Job: A New Translation (Book of the Month, Menachem Av 5786)

The solemnity of Tisha b’Av is compounded for many people by the severe restrictions that our Sages have placed on what we can read or learn on that solemn, tragic date. One work that is however permitted is the Book of Job on account of its sad and troubling content and the relevance the questions it poses to the life we lead today. For this reason we have chosen as our Book of the Month for Menachem Av Job: A New Translation, by our member Professor Edward Greenstein.

This work is actually a lot more than a translation, as Ed explains in his lengthy (21 page) Introduction. Essentially, when seeking to extract meaning from the Book of Job we are faced with a text that was written for readers who are separated from us by millennia. These readers not only spoke a different language; their social, cultural and spiritual reference points were different too. Interwoven within the text there are words with resonate with others, puns, allusions and metaphors which we are not in a position to appreciate on a superficial basis. Comprehension of this difficult work also requires a passing familiarity with Aramaic and other Semitic languages, in much the same way as a work written today in English might expect the reader to be familiar with some words in French, Latin tags, Greek and Roman mythology and so on.

Ever since the time of Onkelos it has been accepted, sometimes happily and sometimes with reluctance, that there is no such thing as a translation that is not also a commentary. That this work too is more than a mere word-for-word rendition of the original is affirmed by the online blurb for Job: A New Translation, which describes the book thus:

The book of Job has often been called the greatest poem ever written. The book, in Edward Greenstein’s characterization, is “a Wunderkind, a genius emerging out of the confluence of two literary streams” which “dazzles like Shakespeare with unrivaled vocabulary and a penchant for linguistic innovation.” Despite the text’s literary prestige and cultural prominence, no English translation has come close to conveying the proper sense of the original. The book has consequently been misunderstood in innumerable details and in its main themes.

Edward Greenstein’s new translation of Job is the culmination of decades of intensive research and painstaking philological and literary analysis, offering a major reinterpretation of this canonical text. Through his beautifully rendered translation and insightful introduction and commentary, Greenstein presents a new perspective: Job, he shows, was defiant of God until the end. The book is more about speaking truth to power than the problem of unjust suffering.

Ed’s translation has a refreshingly modern feel to it, but meaning is not sacrificed on the altar of modernity. It is also sustained by a regular flow of footnotes that point the reader to, among other things. allusions to other canonical texts that are found in the original Hebrew but which would be concealed from an English reader.

So, to conclude: if you struggle with the “these” and “thous” of older, more formal English translations and are daunted by the sheer bulk of the heavily annotated ArtScroll, which where the commentary is in danger of getting in the way of the narrative, this book could be your ideal solution.

Making It Relevant (Book of the Month, Tammuz 5876)

 Making it Relevant is the striking title of a striking book that has just been published by Mosaica Press. Its author, Katia Bolotin, is a great enthusiast for life -- and in particular for making the most of our Jewish lifestyle commitments. As the publisher's webpage tells us:

We all seek relevance. Without it, life can feel aimless and unfulfilling. Instead of living with purpose, we feel as if we merely go through the motions. Relationships seem static, and life loses its vitality.

In a world of constant change, where can we find true, lasting significance? The Torah—our Divine guide to spiritual and personal growth—meets us where we are. Based on the weekly parashah, this sefer provides thought-provoking insights tailored to today’s challenges and offers actionable, transformative steps for anyone striving to elevate their life. Whether you are a seasoned scholar or new to these ideas, Making It Relevant is a powerful and accessible guide to living with meaning.

Fine words, if you make the effort to internalize them and take them on board. The author is clearly a person who practices what she preaches. Abaout Katia Bolotin the book's website tells us this:

Katia Bolotin is a Torah educator, speaker, and writer who inspires Jews of all backgrounds. Her thought-provoking lectures and articles show the enduring relevance of Torah in a changing world. She focuses on personal growth rooted in Torah’s wisdom and practical ways to cultivate and sustain it. Katia is also a pianist, songwriter, and composer of contemporary classical music.

We have a copy of this book in our Beit Midrash library. Pick it up and you will find a parashah-by-parashah program of messages that are, as the author tells us, relevant to our daily lives. The message is clear -- and so is the book itself: good-sized print, no footnotes and written with intent to be understood. It's available on Amazon too. 

