How can it be that all of Halakha was given at Sinai, and yetthat each generation of rabbis is able to introduce innovations? IsHalakha "all there at once" in some Platonic sense, or does it come into existence via convention as Halakhic decisors render specific rulings on specific points?

Moshe Koppel thinks questions like these are insufficiently pondered and, when they _are_ asked, all too likely to receive a toe-in-the-dirt "well-umm" sort of reply. So in this slim volume he faces them head-on -- and answers them.

The sole other review on this page has already revealed where Koppel is headed with his argument. So I shall simply point out what that argument is. In essence it is this: intuition precedes formalization, and the latter can never fully exhaust the former. There is no conflict between the "Platonic" and "conventionalist" views of Halakha; indeed both of them are true.

Koppel supports this contention with clear and deft discussions of certain limitative results from modern mathematical logic. And (no surprise here) he acknowledges a great debt to Rav Joseph Dov Soloveitchik ztz"l.

Readers of the Rav's _Halakhic Man_ and _The Halakhic Mind_ will probably enjoy this book tremendously. Indeed, it is hard not to speculate that the Rav would have enjoyed it himself.(...)

This controversial book provides a wide-ranging and comprehensive view of the evolution of Jewish law, from the perspective of the modern theory of computation. This unlikely juxtaposition produces surprising results. The author combines an excellent exposition of recent results in computability theory with an in-depth survey of Jewish sources to illuminate the fundamental principles of a religion based essentially on Law, by analyzing its spiritual and social effects. The purpose of Jewish law, the author contends, is, paradoxically, to produce autonomous people living in a society of well-defined law, and in attempting to prove this point, he sheds much light on what it means to be truly autonomous and how this may be achieved. This book will appeal to any educated person interested in well-grounded philosophical speculation about the human condition

I looked at this book in a museum shop and I was amazed. I thought it was one of the most beautiful books I've ever looked at.

I recently returned from a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, and was enchanted by the magnificent Vancouver Public Library, designed by this most brilliant architect. Since I had also been captivated by his work on the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, I just had to have this book filled with gorgeous photographs and fascinating descriptions of Mr. Safdie's work all over the globe. This "album" is a feast for the eyes and will be my treasure for years to come

I am puzzled by the book's Amazon description as the Soncino Talmud that I study from doesn't have any pictures and currently it's not even talking about the Temple. But I will review the Soncino Talmud in hopes that AMazon got it wrong...

While the Artscroll and Steinsaltz translations have eclipsed Soncino, this is still one of the most valuable translations out there. While Artscroll takes great pains to describe the background of every argument, while Steinsaltz goes even farther in that direction, this edition gives the straight translation with a few notes for clarification. Some of the notes are for scholars while other notes are for anyone (such as defining Havdalah).

In many ways these books are better for a beginning than either Artscroll or Steinsaltz, because although they don't explain every detail, they also don't bog down the casual reader with these details. You can go through several pages and feel like you've accomplished something. You might not get the depth of Artscroll but you've certainly gotten the knowledge. Also, unlike Artscroll, an entire tractate can fit into one volume. The average Artscroll book has between 30-50 pages of the Talmud while these books can fit 90-110 pages. This is not only easier on the bookshelves but also on the pocketbook.

I would recommend this set as the first set and then move on to either Artscroll or Steinsaltz when re-examining and studying the texts. And as with the Talmud always, you need to study it with someone else.

The traditional pagination of the Vilna (first printed) edition of the Talmud (including Rashi and Tosafot) is preserved, but with the addition of a superb literal translation facing each page. This Talmud is excellent for the uninitiated, english only reader, someone with a basic Hebrew-Aramaic vocabulary, or even the more advanced learner who needs little help with the traditional text. It also includes a comprehensive index of terms and personalities. Worthwhile for your Jewish bookshelf.

This book is for anyone who wants to get to the full understanding us humans yearn for day and night, every day, week ,month all our life.

A must buy for anyone who is perplexed andsick of all the 'ultimate theories' put forward by the enterprising fools of the day.

Really!

When I first began teaching Kabbalah I was looking for an accurate text that we could study from. This wonderful work does exactly that. Originally written by Rabbi Luzzato, a master Kabbalist (d.1746), it was translated into English by Rabbi Kaplan. As is common with Rabbi Kaplan's work, his translation is accurate and flows beautifully reflecting his mastery of the subject.

Abraham Joshual Heschel once called Shabbat (the Jewish Sabbath) "a palace in time." This new book by Moshe Mykoff gives you the inner architectural tools for constructing that palace within your own life experience.

