At once an incisive work of history and a compendium of Rabbi Schneerson's teachings, Rebbe is the definitive guide to understanding one of the most vital, intriguing figures of the last centuries.From his modest headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, the Rebbe advised some of the world's greatest leaders and shaped matters of state and society. Statesmen and artists as diverse as Ronald Reagan, Robert F. Kennedy, Yitzchak Rabin, Menachem Begin, Elie Wiesel, and Bob Dylan span the spectrum of those who sought his counsel.  Rebbe explores Schneerson's overarching philosophies against the backdrop of treacherous history, revealing his clandestine operations to rescue and sustain Jews in the Soviet Union, and his critical role in the expansion of the food stamp program throughout the United States. More broadly, it examines how he became in effect an ambassador for Jews globally, and how he came to be viewed by many as not only a spiritual archetype but a savior. Telushkin also delves deep into the more controversial aspects of the Rebbe's leadership, analyzing his views on modern science and territorial compromise in Israel, and how in the last years of his life, many of his followers believed that he would soon be revealed as the Messiah, a source of contention until this day.

    With warmth, humor, personal and rabbinic stories and down-to-earth explanations, Arthur Green presents the ideas in Judaism that kept him loyal to the tradition passed on to him. The result is an enticing look into timeless Jewish wisdom that will encourage you to explore further and search out the riches of Judaism for yourself.

    During his forty years of leadership, Rabbi Schneerson transformed Chabad into a global movement marked by extensive outreach activities and a closeknit network of emissaries stationed around the world. His passionate devotion to education, social change, and acts of charity and kindness inspired countless people to embrace spirituality in their daily lives.In My Rebbe, celebrated author and thinker Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz shares his firsthand account of this extraordinary individual who shaped the landscape of twentieth-century religious life. Written with the admiration of a close disciple and the nuanced perceptiveness of a scholar, this biography-memoir inspires us to think about our own missions and aspirations for a better world.

    True Ghost Stories and More. Haunted, Chilling Short Stories That Will Freak You Out! -An Evil Spirit Stalks A Young Woman Across The USA-Two Weary Travelers Nearly Trapped In A Mysterious Mural-A Statue That Comes To Life and Leaves Proof-PLUS 67 More TRUE, Spooky Stories From The Popular Campfire Podcast FREE Audio Download With Purchase On this special audio Campfire, exclusively created for readers of TRUE GHOST STORIES: Jim Harold's Campfire 3, Jim replays the audio of his 5 favorite stories from this compilation.You will hear the original retelling of these stories by actual Campfire callers. It is a paranormal countdown in the spirit of the old Top 40 radio shows. Using the link EXCLUSIVELY SHARED WITH CAMPFIRE 3 READERS IN THE BOOK, you'll be able to download or stream this BONUS content to the device of your choice. It is Jim's special thank you gift! 18 Million Downloads Can't Be Wrong! Jim Harold's paranormal podcasts have been downloaded over 18 million times, and the program that gets the most response is his popular Campfire show. In this book, TRUE GHOST STORIES: Jim Harold's Campfire 3, Jim shares 70 more of the best stories ever featured on the program. You'll read REAL PEOPLE's experiences with ghosts plus some UFO, monster and angel stories added for flavor. Real World Paranormal Activity If you like The Conjuring, or The Exorcist you'll love the real thing! BUY TRUE GHOST STORIES: Jim Harold's Campfire 3 TODAY!NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED A KINDLE TO READ A KINDLE BOOK, SEARCH AMAZON FOR THEIR FANTASTIC FREE READING APPS FOR ABOUT EVERY DEVICE KNOWN TO MAN!!!!

    It passes across borders and takes root wherever its people settle. This collection of seven commentaries reveals a world waiting patiently at the edges of vision, that welcomes all who are willing to do the work of building it.

    Step into Its Fulfillment.  The study of prophecy inspires elaborate timelines and speculation about which world leader might rise to power in the last days. But meanwhile, it’s far too easy to miss the significant prophetic signs contained in stories of biblical characters, in God’s creation, and in the lives and actions of today’s Israelis and Palestinians.  The Holy Land Key opens our eyes to little-known aspects of prophecy, including: ·         God’s master plan revealed in the seven Feasts of the Lord ·         The ingathering of God’s people, and the ways Israelis are hearing from God today ·         Significant prophetic patterns discovered in the lunar cycle ·         Awe-inspiring testimonies to God’s glory spelled out in the night sky ·         Glimpses of God’s future kingdom revealed in the stories of well-known figures from Scripture   For decades, author and pastor Ray Bentley has partnered with God’s people in Israel, including Judea and Samaria, the area known as the West Bank. There, he witnesses the fulfillment of prophecy firsthand. This is your introduction to prophetic signs that God reveals in sometimes unexpected ways. He does not want us to miss the work he is doing to usher in the coming Kingdom.

    The writer of the book of Hebrews wanted to present his readers with some exciting thoughts about Jesus. He wanted to start exploring some heady insights about the work of Messiah, but he felt frustrated because his readership seemed unprepared for these deeper, spiritual lessons.He wanted to go deep, but his readers were still shallow. They did not have the basics down. He wrote, “It is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (Hebrews 5:11–12).

    In this volume, her first to appear in English, she offers a fascinating window into some of the liveliest and most colorful stories in the Talmud. Calderon rewrites talmudic tales as richly imagined fictions, drawing us into the lives of such characters as the woman who risks her life for a sister suspected of adultery; a humble schoolteacher who rescues his village from drought; and a wife who dresses as a prostitute to seduce her pious husband in their garden. Breathing new life into an ancient text, A Bride for One Night offers a surprising and provocative read, both for anyone already intimate with the Talmud or for anyone interested in one of the most influential works of Jewish literature.

    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 sections. The bulk of the Zohar consists of mystical interpretation of the Torah, from Genesis through Deuteronomy.This eighth volume of The Zohar: Pritzker Edition consists of commentary on the end of Leviticus and the beginning of Numbers. Its most remarkable section is Idra Rabba—a dramatic narrative, in which Rabbi Shim'on and his Companions gather to explore the deepest secrets of God's nature. There is a sense of emergency here, because due to human misconduct, the world is vulnerable to divine wrath. The mystical heroes seek to restore the balance in the upper worlds—aiming to stimulate a radiant flow from God's aspect of Compassion, which can soothe the irascible divine aspect and thereby save the world. The quest is perilous, and through its intensity three of the Companions tragically perish.

