An explanation of the commandments of Jehovah to Moses on Mount Sinai regarding the festival days and their deep significance. Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles are shown in all their glory.

    The Orchard, her eighth book, is considered the most daring and ambitious of her novels. Critics went so far as to call it a cultural phenomenon after it eclipsed the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy on the Israeli bestseller lists. The novel depicts the beginnings of modern Judaism and Christianity (in the first and second centuries) and the historical circumstances and tumultuous disputes that accompanied their births. The heroes of that generation (such as Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Ishmael, Rabban Gamaliel, Paul of Tarsus, and many others) become flesh and blood in this stunning interweaving of biblical and Talmudic lore into a page-turning read. At the heart of the book is Rabbi Akiva and his complicated relationship with his wife, Rachel, who met him when he was a forty-year-old illiterate shepherd, married him against her father's wishes, and compelled him to study the Torah until he became the nation of Israel's greatest sage. His novel method of interpreting Scripture provides his people with a life-giving elixir, but also gives them a lethal injection the Bar Kokhba Revolt (the second rebellion against the Romans), which brought a terrible holocaust upon the nation of Israel that nearly caused its end. The Orchard offers a brilliant narrative solution to the riddle of the Bar Kokhba Revolt by tying the rebellion to one of the most fascinating stories in the Jewish tradition, the story of four sages who entered a metaphysical orchard: one died, one lost his mind, one became a hater of God, and one, Rabbi Akiva, made it out unscathed. Or did he?

    Dov Indig was killed on October 7, 1973, in a holding action on the Golan Heights in Israel during the Yom Kippur War. Letters to Talia, published in his memory by family and friends, contains excerpts from an extensive correspondence Dov maintained with Talia, a girl from an irreligious kibbutz in northern Israel, in 1972 and 73, the last two years of his life. At the time, Talia was a highschool student, and Dov was a student in the Hesder yeshiva Kerem B Yavneh, which combines Torah study with military service. It was Talia s father who suggested that Talia correspond with Dov, and an intense dialogue developed between them on questions of Judaism and Zionism, values and education. Their correspondence continued right up to Dov s death in the Yom Kippur War."

    The Koren Talmud Bavli Standard Edition is a full-size, full-color edition that presents an enhanced Vilna page, a side-by-side English translation, photographs and illustrations, a brilliant commentary, and a multitude of learning aids to help the beginning and advanced student alike actively participate in the dynamic process of Talmud study.

    She shares an overview of essential teachings, stories of saints and spiritual masters, prophetic calls for peace and justice, and for the first time in print, deeply engaging narratives from her own spiritual experiences. She guides readers to recognize the teachings and practices that unify rather then divide the three religions, and sheds light on the interspiritual perspective, which celebrates the Divine in all paths. It is Mirabai’s hope that this book will serve as a reminder that a dedication to lovingkindness is the highest expression of faith for all three religions.EARLY REVIEWS FOR God of Love“Mirabai Starr takes us out dancing with the One. God of Love is a confluence of the currents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all emptying into the great ocean of Love.”—Ram Dass, Author Be Here Now“In a time of division between people, this book — which is a masterful blend of research, storytelling, poetry, and memoir — is like a sacred magnet, pulling on the spiritual heart of all seekers.”—Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute; Author, Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow“Mirabai Starr writes of the divine from a luminous gene inherited by only a few. We hear The True Song in each word she attributes to the holy. It is more than just her song; it is the Melody of the Spheres translated by an astute musician. We are always touched by the genuine in her call to the reader to love and love well, to see with the sacred eye of beauty.”-Ondrea & Stephen Levine, Authors Embracing the Beloved"Mirabai's book has brought me great consolation."-Daniel Berrigan, S. J. activist-priest; Author, No Gods but One“This book brilliantly reminds us that in the heart of the Abrahamic traditions there burns a singular divine flame.”-Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Author A Voluptuous God“A wonderful and ‘perfect’ book. Highly recommended.”-Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author God Is a Verb“[God of Love] will expand your vision and inspire your search; I recommend it with great joy.” -Andrew Harvey, Author The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism“At home in the three great Abrahamic traditions, Mirabai Starr takes us on a deeply personal journey 'Toward the One,' exploring aspects of the 'God of Love' as seen through the eyes of Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics. This is a book which will delight the seeker of sacred connections between these traditions and those who look forward to a day when Jerusalem, the city shared by all these faiths, will be a house of prayer for all people."-Reb Netanel Miles-Yepez, Co-Author A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

    

    We go to synagogue dutifully enough. We rise when we should rise, sit when we should sit. We read and sing along with the cantor and answer 'Amen' in all the right places. We may even rattle through the prayers with ease. We sacrifice vitality for shelf-life, and the neshomeh, the Jewish soul, can taste the difference."--from the IntroductionThis fresh approach to prayer is for all who wish to appreciate the power of prayer's poetry and song, jump into its ceremonies and rituals, and join the age-old conversation that Jews have had with God. Reb Zalman, one of the most important Jewish spiritual teachers in contemporary American Judaism, offers you new ways to pray, new channels for communicating with God and new opportunities to open your heart to God's response.With rare warmth and authenticity, Reb Zalman shows you:How prayer can engage not just spirit, but mind, heart and bodyMeditations that open the door to kavanah, the focus or intention with which we prayHow to understand the underlying "deep structure" of our prayer servicesHow to find and feel at home in a synagogueHow to sing and lead niggunim, the simple, wordless tunes that Jews sing to get closer to Godand more

    In the Book of Numbers, God taught the Sons of Aaron a three-line blessing to proclaim over His people. At the end of this blessing, God promised, they shall place My name on the children of Israel and I will bless them (Numbers 6:27). Generations of scribes, rabbis, and priests colluded to keep a key part of the Priestly Blessing secret. Centuries of religious agendas and tradition obscured its meaning. Join maverick Bible scholar Nehemia Gordon as he leaves no stone un-turned in search of the truth. The clues take him from the peak of Mount Sinai to the battlefields of the Yom Kippur War. Find out what he discovered on 9/11 and venture with him down into the literal pit of hell.

