Rabbi Warburg continues his series on Jewish law in
this fourth volume of Rabbinic
Authority. If
you don’t have the previous three volumes, you should purchase them because
Warburg refers to them so that he does not have to repeat material. This volume
deals with issues concerning children within a divorce proceeding as well as
issues surrounding the agunah (lit. ‘chained wife’). When dissolving a marriage without
co-operating parties the Beit Din (religious court) will on rare occasions declare the
initial kiddushin
(marriage
ceremony) was mistaken (called bittul kiddushin or kiddushin ta’ut). This means the marriage is
annulled and was a mistake. Warburg discusses the Halkhah and precedent for ending a
marriage when both parties don’t agree, as well as the definition of marriage
and ways of ending a marriage with a coerced get or without a get.
On the 40th anniversary of her
freedom, Silvia Fishbaum will share her remarkable story of her escape from
Soviet occupied Czechoslovakia and anti-Semitism.
In today’s world with anti Semitism
rising it’s ugly head throughout Europe and reaching its highest levels
ever in the United States with attacks on Synagogues, this lecture is of
paramount importance, especially for young adults and teens in the middle
school and high school.
After sharing her extraordinary story,
Silvia will be available for book signing opportunities.
Light refreshments. FREE Entry
Sponsor $100
includes an autographed book by Silvia Fishbaum. Click here to reserve
Rabbi Riemer may be best known for So that Your Values May
Live On, his
wonderful volume on ethical wills. The Day I Met My Father Isaac… is a smaller, easy-to-read,
and wise book meant for a broader audience. It contains some of his sermons
while serving as interim Rabbi at Anshe Shalom Congregation in Florida. The
book contains drashot
(homilies) on
thirty-five of the weekly parashot (Torah readings). In them Riemer explores both Torah
issues and their parallels in modern life using stories, gentle humor, and a
touch of irony. Beginning with Lech Lecha (“A Sermon addressed to the rich people in this
Congregation”), his subjects include Yitro (“The Super Bowl and the Sedra”), Bechukotai (“Some of my favorite
curses”), and Korach
(“Too much
rightness can kill you”). Each derasha begins with a story; most of them are contemporary,
while others come from the Talmud and the Hasidic literature. They are witty
and easy to connect with. He then turns to the Torah and links his introduction
to the moral of the parashah. Some of his connections are
quite powerful, others are sweet. But all are meaningful. The volume concludes
with his “Farewell Shabbat” comments: “The lessons you have taught me.” In this
talk he reminds his audience that, at their best, teachers are also students.
There has been a plethora of books over the past few
years to assist B’nai Mitzvah students with their drashot. This delightful collection
of sermons can be used by 12-year-olds. It would be better employed by adults
looking for inspiration, as well as to create their own commentaries. It is a
fine (and fun) addition to any synagogue library.
The Shulchan Aruch—the Code of Jewish Law (the “Code”)—was authored by Joseph Karo in 1563, and it remains the most widely accepted compilation of Jewish law ever written. Rabbi J. B. Solovetchik, z”l, articulated an “action to experience paradigm,” whereby doing the mitzvahs with intention provides a link to God. Looking at the “Code” through this lens, Rabbi Grunstein shows the reader how to elevate his observance of the commandments by knowing whether obligations are biblical, rabbinic, or custom, knowing the background and historical context, and providing practical suggestions.
Professor Samuel Levine’s CV runs to 22 pages, citing all his academic achievements in the field of Jewish and American law.
Yet his latest book, Was Yosef on the Spectrum? Understanding Joseph through Torah, Midrash and Classical Jewish Sources (Urim Publications) deals with a more controversial topic. He suggests that the great biblical character Joseph may have been autistic.
Many charedim nowadays see red if anyone dares to criticise heroic biblical characters. Twenty years ago, there was a riot in Manchester with the visit of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, who had written an article suggesting that Moses was not a politician — surely a compliment rather than an insult?
So why did Prof Levine choose to stray from his usual academic paths and write on such a controversial subject?
