Torah Book Reviews

Defining the Moment: Understanding Brain Death in Halakhah Rabbi David Shabtai, MD Kodesh / 415 pp I was completely blown away by the clarity and readability of Defining the Moment: Understanding Brain Death in Halakhah by Rabbi David Shabtai.  Medical papers, articles, and books, far too often scare away the layman rather than educate him. In this book, Rabbi Shabtai presents the relevant issues surrounding brain death in unprecedented clarity. For the first time, certainly in terms of a book of this caliber on medical issues, I am able to say that I understood what was presented and walked away more educated than I had begun. Rabbi Shabtai covers everything from the basics to the advanced. Among the topics covered are organ donation issues, including the fascinating process and procedures, cardiopulmonary issues, and of course brain death, cardio death and the like. Everything is explained in a clear manner.  The relevant rabbinic texts, from Talmud t...

Harry Fischel: Pioneer of Jewish Philanthropy  KTAV Publishers, 2012 Edited by Rabbi Aaron I. Reichel, Esq. GUEST POST: Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein Many of Jerusalem’s hallowed streets bear the names of 20 th  century Jewry’s most remarkable figures: Rechov Chafetz Chaim, Rechov HaRav Kook, Rechov Chaim Ozer, Rechov Polanski, Rechov Brandeis, Rechov Straus, and Rechov Magnes. One man's biography involves all of these esteemed personalities. It recalls the life and times of an individual — Harry Fischel (1865–1948) — who laid the foundations for Orthodox Judaism in America and in Israel. It is no wonder that Mr. Fischel too was honored with a street bearing his name in the City of Gold. I first came across the name Harry Fischel when studying the work  Tosafos HaShaleim , which was published by Machon Harry Fischel. Little did I realize that Harry Fischel is not just the name of a publisher, but the name of a visionary who accomplished so much for the J...