    Professor Christine Hayes guides her readers through the complexities of this polyphonous literature that has served as a foundational pillar of Western civilization, underscoring the variety and even disparities among the voices that speak in the biblical texts. Biblical authors wrote in many contexts and responded to a sweeping range of crises and questions concerning issues that were political, economic, historical, cultural, philosophical, religious, and moral. In probing chapters devoted to each of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, Hayes reconstructs the meanings and messages of each book and encourages a deeper appreciation of the historical and cultural settings of ancient biblical literature.

    Commenting on this startling discovery at the time, noted Talmud scholar Daniel Boyarin argued that “some Christians will find it shocking—a challenge to the uniqueness of their theology.”Guiding us through a rich tapestry of new discoveries and ancient scriptures, The Jewish Gospels makes the powerful case that our conventional understandings of Jesus and of the origins of Christianity are wrong. In Boyarin’s scrupulously illustrated account, the coming of the Messiah was fully imagined in the ancient Jewish texts. Jesus, moreover, was embraced by many Jews as this person, and his core teachings were not at all a break from Jewish beliefs and teachings. Jesus and his followers, Boyarin shows, were simply Jewish. What came to be known as Christianity came much later, as religious and political leaders sought to impose a new religious orthodoxy that was not present at the time of Jesus’s life.In the vein of Elaine Pagels’s The Gnostic Gospels, here is a brilliant new work that will break open some of our culture’s most cherished assumptions.

    The world around her is full of conflict. Rome, fast becoming Christian, battles Zoroastrian Persia for dominance while Rav Hisda and his colleagues struggle to establish new Jewish traditions after the destruction of Jerusalem's Holy Temple. Against this backdrop Hisdadukh embarks on the tortuous path to become an enchantress in the very land where the word 'magic' originated. But the conflict affecting Hisdadukh most intimately arises when her father brings his two best students before her, a mere child, and asks her which one she will marry. Astonishingly, the girl replies, “Both of them.” Soon she marries the older student, although it becomes clear that the younger one has not lost interest in her. When her new-found happiness is derailed by a series of tragedies, a grieving Hisdadukh must decide if she does, indeed, wish to become a sorceress. Based on actual Talmud texts and populated with its rabbis and their families, Rav Hisda's Daughter: Book I – Apprentice brings the world of the Talmud to life - from a woman's perspective.

    By age seven, Aharon Margalit had already suffered a terrible trauma which rendered him mute, and was lying in a sanitarium, completely paralyzed by polio. His mother's indomitable efforts to save him from paralysis are inspiration enough, but as the story unfolds, the inspiration mounts. This is a man who meets tragedy with perfect calm; who has fought cancer three times--and with a positive, assertive spirit that boggles the mind. This is a book that will give strength, courage, and hope to every reader, young and old, no matter where their life's journey has brought them. A testament to faith, optimism, and the power of mind over matter. When Rav Chaim Kanievski was presented with this book in the original hebrew, Es'halech, he read it cover to cover and announced that it gave him chizuk. See what it can do for you!

    The rise of Christians calling themselves messianic “Jews,” the successes of Christian missionaries, Jews ingratiating themselves to Evangelical Christians because of their support for the State of Israel, the overuse of the term “Judeo-Christian,” and the increasing use of Jewish rituals in Christian churches, blur the lines between Judaism and Christianity. Develop a better understanding of the irreconcilable differences between Judaism and Christianity, and where the two faiths hold mutually exclusive beliefs. You’ll learn how • Their views differ regarding God, humanity, the devil, faith versus the law, the Messiah, and more; • Both faiths read the same Biblical verses but understand them so differently; and • Missionary Christians use this blurring of the lines between the two faiths, and other techniques, to convert Jews to Christianity. Real interfaith dialogue begins when those engaging in it not only speak of how they are similar, but also where they differ. Real understanding begins when the topics discussed are in areas of disagreement. Judaism and Christianity: A Contrastwill help you understand the Jewish view of these disagreements."

    When he encounters a poor Jewish shoemaker full of faith that everything will turn out just as it should, the shah grows curious. Vowing that no harm will befall the poor man, he decides to test that faith, only to find that the shoemaker’s cheerful optimism cannot be shaken. But the biggest challenge of the poor man’s life is yet to come! Ann Stampler’s retelling of this classic Afghani Jewish folktale is enriched by Carol Liddiment’s charming and vivid paintings.

    No decisions! No skipping! No guilt!A Haggadah long enough to cover everything, yet short enough to conquer boredom.A Haggadah that's easy to follow, even for those who have never led or attended a Seder before.A Haggadah that encourages everyone to participate, without any confusion as to who says what.A Haggadah that celebrates freedom.A Haggadah that highlights traditional Jewish values alongside modern American ideals.A Haggadah that explains everything!~~~~~Please Note: There are no Hebrew characters in this book--all Hebrew is transliterated.

    The evidence is consistent over more than a millennium: there had been a female deity in Israel, the Mother figure in the Royal cult, who had been abandoned about 600BCE. She was almost written out of the Hebrew text, almost excluded from the canon.This first of two volumes traces the history of the Lady in the Temple, and looks forward to the second volume in which Barker will show how the Lady of the Temple is reclaimed in the advent of Christianity, and becomes the Lady in the Church. The result is breathtaking, and like all Barker's work, is impossible to put down.

