Who was Maimonides’ son?
The following essay is chapter 5 in my book Maimonides: Reason Above All [...]
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01, 2017
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01, 2017
Who were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi?
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi Prophecy in an Age of Uncertainty By Hayyim Angel Very few people know much about the three final prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. They do not know when they lived, did they live at the same time, what did they say, what kind of contribution did they make to the [...]
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01, 2017
Maimonides took most of his ideas from Aristotle
The following is the second chapter from my third book on Maimonides called "Maimonides: Reason Above All." I gave my book this name because both he and Aristotle were convinced that the most important part of humans is their ability to reason, something most humans do not do. [...]
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01, 2017
What really happened at the Red Sea?
The following is chapter 5 from my book "Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets. “Tell Me [...]
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01, 2017
Must Jews today obey ancient rabbis because they are not as smart as they were?
This is chapter 3 from my book Maimonides: the Exceptional Mind. Why Are Ancient Rabbinic Decisions Binding? Most Orthodox Jews today are convinced that the [...]
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01, 2017
An amazing true story
You have to see it. From my friend Chaim Parchi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_Om7BkH6QQ Shabbat shalom
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01, 2017
Who was Moses Maimonides?
The following is the first chapter of my book "Maimonides the Exceptional Mind." [...]
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01, 2017
Wonderful Agnon stories
A Book That Was Lost Thirty-five Stories By S. Y. Agnon Toby Press’s 2008 volume of “A Book That Was lost” contains ten more short stories than Schocken Press’s 1995 version, and thereby includes all the stories that are published in Agnon’s book entitled “Twenty-One Stories.” The stories show how great a writer Agnon [...]
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01, 2017
Another moving experience – “If I forget you Jerusalem”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjbuwf9wR2A&list=RDcjbuwf9wR2A&index=1
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01, 2017
A very moving experience
The Lieutenant Colonel singing. Shai Abramson, is the First Cantor of the Israel Defense Forces.He is also a paratrooper. He is accompanied by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and its choir. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=_Q5--mNIZhU&hd=1 I had the pleasure of hearing him lead the high holiday services in the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem and, on another occasion, sitting [...]
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01, 2017
A graphic novel with 3 Agnon stories
From Foe to Friend & Other Stories By S. Y. Agnon A Graphic Novel by Shay Charka Toby Press, which is part of Koren Press, one of Israel’s best publishing houses, has published twelve books in English translation by the famed Nobel Prize winning author S. Y. Agnon (1888-1970) and one graphic novel based [...]
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12, 2016
The Destruction of the Temple before the First Temple
I just published two new books. One is called “Who was the biblical Samuel” and the second is “Unusual Bible Interpretations: Hosea. The following is a chapter from the Samuel book. [...]
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12, 2016
May Jews Count People?
May Jews Count People? Ask a [...]
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12, 2016
Rape in the Bible
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12, 2016
Ahithophel’s bizarre behavior
Ahithophel’s bizarre behavior The Torah frequently mentions ancient practices and historical ideas that were later changed and [...]
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12, 2016
Clever humorous thoughts
The following clever thoughts were sent to me by Simon Greenspan Men are like linoleum floors. Lay 'em right and you can walk all over them for thirty years. The only reason they say [...]
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12, 2016
My mistake and more gifts
Dear friends, I made a mistake. I thought I attached "Mysteries of Judaism," but I did not do so. I have a better idea. If you are interested in any of my books, and if you agree to write a review and post it on amazon, write to me at my email address [...]
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12, 2016
Bizarre Wedding Practices – and a request
The following essay is from my book “Mysteries of Judaism.” Gefen Publishing House will release my “Mysteries of Judaism II, How the rabbis and Others Changed Judaism” in February 2017. I would like this book to be as popular as the first “Mysteries of Judaism.” Therefore, I am attaching the first volume here for [...]
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12, 2016
The Rape of Tamar
The Rape of Tamar Chapter 13 relates the rather perplexing tale of Amnon’s rape [...]
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12, 2016
Some Jokes
Jokes A reader of booksnthoughts [...]
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12, 2016
A remarkable story of a real hero
This remarkable story was sent to me by one of our readers. In case you have not seen this, please read and watch the son's video, about a remarkable one of the 'chasidei umos ha'olam. http://www.timesofisrael.com/posthumous-honor-for-us-officer-who-saved-200-jewish-gis-from-the-nazis-and-never-told-a-soul/
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11, 2016
Maimonides disparages morality
Maimonides Disparages Morality One book of the Talmud [...]
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11, 2016
The very strange philosophy of Moses Cordovero
The Palm Tree of Devorah By Rabbi Moshe Cordovero Two books by two men called Moses describe proper behavior from the two ends of polar reasoning: Moses (Hebrew, Moshe) Cordovero tells what he considered how God wants people to act and think from a mystical perspective in his “The Palm Tree of Deborah [...]
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11, 2016
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11, 2016
A delightful book by Agnon
In Mr. Lublin’s Store By S. Y. Agnon The 1966 Nobel Prize winner in Literature was the Israeli S. Y. Agnon’s (1888-1970). His final novel “In Mr. Lublin’s Store” prompts readers to ask what he intended as the central theme of this work. He left it to readers to discover his intent. This is [...]
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11, 2016
The theology of Rabbi Soloveitchik
Abraham’s Journey: Reflections on the Life of the Founding Patriarch By Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik This is one of more than a dozen posthumous writings assembled, edited, and published by The Toras Horav Foundation based on writings collected from various sources by the famed Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993). This volume contains ten [...]
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11, 2016
An Israeli satire
The following is a new Israeli satire which is hilarious for those who understand Hebrew. Here is a link to the first episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyM2tHGz4Rc
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11, 2016
The Bible Doesn’t Say That
Joel M. Hoffman’s book “The Bible Doesn’t Say That” is certainly correct that people read ideas, teachings, commands and whatever else they want to find into the biblical words and events that the words do not say and which is not at all explicit in the biblical events. Since religion, or at least some [...]
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11, 2016
There are not 613 biblical commandments
About the 613 biblical commands and Azharot that lists them The Azharot, meaning “exhortations,” are poetical listings of the 613 commandments that Jewish tradition states are contained in the Five Books [...]
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11, 2016
A joke – The development of a halacha
I received this joke from a reader of www.booksnthoughts.com. It mocks the extreme thinking of the Haredi (extreme Orthodox) and contains the language they use. I added parenthetical explanations of their terms. Development of a Halacha - Reprinted with permission from Yosid [...]