A Lifetime of Learning: Book of the Month, Iyar 5786

We usually nominate our Book of the Month at the new month's inception -- but the chance to honor Rabbi Berel Wein zt'l on the occasion of his book launch was too good to miss. A Lifetime of Learning, Great Mentors Who Shaped My Mind and Heart was completed shortly before our beloved Mara d'Atra passed away. 

This handsome and eminently readable tome reviews the impact upon one of the leading Jewish personalities of our era of some 15 remarkable individuals split between Rabbi Wein's family, his teachers and his mentors. There are of course some familiar names to be found; these include Rabbis Yaakov Kamenetzky, Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Yoel Teitelbaum and Yosef Shlomo HaKohen Kahaneman. Copies of the new book were selling well at the launch, possibly because there were many purchasers in shul who felt that it was not merely a book they were buying but a tangible chelek in its author himself and a memento of his immense contribution to Jewish history, mussar and community building across two continents.

Today's book launch saw a packed Beit Knesset Hanassi, sitting to rapt attention while the two speakers talked of Rabbi Wein, his life and the book that so eloquently sums it up. Rabbi Kenigsberg opened the proceedings by reminiscing over the impact Rabbi Wein had made upon him. He employed the analogy of a bridge to explain Rabbi Wein's unique quality of linking the glorious era of the pre-Second World War Torah scholars to us in our own generation in order to enable us the better to address the challenges of the future. He also observed that the qualities that Rabbi Wein identified in those who influenced him quite aptly described Rabbi Wein himself: he was the epitome of a real "influencer".

Rabbi Kenigsberg then referred to this week's Torah reading for parashat Bemidbar, where we learn how Israel's tribes were arranged by flag and allowed to cultivate their separate identities. One of Rabbi Wein's major inspirations, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky, asks a question that should have been obvious: why only now, in the fourth book of the Chumash, do these instructions come, rather than in the book of Shemot when we took our first steps into the unknown paths of the desert? The answer is that separation into different tribes, each with its own identity and ethos, can be ruinously divisive. But once there is a Mishkan in place, a focal point for all the tribes, they can develop their own character while sharing a unifying common goal. Rabbi Wein too displayed uniquely unifying qualities; he was like a backbone, the beriach htichon of the Mishkan that underpinned our common interests and held them together.

Next to speak was Rabbi Wein's youngest child, his daughter Rebbetzin Sori Teitelbaum. She opened with some highly pertinent comments on the problems of performing as a public speaker, and then demonstrated how good she was at doing it when she proceeded to the main part of her address. 

With Shavuot looming large on our horizons, she led us through a memorable set of Aseret HaDibrot of her own. These were ten maxims for a good and meaningful Jewish life that Rabbi Wein either articulated or exemplified in his own life. These maxims were drawn partly from Pirkei Avot, partly other from the realms of practical psychology, self-control and the importance of personal growth and self-esteem. Each maxim was accompanied by an anecdote or vignette depicting a moment in the Wein household, and the importance of not criticizing others was elegantly emphasized by a recitation of the poem, "A Little Walk Around Yourself". The Rebbetzin also took great care to acknowledge a personality who, though not accorded a chapter of her own in A Lifetime of Learning, was plainly a major figure in Rabbi Wein's spiritual growth -- her own mother and Rabbi Wein's first wife Jackie. 

In summary, this afternoon was more than a book launch. It was an education in Rabbi Wein's approach to life, offering a rare and precious glimpse of the Rabbi as a father and a friend. It was a remarkable occasion that those of us who were privileged to attend will never forget.

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You can access Rabbi Kenigsberg's speech here
You can access Rebbetzin Teitelbaum's speech here
Copies of the book may be purchased from Pomeranz Books, Jerusalem

Stories of the Sages, vol.2: Book of the Month, Nisan 5786

Stories of the Sages: From Sefer Ha-Aggadah is a popular read that dates back to 1991, when it was first published, The text consists of selected and translated passages from the awesome classic, the Sefer HaAggadah, that was so elegantly crafted by Chaim Bialik and Yehoshua Hana Ravnitzky as an encyclopaedic collection of aggadic passages drawn principally from the Babylonian Talmud. Our little library has recently acquired the second volume, thanks to a donation of several English-language books from our members Rubén and Deborah Lamdany.

For those who were not brought up on this unusually readable and user-friendly tome, this volume focuses on the teachings and the personalities of some 50 of the greatest teachers of the Talmudic era.  Mega-scholars and miracle-workers featured in this list include Choni the Circle-Maker, Bruriah (for the ladies), the blind but perceptive seer Rav Sheshet and our shul President’s all-time favorite Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi.

