse; usually in Yiddish. He has published a number of volumes of them in Hebrew; this is a collection in English (my copy is a gift from the rabbi). They cover a range of subjects that Rabbi Salomon would typically address: faith, prayer, dealing with tragedy, responsibility, etc. The essays are very readable and have been prepared for publication by an able author. The compilation also includes material from various addresses following the 9/11 attacks on the USA, as well as a study of our attitude to Russian Jewry. An interesting and well-arranged collection.

With Hearts Full Of Faith

Equality Lost

2006-09-26T08:57:00.000+01:00

Yehudah Henkin, Urim Publications, 1999

Rabbi Henkin, a well known and quite contentious halachist, has written a number of volumes of ‘Beney Banim’, erudite halachic response on modern issues. He is known for his forward-thinking views on women’s issues, as well as covering the usual range of subjects, such as tefillah, Shabbat, etc.Henkin is the grandson of the very famous Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin, one of the most important halachic decider in America alongside Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. The book under discussion is a small selection of Beney Banim, as well as some other, more exegetical material, in English. There is much on women’s issues, but plenty on other contentious modern subjects too. Indeed, the subtitle of the collection is ‘Essay in Torah Commentary, Halachah and Jewish Thought’. Some of the more eye-catching examples of subjects covered are ‘Women and Kaddish’, ‘Killing Captured Terrorists’ and ‘It May be glatt…’ An interesting collection; well worth a look.

Equality Lost

Tradition

2006-09-26T08:55:00.000+01:00

Periodical, RCA, published quarterly

Tradition is one of the most well-known English-language Torah periodicals; it has been around since the 60s. It contains a wide range of articles, mostly scholarly but some inspirational, as well as book reviews, communications and other interesting bits and pieces. A fairly new and exciting development is the digital revolution. Selected articles from the current and previous recent editions are available on-line at the RCA website. However, only as small selection of back articles are retrievable this way. For $60, however, one can purchase an archive CD with the complete contents of Tradition from its inception to 2000. (I have this, for those who are interested). The edition I have in hand as I write this is the summer 2001 number. It’s articles are representative of this excellent periodical – a critique of lavish functions, a couple of essays on contemporary Jewish life by prominent modern Orthodox thinkers, as well as some serious halachic material by the great Rabbi J.D. Bleich.

Tradition

Do Unto Others

2006-09-26T08:54:00.000+01:00

Abraham Twerski, Andrew McMeel, 1997

The well known rabbi, raconteur and therapist, Rabbi Dr. Abraham Twerski has written numerous books; he often jokes that he has actually written one book in 40 different ways! Actually, this book is somewhat different, in that it deals not with self-esteem, but, as its title suggests, the importance of doing good. It is subtitled ‘how good deeds can change your life.’ This notion is based on a familiar Torah idea – that one who does good deeds vastly enriches his own life as well, of course, helping others. The book is mostly inspiring stories. One that I particularly like and have used on a number of occasions is of a man suffering from a sever delusion that prompts him to stand all day in a contorted position, as though he were holding something up. His doctors were unable to help, but a visitor realised that the man believed that he was holding the world up, and that it would collapse were he to move away. The visitor offered to stand in the same position, thus relieving the man of his job and enabling to gain some respite from his torment for the first time in many years. I like this book – it speaks of the good in people and the fact that small altruistic acts can sometimes affect enormous change.

Do Unto Others

Of Parents And Penguins

2006-09-26T08:53:00.000+01:00

Moshe Eisemann, Privately published, undated

Rabbi Eisemann, the Mashgiach (spiritual overseer) of the Ner Yisroel Yeshivah in Baltimore, has written a number of small books on important themes. This one contains, in his words, ‘some reflections concerning the education of our children and ourselves.’ Rabbi Eisemann, in common with many modern thinkers, believes that the pressures and expectations of contemporary Western life throws up unique challenges to parents and educators. He feels that Jewish books and other educational materials have bought into a shallow view of the world, which he hopes, in some small way to redress. The strange and catchy title is explained in the first essay of the book, in which he describes the nurturing habits of the emperor penguin as a role model of devotion and altruism. The other pieces, all well-written, with a humorous tome, deal with relationships, the impact of materialism, prayer, the balance between work and play and the thorny reality of exile. The book is a small, well-resourced gem. It’s also probably hard to get hold of!