    This new two-volume work, Let's Get Biblical! Why Doesn't Judaism Accept the Christian Messiah?, takes the reader on an eye-opening journey through timeless passages in Tanach, and answers a pressing question: Why doesn't Judaism accept the Christian messiah? Are the teachings conveyed in the New Testament compatible with ageless prophecies in the Jewish Scriptures? Rabbi Singer's fascinating new work clearly illustrates why the core doctrines of the Church are utterly incompatible with the cornerstone principles expressed by the Prophets of Israel, and are opposed by the most cherished tenets conveyed in the Jewish Scriptures. Moreover, this book demonstrates how the Church systematically and deliberately altered the Jewish Scriptures in order to persuade potential converts that Jesus is the promised Jewish messiah. To accomplish this feat, Christian "translators" manipulated, misquoted, mistranslated, and even fabricated verses in the Hebrew Scriptures so that these texts appear to be speaking about Jesus. This exhaustive book probes and illuminates this thought-provoking subject. Tragically, over the past two millennia, the church's faithful have been completely oblivious to this Bible-tampering because virtually no Christian can read or understand the Hebrew Scriptures in its original language. Since time immemorial, earnest parishioners blindly and utterly depended upon manmade Christian "translations" of the "Old Testament" in order to understand the "Word of God." Understandably, churchgoers are deeply puzzled by the Jewish rejection of their religion's claims. They wonder aloud why Jewish people, who are reared since childhood in the Holy Tongue, and are the bearers and protectors of the sacred Oracles of God, do not accept Jesus as their messiah. How can such an extraordinary people dismiss such an extraordinary claim? Are they just plain stubborn? Let's Get Biblical thoroughly answers these nagging, age-old questions.

    During this season, religious as well as nonaffiliated Jews attend synagogue services in unparalleled numbers. Yet much of what they find there can be unwelcoming in its patriarchal imagery, leaving many worshipers unsatisfied. For those seeking to connect more deeply with their Judaism, and for all readers in search of a contemplative approach to the themes of the fall season, poet and scholar Marcia Falk re-creates the holidays' key prayers and rituals from an inclusive perspective. Among the offerings in The Days Between are Hebrew and English blessings for festive meals, prayers for synagogue services, and poems and meditations for quiet reflection. Emphasizing introspection as well as relationship to others, Falk evokes her vision of the High Holidays as "ten days of striving to keep the heart open to change." Accessible and welcoming to modern readers, The Days Between is steeped in traditional sources and grounded in liturgical and biblical scholarship. It will serve as a meaningful alternative or supplement to the traditional liturgy for individuals, families, synagogues, and communities small and large--that is, for all who seek fresh meaning in the High Holidays.

    The personalities who appear in the pages of The Early Prophets, and the political and moral dilemmas their stories illuminate, are part of the living consciousness of the Western world. From Joshua and the tumbling walls of Jericho to Samson and Delilah, the prophet Samuel and the tragic King Saul, David and Goliath, Bathsheba and Absalom, King Solomon’s temple, Elijah and the chariot of fire, Ahab and Jezebel—the stories of these men and women are deeply etched into Western culture because they beautifully encapsulate the human experience. The four books that comprise The Early Prophets look at tribal rivalries, dramatic changes in leadership, and the intrusions of neighboring empires through the prism of the divine-human relationship. Over the centuries, the faithful have read these narratives as demonstrations of the perils of disobeying God’s will, and time and again Jews in exile found that the stories spoke to their own situations of cultural assimilation, destruction, and the reformulation of identity. They have had an equally indelible impact on generations of Christians, who have seen in many of the narratives foreshadowings of the life and death of Jesus, as well as models for their own lives and the careers of their leaders. But beyond its importance as a foundational religious document, The Early Prophets is a great work of literature, a powerful and distinctive narrative of the past that seeks meaning in the midst of national catastrophe. Accompanied by illuminating commentary, notes, and maps, Everett Fox’s masterly translation of the Hebrew original re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays that rhetorically underscore its meaning and are intrinsic to a timeless text meant to be both studied and read aloud.

    Judaism teaches that Torah (the collective wisdom of the tradition) provides the blueprint for human experience—and so the more of it we acquire, the more we gain a clearer, truer perspective on life and learn how to navigate its pathways. The phrase “acquiring Torah” is code for the process of internalizing this wisdom to bring about a genuine transformation of the inner self.In short, accessible chapters, this book describes forty-eight methods through which we can acquire Torah—and turns them into a straightforward practice. These methods include cultivating humility, joy, awe, goodheartedness, closeness with friends, not taking credit for oneself, judging others favorably, and so on. The fruits of working through each quality or method are a refined soul and a strong and open heart.

    There, he saw things that no one should ever see, and did things he would give anything to forget. Decades later, he still can't speak of his past - or even reveal his identity to those closest to him.Now he's decided to put himself on trial for treason against his people. Approaching a local rabbi to serve as judge, he sets in motion a process that may let him rejoin the world of the living - if it doesn't destroy him first.Returning is a haunting and compelling exploration of the choices we make in a choiceless time, the terrifying strength and burden of the will to survive, and the power of the human spirit to transcend even its own destruction. It will leave you changed forever.

    It is an area that continues to undergo rapid change but Eating Delancey hopes to capture forever the Jewish cuisine of the Lower East Side. Eating Delancey  is a compilation of gorgeous photographs of classic Jewish food, with profiles and receipes from classic LES Jewish eateries such as Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse, Russ & Daughters Appetizers, Katz's Delicatessen, Yonah Schimmel Knish Bakery, and Ratner's. These are complimented by celebrity reminiscences from Bette Midler, Jackie Mason, Itzhak Perlman, Joshua Bell, Don Rickles, Fyvush Finkel, Isaac Mizrahi, Lou Reed, Arthur Schwartz and Milton Glaser.

    The link between the daily commandment to wear tzitzith and the ability of man to reach towards G-d.

    It is focused on helping us move from partialness or even brokenness toward wholeness. Yoga embodies a similar concept.... By marrying Mussar practice and yoga practice, this book opens a new pathway to developing greater wholeness.... The wholeness that comes of our efforts in turn affects both body and soul, and we experience the fruit of our efforts in the form of inner peace."--from the ForewordIn this clear and easy-to-use introduction to Mussar Yoga--a blending of Jewish and Eastern spiritual practices--you will learn how to explore the physical dimension of ethical behaviors and attitudes such as humility, generosity, enthusiasm and gratitude through yoga poses and the yogic practice of breath work. Intended for the novice as well as the yoga expert, and for people of all faiths, each exercise is accompanied by step-by-step instructions, helpful photographs, mantras and journaling exercises.With practice, Mussar Yoga can help free you from bad habits and self-destructive behavior, increase your capacity for compassion and acts of goodness, and help you develop a more fulfilling, meaningful life.

