Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Jewish Ethics

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Although this book was written as a textbook, the author's clarity and obvious mastery of the subject make it an intellectually exciting journey for all readers interested in Judaism and ethics.

Newman has written an elegant, accessible introduction to Jewish Ethics. This is an introductory work, and for more depth, you will have to go elsewhere, but for a "first text" in the subject, this is hard to beat.

Newman's book is a compact work, rich in detail, which introduces the reader to the religious beliefs and practices of Judaism. Offering a fairly substantive account of Jewish rabbinical traditions such at the oral torah or Talmud, he introduces the reader to a Jewish conception of ethics, and how disagreement and variety of opinion is found within that tradition. While this book may be suitable for introductory readers, parts may seem dense or hard to get through without prior exposure to Judaism. As a scholarly, introductory text - something that might be used in a classroom - I found it to be often (but not always) an engaging and comprehensive overview of ethics as seen from the Jewish perspective. Overall a sound, concise work.