Of Parents And Penguins

Daas Torah – A Jewish Sourcebook

2006-09-26T08:51:00.000+01:00

Daniel Eidensohn, Emunah Press, 2005

This is not really a coherent book, rather an enormous collection of sources in Hebrew and English on key subjects in faith and Torah outlook. The main sections are faith, truth, trusting God, providence, suffering, effort and Mazal, although the actual content is far broader than these would indicate. The author, who lives in Jerusalem, states that, ‘the main purpose of this work is to provide a source of relevant texts – organised for ready access. In the introduction, he emphasises that there is a vital need for a book (this a huge one – 847 close-type pages) that presents primary texts without polemics. No interpretation is provided, merely the text in English and its source, with the original in miniscule Hebrew writing near the back of the book. Eidensohn points out the limitations of translation (I am very concerned about this issue, as we see huge disagreements between the mediaeval scholars about the meaning of even the Torah text) and recognises that it can only provide a tentative understanding. An invaluable sourcebook, which, as far as I know, is only available in Israel.

Daas Torah

A Lifetime Companion To The Laws Of Jewish Family Life

2006-09-26T08:50:00.001+01:00

Deena R. Zimmerman, Urim Publications, 2005

This book, a recent acquisition, was recommended by a friend in the

USA

. It is an excellent and detailed presentation of the background and laws governing family purity and a range of associated topics. While there are many such books on the market, this is unusual in the quality of the background material supplied, which is extensive in the original Hebrew and translation with explanation. But the most remarkable aspect of it is the fact that the author is both an expert in the relevant Jewish laws and a doctor with a particular interest in women’s issues. As such, the text contains a mixture of Halachic and medical advise, scrutinising various subjects from a the vantage point of a doctor. Dr. Zimmerman also includes some most useful appendices on various gynaecological topics. These will be of interest to women in general, and provide useful background to the subject in general. Hardly a light read, especially for those not familiar with this area of Jewish law, but an important addition to the literature on the subject; sensitively written, from a profession and female perspective.

A Lifetime Companion To The Laws Of Jewish Family Life

Rabbi Nachman’s Stories

2006-09-26T08:50:00.000+01:00

Translation: Aryeh Kaplan, Breslov Research Institute, 1983

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was known for many contributions to the Jewish world; but he best-known for his unusual stories. They have been recognised by Jews and non-Jews as profound and curious insights into the world of the mysterious. The stories were originally published in Hebrew and Yiddish, and are translated and annotated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, author of many books. It is well known that Kaplan had an affinity for Breslov, authoring a number of works on behalf of the Breslov Research Institute. In the style of Kaplan’s other works, the text reads very well – it is enjoyable and clear. There are also copious footnotes referring to other Breslov writings, as well as explaining the stories and clarifying any variant texts. Rabbi Nachman wrote a set of stories known as the 13 tales, all of which appear in this collection, as well as auxiliary stories and a number of famous parables. ‘The Turkey Prince’ (about a prince who becomes mad, believing that he is a turkey, and the wise man’s attempt to cure him) is included, as is the much longer ‘Master of Prayer’, a story that I first heard at university, one worthy of serious study. A great, albeit unusual, read.

Rabbi Nachman's Stories

Faith And Folly - The Occult In Torah Perspective

2006-09-26T08:48:00.000+01:00

Yaakov Hillel, Feldheim, 1990

Rabbi Hillel is regarded as one of the foremost Kabbalists in the world. Interesting, although he lives in Israel and of Sefardi extraction, he grew up in Manchester and is very accessible to the English speaking public. This small book (a significant part of which is rabbinical approbations) is a translation of Chacham Hillel’s Hebrew work on the theme of the occult from a Torah perspective. Disturbed that many, even very observant, people get involved with occult practices that are strictly forbidden by Jewish law, he clearly and simply distinguishes between permitted and prohibited practices. Having discussed the true basis of the Kabbalistic tradition, the author offers an alphabetic list of common practices, each of which he assesses and rules on. Everything is properly sourced. Examples of practices considered are: communicating with the dead, palmistry, name checking, dream interpretation, casting lots and relying on omens. This is a work that I have consulted on many occasions.