Please feel free to borrow this book and to enjoy it for its accessible and lucid English as well as its deceptively simple but profound and provocative content.

Menoras HaMaor: The Light of Contentment (Book of the Month, Adar 5786)

Our Book of the Month for Adar this year is Menoras HaMaor: the Light of Contentment. This is a translation of the celebrated work of Rabbenu Yitzchat Abohav by Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman.

Rabbenu Abohav was an early 14th century Spanish Talmudic scholar and Kabbalist. He is known for his intellectual approach to rabbinic literature, which he juxtaposed with contemporary Spanish Kabbalah. Of his many works, the Menorat HaMaor survived and won considerable fame for the author, though in his humility he assures his readers that he composed it chiefly for his own use as a public speaker. But besides this it has contributed probably more than any other medieval book to the popularization of rabbinical lore and to the religious edification and elevation of the masses. It belongs to that class of ethical works which sprang up in the 13th century in a time of reaction against the one-sided manner in which Talmudic studies had been previously pursued.

"These Talmudists consider it their duty to propose difficult questions and answer them in a witty and subtle manner, but leave unnoticed the precious pearls that lie upon the bed of the Talmudic ocean, the aggadic passages (similar to Midrash) so rich in beauty and sweetness."

He conceived the plan of grouping together the rich material stored up in the vast treasure-house of Aggadah from the religious and ethical point of view, and of presenting it in a book, intending by it to illumine the minds and the hearts of his coreligionists. Alluding to the seven-armed Menorah in the Tabernacle, he divided the book into seven sections, each of which bears the title of Ner or "Lamp" subdivided into seven separate parts and chapters.

This English-language edition is translated by Rabbi Yaakov Yosef Reinman, is part of the Marvin N. Hirschhorn Collection, which is housed in our Beit Midrash library.

Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi: A Life Story: Book of the Month, Shevat 5786

We are just in the process of receiving our Book of the Month for Chodesh Shevat!. It’s Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi: A Life Story, by Efrat Krausz, daughter-in-law of our member Pessy Krausz. This book is in Hebrew, but we do have an English translation of the publisher’s blurb that reads like this:

Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi (1924-1998), one of the most prominent halachic authorities in terms of Sephardic rulings in the twentieth century, believed with all his heart that we were in a period of the beginning of the Redemption. He was a man of spirit and action, who saw halachah as a conscious moral system, suitable for modern life. In his measured and clear voice, the rabbi combined a deep commitment to halachah with faith and confidence that halachic authorities could rule at any time and deal with the challenges of an individual's life, the people and the State.

As the rabbi of Rishon LeTzion and the chief rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yafo, he was an independent arbiter, who addressed his audience and the entirety of Israeli society with respect and love, and strove all his life to bring Torah, society and state together.

Rabbi Chaim David HaLevi: A Life Story traces the character of Rabbi Halevi through his biography: his childhood in Jerusalem, his studies at Yeshivat Porat Yosef, his becoming a student of Rabbi Ben Zion Meir Chai Uziel, his years as a rabbi and the many books that were published by his hand. Between the pages there emerges an honest and in-depth portrait of a spiritual leader who saw himself as part of the project of reviving the people and the state, and his halachic path is sketched, balancing tradition with novelty, humility and courage.

The Rav's life story is intertwined with the story of the State of Israel from its inception, and the reader gets to know a man of truth who lived modestly and faithfully, a man whose influence is evident to this day, far beyond his city and generation.

Efrat Krausz is herself a resident of Gush Etzion, and a writer of biographies. She also wrote Building a Land– the story of Moshe Moskowitz (Moshko), one of the founders of Gush Etzion.

Pessy has kindly donated a copy of Efrat’s book to our shul library. We are most grateful for this lovely gift—and maybe we will be able to welcome  Efrat to Beit Knesset Hanassi to talk about her book and tell us in person about the impressive rabbi on whom it shines a powerful, informative and inspiring light.

For more information about this book and its publishers, click here.

Psalms that Speak to You, by Yitzchok Leib Bell (Book of the Month, Tevet 5786)

Psalms that Speak to You, described as "a clear and meaningful translation for our generation", is a volume that many Anglophone Israelis own -- and which has been much in use over the past two years when we have been drawn into the regular recitation of Tehillim for the members of our armed forces, for those held captive and those in need of a refuah shelemah. 