    Written in lyrical Aramaic, this masterpiece of Kabbalah exceeds the dimensions of a normal book; it is virtually a body of mystical literature, comprising over twenty discrete sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of a mystical interpretation of the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.This seventh volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition consists of commentary on more than half the book of Leviticus. How does the Zohar deal with a biblical text devoted largely to animal sacrifices, cereal offerings, and priestly ritual? Here these ancient laws and procedures are spiritualized, transformed into symbols of God's inner life, now that both the Desert Tabernacle and the Temple in Jerusalem no longer exist. For example, the ascent offering, which was totally consumed on the altar, is known in Hebrew as olah (literally, "that which ascends"). In the Zohar, this symbolizes Shekhinah, last of the ten sefirot (divine potencies), who ascends to unite with Her beloved, the blessed Holy One.The biblical narrative describes how two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, offered alien fire before YHVH and were immediately consumed in a divine blaze. Rabbinic tradition suggested various reasons why they were killed: they lacked the proper priestly garments, or had not washed their hands and feet, or were drunk, or were not married. For the Zohar, marriage enables one to imitate the divine union of male and female energies, and to stimulate that union above. By not marrying, Nadab and Abihu remained incomplete and unfulfilled. According to a related Zoharic passage, their ritual act failed because in their contemplation of the divine qualities they did not include Shekhinah. Without Her, God is incomplete.

    In The Promise of Israel, Daniel Gordis points out that Israel has defied that conventional wisdom. It has provided its citizens infinitely greater liberty and prosperity than anyone expected, faring far better than any other young nation. Israel's "magic" is a unique blend of democracy and tradition, of unabashed particularism coupled to intellectual and cultural openness. Given Israel's success, it would make sense for many other countries, from Rwanda to Afghanistan and even Iran, to look at how they've done it. In fact, rather than seeking to destroy Israel, the Palestinians would serve their own best interests by trying to copy it.Takes many of the most compelling arguments against Israel and turns them completely on their heads, undoing liberals with a more liberal argument and the religious with a more devout argumentPuts forth an idea that is as convincing as it is shocking—that Iran's clerics and the Taliban should want to be more like IsraelWritten by Daniel Gordis, the author of the National Jewish Book Award winner, Saving IsraelDaniel Gordis has been called "one of Israel's most thoughtful observers" (Alan Dershowitz) and "a writer whose reflections are consistently as intellectually impressive as they are moving" (Cynthia Ozick)Certain to generate controversy and debate, The Promise of Israel is one of the most interesting and original books about Israel in years.

    Yet after losing everything, Job—though confused, angry, and questioning God—refuses to reject his faith, although he challenges some central aspects of it. Rabbi Harold S. Kushner examines the questions raised by Job’s experience, questions that have challenged wisdom seekers and worshippers for centuries. What kind of God permits such bad things to happen to good people? Why does God test loyal followers? Can a truly good God be all-powerful?  Rooted in the text, the critical tradition that surrounds it, and the author’s own profoundly moral thinking, Kushner’s study gives us the book of Job as a touchstone for our time. Taking lessons from historical and personal tragedy, Kushner teaches us about what can and cannot be controlled, about the power of faith when all seems dark, and about our ability to find God. Rigorous and insightful yet deeply affecting, The Book of Job is balm for a distressed age—and Rabbi Kushner’s most important book since When Bad Things Happen to Good People.

    His method, built around positive reinforcement and educating with love, demonstrates the proper way to establish clear boundaries without reprimanding or upsetting the child. First of all, as Rav Arush stresses throughout the book, parents must correct themselves before they correct their children. If the father is a Haman, he cannot expect to raise a Mordechai.This book is a great read, written in clear and comprehensible style. It's a must for every parent.

    This beautiful compilation contains contemplative readings and prayers for many different moments of spiritual need, including illness, surgery, treatment, chronic illness, hearing good news, transitions, addiction, infertility, end-of-life, and more.

    Many look to how clergy understand loss but few religious traditions have a defined mourning process—or even a role in mourning—for non-family members. Faith Unravels speaks to the profound pain experienced by a forgotten mourner, not by making an argument about God or by offering a recipe of rituals, but by sharing a profound story of faith lost and regained anew.

    It was a personal ladder for me to try to achieve a greater sense of holiness and responsibility and go into the Days of Awe feeling the requisite awe. Each day I scaled a new topic for self-improvement rooted in Jewish tradition. I was so absorbed in it that I expanded it into a book that has just been published, Return: Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe. In addition to a daily essay, I included portions of study on repentance in translation from Maimonides - the rationalist, Rabbi Kook, the mystic, and Rabbi Chaim Moshe Luzzato, the ethicist. I attached a life homework assignment to integrate study and action, using myself as a test case. I feel privileged to share what I learned."

    From the author of In the Footsteps of Jesus and The Biblical World comes a vibrant family reference that brings to life the fascinating characters of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. From the fall of Adam and Eve to Judas' betrayal of Jesus, the key events of the Bible are expressed through the lives of hundreds of people. Told through exquisite art and artifacts, intriguing sidebars, and unique family tree features, this illuminating volume tells the stories of Biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind. Illustrated with lavish color photography and exquisite historical artwork, this reference runs chronologically, with each person listed by order of appearance.

    In 2008, Israel launched a harsh attack against Gaza—and caused Rosen to deeply question his lifelong liberal Zionism. Unlike the biblical Jacob, who wrestled with his conscience in the dark of night, Rabbi Rosen chose to "wrestle in the daylight", which he did through many deep, thoughtful interactions on his blog. In Wrestling in the DaylightThe Foreword is written by Adam Horowitz, Co-Editor of the current affairs website Mondoweiss.net.