Faith And Folly

The Tzedakah Treasury

2006-09-26T01:09:00.000+01:00

Avrohom Chaim Feuer, ArtScroll, 2000

I bought this book on a recommendation from a colleague, in preparation for a series of shiurim on the subject of tzedakah. The author, whom I met in the USA a few years ago, is an outstanding scholar, and most engaging personality; an academic as well as having been the rabbi of an ordinary American Shul. The book is a mixture of ideas and inspiration about the importance of tzedakah and the laws governing its distribution. Rabbi Feuer dedicates the first 100 or so pages to the significance of tzedakah, its benefits and spiritual value. There is, as one would expect, a discussion of the Rambam’s eight levels of tzedakah. The remainder of the book deals with the halachic issues concerning ma’aser (giving a tenth of one’s income to charity), the correct attitude towards recipients, dealing with pledges, the importance of supporting Torah causes and prioritisation in giving. The book also deals with the subjects of giving to specific or ‘pet’ projects and what to do when you suspect that a collector isn’t genuine. This is a valuable part of my library; it is especially useful in that it deals with many real-life examples.

The Tzedakah Treasury

Rachel’s Daughters – Newly Orthodox Jewish Women

2006-09-26T01:08:00.000+01:00

Debra Renee Kaufman, Rutgers University Press, 1991

I recently bought this book in the USA; I have mixed feelings about it. It is listed under ‘Women’s Studies/Sociology’, but is really a book of feminist self-examination. The author, clearly fascinated by the very idea that well-educated women would choose to become Orthodox Jews, tackles her interviews and analysis with an obvious feminist preconception. However, she is honest enough to admit that while she has not been persuaded to become religious, she has is open to ‘to new styles of sociological inquiry, to the recasting of theories and to the rethinking of feminism.’ The author interviewed 150 newly-observant women, whose experiences and particularly motives for becoming religious form the main part of the book. She clearly acknowledges the differences between various styles of Judaism (Chassidic, Chabad, Modern-Orthodox, etc.). As one would expect, quite a lot of the book looks with some perplexity at the role of women in Judaism and the issues (if any) that the newly-observant women face as a result. An interesting book – don’t buy it, borrow it.

Rachel's Daughters

God, Man And History

2006-09-26T00:49:00.000+01:00

Eliezer Berkovits, Shalem Institute, 1959/2004

This short book is a recent acquisition, and is understood to be Berkovits’ magnum opus in the field of Jewish philosophy. A profound thinker not shy of controversy, Berkovits wrote some 19 books. He was an articulate and persuasive author, who is identified with the Modern Orthodox camp and best known for his work ‘Faith after the Holocaust.’ The republication of this book (and I believe that more of Berkovits’ works are to be reissued) is an opportunity to rediscover a truly profound and unusually thinker – a great scholar, as well as modern theologian. In this work, Berkovits takes on the nature of the human encounter with the Divine, and in an attempt to merge philosophy with theology, discusses revelation, the nature of the Divine, eschatology and the function of the State of Israel for Jews and Judaism. The parts that I liked best were his re-examination of the Rambam’s rationalistic view of the Mitzvah system and the analysis of the purpose of Halachah, which I found to be masterful. The book is quite hard going, but well worth it. I intend to read it again quite soon, and it is likely that I will quote it in sermons!

God, Man And History

Gesher HaChaim

2006-09-26T00:48:00.000+01:00

Y.M. Tucazinsky, Moznaim, 1983

This small, yet remarkable work is a translation into English (from Ivrit) of the last section of the classic three-volume work on the subject of death and dying. The original, published in 1960, has remained the seminal reference work on all aspects of the Jewish approach to the subject, both in Halachah and Hashkafah (outlook). While the first two parts (which remain untranslated) are purely Halachic, this third part is the author’s look at the processes of death and dying as a transition from one realm to another. (Gesher HaChaim – the Bridge of Life – refers to death as the process of transition.) Rabbi Tucazinsky deals with the existential questions that trouble all of us – particularly the painful riddles of the apparent randomness of experience, the survival of the human soul, the greatness of man and the theme of the resurrection of the dead in the future. One of the most extraordinary parts of this work is the introduction by the author’s son, in which he describes his father’s own death, how he approached it and what one can learn from it. I have always found this particularly inspiring. This is a book I lend to people who have been bereaved, many of whom have found it very illuminating.

