Synopses & Reviews
Thanks to this generous donor for making the publication of this book possible: The Lerman Family Foundation.
Connecting the wisdom of tradition with contemporary spirituality
Mesillat Yesharim is a classic of Jewish ethical literature. Written by one of the leading kabbalists of the late Middle Ages, it is also a window into the kabbalists understanding of the connection between ethics and mystical vision. Luzzatto, one of the great Hebrew stylists of his time, is acknowledged by some as the first writer of modern Hebrew; thus Mesillat Yesharim is also important for its place in Hebrew literature.
This translation, published originally in 1936 by JPS, is a landmark in Jewish publishing. It made this Hebrew text finally available to English readers, and it gave us insights into the groundbreaking work that Kaplan did in orienting American Jews to the deep connection between ethical living and religious belief. It is no wonder that this book has become the centerpiece of the modern-day Mussar Movement, which inspires so many on their spiritual path.
Rabbi Ira Stone, consummate teacher and stirring speaker, is a major force in the resurgence of the Mussar Movement. In his introduction, he presents Luzzatto and Mesillat Yesharim in their historical context, and gives us new insights into Kaplans emerging theology. Stone also explains the principles of reading that he uses in his commentary and teaching to make this medieval text so inspiring to readers today.
This volume contains the original Kaplan translation, as well as those sections of the text that Kaplan omitted, along with Stones new commentary. The original Hebrew text is in the back of the book.
Review
"By republishing the classic (and, in fact, publishing the Stone commentary for the first time), JPS has resurrected one of Judaisms great books. This should be the first of a series. Thank you, JPS and Rabbi Stone."—CJ Magazine CJ Magazine
Review
"This translation, published originally in 1936 by JPS, is a landmark in Jewish publishing. It made this Hebrew text finally available to English readers, and it gave us insights into the groundbreaking work that Kaplan did in orienting American Jews to the deep connection between ethical living and religious belief. It is no wonder that this book has become the centerpiece of the modern-day Mussar Movement, which inspires so many on their spiritual path."—Jewish Media Review Jewish Media Review
Review
"Readers will find Stones ideas through provoking."—Jewish Eye Jewish Eye
Review
"Ira Stone has breathed new life into this classic of Jewish ethical literature. His introduction places Mesillat Yesharim and Kaplan's translation of it in their proper historical and philosophical contexts. His running commentary to Luzzatto's text is lucid and informative, helping contemporary readers discover how this influential work can continue to guide and inspire us today."—Louis E. Newman, John M. and Elizabeth W. Musser Professor of Religious Studies and Humphrey Doermann Professor of Liberal Learning, Carleton College Louis E. Newman
Review
"Readers with an interest in rabbinic thought, Jewish philosophy, and Jewish ethics will find much to engage them. Stone provides the tools for the reader to easily and independently access Luzzatto's great classic."—Jewish Book World Jewish Book World
Review
“For over three decades David Ellenson has shaped the life of world Jewry through the power of his scholarship, depth of vision, and kindness of soul. His uniqueness is that in his writings he searches not to hide or homogenize complexity but rather to study it, celebrate it, and enable it to challenge our preconceptions. This book is critical for all who want to know not only the foundations and struggles of modern Jewish life but, more important, the future direction it can take.”—Donniel Hartman, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute
Review
“From the gifted pen of Rabbi David Ellenson come lucid essays covering Zionism, religious pluralism, feminism, and equal rights that illuminate not only a lifetime of scholarship and activism but also the complex bonds that link Jews in the United States with their forebears in Europe and contemporaries in Israel. Each essay sparkles like a gem, with compelling grace and power.”—Deborah Dash Moore, Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, University of Michigan
Review
"This volume is an excellent addition to academic Judaica collections."—Barbara M. Bibel, Jewish Book Council
Review
"Scholars and students of Jewish religious thought, ethics, and modern Jewish history will welcome this erudite collection by one of today's great Jewish leaders."—Jewish Media Review
Review
"This is an excellent collection of articles that any reader interested in the work of David Ellenson and the focus of his scholarship will surely appreciate."—David Tesler, Association of Jewish Libraries
Review
"A welcome addition to public and college library Judaic Studies shelves."—Midwest Book Review
Synopsis
Internationally recognized scholar David Ellenson shares twenty-three of his most representative essays, drawing on three decades of scholarship and demonstrating the consistency of the intellectual-religious interests that have animated him throughout his lifetime.
These essays center on a description and examination of the complex push and pull between Jewish tradition and Western culture. Ellenson addresses gender equality, womens rights, conversion, issues relating to who is a Jew, the future of the rabbinate, Jewish day schools, and other emerging trends in American Jewish life. As an outspoken advocate for a strong Israel that is faithful to the democratic and Jewish values that informed its founders, he also writes about religious tolerance and pluralism in the Jewish state.
The former president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the primary seminary of the Reform movement, Ellenson is widely respected for his vision of advancing Jewish unity and of preparing leadership for a contemporary Judaism that balances tradition with the demands of a changing world.
Scholars and students of Jewish religious thought, ethics, and modern Jewish history will welcome this erudite collection by one of todays great Jewish leaders.
About the Author
David Ellenson is chancellor of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. His book
After Emancipation: Jewish Religious Responses to Modernity won the National Jewish Book Councils Award as the outstanding book in Jewish thought in 2005. His most recent book, coauthored with Daniel Gordis, is
Pledges of Jewish Allegiance: Conversion, Law, and Policymaking in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Orthodox Responsa.