It is a pleasure to read the three versions of Simple Gimpl, a short tale by the Noble Prize-winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902-1991): the original in Yiddish by Singer., the translation into English by Singer and David Stromberg, and the translation by Noble Prize-winning author Saul Bellow (1915-2005). Each of the three has [...]

     I agree with Howard Kreisel’s view about what Maimonides considered the goal of the Messianic Age. Howard Kreisel’s 2015 book “Judaism as Philosophy: Studies in Maimonides and the Medieval Jewish Philosophers of Provence” is excellent. It is published by Academic Press, 978-1-61811-179-1, and sells for $139.00. It is part of an outstanding series [...]

Spinoza: Freedom’s Messiah By Ian Buruma Yale University Press ISBN 978-0300248920 2024, 216 pages, $23.20                                                               What is Spinoza’s Philosophy? Ian Buruma’s 2024 “Spinoza: Freedom’s Messiah,” a significant addition to Jewish studies, is published by Yale University Press. This book is a comprehensive introduction to the life of the short-lived renowned Jewish philosopher Baruch [...]

  Maimonides: Faith in Reason  Yale University Press (Jewish Lives) By Alberto Manguel 256 pages, 2023 ISBN 978-0-300-21789-6 $14.84                                               Maimonides: Faith in Reason   Alberto Manguel’s 2023 “Maimonides: Faith in Reason,” a significant addition to Jewish studies, is published by Yale University Press. This book is a comprehensive introduction to the life, books, and [...]

  Becoming Elijah, Prophet of Transformation By Daniel C. Matt Yale University Press March 15, 2022 248 pages ISBN 978-0-300-24270-6 $20.70   Daniel C. Matt’s book “Becoming Elijah, Prophet of Transformation” is a testament to his profound expertise in Kabbalah and Jewish thought. It is excellent and intellectually stimulating, as well as a balanced blend [...]

      The biblical holiday Passover, a significant event in Jewish history, disappeared entirely when the Romans destroyed the temple in 70 CE. This cataclysmic event marked the end of an era and led to a significant shift in religious practices. However, its name, Passover, was resurrected and given to the holiday Chag Hamatzot, [...]

    A Visit To Elijah I read this book, "Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation" (2022) in preparation for Passover. As the book points out, most Jews know Elijah primarily through experiences of the seder, in which the door is opened and a cup of wine offered to Elijah, usually near the conclusion of the [...]

Our friend Turk Hill requested that I give my opinion on the subject matter. Here it is. There is disagreement among scholars on whether Maimonides accepted Aristotle's view that matter existed eternally. Some say he agreed with Aristotle and others that he disagreed. I favor the view that he agreed with Aristotle. Or, possibly felt [...]

  The first Passover is a unique event celebrated by the Israelites in Egypt just before their exodus. It is described in Exodus 12:1-11. It stands out from the subsequent Passovers mandated by the Torah.   Exodus 12, which describes the Egyptian ceremony, raises many questions. (1) Why does the Torah command that “this month,” [...]

   Our friend Steve asked how he should prepare for his retirement. I decided to put my secret on this website for him and the rest of my readers. My wife Dina and I married 64 years ago, in 1960. At that time, I was a First Lieutenant in the US Army, earning $2000 a [...]

  Empowering Seder Conversations Passover Haggadah Leora Ashman et al. Urim Publications, Jerusalem. New York 128 pages, 20124 978-965-524-370-3                                                                         [...]

       Maggid Books’ 2024, “The Promise of Liberty, A Passover Haggada,” is superb. It tells the story of the Israelite exodus from Egyptian slavery over 3,300 years ago and reveals the many lessons applicable today, especially what freedom means in Judaism and America. Unbeknownst to many, the Sidur, the daily prayer book, Machzor, [...]

       This is an excellent film, but it has a severe problem. I have seen many movies where screenwriters insist, or imply, that it is based on the biblical story. This 2005 film, “Joseph and His Brethren,” wins the prize, if you can call it that. It is the first movie of its [...]

   The acting, dialogue, scenery, and drama in the 1997 movie “Solomon” are excellent and enjoyable. However, the only way it matches what the Bible states is that despite the claim that Solomon was very wise, a close reading of the biblical text reveals that he did virtually everything wrong. Of course, few things were [...]

