Books For Life Newsletter
Dear friends, Shalom U-vrakhah! Welcome to the pre-summer issue of the "Sefer Ha-Hayim - Books for Life" Newsletter. You probably already know some of the recent events we'll discuss here, but what's coming next might surprise you. So please read on about some things that will be happening just around the corner. Thank you, Gil Student Vol. 2, No. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. YASHAR CHAPTERS As you probably already know, Yashar has started a new e-newsletter called Yashar Chapters. In it, we send out in an e-mail a free chapter from a book published by Yashar. Please take the opportunity to print it out and read it at your leisure. This is your chance to preview the book without having to pay for it. And, regardless of whether the book is to your taste, please forward the chapter to anyone you think might be interested in it. What have you got to lose? The first issue of Yashar Chapters was an excerpt from Rabbi David M. Feldman's important book Where There's Life, There's Life, on the emotional and ethical issues that arise from the care of the elderly and sick. With insight and and compassion, Rabbi Feldman guides people through the emotional minefield of euthanasia for those suffering from unbearable physical pain. The second issue was on a very different topic. In a chapter from his book The Pursuit of Justice and Jewish Law, Rabbi Michael J. Broyde addresses the issues arising in Jewish law -- halakhah -- regarding serving as a defense lawyer for a guilty client. May one attempt to secure the freedom of a guilty criminal? May one argue a defense based on a technicality? These are not simple questions from an ethical perspective and Rabbi Broyde brings the full force of Jewish law to bear on this topic. Stay tuned for issue three, which will be sent out next week. You can find issues one and two of Yashar Chapters online here:
2. LEARNING TORAH IN ISRAEL FOR A YEAR I am pleased to announce the upcoming release of a new book that is sure to become a must-read in the Jewish community. While it is a relatively recent development, it has become a passage of rite for Orthodox students to spend a year post-high school in Israel studying Torah. What happens to them there? How do they develop emotionally and religiously? And how has our community changed since this became common? These questions and more are answered from different perspectives by three experts in the new book Flipping Out? The Impact of the "Year in Israel" on Students and the Jewish Community. Rabbi Shalom Berger and Rabbi Daniel Jacobson, both of whom wrote their doctoral dissertations on this subject, address the topic from their respective areas of expertise -- Rabbi Berger as an educator and Rabbi Jacobson as a psychologist. Dr. Chaim Waxman adds the perspective of a sociologist. In addition to these three comprehensive treatments, Richard Joel, the President of Yeshiva University, has contributed an introduction to the book. This is a book that will certainly be the talk of the town. Expect to see it in bookstores at the end of the summer. 3. THE COMMANDMENTS EXPLAINED Why did God obligate us in the many commandments of the Torah? This question has perplexed Jews for millennia. One of the central texts on this subject is the medieval Sefer Ha-Chinnukh, which combines insights from many of his predecessors--such as Maimonides and Nachmanides--with his own original thoughts in a classic, comprehensive treatment of all 613 commandments. This book is readily available in both Hebrew and English. Rabbi Gersion Appel, the Yeshiva University Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Jewish Studies, classifies, summarizes and analyzes the approach of the Sefer Ha-Chinnukh in his book A Philosophy of Mitzvot. Originally published in 1975 and recently revised and augmented, this book opens the door into the comprehensive worldview of the Chinnukh. See the connecting threads that weave through the Chinnukh's approach and gain insight to the broader themes in the Torah. Rabbi Appel is an interesting figure. Graduating from Yeshiva University's rabbinical school in 1940, he was the last student to be ordained by Rabbi Dov Revel and wrote the eulogy for Rabbi Revel in the Yeshiva College student newspaper. He was also ordained by Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik, father of the famous Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Rabbi Appel has also written two English volumes on halakhah for laymen--The Concise Code of Jewish Law--and edited an important but somewhat obscure medieval Tosafist text--Sefer Ha-Neyar.
A Philosophy of Mitzvot will be published this summer by Yashar Books. Look for it in your local Jewish bookstores. 4. MORE FROM THE ZOO RABBI Those of you who have been following this newsletter are familiar with the name Rabbi Natan Slifkin. This best-selling author, known as the Zoo Rabbi because of his Torah-based tours of zoos, has seen a bit of controversy over the past few years. Three of his books have been banned by some rabbis in Israel and the US. Last summer, Rabbi Slifkin published a book titled The Challenge of Creation, on issues of Torah, evolution and the age of the universe. This summer, Rabbi Slifkin will be publishing another book. Sacred Monsters is a greatly expanded and revised edition of Rabbi Slifkin's earlier book, Mysterious Creatures. Sacred Monsters explores a wide range of fantastic creatures mentioned in the Talmud and Midrash, including mermaids, unicorns, griffins, dragons, sea-serpents and phoenixes. In discussions that greatly expand upon his previous work, Rabbi Slifkin explores the possible identifications of such creatures from a rational perspective. The book is scheduled for publication in the beginning of August. Additionally, I have been informed that The Wall Street Journal will be publishing an article about Rabbi Slifkin, most likely this weekend. 5. HARRY POTTER AND TORAH On July 21st, one of the most popular series of books in history comes to an end with the publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Yashar Books has nothing to do with this book. However, readers of this newsletter might be interested in a book--also not from Yashar--titled Harry Potter and Torah. In this book, Rabbi Dov Krulwich offers a Torah perspective on many of the "magical" topics that arise in the Harry Potter series. Rabbi Krulwich further uses the books as stepping stones for discussions of serious Torah matters. Harry Potter fans will find the book fun and children may become interested in Torah topics after reading it. The book's website is http://HarryPotterTorah.com
6. A CLASSIC ON TEHILLIM Exclusively through Yashar Books, you can order the latest in Rabbi Norman Strickman's series of translations of Ibn Ezra's classic commentary on the Bible. After completing a translation of the commentary on the five books of Moses, Rabbi Strickman has now completed an annotated translation of the first section of Tehillim (chapters 1-41). See here for more information http://www.YasharBooks.com/IbnEzra1.html Thanks again for joining us! Gil Student Reader Service Update your email preferences. Refer a friend ©2007 Yashar Books
Volume 2, Number 2
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President, Yashar Books
1. Yashar Chapters
2. Learning Torah in Israel for a Year
3. The Commandments Explained
4. More from the Zoo Rabbi
5. Harry Potter and Torah
6. A Classic on Tehillim
http://www.YasharBooks.com/Chapters0101.html
http://www.YasharBooks.com/Chapters0102.html
The author's blog is http://HarryPotterTorah.blogspot.com
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