You may have to Search all our reviewed books and magazines, click the sign up button below to create a free account.
Three seminal father-son stories, operatic in scale, endure in Western civilization. The first is Oedipus, the son who believed a prophecy that he would kill his father and bed his mother, who believed a seer more than in himself. Freud found this a central tale for a child’s development and life course. The second, Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac, halted by God’s hand, set a standard for man’s belief in a God who demands child sacrifice, comes to the brink, then abjures. This leaves the son with inhibitions, wordless. Third is the Christ story, which begins with a man who believes he is God’s son, and ends with a man who realizes plaintively that he is forgotten by his God/fathe...
In Lessons from the Life of Jacob: Joseph, readers will journey through the extraordinary story of Joseph, a young man whose life is marked by visions, betrayal, forgiveness, and redemption. Joseph's journey-from being sold into slavery by his own brothers to rising as a trusted leader in Egypt-offers lessons about integrity, faith, and perseverance. Through trials and triumphs, Joseph's unwavering trust in God and commitment to his values transform every setback into a stepping stone toward his destiny. This book invites readers to reflect on their own dreams, struggles, and purpose, drawing parallels between Joseph's life and the challenges they face today. Each chapter explores themes of forgiveness, integrity, and overcoming adversity, encouraging readers to see their challenges as pathways to growth and opportunity. Whether you're seeking direction, strength, or inspiration, Lessons from the Life of Jacob: Joseph is a compelling story of discovering how faith and perseverance can lead to extraordinary outcomes in your own life.
None
Rife with incest, adultery, rape, and murder, the biblical story of Jacob and his children must have troubled ancient readers. By any standard, this was a family with problems. Jacob's oldest son Reuben is said to have slept with his father's concubine Bilhah. The next two sons, Simeon and Levi, tricked the men of a nearby city into undergoing circumcision, and then murdered all of them as revenge for the rape of their sister. Judah, the fourth son, had sexual relations with his own daughter-in-law. Meanwhile, jealous of their younger sibling Joseph, the brothers conspired to kill him; they later relented and merely sold him into slavery. These stories presented a particular challenge for an...
THE BOOK: As Germany dissolved into the nightmare of Nazism, Thomas Mann was at work on this epic recasting of the the great Bible story. Joseph, his brothers and his father Jacob, are at the prototypes of all humanity and their story is the story of life itself. Mann has taken one of the great simple chronicles of literature and filled it with psychological scope and range: its men and women are not remote figures in the Book of Genesis, but founders of states in a fresh, realisic world akin to our own .
Three hundred Jewish tales in this extraordinary volume span three continents and four millennia. Culled from traditional sources—the Bible, Talmud, Midrash, hasidic texts, and oral folklore—and retold in modern English by Ellen Frankel, these stories represent the brightest jewels in the vast treasure chest of Jewish lore. Beautifully clothed in contemporary language, these classic tales sparkle with the gentle and insightful humor of the Jewish folk imagination. And like so much of Jewish literature, these stories abound in allusions to classic Jewish texts. Biblical cadences, phrases from the prayer book, and ideas from Jewish proverbs and heroic legends resonate in the air when these...
'Probably the most important analytical study of the Hasidic movement ... can be read by anyone seriously interested in Jewish history.' - Jewish Historical Studies
"The purpose of this book is to elevate stories and storytelling in people's esteem, so they will understand their holiness and appreciate them at their full worth. There are those who enjoy stories and storytelling but in the back of their minds think, 'After all, they're only stories.' But in the same way that the Western Wall of the Temple is not just a wall, a mere pile of stones, neither are the stories of the Torah or of the tzaddikim 'just stories.' Holy stories are the light of the world. When we understand that, when both tellers and listeners know they are engaged in sacred activity, we will hold stories and storytelling more dear. The teller will tell with the tongue of faith, the listeners will hear with ears of faith, and the circle of holiness will be closed." -from the Introduction
In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov is the first complete English translation of the tales surrounding the Besht, a rabbi and kabbalistic practitioner whose teachings bolstered the growing Hasidic movement in the eighteenth century. An important source on the life, philosophy, and mystical works of the Besht, In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov also reveals the daily life and concerns of eastern European Hasidic Jews in the late 1700s. Though portions of the book have been in print since its original publication in 1814, this edition avoids the common practice of reshaping Hasidic tales according contemporary expectations. With this commitment to accuracy and authenticity, In Praise of the Baal Shem Tov offers readers an unsullied look at the Besht through the eyes of his contemporaries.