    Henry Abramson. Emerging from the 16th-century Safed Circle, a group of kabbalists working in northern Israel, Date Palm of Devorah earned a rare place in the history of Jewish ethical literature, primarily based on the glorious introductory chapter that discusses the Thirteen Levels of Mercy and how these Divine attributes can be applied in daily life. Steeped in metaphysics and mysticism, Date Palm of Devorah brings the loftiest, most esoteric concepts of Judaism and translates them to the everyday realities of human interaction.

    With a foil-stamped cover and a ribbon marker, this elegant volume shares the beloved stories and traditions behind Jewish celebrations, from year-round holidays to once-in-a-lifetime special events. Featuring lush illustrations that capture the heart of Jewish tradition as well as a glossary of important terms for each holiday, this little gift book is a treasure to be shared at any occasion—from bar and bat mitzvahs to Passover seders.

    Then, early one morning in 1986, everything changed. His son Eyal spiked a fever and was soon in serious respiratory distress. Doctors discovered a lesion on the four-year-old’s brain stem. Following high-risk surgery, Eyal suffered a catastrophic stroke. Sherman and his wife later learned that their son would never walk, talk, feed himself, or breathe on his own again—yet his mind was entirely intact. He was still the curious, intelligent boy they had always loved. Rabbi Sherman found himself confronting life’s biggest questions: To what lengths should parents go to protect their children? How can we maintain faith in God when tragedies like this occur? Is it possible to experience joy after heartbreak?Now, with deep insight, refreshing honesty, humor, and intelligence, Rabbi Charles Sherman reflects back on his life and describes his struggle to address and ultimately answer these questions. The Broken and the Whole is a moving and affecting meditation on rebuilding your life when everything you’ve known has been shattered to pieces.

    What else did Christians invent on the way to making Christianity into the religion it became? Christians find it perplexing that Jews don't accept Jesus as the messiah because it seems so obvious to them when they routinely refer to Jesus as "Christ" and "the messiah." Almost all Christians think that the prophets of the Jewish Bible frequently made predictions that the messiah would be the son of God, who would be born to a virgin in Bethlehem, be a great miracle worker, endure a brutal crucifixion, and rise from the dead. As a result of this widespread belief, many Christians are astounded that Jews refuse to believe in their religion. They wonder how Jews could possibly fail to accept their assertion that Jesus is the messiah. Can't they see the overwhelming evidence to support this claim? Are they just being stubborn? Is there some sort of veil over their hearts and eyes? How can a nation reputed to be the most intelligent people on earth be so hardheaded? After all, God chose the Jews to be the recipients and protectors of His sacred oracles. They received their instructions directly from the prophets, and are the only nation on earth that can read and comprehend the Jewish Scriptures in its original language. Can such a nation be so clueless? In essence, Christians are dumbfounded. They don't understand why the vast majority of Jews are unimpressed with their assertion that the central role of the messiah was to die for the sins of the world. Christians wonder: Why don't passages in the "Old Testament" such as Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 convince the Jews that the messiah was to suffer and die for the sins of mankind? Don't these and other texts in the Hebrew Scriptures provide irrefutable proof that Jesus is the promised Jewish messiah? After all, these chapters appear prominently in their own Bible. There is a clear answer to this age-old question: The messiah is not mentioned in any of these passages. In fact, these texts do not refer to the messiah but to someone or something else. In Volume 2 of this series, Rabbi Tovia Singer continues to probe this eye-opening and thought-provoking study of the Bible in order to answer two fundamental questions: Who invented Christianity, and how did they accomplish this task?

    In this passionate, hard-hitting but meticulously-argued essay, he celebrates Jews, Jewishness and Israel, and investigates the rise of modern anti-Semitism in Europe. The bacillus of anti-Semitism didn't die with Adolf Hitler in 1945, and is today seeing what Roberts regards as an obscene revival across the European continent. Dr Roberts sets out some ways that this repulsive phenomenon can be combatted, and commends several of the heroes and heroines who are on today's front-line in the struggle against this ancient, constantly-mutating Fascist virus. Dr Roberts is - along with Jose-Maria Aznar, Lech Walesa and the late Vaclav Havel - a founder member of The Friends of Israel Initiative, he sits on the academic advisory council of the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research and is the Lehrman Institute's Distinguished Fellow at the New-York Historical Society. His website can be found at www.andrew-roberts.net

    

    Life in first-century Palestine was very different from our world today, and many traditional interpretations of Jesus’ stories ignore this disparity and have often allowed anti-Semitism and misogyny to color their perspectives.In this wise, entertaining, and educational book, Amy-Jill Levine offers a fresh, timely reinterpretation of Jesus’ narratives. In Short Stories by Jesus, she analyzes these “problems with parables,” taking readers back in time to understand how their original Jewish audience understood them. Levine reveals the parables’ connections to first-century economic and agricultural life, social customs and morality, Jewish scriptures and Roman culture. With this revitalized understanding, she interprets these moving stories for the contemporary reader, showing how the parables are not just about Jesus, but are also about us—and when read rightly, still challenge and provoke us two thousand years later.

    What do you mean? How can a dreidel not work? the shopkeeper asked. It was certainly the most beautiful spinning top the shopkeeper had ever seen, with magical golden letters on its sides. But it just would not spin for two spoiled children who insisted on owning it! Later, the shopkeeper decides to try it one last time: would it spin for another child, one who carried the true spirit of Hanukkah in his heart? In this beautiful holiday story by award-winning author Martha Simpson, and brought to life by the imaginative illustrations of award-winning illustrator D. Yael Bernhard, the happiness and joy of the Hanukkah miracle will warm the heart of young and old alike with its simple message: wonders still occur for those who are ready for them. Included is a useful appendix that explains Hanukkah, and an explanation on how to play the dreidel game."

