Genesis: a Parsha Companion


Book Description

In this first of five Parsha Companions, Rabbi David Fohrman delves into the biblical text, asking intriguing questions and detecting patterns that, once you see them, seem to leap off the page. He helps the reader really listen to the Torah ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚"ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚€ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚ƒƒ‚‚‚ƒƒ‚‚ƒ‚‚" carefully, lovingly, and attentively. The reader's reward is the chance to perceive the richness in the Torah many of us had never imagined was there, and to be touched deeply by a close encounter with the words of our Maker.




Out of Babylon


Book Description

Explores the Old Testament's prophetic cry against materialism, consumerism, violence, and oppression




The Torah


Book Description

An interactive study of the Five Books of Moses. The book can be read from cover to cover or used to study each portion of the Torah as read weekly in the synagogue. Simple enough for teenagers, it is sophisticated enough for adults and rich in resources for preparing lectures, sermons, and talks.




Never Get Angry Again


Book Description

Never Get Angry Again is New York Times bestselling author David J. Lieberman’s comprehensive, holistic look at the underlying emotional, physical, and spiritual causes of anger, and what the reader can do to gain perspective, allowing them to never get angry again. "An essential instruction manual for anger management, but also a detailed work on how to get along with other people." —Library Journal (starred review) Take a deep breath and count to ten. Meditate. Visualize your happy place. You’ve probably heard all of these anger management techniques and more from friends, family, and experts, but somehow they miss the mark when it comes to coping with the complex emotion of anger. Let’s face it: if anger-management techniques were effective, you wouldn’t be reading this book. These clumsy attempts to maintain calmness are usually futile and sometimes emotionally draining. The fact is, either something bothers us (causing anxiety, frustration, or anger), or it doesn’t. A state of calm is better accomplished by not becoming agitated in the first place. When we fight the urge to blow up or melt down, we fight against our own nature. Internationally bestselling author David J. Lieberman understands that a change in perspective is all that is needed to help keep from flying off the handle. In Never Get Angry Again, he illuminates the underlying emotional, spiritual, and physical components of anger, and gives the readers simple, practical tools to snuff out anger before it even occurs.




The Beast that Crouches at the Door


Book Description

What are we to learn from the narratives in the Torah? A walking, talking snake. A tree that bears mysterious knowledge of Good and Evil. A mark upon Cain for all to see. The early narratives in the Book of Genesis are familiar to us from childhood, yet the meaning of these stories often seem maddeningly elusive. For example: By forbidding Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, did God really not want mankind to be able to distinguish right from wrong? This book examines the early stories in the Book of Genesis, calling attention to the big questions that bother us all, as well as to the hidden subtleties of text and language. As clues and questions are pieced together, deeper layers of meaning begin to emerge. In the end, the reader gains an experience in the richness and depth of Torah, and a profound confrontation with concepts that define the core of what it means to be a Jew.




Covenant and Conversation


Book Description

In this second volume of his long-anticipated five-volume collection of parashat hashavua commentaries, Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks explores these intersections as they relate to universal concerns of freedom, love, responsibility, identity, and destiny. Chief Rabbi Sacks fuses Jewish tradition, Western philosophy, and literature to present a highly developed understanding of the human condition under Gods sovereignty. Erudite and eloquent, Covenant Conversation allows us to experience Chief Rabbi Sacks sophisticated approach to life lived in an ongoing dialogue with the Torah.




Kamikaze Yogi


Book Description

You are more resilient than you believe, wiser than you know, and more conscious than you think. If this concept excites you then step forward and enjoy some body prayers to quiet the mind and soften the heart. Welcome to the church of you-it's never been about an hour every Sunday in a pew. Experiencing a spiritual life has always been about your relationships with people and the world 24/7-in all of its anxious uncertainty. Allow me to help you uncover a healthy state of centeredness. I have found the human soul might just be God's muscle and, if we don't strengthen and stretch it, it atrophies. East will never ask you to abandon West, and neither will I.




A River Flowed from Eden


Book Description

A River Flowed from Eden is the perfect addition to your Shabbat table. Rabbi Ari Kahn has collected 54 of his thought-provoking short essays, one for each of the weekly Torah portions, in a volume that is sure to spark interest and meaningful discussion. Rabbi Kahn's newest volume raises existential and philosophical issues and culls contemporary messages from the sacred, timeless text of the Torah while retaining fidelity to rabbinic tradition. In the words of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, Rabbi Kahn's writings are "rooted in text and rooted in values." Written in accessible, engaging language, each essay examines a single idea from the weekly Torah reading. Grappling with the challenges presented by the text, the trials and tribulations of Judaism's founding mothers and fathers, and the philosophical underpinnings of observance, Rabbi Kahn illuminates the remarkably contemporary issues of morality and faith, society and sanctity contained in each Torah portion.




Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land


Book Description

Torah as a guide to personal growth Following the framework of the ancient tradition of weekly Torah reading, Shefa Gold shows us how to find blessing, challenge and the opportunity for spiritual transformation in each portion of Torah. An inspiring guide to exploring the landscape of Scripture... and recognizing that landscape as the story of your life. Torah Journeys: The Inner Path to the Promised Land promises to turn the year-long cycle of Torah reading into a journey of personal spiritual growth. The first book by Rabbi Shefa Gold, the popular teacher of chant and meditation, Torah Journeys is designed to be meaningful for those at any spiritual level. Shefa Gold is renowned in Jewish Renewal circles and beyond for her teachings, particularly in the realms of chanting, meditation, and connecting to the sacred. She received rabbinical ordinations from both the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Salomi. In Torah Journeys, Rabbi Gold reveals a blessing and a challenge hidden in each weekly Torah portion, based on her principle that the Torah is happening now, and that its stories - from the Creation in Genesis through the death of Moses at the end of Deuteronomy - are about each individual's life journey. Drawing from her spiritual search as an adept in an array of practices, Rabbi Gold offers transformative practices for each week, ranging from meditation to visualization to chant. Torah Journeys is the fruit of the religious journey of an engaging teacher with an impressive grasp of the texts and liturgy. Having experienced other traditions inspired Rabbi Gold to search out similar tools in Judaism to expand consciousness, become fully human and know God Rabbi Gold shares with us her insightful approach to Bible study and personal growth. The result is poetry for the soul. Torah Journeys is a book that is not merely about Jewish Renewal, but in fact, gives the reader tools to do it. A classic of Jewish spiritual renewal.




The Person in the Parasha


Book Description

The Person in the Parasha, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb's compilation of essays based on his highly popular column of the same name, offers the unique point of view of a world-renowned Torah scholar, community rabbi, and clinical psychotherapist. Each essay begins with an interesting anecdote which the author then connects to a central theme in the parasha, and wraps up with a profound message of inspiration and wisdom for life and spiritual growth. The Person in the Parasha offers a creative and original look at each of the weekly Torah readings, addressing a wide spectrum of human emotions and topics - optimism, grief, integrity, bullying, conformity, envy, aging, parenting, and much more. In this work, Rabbi Weinreb brings the biblical personalities to life, focusing on what motivates them and how we can best emulate their positive traits in our own lives. Rabbi Weinreb offers guidance for daily life its challenges, struggles, and joys alike.