Wisdom of the Jewish Sages: A Modern Reading of Pirke Avot [Hardcover]

Rabbi Rami Shapiro (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 21, 1995

"Our wisest teachers are those who can draw on ancient wisdom and re-new it with new meaning. That is what Rami Shapiro has done by rereading, retranslating, and renewing Pirke Avot, which comes alive and glowing in his hands."

-- Arthur Waskow, author of Down-to-Earth Judaism and Seasons of Our Joy

Wisdom of the Jewish Sages is a fresh interpretation of Judaism's principal ethical scripture, Pirke Avot or The Sayings of the Fathers -- a treasury of maxims on justice, integrity, and virtue. Gathered into one volume in the third century, it represents the essential spiritual teaching of sixty-five remarkable rabbis who spanned the preceding six hundred years. For centuries it has been the most widely studied book in traditional Jewish homes. Now Rabbi Shapiro's modern reading of Pirke Avot makes its timeless knowledge available to a new generation of seekers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Shapiro offers the reader new insights into wonderful old texts. I found his comments challenging and also calming. A gem -- for the first-time reader as well as the one who returns again and again."

-- Judith Hauptman, Associate Professor of Talmud, Jewish Theological Seminary

"Rami Shapiro gives current voice to our sages who taught the inner guidance about two millennia ago. This is ageless wisdom in words that not only stimulate growth but that also echo deep and compassionate realization."

-- Rabbi Dr. Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi, Aleph Alliance for Jewish Renewal

"Rami Shapiro has searched within to find a contemporary language for the ancient rabbinic sages. Now once again we can hear their voices and take their wisdom to heart."

-- Rodger Kamenetz, author of The Jew in the Lotus

"In this wonderful interpretive translation of a Jewish classic, Rabbi Shapiro combines a sensitivity to the text with spiritual insight: a book to linger over and to share."

-- Rabbi David J. Wolpe, author of The Healer of Shattered Hearts: A Jewish View of God

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Hebrew

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harmony/Bell Tower (March 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517799669
• ISBN-13: 978-0517799666
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,376,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an award winning author, poet, essayist, and educator whose poems and essays have been anthologized in over a dozen volumes, and whose prayers are used in prayer books around the world. Rami received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and holds a PH.D. in religion from Union Graduate School. A congregational rabbi for 20 years, Rabbi Rami is currently Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at Middle Tennessee State University where he also directs The Writer's Loft, MTSU's creative writing program, and director of Wisdom House, a center for interfaith study, dialogue, and contemplative practice at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville. In addition to writing books, Rami writes a regular column for Spirituality and Health magazine called Roadside Assistance for the Spiritual Traveler, and blogs at rabbirami.blogspot.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and lucid poetic rendering; _not_ a "translation", February 12, 1999

By 

John S. Ryan "Scott Ryan" (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Wisdom of the Jewish Sages: A Modern Reading of Pirke Avot (Hardcover)

Rabbi Rami Shapiro, liturgical poet extraordinaire, here provides a marvelously lucid poetic rendering of Pirke Avot in the style of, e.g., Stephen Mitchell's _Tao Te Ching_.

I must disagree, however, with the reviewers who have called Rabbi Shapiro's work a _translation_. It is not, and he himself recommends (in the book's equally lucid preface) that it be read in conjunction with -- _not_ as a replacement for -- a more conventional translation.

Like Mitchell's _Tao Te Ching_, this work is an interpretive rendering -- or, as its subtitle indicates, a "modern reading." And a very good one it is; Rabbi Shapiro is one of today's most responsible and insightful liberal-Jewish commentators on traditional Jewish texts.

But _do not_ mistake this work for a "translation." If you're looking for one, try Rabbi Jacob Neusner's _Torah From Our Sages_.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...is testimony to the humanity of Judaism's wisest rabbis, April 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Wisdom of the Jewish Sages: A Modern Reading of Pirke Avot (Hardcover)

This book is easy to pick up, turn to any page, and read something that can resonate inside you. It helped me to understand that being Jewish is deeply spiritual - and every day of Jewish life is a rich yet gentle experience. It was at once accessible and long-lasting. I'm going to buy copies for my friends and family. An excellent book, one that should be carried with people as they go through their daily routine

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will touch the heart of anyone who reads it, February 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Wisdom of the Jewish Sages: A Modern Reading of Pirke Avot (Hardcover)

This breathtaking book gives to us the richness and wisdom of these ancient sages, while providing an excellent translation from the original Hebrew. I encourage readers of all ages and backgrounds to absorb this wonderful book into their minds and souls. The thoughts expressed in this book can have a profound effect on one who reads it. Get it today