    This book may be the most comprehensive study to date, using the best scholarship and state-of-the-art research methods.In the citations and bibliography appear numerous ancient sources such as the Bible, Anacreon, Apollodorus, Aristides, Aristophanes, Arrian, Cicero, Clement of Alexandria, Diodorus, Euripides, Eusebius, Herodotus, Hesiod, Homer, Josephus, Justin Martyr, Megasthenes, Origen, Ovid, Pausanias, Pindar, Plato, Plutarch, Porphyry, Seneca, Strabo, Varro, Virgil and others, often in the original languages, mostly Greek, Hebrew and Latin. Also discussed are texts and words in Akkadian, Arabic, Assyrian, Babylonian, Canaanite, Phoenician, Ugaritic and other Semitic languages, along with Egyptian, Sumerian, Vedic and Sanskrit. "The existence of Moses as well as the veracity of the Exodus story is disputed amongst archaeologists and Egyptologists, with experts in the field of biblical criticism citing logical inconsistencies, new archaeological evidence, historical evidence and related origin myths in Canaanite culture." --"Moses," Wikipedia"There is no historical evidence outside of the Bible, no mention of Moses outside the Bible, and no independent confirmation that Moses ever existed." --Dr. Michael D. Coogan, lecturer on the Old Testament at Harvard Divinity School"We cannot be sure that Moses ever lived because there are no traces of his earthly existence outside of tradition." --Egyptologist Dr. Jan Assmann, Moses the Egyptian"The life of Moses contains elements--canonical and apocryphal--that mark him as a true mythic hero, and certainly he is Judaism's greatest hero and the central figure in Hebrew mythology." --Dr. David Leeming, The Oxford Companion to World Mythology"...the stories of the creation, of the flood, of Abraham, of Jacob, of the descent into and the exodus from Egypt, of the career of Moses and the Jews in the desert, of Joshua and his soldiers, of the judges and their clients, are all apocryphal, and were fabricated at a late period of Jewish history." --Dr. Thomas Inman, Ancient Faiths and ModernTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsPrefaceIntroductionWho Wrote the Pentateuch?Was Moses an Egyptian Pharaoh or Priest?The Exodus as History?The Exodus in Ancient LiteratureHyksos and LepersWho Were the Israelites?The Exodus as MythThe Lawgiver ArchetypeThe Dionysus ConnectionThe Life

    However, there are many different ideas about the afterlife. Some believe that once you are dead, “that’s it.” Nothingness. Others sincerely hope that there is something beyond this life, but are not sure. Uncertainty.Is it possible to know that there is life beyond the grave? If so, how does this change your life today?In A Rabbi Looks at the Afterlife, Jonathan Bernis takes you on an unforgettable journey of faith, exploring Scripture, history, and first-hand accounts of those who have experienced the afterlife.Get ready to: Re-Imagine heaven and get a clearer vision of the glorious eternity that awaits all believers Live with a greater sense of purpose and urgency, motivated by the realities of heaven and hell Be inspired by four unforgettable true stories of individuals who had near-death experiencesWhen the afterlife becomes more real, you will live every moment in light of forever and recognize the eternal significance that your life plays in God’s unfolding plan!

    This biography, the first in English in nearly two decades, undertakes to answer central questions about Jabotinsky as a writer, a political thinker, and a leader. Hillel Halkin sets aside the stereotypes to which Jabotinsky has been reduced by his would-be followers and detractors alike.   Halkin explains the importance of Odessa, Jabotinsky’s native city, in molding his character and outlook; discusses his novels and short stories, showing the sometimes hidden connections between them and Jabotinsky’s political thought, and studies a political career that ended in tragic failure. Halkin also addresses Jabotinsky’s position, unique among the great figures of Zionist history, as both a territorial maximalist and a principled believer in democracy. The author inquires why Jabotinsky was often accused of fascist tendencies though he abhorred authoritarian and totalitarian politics, and investigates the many opposed aspects of his personality and conduct while asking whether or not they had an ultimate coherence. Few figures in twentieth-century Jewish life were quite so admired and loathed, and Halkin’s splendid, subtle book explores him with empathy and lucidity.About Jewish Lives:  Jewish Lives is a prizewinning series of interpretative biography designed to explore the many facets of Jewish identity. Individual volumes illuminate the imprint of Jewish figures upon literature, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and economic life, and the arts and sciences. Subjects are paired with authors to elicit lively, deeply informed books that explore the range and depth of the Jewish experience from antiquity to the present. In 2014, the Jewish Book Council named Jewish Lives the winner of its Jewish Book of the Year Award, the first series ever to receive this award.More praise for Jewish Lives: "Excellent" –New York Times "Exemplary" –Wall Street Journal "Distinguished" –New Yorker "Superb" –The Guardian

    Leading experts offer a substantive history of Israel textbook that values the historical contribution of the Bible without overlooking critical issues and challenges.

    Of the 33 who escaped death, only one person remains to describe these events--Betty Gold. Twelve-year-old Betty and her family hid inside a secret wall built by her father and, when it seemed safe, crept toward the forest, which became their home.In part one of Beyond Trochenbrod, Gold provides a brief history of Trochenbrod, the only all-Jewish town to exist outside of biblical Israel, and describes a series of cherished childhood experiences before the arrival of Soviet and, later, Nazi occupiers. Part two centers on the family's struggles against hunger, pain, despair, and the constant fear of being discovered while living in the forest. How the family survived against these and other threats is nothing short of miraculous. Their unlikely rescue, stay at a displaced persons camp, and journey to America are the subjects of part three. In the fourth and final part of her memoir, Gold recounts her difficult adjustment to her new home in Cleveland and discusses how her Trochenbrod experiences have transformed her life and the lives of others.Man's inhumanity is undeniable in Beyond Trochenbrod, but so is humanity's capacity to prevail in spite of unimaginable odds.

    

    It provides the historical basis for an exploration of Jewish identity rooted in Jewish cultural literacy and traditions of social justice.

    Thoughtful and engaging, these responses are meant to strengthen the reader's sense of Jewish identity through expanding his or her knowledge and understanding of Jewish life, practice, and tradition. Perfect for self-study, group study, adult learning, and conversion, the collection strives to encourage further study and ongoing discussion through presenting Judaism's intellectual and spiritual tools as means for leading a life full of purpose and commitment “Rabbi Israel of Rhyszin tells a story of two people entering a forest. One has a lantern while one does not. The two meet, and the one carrying the lantern is able to illuminate their shared path. When the two part, the one without a lantern is left in the dark once more. From this, we learn that we all must carry our own light. My hope is that this book will provide light along the path and, in so doing, will provide a wider horizon of Jewish tradition and ideals to light the way.” - Rabbi Paul Citrin, Editor

    You've been searching for meaning, yet you are coming up empty-handed. Much of the religious dogmas you have encountered seem like mere clichés. Are they true? Do they have any meaning for your life? Your questions go unanswered. Even if you are not asking and searching, can you really say that you understand the depths of your faith? Don't worry: there are answers to your asked and not-yet-asked questions. The last prophets knew that with the end of prophecy the world would be left without the answers they would so desperately need, and so they composed a special mystical text in which all the answers for all time would be embedded. This text is Adon Olam. What is Adon Olam? It is a song, a prayer that religious Jews have said every day for millennia. Believe it or not, it is packed with everything you want to know: • Why did God create the world? • How did physicality come about? • Why would the Infinite God need or want anything? • How can the finite person hope to connect to the Infinite? • Why should we and our actions matter to God? • Why is there so much evil and hardship? • What great purpose is gained by enduring pains and confusions? • Is there any core difference between all the faiths that claim to be monotheistic? • Why would God care about me - my actions and thoughts, my troubles and sorrows? • What about afterlife? What is its true nature? Adon Olam has the answers to all these questions, and more.

