Books by "Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins"
5 books found
A fascinating—and stimulating—look at "the other Talmud" and the possibilities for Jewish life reflected there. “The difference between the Bavli and the Yerushalmi is something like the difference between making a movie for a regular theater versus making one for a 3-D theater and/or an IMAX theater. It's still the story of Judaism and the Jewish people. But the colors are richer, the action is bigger, the effects are more powerful in the 3-D/IMAX world of the Yerushalmi. Your actors ... live on the soundstage, that is, in Israel, and that informs their performance.... You could imagine the Yerushalmi is a pop-up book: you open it and Jewish living materializes.” —from the Introduction This engaging look at the Judaism that might have been breaks open the Yerushalmi—“The Talmud of the Land of Israel”—and what it means for Jewish life today. It examines what the Yerushalmi is, how it differs from the Bavli—the Babylonian Talmud—and how and why the Bavli is used today. It reveals how the Yerushalmi’s vision of Jewish practice resembles today’s liberal Judaism, and why the is growing in popularity. This broad but accessible overview of all the essential aspects of “The Talmud of the Land of Israel” will help you deepen your understanding of Judaism and the history of the Jewish people.
Insights, Ideas and Thoughtful Questions for Discussing with Students the Wisdom Tales of the Ancient Rabbis A helpful guide to creative use of Sage Tales: The Wisdom and Wonder of the Rabbis of the Talmud in the classroom. Includes: An overview of how to use Sage Tales in a variety of educational settings A lesson plan for how to teach Sage Tales in seven to nine sessions Intriguing discussion questions to guide students in an exploration of key themes found in the wisdom tales of the ancient rabbis This teaching tool will help you guide each student to a deeper understanding of early rabbinic Judaism and the wise lessons hidden within the narratives of the rabbis of that time.
Find inspiration for a satisfying spiritual life of practice through the combination of contemporary mindfulness meditation and classical Hasidic spirituality. The soul yearns to feel connected to something greater and to know happiness despite personal suffering and seemingly endless need. Surprisingly, the perspectives of the late eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Hasidic spiritual teachers offer a radically different Jewish theology that speaks directly to today’s spiritual seekers whose faith has been shattered by both modernity and the Holocaust. These masters taught of interdependence, interconnectedness, selflessness, service and joy, anticipating the insights of contemporary science and twenty-first-century spirituality. Bringing together the teachings of beloved Hasidic master Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev (1740–1809) and the practice of mindfulness meditation, Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater reveals a new entrance into Jewish spiritual life. Covering the Five Books of Moses, these two volumes present accessible translations of selections from Kedushat Levi, R. Levi Yitzhak’s Hasidic Torah commentary, which emphasizes our spiritual capacity to transform consciousness and so our life experience. The selections are paired with Rabbi Slater’s commentaries to illuminate their message. “The lessons in Kedushat Levi were not originally intended as intellectual curiosities or as demonstrations of R. Levi Yitzhak’s brilliance. They were meant to inspire religious passion and deeper spiritual practice. I believe that these teachings will come to life in us when we bring them into our lives in practice.” —from the Introduction
Reconnect with Judaism’s most important contribution to humanity—and redeem our world. “The gift of Judaism is an understanding of what it means to be a human being—what we can do, what we can hope for, how we can live with purpose, what is expected of us. It is a celebration of human freedom, human possibility and human responsibility. Judaism is a way to live a heroic life, to construct a life devoted to values that are eternal, values of ultimate significance. The reward of a Jewish life is walking the world with a profound faith that you matter, your life matters, your dreams matter. I call this chutzpah.” —from the Introduction In this clarion call for a new way to “do Judaism,” award-winning spiritual leader Rabbi Edward Feinstein urges us to recover this message of Jewish self-empowerment—or chutzpah—to reshape our world. He walks us through the history of chutzpah—from the early chapters of Genesis, Jewish biblical law and the Rabbis of the Talmud to the mystics of medieval Spain and the European Hasidic tradition, Zionism and post-Holocaust thought. By showing us the ever-presence of chutzpah in Judaism he reveals the inner story of the Jewish People’s soul as well as the meaning that Judaism’s deepest purpose and most precious treasure has for us today.
Combines Jewish tradition, contemporary sciences and world spiritual writings with practical contemplative exercises. Will help you balance and integrate mind, body, heart and spirit, reach out to the Divine, and be more fully present and effective in your life.