The emotional profundity and spiritual depth of the 150 psalms that make up our canonical book cannot be doubted. Somehow, however, their meaning eludes us and we are left to do our best with words and poetical modes of expression that are not so familiar. This is where Psalms that Speak to You comes in. The English translation is plain and idiomatic, while losing none of the dignity of the Hebrew. In terms of its presentational format, the large, clear print is easy on the eye and the translation lies directly opposite the Hebrew on the page.

The author, Yitzchok Leib Bell, lives locally. He is a member of Beit Knesset Hanassi.

Living the Halachic Process, volume IV, by Rabbi Daniel Mann (Book of the Month, Kislev 5786)

For chodesh Kislev our choice of Book of the Month is Living the Halachic Process, volume IV: Questions and Answers for the Modern Jew, by Rabbi Daniel Mann. This work, published by the Eretz Chemdah Institute, features answers to queries sent to the Institute. These answers are divided by field of human activity: prayer, berachot, Shabbat, festivals, kashrut, holy articles, money, family matters and, for questions that fit none of these categories, miscellany. Members of the shul have already been acquainted with one such she’elah: what should one do if, in the middle of one’s Shemon’Esrei, one remembers that one has already davened it earlier (you can enjoy Rabbi Kenigsberg’s mini-shiur on this issue here). 

This book covers lots of important topics. For example:

• Bathroom breaks during tefillah
• Berachot over pizza
• Using a dishwasher with a timer on Shabbat
• The correct routine for lighting one’s Chanukiah when coming home late
• Selling sifrei Torah that are too heavy for an ageing community
• Hosting a difficult guest
• Thanking Hashem after a “false alarm”
• Veganism
• Charging for incidental work that was not originally discussed.

We have this volume in our Beit Midrash library—but you don’t have to come to shul to borrow it. The full text is available online from the Eretz Chemdah website here. And if you want to test yourself against the book by reading the source materials and seeking to reach your own conclusions, these materials are also available online, here.

The Humanity of Jewish Law: Book of the Month, Mar Cheshvan 5786

Written 40 years ago, in 1985, The Humanity of Jewish Law is a fascinating and intriguing book. Its author, Meyer S. Lew, was better known in Anglo-Jewish circles as Dayan Lew, a scholar of Semitics, Theology and Jewish History and a powerful figure on the London Beth Din on which he served for quarter of a century.

So what is this book all about? According to its description on Amazon:

In an age of challenge to tradition, this work illuminates the essential humanity of halacha (Jewish law), which has guided the Jewish people through the ages. Drawing on classical talmudic, midrashic, and rabbinic sources, Dayan Lew ably demonstrates the religious, ethical, and spiritual motivations behind halachic decisions affecting all aspects of life and behavior, proving anew that the genius, spirit, and sensitivity that underlie the Jewish legal system advance the human condition and remain relevant for all times.

When this book was published, the Chief Rabbi was Immanuel Jakobovits and the 1980s were a tough time for Jewish orthodoxy in the United Kingdom. Judaism was being attacked from the inside as being antiquated, old-fashioned and insensitive to the needs of the modern era. Lord Jakobovitz lamented that the only good and accessible books on the Jewish religion that were written there were penned by non-Jewish scholars like R. Travers Herford. Against that, in the years before Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks emerged as an outstanding, cogent and productive author, the only outstanding book on Judaism from the domestic rabbinate was the brilliant but heretical We Have Reason to Believe by Louis Jacobs. Dayan Lew’s The Humanity of Jewish Law was the second title to answer the Chief Rabbi’s call for good and accessible English-language books by rabbis, following Rabbi Shlomo P. Toperoff’s Lev Avot.

The Humanity of Jewish Law is part of the Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection, housed in our Beith Midrash.

Eight People We Met on the Way Home: Book of the Month (Tishrei 5786)

Since Rabbi Wein zt’l was such a passionate advocate of aliyah for all, so often reminding his congregants and his wider audiences of the God-given connection between us and our land, it seems only appropriate to select one of his titles as Book of the Month for Chodesh Tishrei—and we have chosen for this purpose Eight People We Met on the Way Home—published in 2024 as the book of the lecture series on the major personalities involved in the return of the Jewish Nation to the Land of Israel.

