Customer Reviews

Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers

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Like many of my most valued books, Rabbi Joseph Telushkin's `Jewish Wisdom' arrived by accident, not through deliberate choice, but rather as a result of my having missed the reply deadline for one of my book clubs.

The full title of the book gives a greater sense of the scope of this 650+ page book: `Jewish Wisdom: Ethical, Spiritual, and Historical Lessons from the Great Works and Thinkers'. This statement in the subtitle comes very close to an encapsulation of the Jewish faith for me -- it is an ethical way of life; it is a spiritual way of life; it is a way of life with high regard for history; it is a way of life with high regard to teaching and learning; it is a way of life that has accomplished great works and produced great thinkers. All of these things benefit the whole of humankind. `Two thousand years ago, when a non-Jew asked Hillel, the leading rabbi of his age, to define Judaism's essence, the sage could have responded with a long oration on Jewish thought and law, and an insistence that it would be blasphemous to reduce so profound a system to a brief essence. Indeed, his contemporary, Shammai, furiously drove away the questioner with a builder's rod. Hillel, however, responded to the man's challenge: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour: this is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary; now go and study" -- a model statement that has defined Judaism's essence ever since. As Hillel knew, the right words at the right time can inspire people for generations.'

Rabbi Telushkin has written or edited literally hundreds of books, and many of them consist of collections of writings or quotations. One of the things that sets this apart from other books of quotations and writings, both Jewish and non-Jewish, is the running commentary that speaks to the importance in the ongoing development of Jewish life and faith of the writings presented here. Indeed, some quotations appear more than once, because they have a relevance to more than one topic.

Rabbi Telushkin concludes with a fifteen-page bibliography, which reads as a 'best of' list of Jewish literature (and is a frequently-addressed reference source for me when looking up Jewish information of almost any field). At the front of this bibliography, he starts by listing the top-ten collections of Jewish quotes and texts -- what other book of quotations references even one, much less ten, other such collections?

A truly inspiring book, a wonderful reference, a thoughtful and insightful collection -- this book will not gather dust on the shelf. For those who are not Jewish, this book contains the key to following Hillel's instruction to 'go and study'. For those who are Jewish, this will serve as a solid addition to the library of essential facts and useful opinions and impressions from culture and history.

This book is an incredible resource for those who are interested in hearing different oppinons on issues concernibg Judaism today. I cannot put the book down. From the Holocaust, to Kashrut, all the way to Inter-Marriage, and back to the Covanent... This book is amazing.

This book contains many excellent anecdotes and commentary from some of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all time. Topics covered in this book range from the Holocaust, to anti-Semitism, to Philo-Semitism, to modern issues like abortion. The book is excellently written and is a must-have in any Jewish library. It allows the reader to understand a complex and fascinating religion through wonderfully told stories and commentary.

I love reading and this book is one of the best ones I have ever read. It teaches the heart and essence of Judiasm on a vast amount of topics. What a wonderful book!

In one section of this work Rabbi Telushkin asks the question, "What does God want of us?" The primary answer from the sources he cites is that God wants of us ethical behavior, the acting toward others with goodness, kindness and consideration. This is the walking in the way of God, that will bring about 'tikkun olam' or 'improvement of the world'.
I feel that somehow this whole magnificent compendium of Jewish wisdom has behind it this central purpose. And that Rabbi Telushkin in making this anthology is working to make us all wiser, which means ' better' people.
The anthology covers a great variety of aspects of life and experience, and also touches upon major events in Jewish history.
It could not be more highly recommended.

The other reviewers describe this as a fine outline of Jewish views on a variety of matters, and I agree. One caveat: the last 100-200 pages (which focus on the Holocaust and Israel) are essentially a description of Jewish history rather than Jewish ideas, so I thought they belonged in another book. (In fact, I suspect that they overlap considerably with Telushkin's Jewish Literacy, which I also recommend).

Jewish Wisdom is a marvellous resource for anyone who is interested in Judaism. In it, you will find quotations and stories from a wide range of sources, as well as commentary from the author.

If you want to know about how an assortment of Jewish luminaries think and feel about a particular ethical, spiritual or historical issue, the chances are that you can find it in Telushin's book. As an author, I sometimes use this book to bolster my own writing projects. In fact, I recently picked out a portion from the book to be read at my daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Trust me -- it's quite a gold mine.

What's frustrating is that I know of no comparably complete and well conceived work for other religious traditions. If anyone is aware of such a book, do tell.

Like the rest of Joseph Telushkin's series, this book is an easy read. This book is useful as a teaching tool. I used excerpts for a seventh grade class I taught. Okay, more than one class! Although it is easy to read and understand for teenagers, this by no means leaves adults out. Sometimes we want a clear and simple answer to our questions. Like the rest of this series, everyone who has a library of sorts at home should own and read all of the books in Telushkin's series.
What the Torah Teaches us About Survival
Companion Workbook to What The Torah Teaches Us About Survival
What The Torah Teaches Us About Spirituality/ Through Isaac's Own Spiritual Journey

Excellent resource for all ages helps with Bar/bat Mitzvah understanding. Book was in good condition from a closeout sale.

A treasure of Jewish wisdom for all people to enjoy! As a Christian pastor, I really enjoyed rediscovering my Jewish heritage.