    Meanwhile, interpreters of Paul, faced with his several hundred uses ofthe Greek word for ''messiah, '' have concluded that christos in Paul does not bear its conventional sense. Against this curious consensus, Matthew V. Novenson argues in Christ among the Messiahs that all contemporary uses of such language, Paul's included, must be taken as evidence for its range ofmeaning. In other words, early Jewish messiah language is the kind of thing of which Paul's Christ language is an example.Looking at the modern problem of Christ and Paul, Novenson shows how the scholarly discussion of christos in Paul has often been a cipher for other, more urgent interpretive disputes. He then traces the rise and fall of ''the messianic idea'' in Jewish studies and gives an alternative account ofearly Jewish messiah language: the convention worked because there existed both an accessible pool of linguistic resources and a community of competent language users. Whereas it is commonly objected that the normal rules for understanding christos do not apply in the case of Paul since he uses theword as a name rather than a title, Novenson shows that christos in Paul is neither a name nor a title but rather a Greek honorific, like Epiphanes or Augustus.Focusing on several set phrases that have been taken as evidence that Paul either did or did not use christos in its conventional sense, Novenson concludes that the question cannot be settled at the level of formal grammar. Examining nine passages in which Paul comments on how he means the wordchristos, Novenson shows that they do all that we normally expect any text to do to count as a messiah text. Contrary to much recent research, he argues that Christ language in Paul is itself primary evidence for messiah language in ancient Judaism.

    NJA organized a progressive Jewish voice for every political issue of their decade: working for Middle East Peace, Central American Solidarity, Worldwide Nuclear Disarmament, Economic and Social Justice, and they had a powerful Jewish Feminist Taskforce that included work on LGBT issues and the emergence of the AIDS pandemic. New Jewish Agenda was most controversial for positions on the rights of Palestinians and the rights of Queer Jews. Jewish activists from a wide range of religious and secular communities coalesced in NJA, building power and analysis that continue to illuminate our movements today. This book includes afterwords essays by Dr. Rachel Mattson and Daniel Rosza Lang/Levitsky, an appendix of relevant NJA documents, and it features original cover art by Abigail Miller.Distributed by AK Press: http://www.akpress.org/justicejustice...

    Taking up Gershom Scholem’s call to plumb the “tremendous poetic potential” concealed in the Kabbalistic tradition, Peter Cole provides dazzling renderings of work composed on three continents over a period of some fifteen hundred years.In addition to the translations and the texts in their original languages, Cole supplies a lively and insightful introduction, along with accessible commentaries to the poems. Aminadav Dykman adds an elegant afterword that places the work in the context of world literature. As a whole, the collection brings readers into the fascinating force field of Kabbalistic verse, where the building blocks of both language and existence itself are unveiled.Excerpts from The Poetry of Kabbalah have been featured in the Paris Review, Poetry, and Conjunctions.

    Here she ‘studies’ Jewish history, Jewish passion, Jewish contradictions, in a compendium of learned, crafted, earthy and outward-looking poems that show how this quest has informed and enriched her whole poet’s trajectory.”—Marilyn Hacker

    Jung's Red Book in October, 2009 was a signal event in the history of analytical psychology. Hailed as the most important work in Jung's entire corpus, it is as enigmatic as it is profound. Reading The Red Book by Sanford L. Drob provides a clear and comprehensive guide to The Red Book's narrative and thematic content, and details The Red Book's significance, not only for psychology but for the history of ideas.

    Defenders claim that FDR saved millions of potential victims by defeating Nazi Germany. Others revile him as morally indifferent and indict him for keeping America's gates closed to Jewish refugees and failing to bomb Auschwitz's gas chambers.In an extensive examination of this impassioned debate, Richard Breitman and Allan J. Lichtman find that the president was neither savior nor bystander. In "FDR and the Jews," they draw upon many new primary sources to offer an intriguing portrait of a consummate politician-compassionate but also pragmatic-struggling with opposing priorities under perilous conditions. For most of his presidency Roosevelt indeed did little to aid the imperiled Jews of Europe. He put domestic policy priorities ahead of helping Jews and deferred to others' fears of an anti-Semitic backlash. Yet he also acted decisively at times to rescue Jews, often withstanding contrary pressures from his advisers and the American public. Even Jewish citizens who petitioned the president could not agree on how best to aid their co-religionists abroad.Though his actions may seem inadequate in retrospect, the authors bring to light a concerned leader whose efforts on behalf of Jews were far greater than those of any other world figure. His moral position was tempered by the political realities of depression and war, a conflict all too familiar to American politicians in the twenty-first century.

    In this book, Joel Baden presents a fresh and comprehensive argument for the Documentary Hypothesis. Critically engaging both older and more recent scholarship, he fundamentally revises and reorients the classical model of the formation of the Pentateuch. Interweaving historical and methodological chapters with detailed textual case studies, Baden provides a critical introduction to the history of Pentateuchal scholarship, discussions on the most pressing issues in the current debate, and a practical model for the study of the biblical text.

    In addition to the Omer blessings in both Hebrew and Rabbi Levy's English translation, this guide includes readings and teachings for each day, as well as evocative photographs to inspire meditation. Daily suggestions for action deepen the experience of counting each day and making each day count. Using insights gained from more than a decade of her own spiritual exploration, Rabbi Levy has created a guide for spiritual growth for beginners and for those who have more experience with Jewish Mindfulness practice. * Rabbi Yael Levy's approach to Mindfulness is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. Her teachings grow out of her deep personal commitment to spiritual practice and a passionate belief in its potential to change not only individuals but also the world. Named as one of “America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis” by The Jewish Daily Forward, Rabbi Levy is the founder of A Way In, a Jewish Mindfulness program based in Philadelphia. A Way In offers a range of activities, from contemplative Shabbat and holiday services to meditation sits, classes and retreats, as well as a vibrant online community. Rabbi Levy is a spiritual director for rabbinical students in both the Reconstructionist and Reform movements as well as in private practice.