For the record, the eight in question span a wide range of aptitudes, philosophies and religious orientations: they include characters as diverse as Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv), Chaim Weitzman and Louis Brandeis. As the book’s webpage explains:

In a world of propaganda and controversy, Rabbi Wein takes you on a journey through 8 lives that were inextricably tied with the emergence of the Israel of today—and reveals truths you’ve been waiting to discover. Eight People We Met on the Way Home is an all-new riveting, emotion-laden narrative by world-renowned “Voice of Jewish History”.

It’s a lovely book and an easy read, with large, clear print and plenty of illustrations—some quite unexpected (Kaiser Wilhelm II and Giuseppi Garibaldi, the only great European political figure to have a biscuit named after him).

You can enjoy this book by borrowing the copy we have in the Beit Knesset library—but be sure to return it. Many books by Rabbi Wein that start off on our shelves end up in the private collections of people who have borrowed them.

Nostalgia for Eternity: Book of the Month, Elul 5785

It took very little time for us to choose as this month's featured book Nostalgia for Eternity: Ideas, Insights, and Inspirations from Rabbi Berel Wein.  The title of this book, compiled by Rabbi Doniel Staum, itself summarises and epitomises the outlook and philosophy of our dear, departed Rabbi: anyone who has ever listened to his words will have sensed his nostalgia for the power and the purity of the Torah-driven Lithuanian learning tradition in which he was schooled by his father and his rebbes. And no-one who has read his words will have missed his frequent references to eternity--the gift of an eternal bond between God and His chosen people.

Published in 2023 and distributed by Feldheim, Nostalgia for Eternity consists of 24 short and accessible chapters that record in literary form a number of lectures given by Rabbi Wein in Yeshiva Shaarei Torah, supplemented by presentations made by him in various forums over the years. As the inscription on the back cover aptly states:

"What unites [all the chapters] is Rabbi Wein's ability to present poignant lifelong Torah values and lessons in a dynamic and engaging manner".

You can see for yourself just how true this claim is when you pick up the shul's copy from our Beit Midrash library and dip into its pages. 

The Nursing Father: Book of the Month (Menachem Av, 5785)

For Menachem Av we have selected The Nursing Father: Moses as a Political Leader as our Book of the Month.  Written by Aaron Wildavsky, it was first published in 1984. In this work Wildavsky explores the political leadership of Moses as portrayed in the Bible. He examines the story of Moses not just as a religious narrative, but also as a case study in political leadership, arguing that it offers valuable insights into the dynamics of power and governance. The book's title, drawn from Bemidbar 11:12, itself gives an insight both into the mindset of Moshe and the author's approach.

The book's central thesis is that the Moses story can be understood as a lesson in political leadership, and that this understanding can enrich our comprehension of both biblical narratives and broader political theory. Wildavsky analyzes Moses's actions, decisions, and relationships within the context of his role as a leader of the newly-established desert nation, highlighting the challenges and complexities of his leadership. 

Wildavsky's approach to the topic is rooted in the field of political science and draws on sociological perspectives in order to analyze the political aspects of the Moses narrative. He examines how Moses navigated various political challenges, such as establishing authority, managing dissent, and mediating between different factions within the Israelite community. The book also explores the concept of the "nursing father" as a metaphor for Moses's role in nurturing and guiding Israel, both physically and politically. 

The Nursing Father has been reviewed and discussed by scholars of political science and religious studies, who have noted its provocative and insightful analysis of Moses's leadership. While some reviewers have questioned the extent to which Wildavsky's analysis fully integrates sociological theories, they generally acknowledge the book's contribution to understanding the political dimensions of the Moses story. 

You can find The Nursing Father on the shelves of the Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection, which is housed in the library of our Beit Midrash.

Double Take, by Rabbi Jesse Horn (Book of the Month, Tamuz 5785)

An occasional speaker at Beit Knesset Hanassi, Rabbi Jesse Horn is a prominent participant in the religious life of Israel's capital city. Within Yeshivat Hakotel he is known for his methodological and Brisker approach to Gemara, his creative outlook on Tanach, and for his warm and approachable personality. 

This month our Book of the Month is Rabbi Horn's Double Take (subtitled 'Biblical Personalities: More Than Meets The Eye'), which was first published in 2016. So what is it all about? According to the book's web page: 

In Double Take, Rabbi Jesse Horn bridges the gap between the traditional interpretations espoused by Chazal and other Rabbinic authorities on the one hand and the simple and straightforward reading of the Tanach on the other. By rigorous and sophisticated Biblical and Rabbinic textual analysis, Rabbinic sources which at first seems at odds with the text can be read harmoniously.

