Torah Book Reviews

#Parasha Weekly Insights from a Leading Israeli Journalist Sivan Rahav-Meir Menorah / 333 pp Although I have never met her, I have always been a fan of Sivan Rahav-Meir, not because her brother in law, Yitzhak Meir, is one of my favorite singers, or because I often start my day with her husband’s [sometimes too long] commentary on the day’s news on Radio Kol Hai, but rather due to her exceptional journalistic talents that combine with her unique contributions to Israel society.  Originally from a secular background, Rahav-Meir found her way to orthodoxy and is today one of the most popular media personalities in Israel. She is a true Kiddush Hashem and inspiration to many. In her debut to the English-speaking world, Rahav-Meir presents a book with divrei Torah on the weekly parasha. Each chapter contains three or four short essays [sometimes too short] that have inspirational and contemporary messages related to the weekly reading. The messages draw on sources an...

Welcome to Our Table Rabbi Ari Wasserman Distributed by Feldheim / 465 pp. Ari Wasserman has done it again! This time with a parsha sefer, a book on the weekly Torah portion. As the subtitle says, it is full of "Words of Torah, Insightful Questions and Inspiring Stories." There are two entries on every parsha. Every entry contains a short Dvar Torah. Following the opening Dvar Torah, there is another short essay, often a story, thought, and/or practical application of the opening Dvar Torah. Finally, a question is posed that is intended to trigger the mind and the mouth. The book is made especially personable as it includes responses that the author received from guests and family when he first posed the question at his table! Being familiar with virtually every other "Family" parsha book that is available today, I can assure readers that "Welcome to Our Table" has upped the bar and set a new standard. I conclude with a sample from this week'...

Reason To Believe Rational Explanations of Orthodox Jewish Faith By Rabbi Chaim Jachter Menorah / 250 pages While I generally only write on works of halacha, and furthermore, I generally run away from works of philosophy, I was very intrigued by Reason to Believe. That's because it's not too often that you find a "Rambam" - a master of halacha and also a master of philosophy. But Rabbi Jachter, a noted New Jersey halachic authority and author of numerous halachic works, has struck a grand slam with his recent book. Although there are a number of books out there on defending Torah Judaism, Reason to Believe is very unique in that it presents arguments in support of Torah Judaism whose primary target audience is orthodox Jews! Some of the topics include Emuna, proof for the Divine origin of the Torah, lesser-known interpretations of Biblical stories (especially interesting in this category is a rationalist explanation of the ten plagues), comparing science with T...

A Concise Code of Jewish Law for Converts Rabbi Michael J. Broyde Urim / 180 pp Rabbi Michael Broyde’s newest work, A Concise Code of Jewish Law for Converts, is an extremely unique and original contribution to the world of English halachic literature. At the same, time, it also serves as a great outreach effort to converts. There are essentially two sections to the book, each of similar length. The first section addresses the halachic issues relevant to converts, and it is arranged in the order of the Shulchan Aruch. This makes it especially useful for rabbis and others studying these issues. For example, just as S.A. OC 25 discusses the mitzvah of tefillin, S.A. YD 2 discusses shechita, and S.A. CM 7 discusses judges, so too, these halachot relevant to converts can be found in the book under the same categorization. Of course, the most prominent issue of halachot relating to converts are those relating to marriage, making the Even Ha’ezer section of the book quite practi...

Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen Between War and Peace Yechiel Frish and Yedidya Hacohen Urim / 335 pp There may never have been, and likely never to be, a more well-rounded rabbinic leader in the State of Israel than Rav Shear Yashuv Cohen.  Rav Shear Yashuv, who I can consider one of my personal mentors, was a scholar, warrior, peace maker, pietist, and community activist. Although primarily associated with the city of Haifa, a worthwhile story in its own right, he played a role in the establishment and direction of the State of Israel. In this volume, readers will learn things about Rav Shear Yashuv as never before revealed. An inspiring biography that is full of personal accounts and testimonies, it also offers a unique angle on the establishment of Israel in general, and the rabbinate in particular. I would also add that there is a subtle political commentary between the lines (Does anyone know that Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer called Rav Kook “the backbone of the entire J...

Remember this one? (See http://torahbookreviews.blogspot.co.il/2016/01/sexuality-and-jewish-law.html) Well, Yaakov Shapiro has just come out with the third edition of this work. Included in this edition is an index and an additional 15 pages of endnotes. There is also a website relating to the book: http://www.sexualityandjewishlaw.com My first review says it all.