Gesher HaChaim

Scapegoat On Trial

2006-09-26T00:45:00.000+01:00

Mendel Beilis, CIS, 1992

This is the autobiography of Mendel Beilis, translated into English and introduced and edited to make it accessible to a modern audience. It tells the story of Beilis, who was the defendant in a 1912 blood libel trial in Kiev. A boy was murdered and, following the style of mediaeval blood libels, Beilis was accused of killing him for ritual purposes (to supply blood for Matzah manufacturer). It is astonishing that this took place only around 100 years ago (sadly, events of this sort have resurfaced even in recent years). The introduction is a good background essay to the whole sordid history of the blood libel, of which the notorious first recorded case was in Norwich in the 12th century. Beilis was not a learned man, and he got caught up in the matter, without the knowledge or real ability to defend himself. Various important rabbinical figures, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe, got involved, supplying expert material and advice to Beilis and his legal team. The story of the trial is told in the first person, in a very personal and simple style. A martyr not by choice, he clearly handled his situation with great bravery and dignity; he was eventually acquitted.

Scapegoat On Trial

The Katz Passover Haggadah

2006-09-26T00:43:00.000+01:00

Baruch Chait et al, B & B Septimus, 2003

There are so many Haggadot (I have basically given up buying English-language ones) that is unusual to find a new one containing something really worth recommending. This Haggadah, subtitled ‘the art of faith and redemption contains the most stunning and inspiring pictures. Each page is a work of art, intended for all ages, illustrating textual, Midrashic and historic aspects of the Exodus story. The 10 plagues are of particular interest – each is given a picture of its own; when one looks at them closely, one finds impressive and sometimes unfamiliar detail. A look at the back of the book reveals detailed breakdowns of the pictures, with each nuance attributed to a Torah source. The author has ensured that the text remains readable, despite the pictorial detail; we have all encountered illustrated Haggadot that while beautiful, are also unreadable. The forward and background essays at the back of the book are excellent, making reference to secular historical, as well as Torah, material. The Haggadah also comes with a small booklet, offering the mandatory halachic guidance. A great complement to the Seder and good reading with the kids during Yom Tov. Clearly the Mitzvah of Haggadah is one of Mesorah, a passing on during the night of passing over. On this holiest of nights the future must seek the inspiration of the past; history must seek justification and fulfilment in destiny.

Lighting Up The Night

2006-09-26T00:41:00.000+01:00

Moshe Eisemann, Artscroll, 1992

This is an English-language Haggadah, containing a basic Haggadah at the beginning and a collection of essays at the back. It is written by Rabbi Eisemann, one of the most outstanding educators in the current English-speaking world – he is the Mashgiach of Ner Yisrael in Baltimore, and a world-famous figure, author of many books. In common with his other similar works (most notably his collection of essays on the Machzor for Yamim Norayim), his penetrating style leaves the reader refreshed and inspired. There is a lot of emphasis on the pedagogical aspects of the Haggadah – the early parts, including the four sons and the answer to Mah Nishtanah. This fits the subtitle of the book: what does the Haggadah really tell us about our children. To best understand the book, a quote from the author’s introduction will suffice. Clearly the Mitzvah of Haggadah is one of Mesorah, a passing on during the night of passing over. On this holiest of nights the future must seek the inspiration of the past; history must seek justification and fulfilment in destiny.

My Uncle The Netziv

2006-09-26T00:37:00.000+01:00

Baruch HaLevi Epstein, Targum Press, 1998

This book is a translation into English of sections of the ‘Mekor Baruch’, a four volume autobiography of Rabbi Epstein. This particular part deals with the life of the author’s illustrious uncle, Rabbi N.Z.Y. Berlin, known universally as the Netziv. The main autobiography deals with the author’s life and experiences of hardship and relocation during the First World War, as well as his changing religious life. The Netziv, the subject of this book was an interesting thinker, Rosh Yeshivah of Volozhin, and leader, who lived through tumultuous times. While hardly a free-thinker, he was very much in tune with the world around him, read newspapers and even led a Saturday-night group for the Yeshivah boys discussing current affairs. The challenge to the Yeshivah curriculum of the Czarist authorities is a major theme in the book, as is the development of the Netziv’s keen social observational skills. He was an outstanding Talmudist, author and critical thinker. His struggle to maintain the Yeshivah against mounting hostility (it eventually closed) is also addressed in detail. This book was deemed by some to be risqué and was withdrawn by the publisher. I bought one immediately, just before it went out of print.

