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Simple Words: Thinking About What Really Matters in Life

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Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, perhaps best known for his multi-volume translation of and commentary upon the Talmud (currently being published in both Hebrew and English, as well as a few other languages), has put together a wonderfully simple, small, thought-provoking book of spiritual wisdom that promises the careful reader insight into new ways to think, feel, act, and be.

Steinsaltz has worked with Talmudic literature (to a very extensive and intimate degree), as well as Hasidic tales and liturgies, and having absorbed the teachings and spirit of this body of literature, has distilled it into simple, useful bits for reflection and illumination.

Deceptively simple words, which embrace huge concepts -- nature, good, family, friends, death, God, faith, love -- these are words we use all the time. But what do they really mean? 'Rabbi Steinsaltz explores some of the meanings of these powerful words that are so central to our lives. He transforms each word into a gem, turning it this way, then that, examining it to see more clearly its brilliant facets and what lies behind them.'

Perhaps the key to Steinsaltz's way of looking at these terms and concepts is to emphasise the fluid, malleable character -- these are not concepts that are set in stone; their meaning changes as our lives change, as our society changes -- the wisdom from the past must be used as a guide for understanding, but our lives in the present have validity too. That having been said, we owe our ancestors as well as our descendants a debt to carry on the line of tradition in some ways, lest we dishonour our ancestors and rob our descendants of their inheritance.

This is a difficult balance, not always the same for each person.

Steinsaltz also examines elements of our present culture in unique ways. In his chapter on Hollywood, he discusses Hollywood in terms of being a dreamworld, and a religion that deserves the appellation of being opiate of the masses. 'Being a very self-satisfied religion, Hollywood is not revolutionary; it is even anti-revolutionary. For one thing, Hollywood does not try to change norms, and certainly does not have the presumption to steer them; it merely reflects existing ones.... Hollywood glorifies the status quo, or at least promotes the dreams of Middle America as the best of all possible worlds, and thereby diminishes the possibility for change.'

Steinsaltz concludes by a frank and interesting discussion on God, in which he argues for a removal of limitations on God, and a greater understanding of just what it is we are saying when we use the word 'God'. God is, in present culture, often depicted in mostly poetic terms. 'Poetry is wonderful, but we should not expect God to conform to our images. Yet we do. For many people, the image of God is quite clear: a big, white-bearded man sitting on a throne very high in the sky. He has--at least figuratively--a stick in one hand, and a bag of candy in the other, bestowing each on His subjects.'

Alas, this is this picture of God most grow up with, and when they in their adolescence or adulthood jettison the image, they jettison God along with it, because they have not been taught more compelling ways to think about God.

Ultimately, this is a book (in great Talmudic style) of opening up the realm of questioning, rather than providing answers. In much the same way that a literate person, when confronting a page of writing in a foreign language, will recognise it as writing, and perhaps attempt to decipher it, a person with no literacy or no knowledge of the concept of writing will merely see designs or smudges on a page, and look no further. One has to have the framework for a question before one can answer it, and look for the meanings in the foreign writing.

A very simple book, a very short book (only 200 small-format pages), the wisdom in this book is timeless and invaluable for all, regardless of your religious (or non-religious) orientation.

The proccess of finding ones way through this messy period we call life can be difficult and dangerous. Modern day authors such as Robert Pirsig and Deepak Chopra have attepmted to help us navigate this trecherous path with minimal success. However, upon reading Rabbi Steinsaltz's work I found that I was able to see life and mankinds place in the world in a whole new light. Rabbi Steinsaltz takes a hard hitting, realistic look at the topics of sex, love, friendship and death to name a few. As opposed to other so called "New Age" authors of our time Rabbi Steinsaltz affords the reader the opportunity for true self exploration revealing both the ugly and beautiful sides of human nature. I would reccomend this book to anyone who has ever dared to pose questions as to the nature and actions of themselves and their fellow men.

In Simple Words (1999, Simon and Schuster, pp 217,), Rabbi Steinsaltz elucidates fifteen key concepts: words, nature, good, spirit and matter, faith, good deeds, sex, death, envy, Hollywood, masks, friends, family, love, and G-d. Adin Steinsaltz has written a book with a deceptively simple title and a deceptively simple mission. There is nothing at all simple about the list of fifteen concepts that he has chosen to explore. His exploration is a celebration of the creativity we have come to expect from this wise man. Simple Words is a powerful book that is accessible to all and can be read on many levels. Rabbi Steinsaltz examines some of the words that form the foundation of life. He removes these from the realm of what is taken for granted and catapults these concepts into the conscious world that is filled with meaning. Simple Words gives a perspective on life that is larger than any one individual can see"it considers life from the perspective of society as a whole, man throughout the ages, the animal kingdom, and the unlimited capacity of G-d. The complexity of people is addressed in that emotions, physicality, and spirituality is all incorporated into Steinsaltz's examination of the amorphous words that we use to describe the meaningful aspects of our lives. One of the words discussed in Simple Words is "masks." We all say "please," and "thank you" numerous times each day, yet we are not conscious of the ramifications of our social graces and are apt to consider them external to our true selves. Steinsaltz asserts that this separation cannot be made so distinctly. He includes within the word "mask" the social conventions we use, the personas that we flow between, and the aspects of ourselves that we choose to reveal. He asserts that each of the "masks" reveals a different, and not necessarily more true, aspect of the person. He makes the point that that which is natural is not necessarily superior, as in the example of the raw piece of flax as compared to the refined swath of linen. He advises contemplation before removing all of the coverings for some they can be integral. "Where does this shell stop, and where does the creature begin? Is the tortoise's shell a house? Is it a defense? Is it a mask? Can you imagine the tortoise without its shell? It is part of the tortoise" we are creating the mask, [but] the mask is also creating the person behind it." There is no you aside from the "masks" that comprise your personality. This example only hints at the way in which Steinsaltz uses on word or concept to talk about an individual, a people, and all people. The individual discussions are each brilliant threads to be woven into a rich cloth, a new garment to replace less worthy traditional garb. With Rabbi Steinsaltz's unique gift of making the complex clear he has provided a wonderful tool to help us grow clearer as people, and grow closer to G-d.

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz is one of the greatest jewish scholars alive. I have found, however, that his books are very difficult to read and understand. Simple Words is the first book of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz that seems to appeal to anyone. It was an easy read but at the same time remained thought provoking and insightful. I would recomend this book to anyone, no matter how scholarly they are.

This is a book by a wise man, mystic, scholar. Accessible ruminations about nature, God, love, even masks. I wouldn't have picked it up, because the title seemed so bland, but I saw his name on the cover and knew it wouldn't be bland or simplistic at all, and it wasn't. He looks at life's dilemmas and makes some practical and non-tendentious comments about how to look at life. No preaching here.

Rabbi Steinsaltz one of the great Torah teachers of our generations here takes fifteen different ' simple words' , words such as nature, friendship, faith and God , and provides insight into their meaning. In doing so he presents his own deeply religious way of seeing the world. This work can be of help and inspiration to all those who are seeking to understand the world in a more meaningful and hopeful way.

Everything written by Rabbi Steinsaltz is worth reading and keeping. He is one of the greatest thinkers, scholars, and mystics of our time.
If you're looking for a concise handbook geared towards those unfamiliar with the beliefs, practices, and guidelines of Orthodox Judaism, you should try The Outsider's Guide To Orthodox Judaism It's a great gift for your "outsider" friend, boss, or coworker.

I had expected more from this book. Several of the words seem to be redefined in order to fit the author's preconceived notions. An easy read and some good things to think about. Overall, not too deep, though

Really makes you appreciate the importance of simple words in life.