Basic JudaismRabbi Milton Steinberg's Basic Judaism is "one of the best presentations of essential Judaism" (Christian Century).Concise and elegant, this is a book about the faith, ideals, and practices that form the historic Jewish faith. Including both the modernist and the traditionalist view in his exploration, Rabbi Steinberg discusses the Torah, what Judaism says about God and the relationship between man and God, the nature of good and evil in a moral society, and what exists in the Kingdom of God. He also talks about the laws that define Judaism, the practices and rituals that sustain it, and the synagogue and the rabbinate that support it.For all students of Judaism--be they practicing Jews, uncommitted Jews, or curious non-Jews, Rabbi Steinberg offers a brilliant chance to understand what the Jewish faith is, why it has elicited such intense devotion, and why it remains such a mighty force in the lives of its believers and, beyond them, the world. |
Contents
PRELIMINARIES | 3 |
THE GOOD LIFE | 7 |
TRADITIONALISTS AND MODERNISTS | 9 |
TORAH | 18 |
TORAHMODERNIST VIEW | 27 |
THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD | 36 |
WHAT JUDAISM SAYS ABOUT GOD | 42 |
ENVISAGEMENTS | 49 |
LAND AND LANGUAGE | 96 |
NONJEWS | 98 |
OTHER RELIGIONS | 102 |
JUDAISM ON JESUS | 105 |
JUDAISM ON CHRISTIANITY III | 111 |
THE PARTICULAR AND THE UNIVERSAL | 114 |
PRACTICES 1 THE BRIDGE OF PRAYER | 116 |
WORSHIP | 117 |
BETWEEN GOD AND MAN | 57 |
THE GOODNESS OF LIFE | 59 |
THE NATURE OF THE GOOD | 61 |
BETWEEN MAN AND GOD | 63 |
THE DUTIES OF THE HEART | 65 |
GRANDEUR AND LOWLINESS | 70 |
BODY AND SOUL | 71 |
BETWEEN MAN AND HIS FELLOW | 75 |
MORALITY FOR SOCIETY | 79 |
MAN THE CITIZEN | 82 |
THE SHADOW OF SIN | 85 |
ISRAEL AND THE NATIONS 1 ISRAELTRADITIONALIST CONCEPTIONS | 91 |
ISRAELMODERNIST REINTERPRETATION | 94 |
PRECONDITIONS FOR PRAYER | 118 |
THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER | 120 |
THE DAILY REGIMEN | 122 |
THESE YE MAY EAT | 125 |
THE SACRED ROUND | 129 |
THE LIFE CYCLE | 132 |
WHYS AND WHEREFORE | 135 |
MODERNIST VARIATIONS ON THE RITUAL THEME | 139 |
LAW IN JUDAISM | 143 |
INSTITUTIONS | 150 |
WORLDTOCOME | 159 |
MESSIAH | 167 |
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Common terms and phrases
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