Rabbi Horn uncovers parallels, and answers critical questions such as, Why is this story included in the Torah? Why is this detail left out? Why do these two stories parallel each other? and What understanding does the Torah want us to derive about each character?

The contents of this work contain some surprises. Torah favourites such as Yosef and Yehuda, Aharon and Mordechai will be found in here as well as some names that attract less affection such as Lot and Hagar. 

As you might expect from the pen of an experienced educator, the text is clear and easy to follow. If you hunger for more, the ample footnotes provide a delicious second course packed with references, elucidatory comments and explanations.

A copy of Double Take has recently been procured by our little library in the downstairs Beit Midrash. Enjoy!

Rising Moon, by Moshe Miller (Book of the Month, Sivan 5785)

With Shavuot fast approaching, our Book of the Month for Rosh Chodesh Sivan is Rabbi Moshe Miller's Rising Moon. What's it about? Here's a handy synopsis, drawn from one of the websites from which Rising Moon can be purchased: 

Ruth, a princess of Moab, leaves her homeland, along with Naomi and Orpah, after suffering terrible losses to become the mother of the royal house of Israel. Now, in a revolutionary reading of the Book of Ruth, Moshe Miller provides an entirely new perspective on this beloved story. 

Beneath the simple surface of the Book of Ruth, the Sages trace a web of primal issues, including the Serpent in the Garden of Eden; the jealousy of Cain; the painful break between Abraham and Lot; and the mystery that is the mitzvah of yibum. The fiber that binds together all these issues is the theme of love. Love is the key to this story, which culminates in the unique love of Ruth and Boaz, the ancestors of the once and future king, David, whose very name means love! 

Don't let this synopsis lure you into thinking it's just a romantic rendition of one of Tanach's most moving episodes. With a subtitle that reads "unravelling the book of Ruth", it is presented as a drama in four acts and turns out to be an ingenious and textually sensitive analysis of a Megillah that we know so well that we don't stop to ask ourselves if we can't get to know it a little better.

You can borrow this book from Beit Knesset Hanassi's downstairs library.

The Book of Books, by Azriel Eisenberg (Book of the Month, Iyar 5785)

The Book of Books is one of the more handsome tomes you will find on the shelves of Beit Knesset Hanassi's Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection. 

In this volume Azriel Eisenberg, himself a seasoned educationalist, takes the reader through the mysteries of the Torah scroll, starting from the specific way the scribe copies the Torah on to the parchment scroll to the illuminating history of the Bible text and the important role the Sifrei Torah have played in the life and history of the Jews. It's an enjoyable and easy read, with large, clear print and plenty of illustrations. 

This engrossing book is said to be the only comprehensive guide in English to the many facets of the Torah scroll, the most sacred and precious possession of the Jewish people.

The Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection is located in the Beit Midrash, at the far end of the raised area that is reserved as an Ezrat Nashim during davening times. This Shabbat we marked Marvin Hirschhorn's 5th yahrzeit.Chaim arukhim to Myrna and all the family. 

The Hafetz Hayyim on the Siddur (Book of the Month, Nissan 5785)

The Hafetz Hayyim on the Siddur is not the only English-language book to explore the deeper meaning and functionality of Jewish prayer, but it was the first to delve into the subject from the viewpoint of one of the holiest and most learned rabbis of modern times, the Chafetz Chaim (Rabbi Israel Meir HaKohen Kagan). It is the product of considerable team effort: the text was gathered and arranged by Rabbi David Zaretsky, then translated from the Hebrew by Charles Wengrov and edited by Rabbi Isaiah Aryeh and Joshua Dvorkas. 

This work comprises a collection of thoughts, reflections and interpretations of Jewish prayers. Its highly detailed contents list reveal that the text embraces not merely daily prayers but also the period of compassion and penitence surrounding and including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as the festive period that follows them. 

You can find this book, which is part of the Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection, on the shelves of Beit Knesset Hanassi.

The Library of Everything, by Rabbi David Ebner (Book of the Month, Adar 5785)

The Library of Everything: Poems and Torah Commentaries is one of the most unusual books in Beit Knesset Hanassi’s collection. It consists of a set of creative and imaginative items, in prose and verse, by Rabbi Dr David Ebner—Rosh Yeshiva, Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi, Jerusalem. According to the publishers, ATID:

This collection of original poetry on Jewish and religious themes will enlighten and stimulate readers to an array of issues-Jewish learning and teaching; textual understanding and interpretation; prayer, salvation and repentance; and the Holocaust.