    She spent 15 years living in an ashram and practicing and teaching meditation. Then her spiritual journey took a hair-pin turn. She went to Jerusalem and started studying what she called, "the world's most hidden religion: Torah Judaism."The tales collected in this book span the breadth of Sara Yoheved Rigler's colorful, adventure-filled life. The lessons derive from a dizzying variety of sources: A Hassidic Rebbe in Jerusalem A guru in Varanasi A Kabbalist in rural Israel Girls at a Calcutta orphanage A clown A Maharaj's palace in the foothills of the Himalayas Her 90-year-old mother-in-law A cat on a dangerous military mission A totally paralyzed author of 8 books The tales in this book will make you laugh - and cry. The lessons will transform your life.Sample chapters:Buddhism, Judaism, and the Great Cheerio FiascoEat, Pray, Love, Then What?My Five Weeks with CancerMy Son the Doctor-MurdererGod vs. ProzacMy Niece's Catholic Wedding

    Tracing the history of the Talmud from its origins in ancient Israel and Babylon to Internet-based texts, Dr. Abramson describes the excitement and thrill of studying Talmud from an insider's perspective.

    He retooled classic concepts of the Jewish mystical tradition to shape a Judaism that would appeal to a new generation of Jews in the early twentieth century, liberated from the bonds of traditional society but seeking a profound, open-minded, and universalistic version of Jewish teachings. His work complements that of his contemporary, Martin Buber. While Buber looked primarily to the Hasidic tales for inspiration, Zeitlin offered a version of Hasidic theology addressed to seekers who lived outside the Hasidic community. Largely neglected in the postwar era, Zeitlin's writings will have much to say both to contemporary Jews in search of ways to reembrace mystical teachings as a part of their tradition and to Christians interested in modern expressions of classic mystic truths that reach across all conventional borders. Zeitlin was martyred in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. This is the first time his works have been translated into English. +

    The Happy Workshop is a practical program that can get you from miserable and down-in-the-dumps to really happy - in eight short weeks. Along the way, you'll discover: The 14 'happy making' secrets What's preventing you from getting happy right now A whole bunch of super easy-to-use, practical tools, tips and exercises that will help you to transform your mood, outlook, and life. All of the information and ideas in the book have been tried and tested by real people, with real-life problems. As an added bonus in the new, updated version, you'll also get the Basic Guide to How to do Mind Maps, that will tell you everything you need to know about: What mind maps are What you can use them for, and How they can help you to get happy. ""This book is a great read, and I thoroughly recommend it to all."

    In The Kabbalah & Magic of Angels, celebrated author Migene Gonz�lez-Wippler presents an in-depth look at angels in the context of the Kabbalah, the comprehensive system underlying Western religion and spirituality. Providing a complete introduction to Kabbalistic concepts, Migene shows how to apply them to our relationships with numerous angels. Included are ways to contact angels and work with them, from simple spells and magical rituals to full Kabbalistic evocations. You'll discover how to see angels operating in your life and how to visualize them. Numerous angels are named and fully described so readers will know exactly which angel to work with for any purpose or desire. Ideal for students of Kabbalah and lovers of angels.

    What will he do? With the help of his two dads he makes a surprising decision.

    An indispensable resource for students of all levels, this fully revised, English-language edition of the Reference Guide clearly and concisely explains the Talmud's fundamental structure, concepts, terminology, assumptions, and inner logic; provides essential historical and biographical information; and includes appendixes, a key to abbreviations, and a comprehensive index. For improved usability, this completely updated volume has a number of new features: topical organization instead of by Hebrew alphabet, re-edited and revised text to coordinate with the language used in the Koren Talmud Bavli, an index of Hebrew terms to enable one seeking a Hebrew term to locate the relevant entry. An excellent companion for anyone studying any edition of the Talmud.

    

    Richard Bauckham, James Davila, and Alexander Panayotov’s new two-volume collection of Old Testament pseudepigrapha contains many previously unpublished and newly translated texts, complementing James Charlesworth’s Old Testament Pseudepigrapha and other earlier collections.Including virtually all known surviving pseudepigrapha written before the rise of Islam, this volume, among other things, presents the sacred legends and spiritual reflections of numerous long-dead authors whose works were lost, neglected, or suppressed for many centuries. Excellent English translations along with authoritative yet accessible introductions bring those ancient documents to life for readers today.

    In 1986, “Sephardic Cuisine” by Stella Cohen, a humble spiral bound cookbook, was independently published under the auspices of the Sephardic community of Zimbabwe and quickly became an international success, being reprinted many times over. For more than ten years, Stella has worked at revising and extending the original to include a more thorough exploration of the age-old subject and the techniques and traditions around it.Stella’s Sephardic Table is a treasure trove of inspiration for the soul, filled with over 250 sumptuous easy-to-follow recipes, all lavishly illustrated and garnished with anecdotes, Ladino sayings, essays and rare insights into family-cherished tips and tricks traditionally passed from mother to daughter.

    Every God-name, including YHWH, reflects only one of God’s many aspects, such as the loving creator, the militaristic authoritarian, or the all-knowing judge. None embodies the wholeness, the totality, the full Essence of God. Who then are we to speak to when we seek God? If you can’t truly know something until you know its name, how can we truly know God? The culmination of years of translation research and etymological investigation, Rabbi Wayne Dosick’s work digs through many layers of presumption and deeply ingrained beliefs to reveal the real name of God hiding in plain sight in the Bible: Anochi. He shows how this sacred name unites all religions--both of the West and the East. The name Anochi enables us to finally meet the whole, complete, real God--both the grand God of the vast universe and the God of breath, soul, and heart who dwells within each of us. This in-depth exploration of God’s name includes spiritual techniques, poems, guided prayers, and meditative chants to bring each of us into personal, intimate, and purposeful relationship with God. By knowing the real name of God, we can affirm the connection to the Divine at the core of our being. We can touch the face of God that resides deep within us all.