In his introduction, Mykoff says that his book is intended for three kinds of people: 1) Jews who are new to sabbath observance and want to know the "why" of the rituals; 2) Jews who have never encounted the Sabbath and want to know more about it; and 3) Jews who grew up within the ritual observance and now want to understand the deeper meanings of Shabbat. To this list I would add a fourth category: Jews who, like myself, are familar with much of this material, but who sometimes need to be reminded of it in well-written, contemporary prose. (Non-Jews will also find it an interesting window into the inner meaning of the Sabbath, although the book does assume that you know the basics.)

"Seventh Heaven" is arranged in short lessons that follow the complete cycle of the 26-hour Sabbath day, from pre-Shabbat preparations on Friday afternoon to the post-Shabbat celebration known as "Melavah Malkah." For each step, there are quotes from traditional sources, followed by Mykoff's essay (based on the teachings of Rebbe Nachman) about the inner meaning of the step in question. The result is a clear roadmap for deepening your personal experience of Shabbat.

Although the book can be read from cover-to-cover as a Shabbat manual, each lesson is also complete in itself. Each one is a couple pages long -- perfect for a short dvar Torah at the Sabbath table. Mykoff's writing style is both profound and contemporary -- a refreshing change from other books written in that overly-pedantic Orthodox style that I call "Yeshivish." Mykoff writes for the educated English speaking public, and he does it well. In short, this book is a pleasure to read -- again and again.

Absorbing Perfections is the outstanding work on Kabbalah of this generation. It is a serious ( and heavy) academic work that breaks new ground and adds important dimensions to the work of previous scholars such Scholem and Shatz.
Whereas other popular works on Kabbalah lack the serious historical perspectives and mastery of the original texts Moshe Idel is unique. There is no one like him writing about Kabbalah in the Western World today.
If Scholem was too Germanic, detached and disregarding of the experiences and spiritual achievements of Kabbalah, Idel adds all these dimensions to the solid academic foundations.
This book is a hard read, its style is not easy, but if anyone wants a serious understanding of Kabbalah rather than a comic book version, this has to be the book to read.

What a great book. As I have noted with most good humor books, this book is unfortunately out of print. I would highly recommend purchasing a used copy.

The book is a compendium of classic jokes, stories, and routines. Trust me, you will appreciate the clean consistent humor in this collection.

The great educator, Professor Moshe Feldenkrais, describes his work in "An Adventure in the Jungle of the Brain" (Abenteuer im Dschungel des Gehirns) as this book is titled in German. And it is an adventure. A sixty year old business women wakes up one morning and cannot understand what has happend to her world. She discovers that she can neither read, get out of bed properly, cannot differenciate between her left and right slippers, bangs into the wall instead of passing through the bathroom door nor can she speak when she wants to express her irritation. Feldenkrais describes in detail all the steps he takes to discover how he can facilitate her brain to reajust and regenerate her capabilities to cope with the world again. He discribes his investigations, the mistakes and successes. This book is really a description on how we learn to learn and how we need to embrase our mistakes for only due to them we develope the facilities to learn. Gábor, Feldenkrais Movement Educator

This Haggadah has the traditional Hebrew text and a modern, clear translation, along with plenty of great supplementary material from Breslov Hasidic sources. Like most Breslov materials, it focuses primarily on using the teachings of Rebbe Nachman for developing the personal relationship between human beings and their Creator.

Throughout this Haggadah, sections of the traditional text are related in the commentary to aspects of personal growth. For example, the "Four Sons"(or daughters) are explained as: (1) The Wise Self -- wisdom with measure; (2)The Wayward Self -- a reassuring rebuke; (3)The Simple Self-- a simple answer;and (4) The Sleeping Self-- an awakening of light. Similarly, the section on "Dayenu" has a discussion about how singing holy tunes can raise the soul up to God, while the discussion on Pharoah sees this character as "the Inverted Self" that drags us down. In short, the whole thrust of this Haggadah is toward inner spiritual liberation.

But make no mistake -- this is not a "new age" re-write of Judaism. This is Orthoodx Judaism at its very, very best. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov was a Hasidic master, and, when asked by his disciples what "special things" they should do as Breslover Hasidim, he replied, "Whatever is in the Shulchan Arukh (code of Jewish Law)." In other words, be halachically-observant Jews. So, when it comes to the rituals, this Haggadah upholds the traditional form of the ceremony.

But Rebbe Nachman was also aware that Jewish law commands us to "love God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your might," and it is this aspect which is often neglected in daily life. So, this Haggadah goes beyond the "Letter of the Law" to draw upon the deep spirtuality of Rebbe Nachman's about liberation from fear, depression, greed, confusion, etc. in order to remain focused on God. The result is a very inspiring book for celebrating Passover -- And a great resource year-round, too!

Concise, well written with flashes of brilliance. Anyone can understand the principles of a healthy lifestyle set forth in this book. Cancer is first and foremost a disease, which left unchecked kills and does so without impunity. If there are things we can do to fight it's onslaught, don't you think we should be doing them