    Prayer itself has taken on countless forms, from offerings to song, words to whispers, tearful supplication to sublime silence. At times, prayer is as primitive and raw as a cry for help, and at times, it is a formulaic equation intended to effect change, - but always, flowing from a place deep within, and forever with a hope for a better future. While attention is paid to the poetry, history, theology and contextual meaning of the prayers, the intention of this work is to provide a guide to finding meaning and effecting transformation through our prayer experience. Explore: *What happens when we pray * Entering the mind-state of prayer * How to incorporate the body into prayer. * Learn techniques to enhance and deepen our prayer and make it a transformative experience. In this empowering and inspiring text, Rav Pinson demonstrates how through proper mindset, preparation and dedication, the experience of prayer can be deeply transformative and ultimately, life-altering.

    The Rebbe saw the weekly Torah portion as an inexhaustible source of new ideas, insight into current issues, and profound relevance for daily life. He urged his followers, as well as everyone who came into contact with him, to seek daily inspiration from studying the Torah. Daily Wisdoms 378 daily lessons, are a taste of the Rebbes vast and deep teachings, filled with love for G-d, Torah and the Jewish people, pragmatic optimism, and the conviction that evil and negativity will disappear when we learn to emphasize goodness and kindness These ideas are woven together throughout the book, resulting in a precious daily resource that will enrich and elevate the lives of all readers.

    Fragments of damaged and rescued Torahs from several periods of history are woven together in this touching tale of four generations of a Torah scribe and his family.

    When he is twenty-three, those ideas prove so scandalous to his religious community that he is cast out, cursed, and effectively erased from their communal life. The scandal shows no sign of waning as his ideas spread throughout Europe, where he is almost universally reviled as an instrument of the devil. At the center of the storm, he lives the simplest of lives, quietly devoted to his work as a lens grinder and to his steadfast search for truth-an endeavor that paves the way to all that is best in modern democracies. He does not live to see the results of his efforts, but his ideas change the world.

    He was instrumental in the formation of the Jewish state, teacher of Menachem Begin, towering charismatic figure and brilliant orator in 7 languages. Jabotinsky was a literary prodigy considered by Tolstoy and Pushkin to be one of Russia's most promising writers. He foresaw today's Arab-Israeli conflict and offered solutions.Lone Wolf is the brilliant biography of Jabotinsky by Shmuel Katz, meticulously researched, written in commanding style, with intense drama, creating a scholarly work that reads like a novel.

    It has been written and refined over a lifetime for all--Jewish, Christian, Sufi and unaffiliated--who wish to use the Psalms as a conduit for their conversation with God. In the Preface, Reb Zalman writes: There are many translations of the Psalms available. Why bother to translate them again, and in this manner?" In my work with liturgy, I found that when a version was overly faithful to the Hebrew, it was good for studying. If it was sonorous and high sounding, it was good for ceremony and high ritual. But to render the Psalms as personal prayers, a more direct and more heart-connected version would be better. Since my affiliation with Hassidism, I have recited Psalms as prayers—at times for intercession for others, and at times because I needed to pour out my heart to the Living God. I have not translated all of the 150 Psalms; in particular, I omitted those that troubled me with their demands for revenge. I can understand—even feel—the hurt, anger and frustration of parents whose children were brutally killed by the Babylonians—and others. But, at times when our children are attacked on a school bus, I don’t want to recite those Psalms without some way of expressing the pain differently. In others that I did translate, I altered the sense, shifting from focus on sinners to focus on sin. Here, I did not try to smooth over the vindictive passages. Better to tell them to God and let Him/Her be the God of Vengeance, than for us to take retaliation in our own hands. We need to open our heart to God, and if in the heart is pain—well, that, also, is what the Psalms are made to express. The Hebrew words are very elastic for one who prays and meditates on them. They accommodate not only the simple manifest meaning of the "p’shat"/literal words, but also meaning in deeper and higher layers of significance. At times I have changed the sentence order to fit the deeper meaning. In particular, often the “enemies” are not on the outside. Those who have wrestled with recalcitrant habits and addictions know that in their own guts. "Whom have I in Heaven but You / and besides You/ I do not yearn for anyone on earth. / Yet I am still with You,/ You have held onto my right hand./In reproving and supporting me,/You comfort me." The range of human experience that the Psalms give expression to is the glory of this book. What the Five Books of Moses demand of us, the five books of the Psalms help us to deliver.

    In Beholding the Tree of Life Bradley J. Kramer encourages his readers to slow down, to step back, and to contemplate the literary qualities of the Book of Mormon using interpretive techniques developed by Talmudic and post-Talmudic rabbis. Specifically, Kramer shows how to read the Book of Mormon closely, in levels, paying attention to the details of its expression as well as to its overall connection to the Hebrew Scriptures—all in order to better appreciate the beauty of the Book of Mormon and its limitless capacity to convey divine meaning.

    That verse sparked a wealth of cosmological and theological speculation in early Judaism. Here leading scholars explore the contours of the Watchers traditions through history, tracing their development through the Enoch literature, Jubilees, and other early Jewish and Christian writings. This volume provides a lucid survey of current knowledge and interpretation of one of the most intriguing theological motifs of the Second Temple period.

    Delving into the Midrashic underpinnings of the struggle for equality and its philosophical ramifications, this book explores how female angst plays a cosmic role in awakening humanity to a crucial process.In the second half of the book, the author addresses some of the thornier issues relating to men and women in Jewish law - including the marriage and divorce structure and public versus private roles - exploring them through the prism of the paradigm built in earlier chapters. Understanding this paradigm sheds light on the entire male/female dynamic and offers insight into navigating this crucial relationship in real life more successfully.This groundbreaking book peels away layers of diatribe and illuminates the power of the female force in history, in society, and in our deepest relationships. It shows how the entire universe is divided along the fault line between male and female and all of life is an eternal dance between these two forces. It is a book about who we are as human beings, as men and women - and as Jews.