  In this third excellent volume of Rabbi David Fohrman’s Parasha Companion series, “Leviticus,” which follows Genesis and Exodus, the rabbi raises interesting questions, offers possible answers, makes the biblical book Leviticus meaningful, and causes us to think. Without the rabbi’s help, Leviticus is difficult to understand and relate to the modern age. Rabbi Fohrman [...]

  I will explain why there is evil in this world. God did what is sensible. The world is, as the Hebrew Bible states, “Good.” It gives people free will. Humans cause evil in three ways.   The world is created with duality Opposites are generally two sides of the same thing. For example, love [...]

    Our friend and reader of Booksnthoughts.com asked a good question: Is the Purim story a parable? “What is the significance that Esther is a Persian name? Did Esther really exist or is she a fictional character?” I thought all of our readers would be interested in the answer. Therefore, I am writing the [...]

    The Holiday of Purim occurs in 2024 on the eve of March 23 to the eve of the 24th. Tradition tells Jews to read the biblical book Esther during the first evening and the next morning services. Why should we read it?   The Book of Esther is one of the twenty-four books [...]

                                                                          The Accounting   The opening words of the weekly Torah reading Prkudei (Exodus 38:21-40:38) state that an accounting was given of the precious metals used in the construction of the Tabernacle, the name given to the desert Temple during the days of Moses. There is no command [...]

  People will enjoy Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel’s brilliant, enlightening, and fascinating “Of Lions, Mice & Menorahs: A Jewish Look at Aesop’s Fables.” Samuel retells thirty-five Aesop Tales, informs us who Aesop was, describes the ancient sources, tells us that they were first introduced to teach adults, why they are treasures for all ages, [...]

  Elias Canetti (1905-1994) was a Jewish German-language writer born in Ruse, Bulgaria. His family moved to England, where his father died in 1912. His mother took their three sons back to Europe and settled in Vienna. In 1981, her son Elias was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for “writings marked by a broad outlook, [...]

  While Rashi is the favorite Bible commentator for many people, they know virtually nothing about him. People also fail to realize that Rashi generally does not reveal the true intent of the Bible text. All we know about Rabbi Shlomo ben Yitzchak known as Rashi from Troyes, France, are his writings. We know no [...]

  Many cultures and religions have laws or practices requiring people to remove their shoes on certain occasions. Moses was commanded in Exodus 3:5 and Joshua in Joshua 5:15 to remove their shoes when Moses had a revelation from God at a burning bush, and Joshua received instructions from an angel. Priests who were descendants [...]

                                               Daniel Sperber’s 2024 latest book, published by Urim Publications, “Vegetarianism, Ecology, and Business Ethics,” is superb. Everyone should read it. The book has three essays focusing on Judaic insights into contemporary concerns. [...]

  At the end of his very informative book, Ethics of Our Fighters, Rabbi Dr. Shlomo M. Brody quotes General Omar Bradley's November 1948 observation, "The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." Brody comments that much has changed since 1948, "yet I [...]

   The weekly portion of Mishpatim, Exodus 21-1-24:1, begins with laws concerning an eved ivri, translated “Hebrew Slave.” But the term is not explained. It continues with laws when a man sells his daughter as a slave, a death sentence to a person who kills another, the law of an accidental killing, the rule that [...]

    Many Jewish sages offered their list of what they considered the basic principles of Judaism. Maimonides lists thirteen. However, other significant rabbis had a different list. For example, Shem Tov ben Joseph Falaquera (c. 1220–1290) identifies seven principles in one of his books and six in another – although his thirteen do not [...]

  Charles H. Freundlich’s book “Together Again” is wonderful. I am a huge fan of him. If I were younger and lived where he was a rabbi, I would rush on Shabbat mornings to his synagogue to hear his sermons and on weekday nights to listen to his lectures. I know only about a half [...]

  Many people recognize that the Five Books of Moses, the Torah, contain multiple examples of behaviors we should learn and emulate. However, they fail to notice that every person mentioned in the Torah has misbehaved, and they agonize over misbehaving children. For instance:   Even the best humans misbehave The Torah criticizes Adam and [...]

    Many people are convinced that reincarnation, called gilgul in Hebrew, has been accepted as a fact since ancient times. Reincarnation is the belief that when people die they are transported into a new body in another life. This is not true about Judaism. Gilgul entered Judaism for some mystical-minded Jews only in the [...]