New and Noteworthy Books
Zvi Ron, Jewish Customs: Exploring Common and Uncommon Minhagim (Maggid Books)
In his book, Jewish Customs, Zvi Ron delves into the reasoning and sources behind the time-honored minhagim that have enriched Jewish culture throughout history. His analyses expand beyond the halakhic level to unpack the deep traditional aspect of Jewish life as our customs relate to life-cycle events, the holidays and Shabbat, and liturgy.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, Hadarav: His Inner Chambers, translated and annotated by Bezalel Naor (Orot & Maggid)
Through reading Hadarav: His Inner Chambers, the reader gains an intimate understanding of the inner workings of Rav Kook’s incomparable intellect. This sampling of some of his most personal writings allows us to experience his brilliant mind and soul, first-hand, in a way unprecedented thus far. Bezalel Naor’s ongoing effort to present Rav Kook’s writings in accessible English translations is an important and admirable enterprise, and this most recent offering is especially welcome.
Daniel Kohn, Book of Yearning: The Siddur’s Path to Love, Growth and Fulfillment (Ktav)
Daniel Kohn elaborates upon the transformative potential of prayer through forging a connection with the Siddur. The author reveals illuminating techniques that allow us to develop a higher level of awareness and deepen our relationship with our own souls. Book of Yearning potentially reinvigorates prayer and meditation with a new level of untapped depth.
Ivan G. Marcus, How the West Became Antisemitic: Jews and the Formation of Europe, 800–1500 (Princeton University Press)
Academic books tend to perculate over many years of research, but How the West Became Antisemitic could not have arrived at a more timely moment. Ivan G. Marcus, professor of Jewish history at Yale, replaces the conventional theory of Jewish passivity with that of Jewish agency, attributing the foundations of the development of modern antisemitism to Christian and Jewish competition in medieval Europe. Marcus posits that the hatred and competition of the past gave way to the modern perception of Jews as controlling, powerful, and world-dominating.
Yaakov Jaffe, Isaiah and His Contemporaries (Kodesh Press Tanakh Project)
Isaiah and His Contemporaries contextualizes Isaiah by his prophecies in reference to particular historical events. The Book of Isaiah is further illuminated through a rich analysis of the complexities of the literary devices and Hebrew words employed throughout the text. Jaffe gives the book contemporary relevance by drawing lessons that can be applied to the modern world.
Ariel Evan Mayse, Laws of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism (Stanford University Press)
Laws of the Spirit seeks to harmonize the apparent contradiction between the Hasidic movement’s simultaneous focus on joyful service of God and personal connection with a strict adherence to halakha. Through the examination of eighteenth and nineteenth century Hasidic texts, Mayse suggests that the heart of Hasidism is a re-visioning of halakhic principles as ways to connect with God rather than simply rigid, minute practices.
Lenn E. Goodman, A Guide to “The Guide to the Perplexed”: A Reader’s Companion to Maimonides’ Masterwork (Stanford University Press)
A companion volume to his new translation of the Guide, Lenn E. Goodman follows Maimonides’ life and learning and delves into the text of the Guide, clearly explaining what Maimonides aimed for in his discussion of physics and metaphysics (in his terms, biblical cosmology and theology), his treatments of revelation, religious practice and experience, law and ritual, the problem of evil, and the rational purposes of the commandments, Goodman’s guide to the Guide explains the tactics Maimonides deployed to ensure that readers not get in over their heads when venturing into philosophical deep waters.
Naomi Seidman, Translating the Jewish Freud: Psychoanalysis in Hebrew and Yiddish (Stanford University Press)
Seidman explores the reception history of Freud’s writings in Hebrew and Yiddish and psychoanalyzes the prevalent desire to place Freud and his contributions within a Jewish framework. Analysis of Freud’s humorous response to this phenomenon is a highlight of the volume.
Joseph C. Kaplan, A Passionate Writing Life: From “In My Opinion” to “I’ve Been Thinking”
A Passionate Writing Life collects the essays of Joseph C. Kaplan and presents a synthesis of personal stories with his writings and teachings. He delves into a wide range of issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, Modern Orthodoxy, Orthodox Jewish feminism, theodicy, friendship, relationships, and responsibility.
Daniel Z. Feldman, Letter and Spirit: Evasion, Avoidance, and Workarounds in the Halakhic System (Maggid Books & Yeshiva University Press)
Daniel Z. Feldmen, no stranger to readers of TRADITION, grapples with a pressing issue on the mind of many contemporary Orthodox Jews: what is the halakhic justification for the ostensible loopholes used to avoid undesirable circumstances, such as the sale of hametz to non-Jews, or the sale of the Land of Israel during Shemitta. Feldman suggests that throughout history, rabbis have viewed these mechanisms as a way to navigate the letter and spirit of the law, rather than “workarounds” [read the author’s introduction].
David Fohrman, Leviticus: A Parsha Companion (Maggid Books)
David Fohrman transforms the famously intimidating and seemingly archaic book of Leviticus into an accessible text filled with depth and meaning through a comparison to the prior books of the Torah: Genesis and Exodus. In his third work on the Parsha, Fohrman enriches the text with questions that seem intuitive after the fact, and hidden insights that often remain overlooked until served up to us in his clear presentation.
Compiled with the assistance of Hannah Shapiro. Appearance here does not preclude review in our print journal or on TraditionOnline.org. Publishers can contact our editor to submit titles.