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Slavery Animal sacrifices Expulsion of the seven nations With in-depth treatment of numerous passages from the Scripture, these and other topics from the Jewish Scripture troublesome to many 21st-century readers are analyzed in Is the Good Book Bad? Stern also makes the case that a morality based on belief in God is more compelling than one based on scientific materialism. While the content and argumentation are unique and nuanced, he takes on modern-day criticism without making modern-day compromises on the authenticity of Scripture and how it was interpreted by the sages of the Talmud and the scholars who followed in their footsteps.
In These Words, liturgist Alden Solovy distills the Torah into its very essence: the individual words it contains. Echoing the midrash that the Torah has seventy faces, Solovy selects seventy of its Hebrew words that are pregnant with meaning. For each word, he delves into the etymology, translation, and usage, providing deeper insights into familiar texts. Then Solovy presents a beautiful poem--what he calls "poetic midrash"--inspired by and interpreting each word. From b'reishit ("in beginning") to shamayim ("heavens") to zachor ("remember"), These Words will change the way you look at the language of the Torah. Published by CCAR Press, a division of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
For too many Jewish young people, bar/bat mitzvah has been the beginning of the end of their Jewish journeys. When students perceive the Torah as incomprehensible or irrelevant, many form the false impression that Judaism has nothing to say to them. Enter the game-changer: The JPS B nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary shows teens in their own language how Torah addresses the issues in their world. The conversational tone is inviting and dignified, concise and substantial, direct and informative. The narrative summaries, big ideas, model divrei Torah, haftarot commentaries, and discussion questions will engage teens in studying the Torah and haftarot, writing divrei Torah, and continuing to learn Torah throughout their lives making it the book every rabbi, cantor, parent, and tutor will also want to have. Jewish learning for young people and adults will never be the same. "
The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary shows teens in their own language how Torah addresses the issues in their world. The conversational tone is inviting and dignified, concise and substantial, direct and informative. Each pamphlet includes a general introduction, two model divrei Torah on the weekly Torah portion, and one model davar Torah on the weekly Haftarah portion. Jewish learning--for young people and adults--will never be the same. The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin's book The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).
The Book of Joshua enumerates the great challenges faced by the ancient Israelites as they enter and settle their promised land, a lengthy process that ultimately takes hundreds of years. Exhausted from their forty-year journey in the desert, the people must overcome earlier failures, confront hostile coalitions on the battlefield, struggle with the inimical cultural values pervasive in Canaan, and make the difficult transition from a nomadic to a settled way of life. Difficult as this may sound, there is yet one burning issue that overshadows the whole enterprise: What are the hallmarks of successful leadership? In Joshua: The Challenge of the Promised Land, Michael Hattin brings to life the biblical Book of Joshua, highlighting how the many complex issues faced by the people as they fought to possess their new land mirror and shed light on today's reality. Hattin approaches the text as literary narrative, considering it from the perspectives of rabbinic midrash, medieval commentary
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This is a book for anyone who wants to live the good life, but who has not yet found a clear path to that goal. By examining the common threads that unite three, great spiritual traditions--Judaism, Buddhism, and Stoicism--the author provides a framework for achieving a fulfilled and ethically responsible life. The author helps the reader take the spiritual nutrients from these three ancient traditions and transform them into a life of beauty, order, and purpose. No scholarly expertise or special knowledge of religion is required to understand this book, nor need the reader believe in a supreme being or owe allegiance to a particular religion. All that's needed is an open mind and a sincere desire to create an awakened and flourishing life.
Deftly weaving literary analysis of the biblical text with selected teachings of classical Jewish commentary, Passages is a thought-provoking study of the weekly parasha. Revealing the intricacies of the Torah portion and offering innovative readings, the book applies the Torah's message to the complexities of modern living. This journey into the landscape of biblical study will both challenge and refresh readers.