From My Jewish Library
A year or so ago, I began a series on Duties of the Heart, the 11th century classic by R'Bachya ibn Paquda of Spain. (I may have written those diaries before Street Prophets was absorbed into Daily Kos.)
In the first couple of hundred pages, R'Paquda lays out his arguments in support of the existence of God and our obligations to HaShem. Whether one agrees with him or not, his logic is elegant. He makes a distinction between what he calls "knowledge of the duties of the limbs," and "knowledge of the duties of the heart." The duties of the limbs include the rituals which have been passed down by tradition. He argues that the duties of the heart, which "belong to the hidden, private realm" are no less obligatory than the ritual commandments, and in fact must precede them as the foundation of a spiritual life.
"Since the very basis for an act, and what it revolves around, depends on the intention and inner life of the heart, the knowledge of the duties of the heart should come before the knowledge of the duties of the limbs." He says the physical commandments are intended to serve as reminders to perform the spiritual commandments - that ritual performed for its own sake, without kavenah, is empty. Futhermore, the duties of the heart are binding at all times, unlike the duties of the limbs, which are schedule-dependent.
I highly recommend the Feldheim edition of this book, which comes in two volumes, to anyone interested in Jewish theology or ethics. (I am generally attracted to themes of universality and transcendence as well as of the values that comprise a moral compass, so that's where I'm coming from - more so than to books about ethnic identity, history, or political issues, although I read a lot of those, too.)
The Talmud Tractates of Derech Eretz Zuta and Rabbah also answer the questions: What does spirituality look like? How does a spiritual person behave? What is ethical behavior? What is kindness?
Over the past year I have been blessed to compile and edit a series of online classes on Derech Eretz taught by Rabbi Arthur Segal (who received Orthodox semicha following ten years of study of all tractates of Talmud). I believe he considers himself to be trans-denominational. Although other students and colleagues of his have encouraged him to put the classes into book form, I felt so strongly that the information should be made widely available that I offered to do the work myself. Part history lesson, party mussar (Jewish self-improvement), Rabbi Segal's commentary demystifies and explains these ancient texts in relatable, accessible, contemporary terms (whereas out of context relative to our time and place, they are otherwise difficult to interpret. Rabbi Segal teaches what the Sages said, and also what they meant.)
The Torah is a Tree of Life, Aitz Chaim, to those who grasp onto it firmly (Proverbs 3:18). We first encounter the Tree of Life in Genesis 2:9. It is one of two special trees in the Garden of Eden; the other is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The fruit of the second tree is forbidden to Adam. Eve eats from the Tree of Good and Evil, and Adam soon follows her example. Consequently, they lose their angelic purity, and become human. They acquire a yetzer tov, a good inclination, and a yetzer ha ra, an evil inclination.
Our Midrash tells us God intends for Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, but not until after they eat from the Tree of Life. In other words, God wants them to first learn the ethical and spiritual message of the Torah, so that they will be able to listen to the yetzer tov and ignore the yetzer ha ra.
- from The Path and Wisdom for Living at Peace with Others, a Modern Commentary on Talmud Tractates Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah, Volume 1, by Rabbi Arthur Segal
In my opinion, it's an awesome, life-enhancing, kick-ass, not-to-be-left-home-without kind of book, which I hope people will READ. Please note that we will not earn any meaningful amount of money on sales (over a year in the making, it is low-profile, independent, self-published direct to Kindle, can be borrowed by "Amazon Prime" members for free, and I believe can be loaned to others), and I am therefore not "pimping" it - I don't care if you buy it or not, but feel it deserves to be read and used. I find the content meaningful, relevant to my life, and representative of the heart and soul of Judaism - in other words, beautiful.
The Path and Wisdom for Living at Peace with Others is my "go-to" for peace of mind. The book may also benefit those of other religions who are interested in the Jewish ethos and how it relates to their own beliefs and/or contemporary political ideals.
Is anyone interested in a series on important Jewish books? Which books do you find insightful, inspiring, or informative? Which books have influenced your life or changed your understanding of the world? I'd love to hear about them.