Customer Reviews

The Book of Jewish Belief

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This book is a basic but comprehensive and unbiased introduction to various aspects of Jewish religion, culture, and history. It explains concepts in an approachable and interesting way, with useful textbook-like call-outs. There are several other books that I'd be more likely to recommend for someone looking for a good introduction to Judaism, but there's nothing wrong with this one. However, I have no idea what the person who chose the photographs was smoking. To start with, they are rather dated, even more so than you'd expect for something that was written in 1984. And they also often have only a tenuous connection to the concept that page or paragraph is discussing. To give an example, Jews, evidently, await the coming of the Messiah in small round boxes! ;-)

Louis Jacobs is also the author of The Book of Jewish Practice, The Jewish Religion: A Companion, A Jewish Theology, and many other books.

Here are some quotations from the book:

"The attitude of Judaism has been described as ethical monotheism... Judaism... insists that there can be no religion without ethics and no ethics without religion; or, better, that unless ethics and religion are wedded together, neither constitutes the Jewish way." (Pg. 18)
"Eventually some of the converted Khazars did marry into the Jewish people, so that contemporary Jews may well have some Khazar blood in their veins." (Pg. 81)
"The central theme in every version of the Kabbalah is that of emanation. Emanation means that God allows something of Himself to be sent out, to flow, from Himself, and eventually through this mysterious process the finite world is produced." (Pg. 91)
"Judaism does not believe in self-denial, but it is right and proper that on this day (Yom Kippur) we should express our sorrow for having sinned, not only by confessing our sins but through a concrete act." (Pg. 110-111)
"The opponents of Reform came to be called orthodox. Originally this was a term of reproach by the Reformers---as if to say, you refuse to more forward and you stand still in reaction---but the name was eventually adopted with a kind of pride by those against whom the taunt was directed." (Pg. 145)
"One of the most important rules about marriage, as Judaism sees it, is not to marry out of the faith. This is a rule at times difficult to follow, and yet a rule which allows no compromise." (Pg. 212)

Louis Jacobs is one of the most distinguished of all scholars of Judaism.
In this work he describes Judaism's system of beliefs.
This is an exceptionally good work for all those who wish to understand what Judaism truly teaches.

I'm reading this book for my Judaica 182 class at UCI. This book is educational, but dry.