The First Ten Days

The First Ten Days
Rabbi Yaacov Haber

Mosaica / 88 pages

For those unfamiliar, Rabbi Yaacov Haber (of TorahLab fame), has published an inspirational reader for the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. The First Ten Days, as its names implies, has an entry for each of the aseret yemei teshuva with inspirational material based on the sefirot. Indeed, Rabbi Haber, one of the few who is able to dance between the worlds of nigleh and nistar, has adapted each of the ten sefirot to each of the Ten Days of Repentance by delivering an easy to read and easy to internalize lesson based on each of the sefirot. It is one of the few pieces of kabbala that even a dry halachist like me has benefited from.

Now in its third printing, each of the ten short chapters opens with an explanation of that day’s ‘sefira’, its relationship to the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and finally, some food for thought and questions to ask yourself in order to maximize this special time of year and ensure that these ten holy days are not wasted. With the occasional short story or inspirational adage, the book is short and to the point, and as such, it is very effective. There are few aseret yemei teshuva readers that can inspire you so quickly.

At less than $10, it may very well be the most worthwhile purchase of the Tishrei season.


To order: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005T59QM4

Popular posts from this blog

Food: A Halachic Analysis

Image
Food: A Halachic Analysis Rabbi Yehuda Spitz Mosaica, 480 pp I am unsure whether “outstanding,” “remarkable,” or “spectacular,” best describes Rabbi Yehuda Spitz’s sefer “Food: A Halachic Analysis”  -- though all three adjectives may not do justice. In over 30 chapters discussing various food and kashrut related halacha, Rabbi Spitz, a sho’el u’meishiv at Yeshivat Ohr Somayach in Jerusalem, presents unprecedented clarity in explaining and demystifying the issues. Some of these issues include waiting between cheese and meat, using dishwashers for both milk and meat, fish and milk, eggs and onions left uncovered overnight, chalav Yisrael, marit ayin, and much much more. It is thorough, clear, and makes everything easy to understand. Definitely one of his flagship chapters is the appendix on the history of Gelatin and its kosher status. These chapters are not merely regurgitations of what readers have certainly seen in so many other places, but rather, original compositions in the author’
Read more

Sexuality and Jewish Law

Image
Sexuality and Jewish Law Yaakov Shapiro 430 pages In his Sexuality and Jewish Law, Yaakov Shapiro, an ordained rabbi and non-conformist Lubavitcher chassid, offers a thorough, unapologetic, and uncensored presentation of everything relating to sexual activity and Jewish law.  All rabbinic texts that deal with sexual matters are cited along with the interpretations and comments of all the relevant rishonim , achronim , and poskim . There is also a full presentation of the various halachic opinions and resolutions to the contradictions between them. The exhaustive endnotes are essentially an additional book in their own right. While the book is extremely well researched and impressive in its scope, the author clearly has an agenda and bone to pick. As he writes in the introduction, the book was born out of a bad experience and frustrations with what he was being taught in chattan classes and the “one-sided” approach to the laws of intimacy. The author seeks to put an en
Read more

Aggadah: Sages, Stories & Secrets

Image
Aggadah: Sages, Stories, & Secrets Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein Mosaica / 266 pages The Talmudic and Midrashic texts known as Aggadah are the stories, folklore, historical anecdotes, moral exhortations, and practical advice, words of inspiration, and most importantly, Jewish wisdom on how to best live our life in the service of God. In Aggadah: Sages, Stories, & Secrets, Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein, a rebbe in a number of yeshivot and seminaries, takes us on journey through 18 different Haggadic pieces. Some of the topics include free will, inspiration, gratitude, prayer, torah study, mitzva observance, Shabbat, and much more. It is also worth mentioning that the Introduction includes a primer (based on the Rambam [1] ) on the role and authority of Aggada, especially with regard to Aggadic pieces that are sensational, completely unrealistic, or otherwise difficult to digest. Every chapter begins with an Aggadic reading. Then, after asking a number of compelling quest
Read more