The Bedside Torah : Wisdom, Visions, and Dreams [Paperback]

Bradley Artson (Author), Miriyam Glazer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0737305878 | ISBN-13: 978-0737305876 | Publication Date: July 31, 2001 | Edition: 1

The Bedside Torah guides you into the wisdom, counsel, and holiness of the sacred text that is the center of Jewish spirituality. Rabbi Bradley Artson, one of the truly inspirational and knowledgeable teachers of Torah of our time, weaves together the insights of ancient rabbis and sages, medieval commentators and philosophers, and modern scholars and religious leaders. The reflections in this collection offer three different commentaries on each of the 50 Torah portions, enlightening you into the Torah's infinite layers of meaning and offering opportunities to discover interpretations of your own.

"The Bedside Torah is an introduction to Jewish text study that is both learned and engaging . . . The language is conversational, the insights provocative, and the chapters are just the right length for reading before an inspired night's sleep."
--Anita Diamant, author of The New Jewish Wedding, Choosing a Jewish Life, How to Be a Jewish Parent, The Red Tent, and Good Harbor

"Bradley Artson is one of the most insightful and articulate rabbis of his generation, as this volume clearly attests."
--Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

"In The Bedside Torah, Rabbi Artson combines wisdom garnered from traditional Jewish sources and commentaries with anecdotes and insights drawn from his own life as well as the lives of all those he has served. In so doing, he has turned each weekly Torah portion into a series of revelations for the reader. The Bedside Torah is a treasure that will surely enrich the religious life of Jews as well as all those who seek comfort and guidance from Jewish scriptures."
--Rabbi David Ellenson, Ph.D., president, Hebrew Union College--Jewish Institute of Religion

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson is currently the dean of the conservative rabbinical seminary, the Ziegler School at the University of Judaism. He is the author of It's a Mitzvah! Jewish Living Step-by-Step and has written more than 115 articles including Torah commentary for the Southern California Heritage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (July 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0737305878
• ISBN-13: 978-0737305876
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #385,669 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interpretation of Torah suggests a just, loving God, August 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bedside Torah : Wisdom, Visions, and Dreams (Paperback)

This a wonderful book with insightful Torah commentaries focusing on Jewish personal values like love, family, helpfulness, and so forth. This book can be a powerful introduction to Judaism, or a powerful introduction to a personal, loving side of Judaism that is sometimes overlooked in favor of community values. The book starts with an introduction that explains the centrality of Torah in Judaism and how to read Torah when the stories seem crude or unjust. The rabbi inteprets Torah while assuming a just, loving God. The bulk of the book is made up of commentaries. There are three commentaries for each section of the Torah. Each section of the Torah is also paraphrased, so if you have never read the Torah, this is an easy way to get the general idea. But it's the three commentaries for each of the Torah sections that are the best part. The rabbi's commentaries mix basic good human judgment with an open heart, bouncing the mixture off the Torah. He interprets Judaism in a sensible, loving light. Are Jews a "chosen people"? Yes, he says, chosen to live a responsible life in concert with the values of Torah, not chosen to view ourselves as better than others. He asks, what are we to make of these long lists of names in the Torah? He suggests lists of names are created for a reason, because the names were important to an event or people. He suggests we get ourselves on other people's lists in our own lives, by helping our communities, friends and family.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't ordinarily comment on what another reader says, but..., November 18, 2005

By 

Ers Consulting "Susan Petre" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bedside Torah : Wisdom, Visions, and Dreams (Paperback)

I was stunned by Mr. Hinkle's criticism that this book is "Judeacentric." Well, a Rabbi writing about a book that is central to our religion - what did he expect? If he wants a balanced viewpoint, he should read a comparable book by an academic scholar of religion. I would never dream of criticizing a Christian scholar for writing from a Christian standpoint, a Buddhist writing from a Buddhist standpoint, etc. Allow we Jews the same courtesy, Mr. Hinkle.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great night time book!, November 28, 2005

By 

Asher (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bedside Torah : Wisdom, Visions, and Dreams (Paperback)

This is very nice bed time reading that makes you want to stay awake and read on to the next entry. I love the different angles for each Torah portion which gives the feeling of a very good Torah discussion. All the insightful commentary in this book brings out the beauty of the Torah. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about Judaism and anyone who wants add more insight to their weekly Torah study.