Torah Book Reviews

Mikra'ot Peshutot Rabbi Lewis (Yehuda) Sherby Beit Shemesh (Anglo Author, Hebrew Sefer) 180 Pages      למה פרשן התורה הכי מאוחר במקראות הגדולות הוא ספורנו מהמאה החמש עשרה  למה צריכים לעיין בעוד עשרה ספרים או יותר כדי "לעדכן" את היקף הפרשנות לתורה שנכתבה במאות השנים האחרונות עכשיו אין צורך, לפחות לפרשיות שמות - וארא  ספר "מקראות פשוטות ריכז לכם -- מתחת  לקורת גג אחת -- את אברבנאל, הרב הירש, שד"ל ואחרים ביחד עם חוקרי התנ"ך מהעולם האקדמי (כמו קאסוטו) ובלי לוותר על רש"י, רשב"ם וראב"ע ושאר המפרשים הקלאסיים לתורה. ולא רק זה. בכל עמוד מופיעות השאלות על הפרשה שאליהן מתייחסים המפרשים השונים לדורותיהם מי שמעוניין בפנים חדשות של מקראות גדולות ירכוש עכשיו את הכרך הראשון של מקראות פשוטות

Ask Rabbi Jack Rabbi Jack Abramowitz Kodesh Press / 295 pages  In his seventh publication, Rabbi Jack Abramowitz, a career educator and educational professional at the O-U, has just come out with “Ask Rabbi Jack.” Ask Rabbi Jack is a collection of well over 100 questions and answers on all areas of Judaism, Jewish law, philosophy and more. The categories include Science Fiction and Fantasy, Mashiach and the Messianic Era, Troubling Questions, Jewish History and Jewish Holidays, and even a Corona Questions section (talk about hot off the press!).  Some of my favorites thus far include the debate on who truly wrote the Zohar, interactions with the opposite sex, davening on airplanes, the lost tribes, kashrut in the messianic era, theodicy, and others. This book is, simply put, a joy to read. Not overly scholarly yet sourced, thorough yet clear, normative yet fearless. It is of use to the scholar and invaluable to the layman. I would certainly say that this sefer is to be made ...

Chanukah: Capturing the Light Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein Mosaica Press / 175 pages Rabbi Immanuel Bernstein, a British born Rebbe at a number of Yeshivot in Jerusalem, has done it again  with his “Chanukah: Capturing the Light.” As the title conveys, this latest offering is intended to get us inspired for Chanukah. With sixteen chapters, including a treatment on the famous “Beis Yosef Question" as to why Chanuka is observed for 8 days if the miracle was only 7 days (they did, ultimately, find one day’s worth of oil!) Rabbi Bernstein covers all the major themes and rituals of Chanuka. Here are some of the highlights that I have already enjoyed having received the sefer less than 24hrs ago. There is a great interpretation of the “mehadrin” theme in candle lighting, a nice chapter on the special relevance Chanukah has for kohanim and leviim, the importance of gratitude, and just having come out of Parshat Lech Lecha, there is a niece piece on how the “four Kings” correspond to the fo...

The Importance of the Community Rabbi Leading with Compassionate Halacha By Rabbi Daniel Sperber Urim / 367 pp. In "The Importance of the Community Rabbi" Rabbi Daniel Sperber, whose prominence and accomplishments need no introduction, argues vigorously for today's rabbis to rule more leniently. He presents a fascinating and engaging treasury of hundreds of lenient halachic rulings throughout the ages. Rabbi Sperber argues that issues like sensitivity to people’s feelings, human dignity, "changing circumstances" and "ko'ach d'heteira" should be given more weight in halachic decision making. The precedents are there, clearly presented one after the other with seemingly no end. This book is ultimately amazing. It is one of the few halachic books of recent vintage that have kept me engaged from cover to cover. I was simply blown away by the "bekius" and variety of rulings in this book.  His arguments for leniency are power...

Don't Tell Ima Lisa Barness Jewish Self Publishing Guest Post by Shira Yael Klein It’s clear from the start (ok, even from the blub on the back) that the husband, Efraim, is the Bad Guy. No surprises there. This complex, compelling book pulls us into the twisted world Efraim creates and we watch as things go from bad to worse. It’s a dark, disturbing read. Interestingly, while at first the book attempts to get into Efraim’s psyche and figure out what motivates him, what core of goodness he has or at least had, it quickly moves to hammering home the message that “He can’t change. You must divorce him.” I will note that Efraim is a Bad Guy par excellence, a clear candidate for immediate divorce. There are plenty of cases where a divorce is necessary where the guy is not “as bad” as Efraim. By the same token, Shifra is a near-perfect Good Person. Her only crimes are doubting herself and not getting out fast enough. OK, once she lost her cool and smacked (a genuinely diffi...

With Truth and Love Rabbi Yaakov Greenwald Feldheim Distribution / 420 pp With Truth and Love is an outstanding guidebook and manual for improving one’s life in various ways. Some of the topics include: Chinuch (this chapter –a topic affecting virtually every Torah family today- was extraordinarily impressive), Emunah, Self-Confidence, Punishment, Tznius, Thought, Self-respect and more. One can see rather quickly how every chapter is lovingly written in a manner of arousing " devarim hayotzim min halev….nichnasim l’lev.” Each of the 17 chapters chapter is made up of two sections: “The Principles” and the “The Practical.” The Principles section is a beautiful weave of Torah sources relating to the subject matter from the Torah and Talmud to rabbinic literature of every era. The Practical section then builds on the principles and offers practical strategies for incorporating the subject -and change- into our lives. The book is written in an extremely clear and del...

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