Each of the twenty-one poems is accompanied by a short essay, notes, or an excursus, through which the author unfolds the genesis of the poem: how it was distilled from classical Jewish sources, or—moving in the opposite direction—drawing the reader's attention to implications and applications of the poem to contemporary religious life and experience.

Rabbi Ebner has taken an active interest in integration between Jewish studies and English literature. This is apparent to the reader of this slim (94 page) tome, from which the author’s warm and engaging personality can be instantly discerned.

Abraham Joshua Heschel and Elie Wiesel, You Are My Witnesses, by Maurice Friedman (Book of the Month, Shevat 5785)

One of the more unusual titles in the Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection is Abraham Joshua Heschel and Elie Wiesel, You Are My Witnesses, by Maurice S. Friedman (1921-2012). Published in 1987, this is a personal tribute to two of the most distinguished figures in contemporary Judaism--Elie Wiesel and Dr Abraham Joshua Heschel.

Friedman himself was an interdisciplinary and interreligious philosopher of dialogue. His intellectual career, spanning fifty years of study, teaching, writing, translating, traveling, mentoring, and co-founding the Institute for Dialogical Psychotherapy, is claimed to have prompted a language of genuine dialogue.

In 1956, Friedman wrote a broad survey of Martin Buber’s work available at that time, Martin Buber: The Life of Dialogue, which was the first introduction of Buber’s concepts in the English-speaking world. He became friends with Elie Wiesel, the celebrated Jewish author, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, a well-known Jewish religious philosopher.

In this book the author describes Heschel and Wiesel "as witnesses in our day for the God of the biblical covenant that Moses proclaimed". He adds that "they are also my witnesses, since I have stood in a unique personal relationship with them both".

Concepts of Judaism, by Isaac Breuer (Book of the Month, Tevet 5785)

 Rabbi Isaac Breuer (1883-1946) was a major figure in twentieth century Neo-Orthodoxy, following

n the footsteps of his maternal grandfather Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch. Though he both trained and practised as a lawyer, it is as a religious and political personality that he was best known, being the first President of Poalei Agudat Yisrael.

Rabbi Breuer was also a noted thinker and author, whose deep thought is well reflected in Concepts of Judaism, a selection of his writings selected and compiled by Jacob S; Levinger. Although the Neo-Orthodoxy movement had defined itself from the start largely as an opposition to the German Reform movement, Rabbi Breuer already regarded the Reform movement of his day as essentially the impotent and dying remnant of the Haskalah. For him, the real enemy of Orthodoxy was both political Zionism and Religious Zionism, which he considered especially dangerous because they possessed an authentic Jewish instinct and impulse. The goals of the Zionists paralleled the goals of his own Agudah organization in many areas ("reunification of land and nation"), but without the stress which Agudah laid on adherence to halachah and tradition. Indeed, he envisioned a Messianic Torah state in the land of Israel, and could not abide the idea of "reunification of land and nation" coming to pass through the agency of secular Zionist forces in the form of a secular state.

This work is part of the Marvin N. Hirschhorn library, which is housed in Beit Knesset Hanassi.

Dear Maimonides, by Andrew Sanders (Book of the Month, Kislev 5785)

Dear Maimonides: a discourse on religion and science is described by its author as “a major attempt to understand the ‘meaning of it all’”, using the viewpoint of someone far removed in space and time from our world. This might seem something out of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—but it isn’t. It transports Yosef ben Yehudah ibn Shimon, the original addressee of Rambam’s Guide to the Perplexed, to 20^th century North America. By doing so, the author seeks to provide a new and empirical worldview that incorporates the teachings of both the ancient and the modern Jew.

Who is the man who dares to do this? Our author, Andrew Sanders, was born and raised in Hungary, where he lived through both the Holocaust and the subsequent Communist regime. Leaving Hungary at the age of 24, he was educated as a chemist, and worked in that capacity at the University of Toronto. Later, he learned computer applications, was an early practitioner of that field, became an executive of a major financial institution, eventually starting his own computer software company, which was highly successful. Thereafter he devoted his time and effort to researching and writing on Jewish subjects, from philosophy and theology to historical fiction. In 1989 he and his wife made aliyah.

This volume forms part of the Marvin N. Hirschhorn collection, housed in Beit Knesset Hanassi. You are welcome to borrow it.