Coincidence can color our experiences in ways that cannot be predicted. When the ordinary becomes the extraordinary, it transforms commonplace happenings and gives them new signifi cance and wonder. For half a century, Rabbi David H. Chanofsky has witnessed these transformative miracles, and here, he shares some of his favorite memories and lessons. He shares tales from his years of fighting anti-Semitism in America and of his efforts to defend the rights of Jews everywhere. Through the prism of humor and pathos as they relate to Jewish life, his experiences seek to inspire thought, laughter, tears, and debate. Is there such a thing as conservative and reform Judaism? How does Judaism view intermarriage? Why do so many people feel alone in a crowded synagogue? Is there a solution? What happens when religion and politics intersect in Israel? Who are your Jewish superheroes? The rabbis early experiences gave him a lifelong commitment to Jewish survival and a zealous love of the United States. Judaism is central to his insights, and he approaches these issues with strong, often controversial points of view that he hopes will challenge your perceptions.
I am a Jew because I believe that Judaism understands that between mercy and justice there is a path of righteousness. I am a Jew because I believe the “saving of a life” is an urgent mitzvah. I am a Jew because I believe Judaism believes that education is an urgent mitzvah. I am a Jew because Judaism rejects the belief that it is superior to other traditions and makes its claim on me only because it is already mine. I am a Jew because in Judaism all of God’s children are equally God’s children and every life is sacred. I am a Jew because Judaism believes that existence is not an accident and has meaning. I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes holiness in everything beautiful, kind, and just in this world. I am a Jew because Judaism is my spiritual home, and from my home, I can share in the beauty and delights of all creation. I am a Jew because Judaism believes in personal responsibility, forgiveness, and hope. I am a Jew because Judaism values my humanity above my ethnicity and enables me to become a better person by becoming a better Jew. I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes that the world is not complete and that all of us have deep responsibilities in completing it and thereby complete ourselves as human beings and as Jews. — Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.
In short, I believe, a little bit of religion is a good thing whether or not you fully embrace the idea of God. I believe that Judaism should accept this approach and help its adherents translate their deep, inherent religious needs with the symbols and practices of our ancient tradition. Judaism understands that not only does it have to adapt as part of its cultural dance, but it also has to choose and to create in order to complete its mission: to help modern Jews, the children of Spinoza, and the disciples of Einstein, to stay on course, to see the poetry written into the cosmos, and to help one another on the road to contentment with kindness, with concern and with love. Every once in a while, somebody comes to me and says: “Rabbi, I’m so glad I’m Jewish.” “Rabbi, I’m lucky. I have what I need. I have what I want.” And I smile and count my blessings, too.
BACHYE’S “Guide to the Duties of the Heart” is the unique work that first linked the ethical science of the West with the emotional and spiritual morality of the East. It combines, in an artistic unity, elements drawn from the philosophy and contemplative mysticism of the Arabs, from Biblical and Rabbinic Judaism, and from Greek thought. By exhibiting the spiritual foundations of universal Ethics, and of the moral law of the Bible, in the light of pure reason, Bachye prepared the way for finding that common ground on which, wholly or in part, all the moral religions, and all the non religious systems of morality, are rooted. Therefore, although actually written in Spain, a land of the West, it forms a fitting opening volume for the “Wisdom of the East Series.” Only a small part of the original finds a place in the following pages; but I have in my translation—sometimes literal, now and again a summarised —endeavoured to give a selection of passages connected by the author’s central thought, and showing his line of argument and the aim and spirit of his work, instead of a mere collection of pithy sayings and isolated, beautiful, but disconnected reflections. This was the only way of doing justice to an author, some of whose reasonings are out of date, but the spirit of whose main contention is eternally valid; a teacher of virtue and duty, who did not attempt to inculcate this or that individual virtue, but aimed at the formation of character and conditions in which right conduct would be inevitable, so that details might well be left to take care of themselves. If the modern world owes its delight in physical beauty, and much of its sense of the true in Nature and in Art, to Greece; its ideal of goodness, and practically all the spiritual elements in our thought and feeling, our conception of holiness, and every moral characteristic of civilisation and of culture, have come to us from the Orient. For the form and system of Ethics we may be indebted to the few Hellenic thinkers whose sublime intellects raised them above the phenomenal world into a clear atmosphere of ideas, always suffused with the light of truth and justice; but all the permanent and vital contents of Ethics came, living and pulsating, with their vitalising possibilities, both into that atmosphere and into our life of to-day, with the glow of dawn from the East. Indeed, the two cardinal ideas essential to all present and future moral systems—the sanctity of human life as such, and the absolutely universal authority and validity of moral law and obligation—are entirely absent from even the writings of Plato, the greatest of the Greeks. These two are among the most definite colours that the prism of modern thought has enabled us to single out in our perception of the pure white light, from the sun of righteousness, that shone on Sinai. They are specially characteristic of the Hebrew moral teaching which the three great religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islamism—have spread throughout the world.