    Menachem Klein offers an illuminating alternative by telling the intertwined histories, from street level upwards, of three cities-Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Hebron-and their intermingled Jewish, Muslim and Christian inhabitants, from the nineteenth century to the present. Each of them was and still is a mixed city. Jerusalem and Hebron are holy places, while Jaffa till 1948 was Palestine's principal city and main port of entry.Klein portrays a society in the late Ottoman period in which Jewish-Arab interactions were intense, frequent, and meaningful, before the onset of segregation and separation gradually occurred in the Mandate era. The unequal power relations and increasing violence between Jews and Arabs from 1948 onwards are also scrutinised. Throughout, Klein bases his writing not on the official record but rather on a hitherto hidden private world of Jewish-Arab encounters, including marriages and squabbles, kindnesses and cruelties, as set out in dozens of memoirs, diaries, biographies and testimonies.Lives in Common brings together the voices of Jews and Arabs in a mosaic of fascinating stories, of lived experiences and of the major personalities that shaped them over the last 150 years.Most books dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict see events through the eyes of policy-makers, generals or diplomats. Menachem Klein offers an illuminating alternative by telling the intertwined histories, from street level upwards, of three cities-Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Hebron-and their intermingled Jewish, Muslim and Christian inhabitants, from the nineteenth century to the present. Each of them was and still is a mixed city. Jerusalem and Hebron are holy places, while Jaffa till 1948 was Palestine's principal city and main port of entry. Klein portrays a society in the late Ottoman period in which Jewish-Arab interactions were intense, frequent, and meaningful, before the onset of segregation and separation gradually occurred in the Mandate era. The unequal power relations and increasing violence between Jews and Arabs from 1948 onwards are also scrutinised. Throughout, Klein bases his writing not on the official record but rather on a hitherto hidden private world of Jewish-Arab encounters, including marriages and squabbles, kindnesses and cruelties, as set out in dozens of memoirs, diaries, biographies and testimonies. Lives in Common brings together the voices of Jews and Arabs in a mosaic of fascinating stories, of lived experiences and of the major personalities that shaped them over the last 150 years.

    Its history, origins, decline, and rebirth are simply fascinating. Furthermore, at its deepest level, Lashon HaKodesh is called such ( the Holy Language ) because it is intrinsically sacred and is thus unlike any other language known to Man. Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew seeks to understand the holiness of Lashon HaKodesh, follows its history, and focuses on the significance of Aramaic and other Jewish languages such as Yiddish and Ladino. An extended section is devoted to Modern Hebrew, its controversies, and its implications from a religious perspective. This unique work delves into the linguistic history of each Jewish language , as well as the philological, Kabbalistic, and Halachic approaches to this topic taken by various Rabbinic figures through the ages. The author also compares and contrasts traditional Jewish views to those of modern-day academia, offering proofs and difficulties to both approaches. As the old saying goes, Two Jews, three opinions. In almost every chapter, more than one way of looking at the matter at hand is presented. In some cases, the differing opinions can be harmonized, but ultimately many matters remain subject to dispute. Hopefully, the mere knowledge of these sources will whet the reader s intellectual curiosity to learn more. Written by a brilliant young scholar, Lashon HaKodesh: History, Holiness, & Hebrew is ground-breaking, intriguing, and remarkable.

    Others argue that the track record of Moses as a leader leaves much to be desired, and that without the constant prompting by God, he would never have survived. The central proposition in this book is that neither of these polar positions reflects the profound transformations and growth of the experiences of Moses and that it is only within the turbulent space of change that he becomes a great leader, but not without his fair share of missteps along the way. It is precisely within, and from, those mistakes that Moses learns and ultimately becomes a model leader. This book traces this path to leadership and readers are given close readings of the text as stepping stones to developing themes and patterns.

    The volume's title story Two Scholars Who Were in Our Town tells of the epic clash between two Torah scholars who according to the Talmudic phrase cannot abide each other in matters of halakhah . Narrating from a point three or four generations after the action, the narrator waxes nostalgic even elegiac for a time when Torah was beloved by Israel and the entire glory of a man was Torah, [when] our town was privileged to be counted among the most notable towns in the land on account of its scholars. With his typical irony at work, the narrator pines for an earlier, more ideal time which turns out to have been rife with flaws and tragic personalities of its own. This is Agnon at his best distilling the classical texts of Jewish study into a modern midrashic matrix on which he composed his Nobel-winning literature.

    They learn the surprising history and traditions behind the holiday, and invite their friends and family to a Lag Ba'Omer picnic and celebration. The fourth title in the Sadie and Ori Jewish holiday series including Sadie's Sukkah Breakfast, Sadie and the Big Mountain, and Sadie's Almost Marvelous Menorah.-- "Journal"

    Each of these voices was originally issued in a distinct generation but was only captured and frozen in time by the Talmud s editors, who lived during the fifth through seventh centuries C.E. Reconstructing the Talmud introduces the modern Talmud student to the techniques developed over the last century for uncovering how this literature developed. Opening with an extended introduction outlining the methods employed by scholars to engage in such analysis, Reconstructing the Talmud proceeds with nine examples concretely demonstrating how such methods are applied to actual passages from the Bavli. Sorting out the layers of the Bavli, understanding each layer within its cultural and historical context, and comparing it with earlier sources, reveals a dynamic world of change, debate, halakhic diversity and development far richer and more nuanced than that which is evident in the static and fixed text of the printed edition. Reconstructing the Talmud introduces the reader to the world of academic Talmudic research and opens new venues of exploration and understanding of one of the world's great literary treasures.

    Translated from the Yiddish by Faith Jones, Jennifer Kronovet, and Samuel Solomon. Foreword by Edward Hirsch.

    The Chabad-Lubavitch movement he founded in the region now known as Belarus played, and continues to play, an important part in the modernization processes and postwar revitalization of Orthodox Jewry. Drawing on historical source materials that include Shneur Zalman’s own works and correspondence, as well as documents concerning his imprisonment and interrogation by the Russian authorities, Etkes focuses on Zalman’s performance as a Hasidic leader, his unique personal qualities and achievements, and the role he played in the conflict between Hasidim and its opponents. In addition, Etkes draws a vivid picture of the entire generation that came under Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s influence. This comprehensive biography will appeal to scholars and students of the history of Hasidism, East European Jewry, and Jewish spirituality.