    Reading this book will not make you as glib as your favorite newscaster (who is probably reading a teleprompter) or as dashing or beautiful as a Hollywood celebrity, but it will make you less fearful, better trained and more likely to be used as a source again."--from the Foreword by Rev. Barry W. LynnA practical and empowering resource. It provides ideas and strategies for expressing a clear, forceful and progressive religious point of view that is all too often overlooked and under-represented in public discourse. It identifies the religious themes in today's great debates--gay rights, the needs of children and families, church-state separation and reproductive rights, including access to sex education, contraception and abortion care--and presents new language and methods for effective communication with the media, policy makers and community. It steers away from the polemics and jargon of politics--left, right, liberal, conservative, socialist--and instead relies on factual historical examples, current events and personal stories to illustrate the best ways to communicate the positive role faith can play in personal and public life by reinforcing the separation of church and state.

    Written in English and Yiddish, these documents reflect the entire spectrum of radical opinion, from anarchism to social democracy, Communism to socialist-Zionism. Rank-and-file activists, organizational leaders, intellectuals, and commentators, from within the Jewish community and beyond, all have their say. Their stories crisscross the Atlantic, spanning from the United States to Europe and British-ruled Palestine. The documents illuminate in fascinating detail the efforts of large numbers of Jews to refashion themselves as they confronted major problems of the twentieth century: poverty, anti-semitism, the meaning of American national identity, war, and totalitarianism. In this comprehensive sourcebook, the story of Jewish radicals over seven decades is told for the first time in their own words.

    Butler engages Jewish philosophical positions to articulate a critique of political Zionism and its practices of illegitimate state violence, nationalism, and state-sponsored racism. At the same time, she moves beyond communitarian frameworks, including Jewish ones, that fail to arrive at a radical democratic notion of political cohabitation. Butler engages thinkers such as Edward Said, Emmanuel Levinas, Hannah Arendt, Primo Levi, Martin Buber, Walter Benjamin, and Mahmoud Darwish as she articulates a new political ethic. In her view, it is as important to dispute Israel’s claim to represent the Jewish people as it is to show that a narrowly Jewish framework cannot suffice as a basis for an ultimate critique of Zionism. She promotes an ethical position in which the obligations of cohabitation do not derive from cultural sameness but from the unchosen character of social plurality. Recovering the arguments of Jewish thinkers who offered criticisms of Zionism or whose work could be used for such a purpose, Butler disputes the specific charge of anti-Semitic self-hatred often leveled against Jewish critiques of Israel. Her political ethic relies on a vision of cohabitation that thinks anew about binationalism and exposes the limits of a communitarian framework to overcome the colonial legacy of Zionism. Her own engagements with Edward Said and Mahmoud Darwish form an important point of departure and conclusion for her engagement with some key forms of thought derived in part from Jewish resources, but always in relation to the non-Jew.Butler considers the rights of the dispossessed, the necessity of plural cohabitation, and the dangers of arbitrary state violence, showing how they can be extended to a critique of Zionism, even when that is not their explicit aim. She revisits and affirms Edward Said’s late proposals for a one-state solution within the ethos of binationalism. Butler’s startling suggestion: Jewish ethics not only demand a critique of Zionism, but must transcend its exclusive Jewishness in order to realize the ethical and political ideals of living together in radical democracy.

    In this book, you'll find a yearlong cycle of weekly meditations on a life lived artistically, grounded in ancient Jewish wisdom and the wisdom of artists, composers, writers, and choreographers from the past and present. You'll explore the nature of the creative process--how it begins, what it's for, what it asks of you, how you work your way to truth and meaning, what you do when you get blocked, what you do when you're done--and encounter questions that will help you apply the meditations to your own life and work. Above all, The Artist's Torah teaches us that creativity is a natural and important part of the human spirit, a bright spark that, week after week, this book will brighten. Endorsements: "This original, eloquent, clear, and practical book is a commentary, a memoir, and a how-to manual for the aspiring artist; it is a motivational treatise and a treasury of sage quotations." --Lori Lefkovitz, Professor of Jewish Studies and Professor of English, Northeastern University "The Talmud notes that the Torah is a 'shira, ' a song or a poem--artistic, crafted, deliberate, and beautiful. David Harris Ebenbach opens our eyes and exposes our hearts to the artfulness of Torah hiding in plain view. The Torah that emerges from his gentle reading rewards the reader with deep wisdom and exquisite beauty." --Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, Vice President, American Jewish University "Ebenbach is a learned interpreter of the Bible, steeped in the literature of both traditional Jewish interpretation and the musings on the artistic process from self-reflective artists. His insightful readings of Scripture are profound and moving, spurring his readers both to align themselves with creative forces and to regard biblical texts in fresh and inspiring ways." --Rabbi Jacob J. Staub, Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Spirituality, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Author

    Drawing from over 25 years of experience counseling hundreds of candidates through the process, Rabbi Aryeh Moshen lays out a roadmap that's been proven successful time and again. Here, you'll find a comprehensive guide to keeping Kosher and observing the Sabbath, finding your community, Jewish prayer, and everything you need to live as an Orthodox Jew on a daily basis.

    

    Since its founding in Israel in 1968, Yeshivat Har Etzion has emphasized Bible study alongside Talmud study in order to foster what its founder, Rabbi Yehuda Amital z"l, called an "organic understanding" of Torah and Torah philosophy. The result has been the development of a unique, analytically rigorous, creative, interpretive method that is infused with a profound quest for meaning.

    As the Shapiros prepare to welcome a new family to their neighborhood, Sammy, a young spider who lives in the Shapiro's house, is blown by the wind into the neighbor's yard and entertains little Moti, who speaks to him in Hebrew.