“Torah, as both book and process, is the taproot that penetrates to the heart of Jewish meaning, understanding, and expression. Torah study is how we mine not just meaning from the text, but our awareness of God’s will,” writes Rabbi Daniel Pressman in the introduction to Torah Encounters: Genesis. This book invites readers into the richness of the Torah, sharing context and information for each parasha, as well as commentary from generations of Biblical interpreters—historical and modern, and Rabbi Pressman’s own insights. The first in the five-volume Torah Encounters series, Torah Encounters: Genesis makes the weekly Torah portion approachable and applicable. It is a wonderful resource for clergy, adult or high school Hebrew education, or personal study.
While most people were enjoying well-deserved retirement, at age seventy-three, author Rabbi Corinne Copnick began her six-year course of study and was ordained rabbi at the age of seventy-nine. The ordination was the beginning of a new adventure; she's had an unconventional "pulpit." In A Rabbi at Sea, Rabbi Copnick narrates the stories of her travel experiences as a guest rabbi on cruise ships. On every journey and in every country visited, she uncovered, discovered, and explored Jewish life-from Hawaii to Australia, the Mediterranean, North Africa, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and everywhere in between. Offering a global perspective, she presents a host of insights about the culture and the people she encountered throughout her travels. A Rabbi at Sea shares Rabbi Copnick's anecdotal exploration of the tapestry of world Jewry in fascinating locales around the world. It offers a treasure trove of her reflections on history, spirituality, and humanity.
Technology is in dire need of ethical consideration. Torah && Tech is a discussion at the intersection of one of the world's oldest wisdom traditions and the modern technological world. How do we understand artificial intelligence? What is mentorship in a fast-paced business environment? Who owns code? What is the role of self-interest? These and many other questions are covered in this volume of ideas from two rabbis turned software developers. Ethics and technology are not an either/or proposition. The two must walk hand-in-hand in order to shape the ever-evolving world around us for the good and betterment of all people. Torah && Tech is an exploration into that crucial conversation.
The Tzniyus Book presents not only explanations for, but also the Biblical and Talmudic sources of traditional practices of dress and comportment among observant Jews. If a person has an idea what's what, but may not be sure why, The Tzniyus Book lays it out in a down-to-earth, contemporary fashion.
The Nach Yomi Companion comprises the daily synopses that have appeared online as part of the Orthodox Union´s Nach Yomi (www.ouradio.org/nach). Each and every chapter of the Books of the Prophets, from Joshua through The Twelve Prophets, is clearly summarized, incorporating the thoughts of Chazal, Rashi, the Radak and others. With this handy volume, written in clear and engaging language, readers can get an overview of the Prophets, decipher troubling passages, or prepare themselves for further, more in-depth study.
A major new Jewish contribution to 12-Step spirituality. Claim the spiritual freedom that waits beyond the suffering and slavery of addiction. "One of the important similarities between AA and Jewish spirituality is the statement in Step 12, 'to practice these principles in all our affairs....' There is no dichotomy of sacred versus secular. Jewish spirituality applies to how we eat, sleep, work, socialize and recreate. There is nothing that is external to the relationship of human being to God." —from the Foreword This easy-to-read exploration from a Jewish perspective is the first comprehensive approach to successfully integrate classic Jewish spirituality with the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other recovery resources. With clarity and passion, Rabbi Paul Steinberg masterfully weaves traditional Jewish wisdom with the experience, strength and hope of AA. He draws on Jewish resources—theological, psychological and ethical—that speak to the spiritual dimension of the disease, and shows how the principles of Jewish spiritual recovery directly align with those of the AA 12 Steps. Along the way, he courageously shares his own personal struggles with alcoholism and addiction in a way that will help others find guidance and a new life path—and stay on it.
What They're Saying About The Nach Yomi Companion...belongs on every well-stocked Jewish bookshelf.- Aliza Libman Baronofsky, Dean of Students, Maimonides School...is one of the best-kept secrets... a one-of-a-kind book that I've been wanting for years.-Rabbi Tzali Freedman, Regional Director, Central East NCSY If you are interested in learning quickly what the Bible is all about, then this is the book for you.-Rabbi Gil Student, Hirhurim - Musings... a witty writing style that engages, as well as educates. - Rabbi Steven Burg, National Director of Program Development, OU The Shnayim Mikra Companion collects the aliyah-by-aliyah synopses of every parsha that appear daily online as part of the Orthodox Union's Shnayim Mikra (www.ouradio.org/mikra). This handy volume, written in clear and engaging language, enables readers to get a quick overview of the weekly Torah portion, incorporating the interpretations of the Talmud, Midrash and traditional commentators. The Shnayim Mikra Companion goes perfectly alongside Rabbi Abramowitz' Nach Yomi Companion volumes on Neviim (Prophets) and Kesuvim (Writings).
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