    Both traditions emerged fromancient cultures born in the Middle East and both are rooted in texts andtraditions that have often excluded women. At the same time, both groups haverecently seen a resurgence in religious orthodoxy among women, as well asgrowing feminist movements that challenge traditional religious structures. In theUnited States, Jews and Muslims operate as minority cultures, carving out aplace for religious and ethnic distinctiveness. The time is ripe for a volumethat explores the relationship between these two religions through the prism ofgender.Gender in Judaism and Islam brings togetherscholars working in the fields of Judaism and Islam to address a diverse rangeof topics, including gendered readings of texts, legal issues in marriage anddivorce, ritual practices, and women's literary expressionsand historical experiences, along with feminist influences within the Muslimand Jewish communities and issues affecting Jewish and Muslim women incontemporary society. Carefully crafted, including section introductions by theeditors to highlight big picture insights offered by the contributors, thevolume focuses attention on the theoretical innovations that gender scholarshiphas brought to the study of Muslim and Jewish experiences.At a timewhen Judaism and Islam are often discussed as though they were inherently atodds, this book offers a much-needed reconsideration of the connections andcommonalties between these two traditions. It offers new insights into each ofthese cultures and invites comparative perspectives that deepen ourunderstanding of both Islam and Judaism.

    It is widely recognized that the creators of the Talmud innovatively interpreted and changed the older traditions on which they drew. Nevertheless, it has been assumed that the ancient rabbis were committed to maintaining continuity with the past. Moulie Vidas argues on the contrary that structural features of the Talmud were designed to produce a discontinuity with tradition, and that this discontinuity was part and parcel of the rabbis' self-conception. Both this self-conception and these structural features were part of a debate within and beyond the Jewish community about the transmission of tradition.Focusing on the Babylonian Talmud, produced in the rabbinic academies of late ancient Mesopotamia, Vidas analyzes key passages to show how the Talmud's creators contrasted their own voice with that of their predecessors. He also examines Zoroastrian, Christian, and mystical Jewish sources to reconstruct the debates and wide-ranging conversations that shaped the Talmud's literary and intellectual character.

    Follow Sue William Silverman, a one-woman cultural mash-up, on her exploration of identity among the mishmash of American idols and ideals that confuse most of us—or should. Pat Boone is our first stop. Now a Tea Party darling, Boone once shone as a squeaky-clean pop music icon of normality, an antidote for Silverman’s own confusing and dangerous home, where being a Jew in a Christian school wasn’t easy, and being the daughter of the Anti-Boone was unspeakable. And yet somehow Silverman found her way, a “gefilte fish swimming upstream,” and found her voice, which in this searching, bracing, hilarious, and moving book tries to make sense of that most troubling American condition: belonging, but to what?Picking apricots on a kibbutz, tramping cross-country in a loathed Volkswagen camper, appearing in a made-for-television version of her own life: Silverman is a bobby-soxer, a baby boomer, a hippy, a lefty, and a rebel with something to say to those of us—most of us—still wondering what to make of ourselves.

    Shapiro are proud to announce the release of Bedtime Bible Stories-EXPLICIT! a true, though sometimes comedic take that exposes the ugly side of the Bible. Stamped with a "Parental Advisory" warning, this wonderfully illustrated compilation contains actual scripture and anecdotal musings about how misguided Christians ignore the horrible truth that the Bible is filled with unspeakable acts of violence and hate that are supposedly God's will.Bedtime Bible Stories - Explicit! exposes the Bible that the Christian fundamentalist do not want to be seen.Bedtime Bible Stories - EXPLICIT! was hatched out of an exasperation with how America's religious leaders manipulate the media and the public for their own ends. It's a game in which they act as both the bully and the victim. What's worse is that these Christian activists play a role in electing government officials that perpetuate their hateful and prejudiced views and pass laws that discriminate against those whom they have judged as inferior.Bedtime Bible Stories - EXPLICIT! explains how these Christians use some passages of the Bible that fit their fundamentalist agenda and ignore other passages that clearly show the Bible as filled with inhumanity. Through this process of cherry picking passages they justify their hatred and condemnation of any group they see as unworthy or not following their beliefs.Bedtime Bible Stories - EXPLICIT! is for anyone who wants to understand what the Bible really says and not be deceived by those who want to control others for their own purposes. This book will open the eyes of both believers and non-believers alike to the terrible truth about this so called holy book. Only through a thorough understanding of the Christian Bible can the real teachings of Christianity be known.

    Drawing on diverse fields, from neuroscience to anthropology, the authors consider the geographical, interpersonal, temporal, and spiritual transitions individuals experience when they move in and out of the camp and the impact their time outside the camp has on family and community. They offer a unique perspective on self-care for caregivers of different disciplines who negotiate these transitions in their work.And they explore the lives and transitions of patients and returning veterans.Drawing on contemporary explorations of stigma, the authors raise communal questions related to healthcare, returning veterans, and incarcerated people.They propose a societal approach that embraces the inevitability of lifes ebbs and flow and that draws maps to facilitate these journeys.This book is a finalist in two categories for the 2014 National Jewish Book Award, 'Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice' and 'Modern Jewish Thought and Experience'!

    Just as many American Jews proudly fought for principles of justice and liberation in the Civil Rights Movement, so too did they give invaluable support to the movement for racial equality in South Africa. Today, however, the memory of apartheid bedevils the debate over Israel and Palestine, viewed by some as a cautionary tale for the Jewish state even as others decry the comparison as anti-Semitic. This pioneering history chronicles American Jewish involvement in the battle against racial injustice in South Africa, and more broadly the long historical encounter between American Jews and apartheid. In the years following World War II and the Holocaust, Jewish leaders across the world stressed the need for unity and shared purpose, and while many American Jews saw the fight against apartheid as a natural extension of their Civil Rights activism, others worried that such critiques would threaten Jewish solidarity and diminish Zionist loyalties. Even as the immorality of apartheid grew to be universally accepted, American Jews continued to struggle over persistent analogies between South African apartheid and Israel's Occupation. As author Marjorie N. Feld shows, the confrontation with apartheid tested American Jews' commitments to principles of global justice and reflected conflicting definitions of Jewishness itself.

    Come and hear these voices, and use them to strengthen your own voice in deeper Jewish prayer.

