A Guide to Jewish Studies: Commandments (Mitzvot)

"Though typically translated as 'Jewish law,' the term halakhah is not an easy match for what is usually thought of as law. This is because the rabbinic legal system has rarely wielded the political power to enforce its many detailed rules, nor has it ever been the law of any state. Even more idiosyncratically, the talmudic rabbis claim that the study of halakhah is a holy endeavor that brings a person closer to God (a claim no country makes of its law). In this panoramic book, Chaim Saiman traces how generations of rabbis have used concepts forged in talmudic disputation to do the work that other societies assign not only to philosophy, political theory, theology, and ethics but also to art, drama, and literature. In the multifaceted world of halakhah where everything is law, law is also everything, and even laws that serve no practical purpose can, when properly studied, provide surprising insights into timeless questions about the very nature of human existence. What does it mean for legal analysis to connect humans to God? Can spiritual teachings remain meaningful and at the same time rigidly codified? Can a modern state be governed by such law? Guiding readers across two millennia of richly illuminating perspectives, this book shows how halakhah is not just 'law' but an entire way of thinking, being, and knowing." - from the publisher

"This book describes in detail the ritual purity system of the Hebrew Bible, and its development into the system of the rabbis. It is argued that the impurities concerned all derive from the human cycle of generation, birth and death, from which the Sanctuary is to be guarded; not because it needs protection from demonic powers (as in other ancient purity systems), but because of the reverence due to the divine presence." - from the publisher

"Applying the laws of Shabbath observance to the innovations of modern life can be daunting and confusing. In response to this challenge, the classic Shemirath Shabbath Kehilchathah was compiled by Rav Yehoshua Y. Neuwirth. The complete English edition covers all aspects of Shabbos observance, with hundreds of practical applications and halachic rulings. This essential edition places proper Sabbath observance within every Jew's grasp." - from the publisher

"Generating over $12 billion in annual sales, kosher food is big business. It is also an unheralded story of successful private-sector regulation in an era of growing public concern over the government's ability to ensure food safety. Kosher uncovers how independent certification agencies rescued American kosher supervision from fraud and corruption and turned it into a model of nongovernmental administration. Currently, a network of over three hundred private certifiers ensures the kosher status of food for over twelve million Americans, of whom only eight percent are religious Jews. But the system was not always so reliable. At the turn of the twentieth century, kosher meat production in the United States was notorious for scandals involving price-fixing, racketeering, and even murder. Reform finally came with the rise of independent kosher certification agencies which established uniform industry standards, rigorous professional training, and institutional checks and balances to prevent mistakes and misconduct. In overcoming many of the problems of insufficient resources and weak enforcement that hamper the government, private kosher certification holds important lessons for improving food regulation, Timothy Lytton argues. He views the popularity of kosher food as a response to a more general cultural anxiety about industrialization of the food supply. Like organic and locavore enthusiasts, a growing number of consumers see in rabbinic supervision a way to personalize today's vastly complex, globalized system of food production." - from the publisher

"Kosher USA follows the fascinating journey of kosher food through the modern industrial food system. It recounts how iconic products such as Coca-Cola and Jell-O tried to become kosher; the contentious debates among rabbis over the incorporation of modern science into Jewish law; how Manischewitz wine became the first kosher product to win over non-Jewish consumers (principally African Americans); the techniques used by Orthodox rabbinical organizations to embed kosher requirements into food manufacturing; and the difficulties encountered by kosher meat and other kosher foods that fell outside the American culinary consensus. Kosher USA is filled with big personalities, rare archival finds, and surprising influences: the Atlanta rabbi Tobias Geffen, who made Coke kosher; the lay chemist and kosher-certification pioneer Abraham Goldstein; the kosher-meat magnate Harry Kassel; and the animal-rights advocate Temple Grandin, a strong supporter of shechita, or Jewish slaughtering practice. By exploring the complex encounter between ancient religious principles and modern industrial methods, Kosher USA adds a significant chapter to the story of Judaism's interaction with non-Jewish cultures and the history of modern Jewish American life as well as American foodways." - from the publisher

"We all know that one of a Jew's primary obligations is to give tzedakah, to support the poor, help the sick, and share the burden of Torah institutions. But just as the laws of kashrus are detailed and complex, so are the laws of tzedakah. Rabbi Shimon Taub, a scholar of note, has mastered these laws and shares them with us. Are any earnings exempt from tithing? How about capital gains? May one adjust profits for inflation? How much may one earn and still be eligible for charity? Is one ever required to give more than a tenth? The questions are myriad - and fascinating. And this book has them all, including sources and scholarly footnotes in Hebrew. This book is a basic text, an excursion into every relevant halachic area, and an exciting learning experience for everyone!" - from the publisher