Steinsaltz, Rabbi Adin

The Essential Talmud

The Thirteen Petalled Rose: A Discourse On The Essence Of Jewish Existence And Belief

Opening the Tanya: Discovering the Moral and Mystical Teachings of a Classic Work of Kabbalah

Written by the great Hasidic master Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in the late eighteenth century, the Tanya is considered to be one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written.
A seminal document in the study of Kabbalah, the Tanya explores and solves the dilemmas of the human soul by arriving at the root causes of its struggles. Though it is a classic Jewish spiritual text, the Tanya and its present commentary take a broad and comprehensive approach that is not specific to Judaism nor tied to a particular personality type or time or point of view.
Opening the Tanya is a groundbreaking book that offers a definitive introduction, explanation, and commentary upon the Tanya. As relevant today as it was when it was first written more than two hundred years ago, the Tanya helps us to see the many thousands of complexities, doubts, and drives within us as expressions of a single basic problem, the struggle between our Godly Soul and our Animal Soul.

Understanding the Tanya: Volume Three in the Definitive Commentary on a Classic Work of Kabbalah by the World's Foremost Authority (Definitive Commentary ... Kabbalah By the World's Foremost Authority)

Understanding the Tanya guides the reader through one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written. The Tanya is a seminal document in both the study of Hasidic thought and of Kabbalah—Jewish mysticism. With a keen understanding of the profound struggles within the human soul, the Tanya helps us understand how we can raise ourselves to higher and higher spiritual levels.

 

Timeless in its approach, the Tanya addresses specific moral problems and dilemmas and delves into their root causes, distilling the universal predicaments of humankind and offering solutions that can change the way we view ourselves and conduct our lives. The Tanya explores the workings of the soul and examines the complexities, doubts, and drives within all of us as expressions of a single basic problem—the struggle between our Godly and animal souls.

 

Learning From the Tanya: Volume Two in the Definitive Commentary on the Moral and Mystical Teachings of a Classic Work of Kabbalah (Arthur Kurzweil Book)

Learning from the Tanya offers a key for unlocking the mysteries of one of the most extraordinary books of moral teachings ever written. A seminal document in the study of Kabbalah, the Tanya explores and solves the dilemmas of the human soul by arriving at the root causes of its struggles. Though it is a classic Jewish spiritual text, the Tanya and its commentary take a broad and comprehensive approach that is neither specific to Judaism nor tied to a particular personality type or time or point of view.

Talmud with Training Wheels: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Talmud (Talmud with Training Wheels) (Talmud with Training Wheels)

This volume of the Talmud with Training Wheels series is a wide-ranging introduction to the Talmud. In a lively and engaging style, it tells the story of Talmud by explaining the origins of this literature, which is based on the oral tradition in Judaism. It goes on to explore the "Anatomy of the Talmud Page", clarifying each element found on a page of Talmud. And it provides basic tools for Talmud study, giving learners crucial insights into how this unique literature works. At the back of the volume, readers will find a helpful lexicon of key Talmudic terms.

Simple Words: Thinking About What Really Matters in Life

"Simple words are by no means simple," states Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in his introduction to Simple Words. This is certainly true of the words he has teased out from contemporary spirituality to expound upon here. Each chapter is dedicated to so-called simple words such as death, envy, masks, sex, good, and love. Steinsaltz uses familiar language and progressive thinking to offer a greater moral and spiritual understanding to these core concepts.

Although many of the selected words are age-old, the accompanying commentary feels fresh and contemporary. When writing about envy, Steinsaltz explores how this misunderstood emotion can be used to serve the higher good rather than lowly desires. And in addressing the idea of sex, he writes, "Jewish tradition ... does not see sex per se as sinful.... It is a pleasure that is derived from giving and being connected with another--both in the body and beyond the physical plane; it can become a most meaningful expression of love, of charity, of benevolence. Sexual desire, possibly the most powerful human desire, can become an expression of holiness." --Gail Hudson

Defining Ourselves

Friends, family, love. God, death, faith. These, and others, are deceptively simple words that we use all the time. Do we know what we mean by these important words? Do we know what other people mean when they use them? We seldom pause to reflect on these words or to make sure that we understand them, yet we continue to use them, so we misunderstand others and they misunderstand us.

Adin Steinsaltz examines some of the meanings of these powerful words. He transforms each word into a gem, turning it this way, then that, examining it to see more clearly its brilliant facets and what lies beyond them. He challenges us to think deeply about the connotations of these commonplace words, and in so doing, to see that there may be other ways of looking at things that we have taken for granted in our lives. Simple Words is a thought-provoking -- and surprising -- adventure that may change the way we think, speak, and act.

Biblical Images

A world-famous rabbi and teacher offers subtle, penetrating, psychological portraits of 25 significant men and women of the Old Testament.

The Candle of God: Discourses on Chasidic Thought

The Sustaining Utterance: Discourses on Chasidic Thought