    Essays by leading scholars elaborate on the history of Polish Jews presented in the Core Exhibition, a story of 1000 years.Each essay is richly illustrated with the documents, images, and objects shown in the exhibition, some of them never reproduced before. Featured are beautiful color photographs of each gallery – the journey of Ibrahim Ibn Yakub, the spectacular Kraków model, the unique painted ceiling of the Gwoździec wooden synagogue, the panoramic train station, the multimedia interwar street, and many others. This catalogue is a fitting companion to the widely praised Core Exhibition, which sets a new standard for understanding the history of Polish Jews.

    He also postulates two methodological rules: order (seder) or gradation (hadragah), and distinction - havḥanah, both rules being complementary. Luzzatto uses a vocabulary very similar to that of Descartes in his Rules for the direction of the mind: whoever follows order can "keep himself on the straight path without straying" (Ways of Reasons, p. 4). The words "order" and "gradation" have the same meaning in his terminology. To respect order is to proceed gradually, while following the internal hierarchy of reality. Therefore, one must follow the gradation rule, which entails giving priority to general principles (kelalim), to species and kinds, to specific details (peratim), to individuals. To illustrate this rule, Luzzatto takes the classical example of the tree. Since, according to the logical order, principles come before details, the roots (shorashim) of the tree come before the branches (anafim). Instead of floundering amidst a flurry of details, instead of trying to embrace the infinite diversity of beings and things, the mind must strive to perceive the relatively small number of principles involved. The rule of distinction is the ability to seize what is specific to each being and to each thing, together with the link uniting each and every one of them. In order to differentiate properly, it is necessary to follow gradation, the hierarchical order, by discerning the place and the status of each of the elements of reality: whether it is a principle and a root or a detail and a branch.

    

    The counting of the Omer begins with the escape from enslavement to the wandering path of freedom, leading to a mystical encounter with God, Sinai and Torah. Omer: A Counting provides a daily spiritual guide for a personal journey through the Omer toward meaningful and purposeful living. Beautiful and evocative readings for each day, matched with the daily Omer blessing, offer a transformative path from Passover to Shavuot. Also included is an informative historical introduction.

    In 1942 and 1943 some of its members secretly composed this history and buried it in tin boxes. The book offers a rare glimpse into the complex situation faced by the ghetto leadership and the Jewish policemen, caught between carrying out the demands of the Germans and mollifying the anger and frustration of their own people. It details the creation and organization of the ghetto, the violent German attacks on the population in the summer of 1941, the periodic selections of Jews to be deported and killed, the labor required of the surviving Jewish population, and the efforts of the police to provide a semblance of stability. The secret history tells a dramatic and complicated story, defending the actions of the police force on one page and berating its leadership on the next. A substantial introduction by distinguished historian Samuel D. Kassow places this powerful work within the context of the history of the Kovno Jewish community and its experience and fate at the hands of the Nazis.

    reflects on ancient Jewish traditions as a guide to reconciliation and peacebuilding in our lives, our communities, and our world.

    Each chapter reveals unique and interesting (some say subversive) perspectives on past and current religious practices, Jewish values, Jewish leaders, Israeli politics and laws, Women in Judaism, and Jewish & Israeli holidays.Some of the questions this book deals with:* Why do Jews circumsize their sons?* Is father-mother-child the only appropriate model for a family?* How can the biblical law of "Heifer's neck" be applied in today's Israeli life?* Is Cannabis good, and should it be legalized?* Why do religious politicians speak against homosexuals?* Is Halacha (Torah Law) like an exact science, or is it contingent upon the discretion and view point of the posek (Appointed Torah scholar) at a certain time?* Are abortions and euthanasia considered murder according to the Jewish law?* Who was the first "Righteous Gentile" and how shoud Israelis really treat non-Jews, especially those living in their country?

    The essays in this volume, by Spinoza specialists and leading scholars in the field of medieval Jewish philosophy, consider the various dimensions of the rich, important, but vastly under-studied relationship between Spinoza and earlier Jewish thinkers. It is the first such collection in any language, and together the essays provide a detailed and extensive analysis of how different elements in Spinoza's metaphysics, epistemology, moral philosophy, and political and religious thought relate to the views of his Jewish philosophical forebears, such as Maimonides, Gersonides, Ibn Ezra, Crescas, and others. The topics addressed include the immortality of the soul, the nature of God, the intellectual love of God, moral luck, the nature of happiness, determinism and free will, the interpretation of Scripture, and the politics of religion.

    In addition to offering fresh insights into Jesus' Jewish upbringing and the possible impact of Greco-Roman lifestyles on him and his followers, Freyne delves into the mission and expansion of the Jesus movement in Palestine and beyond during the first hundred years of its development.To give readers a full picture of the context in which the Jesus movement developed, Freyne includes pictures, maps, and timelines throughout the book. Freyne's interdisciplinary approach, combining historical, archaeological, and literary methods, makes The Jesus Movement and Its Expansion both comprehensive and accessible."

    Unlike many books on the subject, this book seeks to introduce talmidut, or discipleship from a Biblically Jewish frame of reference. Designed for one-on-one discipleship, understand what the Bible teaches regarding your identity in Messiah; core habits in Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and sharing your faith; biblical truth about the ‘Oral Law’, the Suffering and Divine Messiah, and the Tri-unity; and the Jewishness of Immersion and the Lord’s Supper.

    The book’s concise, articulate essays, based on the author’s popular “Ask the Rabbi” column in The Jerusalem Post, cite sources and scholars from across the ideological spectrum in an effort to increase respect for the diversity of voices of the halakhic dialogue. This compendium of highly relevant essays gives an accurate picture of the legal, historical, and sociological factors that are fundamental to understanding halakhic debates.

    Viewing twentieth-century history through the lens of language, author Liora Halperin questions the accepted scholarly narrative of a Zionist move away from multilingualism during the years following World War I, demonstrating how Jews in Palestine remained connected linguistically by both preference and necessity to a world outside the boundaries of the pro-Hebrew community even as it promoted Hebrew and achieved that language’s dominance.   The story of language encounters in Jewish Palestine is a fascinating tale of shifting power relationships, both locally and globally. Halperin’s absorbing study explores how a young national community was compelled to modify the dictates of Hebrew exclusivity as it negotiated its relationships with its Jewish population, Palestinian Arabs, the British, and others outside the margins of the national project and ultimately came to terms with the limitations of its hegemony in an interconnected world.

    This volume gathers the most significant and treasured writings from the Jewish mystics as published in the Classics of Western Spirituality series. All new introductions have been written by the editor/compiler, emerging scholar Ariel Evan Mayse, with a foreword by prominent scholar on Jewish spirituality Arthur Green. This is an indispensable resource for any professor or student seeking the "best of the Jewish mystics" in a single handy volume.