Jewish Tales Of Holy Women

2006-09-26T00:34:00.000+01:00

Yitzhak Buxbaum, Jossey-Bass, 2002

Buxbaum is the author of a number of slightly way-out, but fascinating books on Judaism, including two on Tu B’Shvat and others on story-telling themes. He describes himself as having ‘semichah in story-telling’ from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach’; he even prints the text of his ordination at the front of the book (it’s a spoof on a real semichah!) The book itself contains numerous stories, of varying length, most with Chassidic or other righteous women as their central character. In many, the woman fulfils the ‘rebbe’ type role. The tales address the common themes of poverty, illness, childlessness as persecution, as well as offering inspiring insights into interesting and little-known virtuous lives. In many of them, there is a sense that the righteous woman was years ahead of her time, born into an age when her contemporaries found her gender impossible to reconcile with her abilities and spiritual leanings. One, called ‘pawn’ describes the wife of the Rebbe of Vishnitz, who pawned her jewellery to pay for the dowry of a widow’s daughter. The remarkable part of the story is that she then told everyone that her jewellery had been stolen, in order to conceal what she had done. A great book for those long winter Friday nights.

The Jewish Fact Finder

2006-09-26T00:33:00.000+01:00

Yaffa Ganz, Feldheim, 1988

This unusual book (unusual in content, shape and size) is a collection of information that anyone might need to have to hand about Judaism. It is suitable for adults, although will be useful for kids and is probably intended for alder children. It contains lists of ‘things’ one might wish to know, including detailed genealogies from Tenach, and an impressive section providing lists of key figures in Jewish history. These include the main figures of the Talmudic generations, later teachers, all the way through to the Rishonim and beyond, right until modern times. Other sections include ‘the holy books’, ‘the Mishkan, ‘Eretz Yisrael’, ‘the Hebrew language’, ‘brachot’, ‘the calendar’, as well as an interesting miscellany. I like the Ivrit section, providing some key vocabulary, as well as the miscellany, which includes, for example, ‘the 13 character traits of Rabbi Yisrael of Salant’, a good list of Biblical and Talmudic measures, the ten trials of Avraham and the ten martyrs of the Roman era. It’s a useful handbook, one that I have used on many occasions, when I can’t think of the last one of a list.

The Real Messiah

2006-09-26T00:30:00.000+01:00

Aryeh Kaplan, NCSY/OU, 1976/1985

This short book is part of a genre of anti-missionary literature that sprung up in response to aggressive missionary activities directed at Jews by some evangelical groups. Kaplan’s book is not interested per se in Christianity, rather in ensuring that Jewish know how to respond to missionaries should they be targeted. The book (which is only 105 pages long) consists of a selection of essays, most by Rabbi Kaplan, the rest by other contemporary Jewish thinkers. Rabbi Berel Wein considers ‘ecumenicism and dialogue’ by examining the disputation of the Ramban, while Kaplan focuses more on the issues of Messianic teaching, the reason that Jews cannot consider Jesus to be the Messiah, and the sad reality of the life of a Jew who has become a Christian. One of the most moving and inspiring parts of the book is the final chapter, which details the life of a girl who became a ‘Messianic Jew’ at university and how she eventually found her way back to Judaism. Kaplan’s book is measured, but hard-hitting when it needs to be; he is only interested in sparring with Christians when Jewish kids are at stake. An important resource that I have used countless times.

In My Flesh I See God

2006-09-26T00:28:00.000+01:00

Avraham Yaakov Finkel, Aronson, 1995

This unusual study is billed as ‘a treasury of rabbinical insights about the human anatomy,’ it is based on the mystical concept that every human is an ‘olam katan’ – world in microcosm. This profound concept, which appears in Avot D’Rebbi Natan and in Kabbalistic works, informs the approach of the entire work. In the first part, ‘Man is a small world’, a general approach to the subject is provided, including a foray into Kabbalah and a comparison of man as a refection of the ten esoteric sefirot. The second section contains a detailed look at every party of the body from the head downwards. The final part of the book provides a wealth of fascinating material on such related subjects as ‘man and wife’, ‘sleep’, ‘cleanliness’ and ‘old age’. Each section of the book comprises numerous Torah sources, all in English, with short paragraphs linking them together. Finkel quotes from an eclectic range: Talmudic, Chassidic, Sefardic, mystical and Midrashic. As the author notes in the introduction, he hopes to make sources available for the first time to a wider audience, as many of them have never been translated before.

