Judaism Reclaimed: Philosophy and Theology in the Torah

REFRESHINGLY ORIGINAL, YET THOROUGHLY RESEARCHED AND WELL-GROUNDED IN TRADITIONJudaism Reclaimed is a fascinating read: original but well-grounded in traditional sources. It is also user-friendly, well-arranged into 70 shortish inter-related essays which are thoroughly researched and written with exceptional clarity.The book draws upon a wide range of sources from both the Rabbinic and academic world, allowing its discussions and conclusions to transcend the predictability which often typifies these types of books. Tellingly it has received strong endorsements from different ends of the Orthodox Rabbinic spectrum: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks who praises the book’s original and impressive philosophical approach to old problems and Rabbi Zev Leff who finds it sophisticated in its ability to resolve theological difficulties.Particularly fascinating is the exploration and contrast between the Jewish philosophies and Torah interpretations of Rambam, Rabbi Yehuda Halevy and Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. What makes this book stand out is the way in which the author manages to extract key techniques and principles from the writings of these great thinkers and apply them to contemporary challenges faced by Judaism as well as by religion in general. The author’s legal background is evident in his original and thoughtful analysis of the halachic system both in its ideal state of functioning with a Sanhedrin and in exile. He also examines the scope and extent of Rabbinic legislation as well as the extent to which it recognizes the spirit of the law in halachah.No matter where your place is on the religious spectrum, you are likely to find something in Judaism Reclaimed which will both fascinate and challenge you.

It's difficult to overstate the importance of this book. Any serious student of Jewish belief and theology is aware of the diversity of approaches to the fundamental questions of Judaism. But most of us are not serious students. From the completely secular to the strictly religious, it is still common to encounter a relatively limited understanding of these central topics. Judaism Reclaimed addresses itself to this unfortunate situation, and in the process, presents a nuanced approach which will be particularly appealing to our information-saturated generation.At the heart of this book is the author's desire to present a Judaism that is rational and coherent; firmly rooted in tradition and yet deeply relevant to the modern seeker of truth. The author's uncommon familiarity with both classic Rabbinic works and modern academic papers makes him uniquely suited to this task. The book is simultaneously a rebuttal to those who would misrepresent Judaism's central tenets and a refreshing presentation of a poorly understood Jewish theology. It is also very broad in its scope. If you are curious about a concept in Jewish belief, you'll almost certainly find it discussed here.This is a very important work that will be equally at home on the bookshelf of a curious beginner or an accomplished student of Jewish philosophy.

He clearly has an ax to grind with Marc Shapiro and other people and often comes as extremely disrespectful in dealing with people like him and Rabbi Binyamin Lau, such as strongly implying the latter is a heretic though not stating such outright. Other parts are better

Over the Holiday season I read nearly the entire book. This author has gracefully walked the narrow plank where many have fallen, both to the left and right.I plan on going through this book again on a weekly basis at my Shabbos table to more thoroughly absorb its content.Thank you for this book and please give us more!

Very interesting. It covers a lot of questions I have had about Judaism and Torah. It's well written and is a great addition to any library.

Highly recommend it to anyone who wants a deep understanding of Torah philosophy and how to respond to secular critics, very well researched and written.

Informative

Agree with the reviews that styled the book as amazing and wide ranging. Many difficult issues are clarified. It is an essential contemporary complement to the Rambam's "Guide to the perplexed".Loved the book