The Jewish Moral Virtues [Hardcover]

Eugene B. Borowitz (Author), Frances Weinman Schwartz (Author), Francine Weinman Schwartz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1999

A book of practtical ethical wisdom applied to contemporary life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The authors base their work on volume by the 13th century Yehiel b. Yekutiel b. Binyamin Harofe, Sefer Maalot Hamiddot (The Book of the Choicest Virtues), the first systematic, comprehensive and analytic treatment of the virtues that Judaism esteems. Using Yehiel's twenty-four categories, the authors effectively rewrite the book for contemporary Jews. Fleshing out each discussion is a rich assortment of classical Jewish texts on each of the virtues. -- Sh'ma, April 1999

Product Details

• Hardcover: 361 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Publication Society of America; 1st edition (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0827606648
• ISBN-13: 978-0827606647
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,215,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #56 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Law

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, wonderfully researched, a MUST READ!, April 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Jewish Moral Virtues (Hardcover)

For all of the popular talk about "virtues" and character, the Jewish community has essentially gone without a modern, scholarly, accessible and thorough treatment about the content of the "Jewish" character . . . until now. World-renowned professor Eugene Borowitz and his co-author (and former student) Frances Weinman Schwartz have brought us an updated and refreshing take on a little-known 13th century ethical text, "Sefer Maalot Hamidot." The authors have taken the original list of "Jewish virtues" and reconfigured it for the 21st century Jew. Bringing together sources -- primarily, but not exclusively Jewish sources -- the authors create a rich tapestry that will long adorn the walls of Jewish ethical literature. The book contains thousands of quotes, verses, stories, and insights -- gleaned from the time of the Torah until today -- to explain how Jewish tradition treats various personal virtues, such as generosity, loving-kindness, pure-heartedness, and love of God, to name a few. This is partly a how-to guide for daily improvement of our lives, but it is much more. It is also a beatifully written, wonderfully researched anthology that synthesizes an entire people's ethical tradition and makes it relevant and compelling for the modern reader. "The Jewish Moral Virtues" is an essential part of everyone's library; a must read. 5 Star + rating. Available now through Amazon.com.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best modern Jewish books out there, April 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Jewish Moral Virtues (Hardcover)

This is an unbelievably comprehensive book of jewish morals and virtues taken from an exremely wide range of Jewish sources. What is most amazing is the way it is written -- conversational, modern and applicable to life today while still being true to ancient sources and texts. This is a must read and a must have for every Jewish home. It is one of Borowitz's best and a nice maiden voyage for new author Frances Weinman Schwartz, whom we hope to hear more from.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars nicely done, September 17, 2003

By 

Michael Lewyn (Forest Hills, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Jewish Moral Virtues (Hardcover)

A nice general guide to Jewish values, though sometimes a little too general to hold my interest (which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5). I recommend reading this along with (and preferably before) Telushkin's Book of Jewish Values- this book gives you the forest of general concepts, Telushkin gives you the trees (by applying these concepts to the specific details of every day life).