    By now "history" has surpassed "memory" as a means of relating to the past--a development that falls short in building identity and creates disconnection between Jews and their collective history. Kurtzer seeks to mend this breach. Drawing on key classical texts, he shows that "history" and "memory" are not exclusive and that the perceived dissonance between them can be healed by a selective reclamation of the past and a translation of that past into purposefulness.

    Harris offers many angles on his subject, interweaving traditional religious interpretations, academic Bible scholarship, psychological and sociological analysis, feminist readings, and more. Combining deep respect for the biblical text with a willingness to question received tradition, Harris reveals a complex Moses whose life story gives us important tools for better understanding issues like religious fundamentalism, intermarriage, identity confusion, civil disobedience, gay and lesbian equality, and the nature of sacred mythic storytelling. Written in a refreshing, plainspoken voice for people of all faiths or none, the result is a volume of creative, thought-provoking, and exciting readings of the Bible. Endorsements: "Moses is one of the most famous personalities among the Abrahamic religions, but how well do we really know the biblical Moses? In this wonderfully engaging book, Harris lifts the veil of centuries of interpretation to show us Moses in a new light. Harris has succeeded in doing what few others can-he has brought Moses into the twenty-first century!" --S. Tamar Kamionkowski, PhD Associate Professor of Bible, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, Pennsylvania "Moses will never be the same again! Jewish insiders and outsiders alike have much to learn from this energetic exploration of the man Moses. Each chapter brings new delights, in turn inspiring, challenging, consoling. Rabbi Harris is both pastoral and prophetic. Above all, he is a consummate storyteller. Not only will you meet Moses in multiple new ways, you will also have a glimpse of the twenty-first-century rabbinate at its most caring and creative best." --Rabbi Nancy Fuchs Kreimer, PhD Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College "Moses: A Stranger among Us challenges its readers to read the Bible with new eyes. The book combines insights from contemporary Bible scholarship, traditional commentaries, and Harris's own fresh readings of Exodus to respond to moral and religious challenges-both contemporary and eternal ones. People comfortable with the world as it is and their religious and moral lives as they are will not enjoy reading this book. Anyone who takes the Bible seriously but not literally and is concerned with the opportunities and challenges facing Judaism and Christianity will find this book thought provoking and refreshing." --Rabbi David A. Teutsch, PhD Wiener Professor of Contemporary Jewish Civilization, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College Author of A Guide to Jewish Practice: Everyday Living (2011) "Writing for a wide range of readers, Rabbi Harris mines the Moses saga in the Bible and unearths its relevance to many contemporary issues. Throughout, this fresh and thought-provoking study models engagement with the text that responsibly bridges its ancient and modern contexts. Moses (re)emerges as one of the Bible's most fascinating figures!" --Jacob L. Wright, PhD Professor of Hebrew Bible, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia Author Biography: Maurice Harris is a rabbi and writer living in Eugene, Oregon. A graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, he has worked as a congregational rabbi and religious educator.

    Commentaries from the Mishnah and the Talmud to present day interpretations are included. A handy source for studying the mitzvot, and also an easy refrence tool for looking up a specific mitzvah.

    John 1 uses ritual props and staging to introduce Jesus as the Lord; Helaman 5 recounts an endowment of power; Ether 3 is a temple account; and Isaiah is an underground prophet, describing the dark apostasy of his day in code. This book is a follow-up to Plain and Precious Things: The Temple Religion of the Book of Mormon's Visionary Men, which should be read first.

    If we want Judaism to matter in today's world, we must respond - deeply - to society's call. The Torah is a living tradition that we need to bring to the most urgent social issues of our time. We must fully enter the public arena, recognizing that our common responsibilities transcend our particular paths. The essence of spiritual life shines at the core of all the crude and harsh realities we see every day - and when we ignore these realities, we are like blind fish completely unaware of the very water in which they swim. Jewish Ethics & Social Justice is a collection of sweeping meditations on how to make Judaism universally relevant again. Explore hot social issues - global hunger, prison reform, worker rights, and more - through the eyes of the Jewish ethical tradition. Learn about the core values of Jewish activism - discover a deeper connection to the timeless issu

    How much time should it take to pray? Is one allowed to argue with God? Who can give a blessing? And what is worth crying for? In this page-by-page companion to Berakhot, the first tractate of the Talmud, popular teacher and community leader Rabbi Levi Cooper explores the wisdom of the Jewish sages, transforming their ancient teachings into lessons for everyday life.

    It is also the story of my family, set against the sociological, historical and political events of the 20th century. It talks vividly about the horrors of the Holocaust in Budapest, Hungary, followed by several years of brutal Communist dictatorship and life behind Iron Curtain. It deals with the intimate personal stories of the protagonists, the enforced parting between parent and child, the loss of home, social position and financial stability and the difficulty of being an immigrant. But most of all, it is the story of enduring struggle in the face of terrible odds and the ultimate survival of the human spirit. ___________________ The cover page of the book shows the memorial called SHOES ON THE DANUBE representing the shoes Jewish victims were ordered to leave behind, before being shot into the Danube.

    Teshuvah expresses a restoration of personal balance and a return to spiritual center. Maimonides on Teshuvah explores the thought of Judaism's greatest philosopher on the process of finding a path through the thicket of transgressions past and present, seeking the elusive yet healing light of forgiveness--from God, from others, and even from one's own self. "A Master of Teshuvah should not think that he is far from the level of the righteous because of the sins he committed, intentionally or otherwise. This is not so. Rather, he is beloved and cherished by the Creator as if he had never sinned at all. Furthermore, his reward is greater, for he tasted the taste of sin and separated from it, conquering his evil inclination. The Sages taught that in the place where the Masters of Teshuvah stand, not even the completely righteous can stand." (The Ways of Repentance, 7:4) Author of the brilliant Guide for the Perplexed and the massive Mishneh Torah, Moses Maimonides' thought continues to influence and inspire students almost a thousand years after his passing in 1204. Known as the Great Eagle for his incomparable mastery of Jewish scholarship, of Maimonides it has been said "from Moses to Moses, there was no one like Moses." Maimonides on Teshuvah is a translation and commentary on The Ways of Repentance, the first comprehensive study of teshuvah in Jewish literary history. In this work, Maimonides surveys the philosophical, psychological, and practical aspects of teshuvah. Carefully weaving threads drawn from the tapestry of Jewish religious writings, Maimonides describes the theoretical foundations of teshuvah (free will versus predeterminism, nature versus nurture, and the afterlife) and provides pragmatic recommendations for readers who yearn for the cleansing power of teshuvah.

