New and Noteworthy Books
Ram Ben-Shalom, The Jews of Provence & Languedoc (Littman Library)
Ben-Shalom explores the historical significance of Provence and the crucial role of its Jews in shaping medieval Jewish culture in the Mediterranean over the course of 1500 years. For example, Provence was crucial in its works of translation from Arabic to Hebrew, giving the Jews of Christian Europe the ability to comprehend the achievements of the Jews of Muslim Spain. It was also the birthplace of much of the first Kabbalistic teachings, while at the same time beign the “cradle” of a Maimonidean-Aristotelian rationalistic philosophical school. Ben-Shalom illuminates the immense importance of this often overlooked corner of Jewish and halakhic history in what will become the definitive history of Provencal Jewry.
J. David Bleich, Contemporary Halakhic Problems: Volume VIII (Maggid Books)
May one smoke on Yom Tov? How, as Jews, can or should we understand the Coronavirus and its impacts? How does Judaism understand autonomous automobiles? In volume 8 of his monumental Contemporary Halakhic Problems, R. Bleich explores these issues and more, providing detailed and compelling answers, whilst asking his readers to appreciate the timelessness of Jewish law (his lengthy “methodological introduction” is masterpiece unto itself). These essays, which originate as columns in TRADITION, provide a gripping analysis of our ever-changing reality, and details both modern and classic halakhic queries.
Zev M. Shandalov, The 3 Images: True Stories and Lessons for Introspection (Independent)
The 3 Images contains thirty true-life stories with a message and a lesson we can learn from each. The stories were originally told on the evenings of Kol Nidre during the years R. Shandalov served as a congregational rabbi in Chicago. Readers will find inspiration all year round and especially in the time leading up to the Yamim Noraim.
Yonatan Rosensweig & Shmuel Harris, Nafshi BiShe’elati: The Halakhot of Mental Health (Maaglei Nefesh & Maggid Books)
In a world where mental health challenges affect countless individuals, the Torah-observant community is beginning to engage more deeply with these critical issues. Nafshi BiShe’elati is a guidebook for those navigating the intersection of halakha and mental health. Rosensweig brings halakhic expertise as a community Rav; Harris offers his medical and psychological expertise. Together they address an array of sensitive topics; offering practical guidance for individuals and their families, while also equipping halakhic decisors with the tools they need to consult on these complex matters [read introduction here].
Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, Orot HaTorah, translated and annotated by Chanan Morrison (Whirlwind Press)
Rav Kook’s Orot HaTorah provides exemplary insights into philosophical ideas surrounding Torah study and the ways it can impact our lives. In this text, Rav Kook presents Torah learning not just as an intellectual endeavor but as a transformative spiritual practice that refines the soul and connects individuals to divine wisdom. In Chanan Morrison’s annotated edition, Rav Kook’s teachings are made accessible through careful translation and contextual explanation [read the chapter which had its debut appearance in the pages of TRADITION (Winter 2020)].
Haym Soloveitchik, Jews and the Wine Trade in Medieval Europe: Principles and Pressures (Littman Library)
Jews and the Wine Trade in Medieval Europe explores the unique issue faced by the Jewish merchants in which the laws of kashrut prohibited them from selling wine created by gentiles. In a period where wine was both a key trade commodity and a religiously significant beverage, this created an interesting and challenging issue. Soloveitchik provides a nuanced view of how Jews influenced and were influenced by the broader medieval economy, expounding on their role as intermediaries in a multicultural marketplace.
Benjamin Nathans, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement (Princeton University Press)
Benjamin Nathans traces the evolution of dissident activism from the 1950s through the 1980s, exploring how these activists, including writers, intellectuals, scientists, and everyday citizens, challenged state repression and promoted ideals of human rights, freedom, and justice. Nathans challenges the notion that the Soviet dissidents (including the Jewish dissidents) were a monolithic group, and captures the spirit of resistance within the Soviet Union but also adds depth to our understanding of global human rights struggles during the Cold War era.
Moshe Sokol, A Mysterious Guest for Dinner: Exploring Talmudic Narratives (Maggid Books)
This is Moshe Sokol’s second volume analyzing talmudic narratives, following upon The Snake at the Mouth of the Cave [read our review here]. The book closely examines the dialogues, ironies, reversals, and disputes that make up ten different talmudic narratives. Drawing on classical rabbinic commentaries, contemporary scholarship, and insights from psychology, literature, history, and philosophy, Sokol demonstrates how compact aggadot speak powerfully to all who seek the Talmud’s enduring wisdom.
Irving Greenberg, The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism (JPS)
The Triumph of Life: A Narrative Theology of Judaism by Rabbi Irving (Yitz) Greenberg is an engaging and import and new work, offering readers Greenberg’s often provocative perspective on Judaism’s mission and role in the world. The book offers a sweeping survey of Jewish history and theology, specifically through the lens of modernity, the Holocaust, and the creation of Israel—topics Greenberg has creatively engaged with many times over his long career. The award-winning work (2024 Natan Prize Winner) is a culmination of Greenberg’s decades of thought on Jewish peoplehood and belief.
Moshe Sokolow, Pursuing Peshat: Tanakh, Parshanut & Talmud Torah (Kodesh Press)
In Pursuing Peshat: Tanakh, Parshanut & Talmud Torah, Moshe Sokolow invites readers to delve into the depths of the simple meaning of the text as a foundation for Jewish learning. Blending classical interpretation with modern insights, Sokolow illuminates how understanding the straightforward meaning of Tanakh transforms our approach to the Bible, its message, and religious exploration.
Erica Brown, The Torah of Leadership: Essays on the Weekly Parasha (Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership & Maggid Books)
To form ourselves as a people and a faith we have always needed upstanding spiritual leaders who were also change agents. In this new collection of essays on the weekly Torah cycle, from the fruitful pen of Erica Brown, we explore ways that leadership answers the need for governance, laws, a home for the Divine Presence, and an inspiring national narrative.
Eli Hirsch, Talmudic Philosophies (Institute for Jewish Research and Publications)
Talmudic Philosophies presents a collection of essays exploring topics such as identity, destiny, determinacy, and indeterminacy, through the lens of Jewish thought and philosophy. Eli Hirsch, professor of philosophy at Brandeis, revisits classic interpretations of Jewish texts, introducing complicated philosophical understandings of those texts, enriching our understanding of the link between rabbinic literature and modern legal and philosophical discourse.
Hillel Weiss, Sefer ha-Ma’asim le-Shoharei ha-Mikdash (Text-Ratz)
An English title for this book would be The Books Deeds of the Beit-Mikdash Seekers: Renewal of the Temple Culture Between 1967-2024. Hebrew readers will discover an exploration of the mitzvot relating to the Beit HaMikdash, and attempts to recenter their importance in the modern age and contemporary State of Israel. The book argues the case for creating an environment in Israel that is prepared to revitalize mitzvot such as the Passover sacrifice, the sacrifice of the Omer, the laws of war, and the mitzvot of counting the jubilee.
Compiled with the assistance of Ellie Glickman and Mia Harris.
Appearance here does not preclude review in our print journal or on TraditionOnline.org. Publishers can contact our editor to submit titles.