God Was Not in the Fire [Paperback]

Daniel Gordis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 1997

Contemporary Jews seeking a path toward spirituality and a renewal of faith will find it in this fresh look at the traditional rituals, prayers, celebrations, and ethical teachings of Judaism. "This book makes its case for returning to one's Jewish roots, for exploring the various paths to God, and living a fuller, richer life".--Sandra Rosenthal Berliner, "The Philadelphia Inquirer".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gordis's message is simple: Judaism merits the attention of modern Jews by virtue of its potential role as a compelling and enriching enterprise that helps define who and what Jews are. But to reach American Jews who have dismissed Judaism as a path to spirituality is a more complex undertaking. Gordis, who teaches at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, explores belief in God, sacred texts, ritual, mitzvoth, prayer and ethics. The entry point of his argument is that Judaism doesn't demand blind faith. "Doubt is what fuels the journey," he writes. "Jewish tradition validates the part of humanity that is always wondering." Sacred texts, he contends, act as teachers that allow us to join a profound and timeless conversation. The experimental nature of Judaism, coupled with its built-in discipline, is key to achieving a sense of connection, continuity and transcendence. The title, taken from the passage in Kings that describes the prophet Elijah's encounter with God, reflects Gordis's philosophy that Judaism's distinctive way of life is geared toward creating relationships with God and with human beings. A why-do instead of a how-to.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Alarmed by the fact that American Jews are abandoning Judaism at an unprecedented rate, Rabbi Gordis examines the reasons for the apathy this development seems to indicate. He finds that American Jews' defection is not merely because of society's openness, but rather because for many the old ties to Jewish life have eroded and most Jews see no plausible justification for preserving them. Modern Jewish communities have failed to tailor a message about Judaism's meaning for bright, educated, and sophisticated Jews. To those Jews, therefore, Judaism seems outmoded, confining, and often utterly incomprehensible. Gordis' ultimate aim is to portray Jewish life as far more meaningful and spiritually enriching than it has seemed in the recent past. George Cohen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Touchstone; 1st Touchstone Ed edition (September 10, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684825260
• ISBN-13: 978-0684825267
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #877,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a Senior Fellow. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel, Dr. Gordis was the founding dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism, the first rabbinical college on the West Coast of the United States. Dr. Gordis joined Shalem in 2007 to help found Israel's first liberal arts college, after spending nine years as vice president of the Mandel Foundation in Israel and director of its Leadership Institute.

Since moving to Israel in 1998, Dr. Gordis has written and lectured throughout the world on Israeli society and the challenges facing the Jewish state. His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, the New Republic, the New York Times Magazine, Moment, Tikkun, and Conservative Judaism. His latest book, Saving Israel: How the Jewish State Can Win a Way That May Never End was published by Wiley in March 2009.

Dr. Gordis is presently at work on two new books. A volume about 19th and 20th century rabbinic responsa on conversion, which he is writing together with Rabbi David Ellenson of the Hebrew Union College, is tentatively entitled For the Sake of Heaven: Conversion, Law and Politics in the Modern World of Jewish Orthodoxy. And another book, on Zionism and its contributions to human freedom and vitality worldwide, is tentatively called Israel's Promise: How Zionism Can Help Preserve the Nation-State and Human Freedom, is also now being written.

Dr. Gordis received his B.A. from Columbia College (Magna Cum Laude), a Masters Degree and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California.

He blogs at http://danielgordis.org/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Help on the Spiritual Path, November 5, 2001

By 

"krchicago" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Was Not in the Fire (Paperback)

Rabbi Gordis describes this book as an attempt to answer the question, "Why be Jewish?" But the question he really addresses is, "Can living a traditional Jewish life of study, prayer, ritual and mitzvah lead one to a spiritual life that is meaningful in today's world?" To this question, his answer is a resounding "yes," and he is largely successful in describing how traditional Jewish practices can lead one to the sense of connectedness and commitment -- here equated with spirituality -- often missing in our lives. His approach is largely psychological: study validates our struggles to believe; ritual takes us away from the mundane world; keeping kosher brings an aspect of spiritual discipline into the mundane world. Although this approach has inherent limitations -- the persuasiveness of some of his arguments may lie in the psyche of the individual reader -- it is well-suited to his target audience of people who are already seeking a deeper Jewish spirituality.

If you are looking for a book that demonstrates that the prayer services, rituals, study and observance of the mitzvot really can lead you to a more spiritual life, then you have come to the right place. Rabbi Gordis is eloquent in his belief that traditional Jewish practice can provide spiritual sustenance. If that thought is a sufficient reason for you to "be Jewish," then you will find that Rabbi Gordis has also answered the first question posed above. The problem for me, however, is that Rabbi Gordis does not really address why it should be *Jewish* study, prayer, ritual and discipline that leads one to spirituality. Most of the arguments Rabbi Gordis provides apply equally, at least in general terms, to other religions I have studied. Prayer, ritual, discipline and ethics, in one form or another, are shared by Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Why one should adopt *Jewish* forms of spirituality -- and what sets Jewish forms apart from other religions -- are questions not addressed in this book.

Rabbi Gordis includes a *very* helpful section of "Suggestions for Further Reading," which is arranged by the themes covered in each chapter and provides a brief comment on each of the books, instead of just the usual unadorned list.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Serious modern Jewish thought for the beginner., September 30, 2000

By 

Ian A. Paul (Clinton, MS USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Was Not in the Fire (Paperback)

Reading R'Abraham Joshua Heschel's meatier works such as God in Search of Man is a significant undertaking - not as tricky as Talmud, but nonetheless, not for the faint of heart. R'Gordis has managed to extract from R'Heschel's works a truly elegant and easy to grasp distillation of most of R'Heschel's most critical works. Nonetheless, this is not the "Cliff's Notes" version of his work. R'Gordis captures the essence of many difficult concepts beginning with the central idea of "God in search of Man". Through this he works illustrative texts from Scripture, Aggadic literature and Talmud to make R'Heschel's work much more accessable to the novice. Having read, at this point, many of R'Heschel's works, I can truly appreciate the thought and care with which R'Gordis has produced this wonderful book.

My only complaint is that R'Gordis opens with a number of theological questions which he implies will be resolved in the course of his book - Not surprisingly, they are not. However, this is a minor quibble as he has plenty of great company in this stretching back over 3000 years.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A path to spiritual fulfillment., August 13, 1999

By 

Charles Lavine ([e-mail]) (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: God Was Not in the Fire (Paperback)

Rabbi Daniel Gordis discusses a way for modern Jews to find spirituality in Judaism. The book provides answers to today's most perplexing questions about life and Judaism. I was particularly impressed with Rabbi Gordis' explanation of the importance of blending ritual, prayer, and mitzvot to live a fulfilling Jewish life. For those with doubts about their connection to G-d and to Judaism should read this book.