    

    This volume provides the most comprehensive and authoritative overview available of Judaism in the Hellenistic and early Roman periods.Contributors: John M. G. BarclayMiriam Pucci Ben ZeevKatell BerthelotJohn J. CollinsErich S. GruenDaniel C. HarlowJames L. KugelAdam Kolman MarshakSteve MasonJames S. McLarenMaren R. NiehoffDavid T. RuniaLawrence H. SchiffmanChris SeemanGregory E. SterlingLoren T. StuckenbruckEibert TigchelaarEugene UlrichAnnewies van den HoekJames C. VanderKamJ rgen K. Zangenberg

    His studies of the medieval Jewish philosopher led to his rediscovery of esotericism and deepened his sense that the tension between reason and revelation was central to modern political thought. His writings throughout the twentieth century were chiefly responsible for restoring Maimonides as a philosophical thinker of the first rank. Yet, to appreciate the extent of Strauss’s contribution to the scholarship on Maimonides, one has traditionally had to seek out essays he published separately spanning almost fifty years.With Leo Strauss on Maimonides, Kenneth Hart Green presents for the first time a comprehensive, annotated collection of Strauss’s writings on Maimonides, comprising sixteen essays, three of which appear in English for the first time. Green has also provided careful translations of materials that had originally been quoted in Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, German, and French; written an informative introduction highlighting the original contributions found in each essay; and brought references to out-of-print editions fully up to date. The result will become the standard edition of Strauss’s writings on Maimonides.

    Karin Hedner Zetterholm introduces the legal, theological, and historical presuppositions that shaped the dominant stream of rabbinic interpretation, including Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrashim, discussing examples of different interpretive methods, and explores the contours of Jewish biblical interpretation evident in the New Testament and the legacy of ancient traditions in the way different Jewish movements read the Bible today. Students of the history of biblical interpretation and of Judaism will find this an important and engaging resource.

    These three articles, originally published over the fall of 1890, explain in detail why this is so, for both France in 1890 and America today. The assertion that Jewish political power derives from usury could have been written with Occupy Wall Street in mind.With an extended Introduction by E. Michael Jones, social critic and editor of Culture Wars magazine.

    Ruth HaCohen focuses her study on a “musical libel"—a variation on the Passion story that recurs in various forms and cultures in which an innocent Christian boy is killed by a Jew in order to silence his “harmonious musicality.” In paying close attention to how and where this libel surfaces, HaCohen covers a wide swath of western cultural history, showing how entrenched aesthetic-theological assumptions have persistently defined European culture and its internal moral and political orientations.Ruth HaCohen combines in her comprehensive analysis the perspectives of musicology, literary criticism,  philosophy, psychology, and anthropology, tracing the tensions between Jewish “noise" and idealized Christian “harmony” and their artistic manifestations from the high Middle Ages through Nazi Germany and beyond. She concludes her book with a passionate and moving argument for humanizing contemporary soundspaces.

    The new windows which have opened up in the last century into the rooms of academia – anthropology, archeology, philology and literary analysis, to name a few – have given new perspectives to traditional study and have allowed Orthodox students of our Book of Books to understand, with greater depth and insight, the stories, laws, prophecies and poems that have been our breath for these millennia. In this rich volume, Rabbi Etshalom demonstrates the methodology through which traditional study meets academic rigor, and new insights into the meaning of the text and its import come to light.

    Examines the intellectual proclivities of twelfth and thirteenth century Ashkenazic rabbinic culture as a whole.

    You will not find paragraph after paragraph filled with explanations of rules and exceptions here. Instead, you will learn to read and understand small chunks of the original Hebrew Bible as quickly and comfortably as possible.----Reading the Bible in Hebrew can be a daunting prospect for beginners. But if we take it step by step, it's easier than most people think. The first step is to learn the Hebrew letters (see our publication "Learn Hebrew The Fun & Easy Way: The Hebrew Alphabet"), the second to learn single words (see "Hebrew Flash Cards: 99 Essential Words And Phrases") and then short phrases. This publication is a compilation of ten popular Hebrew phrases from the Book of Exodus, intended for intermediate learners who have already basic knowledge of the Hebrew alphabet and would like to make their first steps towards unlocking the treasure trove of Biblical Hebrew.----Instead of overwhelming the reader with too many details right from the start, this little book uses a visual approach, maximizing exposure to the actual "look & feel" of the Hebrew language while minimizing distractions.Each phrase is presented in bold, easily readable letters within an aesthetically pleasing layout, complete with meta-information regarding the location of the phrase in both the Hebrew and English Bible.By flipping the pages readers can delve deeper into each phrase, learning the correct pronunciation, translation and context of each phrase. In addition to that, there are notes about various Hebrew peculiarities and links to (free) websites containing audio, vocabulary and further information.----This is not a lecture, it's more like an invitation.In keeping this volume as digestible and open as possible, we hope that it will act as a springboard into the rich and endless world of Biblical Hebrew.---This publication contains:* 10 short phrases from the Hebrew Bible (book Exodus)* tables with translation, transliteration (pronunciation) * special visualizations designed to maximize memorization* context info to help you compare English translations with the original* easily understandable notes about peculiarities of Biblical Hebrew* links to further free resources online