This collection of academic papers on the teachings of Rabbi Joseph P. Soloveitchik developed from a joint conference that took place in 2012 at Yeshiva University in New York and Bar Ilan University in Tel Aviv. (A companion volume of Hebrew-language papers from the conference is forthcoming.) Reflecting the Torah U’madda (Torahand secular knowledge) polymath that R. Soloveitchik himself embodied, the papers represent many disciplines, all viewed from both a Jewish and secular perspective, including philosophy, hermeneutics, history, and literature.
In a wide-ranging essay, Dr. David Shatz notes that while it is commonly believed that R. Soloveitchik published relatively little during his lifetime, this view is erroneous; in fact, the Toras HoRav Foundation has been systematically issuing volumes of R. Soloveitchik’s talks, developed from audio tapes and manuscripts, that have enabled scholars and laypersons alike to delve deeply into and comment on his ideas. Many of the papers in this volume draw upon these writings. Shatz also speculates as to why R. Soloveichik has attracted much greater interest since his passing in 1993, particularly among non-Orthodox and even non-Jewish scholars. Shatz’s encyclopedic summary of the many articles that have been published concerning R. Soloveitchik’s writings provide a wonderful resource for those who wish to study these matters further. Other notable essays include Ephraim Kanarfogel’s discussion of R. Soloveitchik’s uncanny knowledge of lost German Tosafist Halachic material, and Shira Weiss’s paper appraising the influence on R. Soloveichik of the medieval thinker Judah HaLevi.
Academic papers are not written for the casual reader, and some of the terminology and citations in this volume can prove daunting. However, readers seeking to seriously engage with these thoughtful presentations of R. Soloveitchik’s vast and erudite contributions to modern Jewish thought are sure to benefit.
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, zt”l, was the universally acknowledged leader of Modern Orthodoxy during the latter half of the twentieth century, when he served as Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University, head of the Halacha (Law) Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America, and spiritual mentor for the Mizrachi religious Zionist organization. His passing on April 8th, 1993 left a profound void for those who looked specifically to him for brilliant and original Torah insights and methodology, guidance in halachic (legal) and hashkafic (thought) matters that have arisen due to the modern experience, and as an exemplar of excellence in Judaic and secular studies and their interaction.
This volume is a unrevised reissue of the out-of-print collection of forty-two eulogies offered by family members, former students, and admirers, which was originally published in 2003. While the eulogies contain inspiring personal recollections, words of Torah, and moving anecdotes, one wonders what those who first eulogized the Rav over twenty years ago may have wanted to add to their memorials for this incredibly great man after the passing of two decades.
Posted by Jewish Book Maven 
The Day I Met Father Isaac at the Supermarket
June 2, 2019Fred Isaac ● AJL Reviews
Rabbi Riemer may be best known for So that Your Values May Live On, his wonderful volume on ethical wills. The Day I Met My Father Isaac… is a smaller, easy-to-read, and wise book meant for a broader audience. It contains some of his sermons while serving as interim Rabbi at Anshe Shalom Congregation in Florida. The book contains drashot (homilies) on thirty-five of the weekly parashot (Torah readings). In them Riemer explores both Torah issues and their parallels in modern life using stories, gentle humor, and a touch of irony. Beginning with Lech Lecha (“A Sermon addressed to the rich people in this Congregation”), his subjects include Yitro (“The Super Bowl and the Sedra”), Bechukotai (“Some of my favorite curses”), and Korach (“Too much rightness can kill you”). Each derasha begins with a story; most of them are contemporary, while others come from the Talmud and the Hasidic literature. They are witty and easy to connect with. He then turns to the Torah and links his introduction to the moral of the parashah. Some of his connections are quite powerful, others are sweet. But all are meaningful. The volume concludes with his “Farewell Shabbat” comments: “The lessons you have taught me.” In this talk he reminds his audience that, at their best, teachers are also students.
There has been a plethora of books over the past few years to assist B’nai Mitzvah students with their drashot. This delightful collection of sermons can be used by 12-year-olds. It would be better employed by adults looking for inspiration, as well as to create their own commentaries. It is a fine (and fun) addition to any synagogue library.