Reb Simcha Speaks

2006-09-26T00:22:00.000+01:00

Yaakov Branfman & Akiva Tatz, ArtScroll, 1994

The authors, both students of Rabbi Simcha Wasserman, (Rabbi Tatz is a cousin) offer insights about the life and ideas of a great Jewish leader. Rabbi Wasserman was the son of the great Rabbi Elchanan, head of the famous Baranovitch Yeshivah, who was martyred by the Nazis in 1941. He was a Torah leader in post-war America and then in Israel. I have a special interest, as I heard him speak just twice in Jerusalem in 1987, although some of the ideas I heard from him have had a profound influence on the way I approach the rabbinate and outreach. The book itself captures the man’s amazing insight and personality through his penetrating and sensible approach to the world. Reb Simcha was a founder and agitator of the Teshuvah movement, and much of the book is dedicated to understanding this remarkable phenomenon. One section that I have found particularly useful is the one dealing with Kabbalah – exploding myths and answering key questions in a simple and accessible manner. The section on child rearing and education is highly recommended. Sadly, the Wassermans had no children, but Reb Simcha is quoted as saying that he had plenty of experience in the field from the way in which he was raised by his own parents!

Marital Intimacy

2006-09-26T00:17:00.000+01:00

Avraham Peretz Friedman, Aronson, 1996

Friedman, a graduate of Yeshivah and Columbia Universities, has written extensively on issues of marital harmony and sexuality. This small book addresses the very difficult and highly sensitive subject of the enjoyment and contextualisation of sexuality. He discusses the need for a Torah-focussed presentation of the subject, distinguishing it from a Christian perspective. A list of the main topics will suffice to get a sense of the breadth of the material Friedman covers: ‘Judaism and the enjoyment of physical pleasures, the spirit of contrariness and the taste of the forbidden, a spice, the Torah’s encouragement of procreation, the Torah’s encouragement of sexual enjoyment, the mitzvah of onah (if you don’t know what this is, ask the rabbi), guarding the treasure and procreation’. Friedman is mature in his approach, and very explicit (although never coarse) when necessary. He is particularly focussed on the mindset of intimacy, contending that the attitude and intentions of the partners in a relationship are seminal to the Jewish view of sexuality. I lend this book to every engaged couple I teach.

Marital Intimacy

Encounters

2006-09-26T00:11:00.000+01:00

Aryeh Kaplan, Moznaim, 1990

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, one of the most well-known modern teachers of profound Jewish concepts, left many essays and ideas in manuscript and in the notes of his students. This collection, in common with several others, was published posthumously. Like all of his writings, the ideas are lucid and fascinating, easily engaging readers of all types. This particular collection is divided into two parts, ‘Man and God’ and ‘The Jew and Society’. Although I read the essays when they were fist published, a number of them have stuck in my mind. In ‘Meet the real you’, Kaplan challenges the reader to consider the real nature of human existence and the nature of immortality. This is a springboard for a serious of easily readable, yet very serious, pieces on the nature of existence and Man’s relationship with God. In an essay entitled ‘The end of death’, he takes a new look at the subject of immortality, and in the final piece of the collection, Kaplan utilises his scientific background in combination with his Torah scholarship to discuss a way in which the resuscitation of the dead could come about. A wonderful collection from the master in the field.

Why Me, God? A Jewish Guide For Coping With Suffering

2006-09-26T00:08:00.000+01:00

Lisa Aiken, Aronson, 1996

Dr Aiken, a clinical psychologist in New York (now living in Israel) presents some thought-provoking material on some of the most difficult issues that human beings can face – dealing with loss and suffering. The first part of the book offers a sensitive Torah overview to the purpose of life and the types of suffering that one may encounter. This is followed by sections discussing most areas of distress and loss, including coping with terminal illness, the challenge of being single, emotional, fertility and financial problems and death and suicide. There is even a chapter on national loss and suffering, with a Holocaust focus. Each section is well-sourced and is followed by a short presentation of resources germane to the particular situation described. Although many of these are specifically American, the ideas are more universal. Dr Aiken’s style is appealing – it deals with immensely difficult issues in a sensitive manner. Her perspectives will not suit everyone, but I have found the book to be an excellent resource.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch

2006-09-25T23:31:00.000+01:00

Eliyahu Meir Klugman, ArtScroll, 1996

Klugman’s biography of the great 19th century German-Jewish leader has become a classic of its genre. It comprehensively covers the complexities of Rav Hirsch’s life; his moves to various communities in Germany his fight to establish the separatist Orthodox community, his writings and other outstanding achievements. The book has extensive footnotes, bibliographies, maps, family trees and appendices as well as many photographs, including a number of Rav Hirsch at various stages of his life and rabbinate. The sections describing Rav Hirsch’s various celebrated battles are interesting, well sourced and fairly described. Significant space is devoted to the works of Hirsch, including some worthwhile analysis of the background and provenance of the original content in his Torah commentary. The immense power of the man comes across well, especially in the chapters dealing with Austritt and the iron will required to see the secession through to its conclusion.

English-Hebrew Visual Dictionary

2006-09-25T23:28:00.000+01:00

Several authors, Carta, 6th printing, 2001

One of the reviews of this book (printed on the back) says, ‘everyone I’ve ever shown this to immediately wanted it.’ I saw it at friends in Israel and bought one on a recent trip. In just over 700 pages, it provides the correct terminology for thousands of objects in Hebrew and English. Each page consists of one or several line drawings of items, some common, some encountered in only certain technical settings. Each part of the object is marked and then identified in Hebrew and English. The subject matter is very broad, covering anything one can image, from weaponry to herbs, equestrian sports to anatomy. It is an excellent way of improving one’s Hebrew (although of course, there are no verbs, few adjectives and no grammar at all!) and quite fascinating. An unusual present (I don’t know if it is available in the UK) and perfect for anyone who has always wanted to know the word in Hebrew for the various parts of a hairdryer or gothic cathedral.

After The Return

2006-09-25T23:21:00.000+01:00

Mordechai Becher & Moshe Newman, Feldheim, 1994

This book and others like it (my friend Rabbi Becher has also written a Hebrew text on a related subject) fills an important need in a Jewish community where many observant people come from non-observant backgrounds. As the subtitle tells us, the book is geared to ‘maintaining good family relations and adjusting to your new lifestyle – a practical halachic guide for the newly observant.’ Helping neophytes remain respectful and sensitive to the needs and lives of their non-religious relatives is a serious concern for all communal leaders, for this is obviously necessary, even when the relatives are intolerant towards the Baal Teshuvah. Issues treated include: family celebrations, Kashrut in parental homes, Shabbat observance, healthy evolution of religious identity and observance, dating and the pursuit of secular studies. The authors are sensible, balanced and hala chically expert, important factors in a thorny and fraught area of Jewish life. The authors are very lenient in their approach, which is predicated on maximising the quality of the relationship between family members who live very different lives. A useful text.

Celebration Of The Soul – The Holidays In The Life And Thought Of Rabbi A.Y. Kook

2006-09-25T23:17:00.000+01:00

Moshe Zvi Neriyah, Genesis, 1992

This is a translation and adaptation of Mo’adei HaRe’iyah (Rav Kook’s book of festivals) by Rabbi Neriyah, an important student of Rav Kook. Divided into sections covering Shabbat and each of the festivals, it offers a light introduction in English to the thought of Rav Kook, the celebrated first chief rabbi of Palestine. Each section contains a mixture of Divrey Torah, some straightforward, others more esoteric, as well as stories, observations from Rav Kook’s students and vignettes from the life of the Rav himself. There are a number of inspiring stories about life in the pre-state yishuv and the struggle for Jewish autonomy in the land. There are also a few tales about Rav Kood’s own struggles, his early life in Europe and the lives of his antagonists and students. In the essay on Chanukah, for example, we learn of the Rav’s poetic accomplishment and his speech to the inaugural speech to the Mizrachi Teachers’ Institute, delivered during Chanukah 1932. Of course, there are also plenty of Divrey Torah!

Jewish Encyclopedia Of Moral And Ethical Issues

2006-09-25T23:15:00.000+01:00

Nachum Amsel, Aronson, 1994

Nachum Amsel, who is well known for original teaching materials, has produced a most useful guide to the key moral issues that beset the modern world. Each of the 71 subjects is treated in two parts – the first is a essay in several pages. This appears in English, with references in footnotes. The back part of the book revisits all 71 subjects, providing in Hebrew all the sources mentioned in the original essay. As such, the book is suitable and most useful for the layman, as well as for the scholar, who will find a wealth of pertinent material for any subject, good enough to use as a shiur. Amsel covers such subjects as cults, civil disobedience, parental responsibility to children, ugliness, triage, prejudice by Jews, snitching and telling lies. A useful addition to a Jewish library, this encyclopaedia will interest readers of all ages over about ten.

Jewish Encyclopedia Of Moral And Ethical Issues

The Jewish Timeline Encyclopedia

2006-09-25T23:06:00.000+01:00

Mattis Kantor, Aronson, 1989/1992

This well-sourced book, contains timelines, short histories and a mine of other information. It covers history from creation to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992. It provides a year-by-year account of events of world and Jewish significance. By way of example, page 111 gives a list of leading Talmudic authorities for the years 3979 to 4235 and page 228 provides a list of Torah sages living in the year 1780. Apart from being fascinating, Kantor’s book succeeds in providing a balance between general events (wars, etc.) seen from a Jewish perspective. Its Israel coverage is good, as is its view of the religious Jewish world and the lives of its major figures. It provides a useful reference guide, with a sense of the eternity of the Jewish people, useful for browsers and scholars alike.

The Jew In The Lotus

2006-09-25T23:05:00.000+01:00

Rodger Kamenetz, Harper Collins, 1994

This book, subtitled ‘a poet’s rediscover of Jewish identity in Buddhist India’, is one of the odder books in my library. Kamenetz, an admirer of the Dalai Lama, assembled a group of creative and unusual Jewish thinkers, to go to visit him in Dharamsala. The book is a record of that visit, the conversations within the group and with the Lama, and the thoughts on Judaism and the Jewish world that the author develops on route. While a little long, I found the book quite compelling, although I found that Kamenetz’s critique of traditional Judaism demonstrated a lack of exposure to some important experiences. The author seems to have found the trip personally enriching, and the record of his informal contacts with the other travellers makes fascinating reading. His comparison of Jewish and Tibetan responses to exile is particularly interesting.

The Jew In The Lotus

The Shul Without A Clock

2006-09-25T22:22:00.000+01:00

Emanuel Feldman, Feldheim, 2001

This collection of pointed essays, which are most entertaining, is divided into five sections. Rabbi Feldman, for his entire career the spiritual leader of the Jewish community in Atlanta, Georgia, is known for his pithy and sometimes uncomfortable observations. The Shul without a clock puts together some of the best of Feldman’s thought, including penetrating insights into the workings of Israeli society, reform Judaism, the failings of the Torah world and some very stark observations about the Jewish future. One of his best pieces is entitled ‘Prime Minister Jones and the New Middle East’, a wonderfully humorous and sarcastic critique of Israeli society, in which a Christian, John Paul Jones, becomes prime minister of Israel. He succeeds in restoring harmony between Jews, a growth of Torah appreciation and instigating the Messianic era. Marvellously entertaining, yet deadly serious stuff.

The Shul Without A Clock

Hasidic Tales Of The Holocaust

2006-09-25T22:20:00.000+01:00

Yaffa Eliach, Vintage Books, 1982/1988

Billing itself as ‘the first original Hasidic tales in a century’, Professor Eliach’s remarkable book has become a well known classic, well beyond the Jewish community. It tells pointed, moving and sometimes impossibly painful stories of heroism, normality and almost superhuman religious devotion in situations of despicable evil. Yaffa Eliach enjoyed a close personal relationship with Rabbi Israel Spira, the Hasidic Rebbe of Bluzhov, from whom many of the most remarkable stories originate. All the stories are traced to their sources and even dated, avoiding the hagiographic nature of some story books. Yaffa Eliach is a respected Holocaust historian and a gifted story teller – the book is a marvellous testimony to the victims of the Nazi evil and their indomitable spirit. Professor Eliach is also the author of ‘There once was a world: a 900-year chronicle of the shtetl of Eishyshok’. I have this book; once I’ve read it, I hope it will feature in this column.

Hasidic Tales Of The Holocaust

Living a Year of Kaddish – A Memoir

2006-09-25T22:14:00.000+01:00

Ari L. Goldman, Schocken Books, 2003

This book is a recent acquisition and a light, but valuable read. Ari Goldman, an observant journalist, formerly reporting for the New York Times and now a professor at Columbia University, details his experiences of his year of mourning following the death of his father. He divides the year into four seasons and explains how he rode the emotional rollercoaster of coming to terms with his loss, grappling with the demands of saying Kaddish and his own Jewish identity as a modern thinker. He tells us about his Shul, his frustration when the Minyan was poor, what he did when he had to travel away from home and the cathartic value of the experience. He tells us of the other ‘Kaddish zoggers’ he met during the year and how the process helped to crystallise his image of his deceased parents.

Living A Year Of Kaddish