David Ben-Gurion, (who was later the first Prime Minister of the State of Israel), when testifying before the British Royal (Peel) Commission in 1936, whose agenda was to decide on the future of the Land of Israel, declared "The Bible is our Mandate." Indeed, throughout the Bible right back to the time of the Patriarch Abraham, one can see that the Almighty promised the Land of Israel to the Jewish people. This is one of the points I stressed when giving my weekly sermons to my Synagogue over the course of over twenty years. The first section of the Bible is the Torah (Pentateuch), which is the Five Books of Moses. In addition to giving an early history of the Jewish people and the various commandments incumbent on a Jew, the Torah contains many lessons which can be applied to today's living. It was many of these lessons which constituted the contents of my sermons. These include the Jewish rights to the Land of Israel and the strict prohibition on foregoing any of these rights, and furthermore the imperative that the State of Israel be governed in accordance with the principle "The Land of Israel is for the Jewish people and must be governed according to the Torah." Unfortunately, these principles are not implemented in practice, and these points were often stressed in my sermons. Needless to add, there were many other lessons to be learned which I spoke about. One of them was the relationship which should pertain between man and his fellow man. Included in this is taking responsibility for one's actions and not passing the blame on to others. We find a number of occasions in the Torah where this was not done. As an example, Adam blamed Eve who in turn blamed the serpent for eating from the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. A further example is Aaron blaming the Jewish people when he made the Golden Calf, instead of taking the responsibility himself. Hospitality is another important quality which must be extended to all people without distinction. Abraham, already a very old man hurried to give hospitality to people even though he thought that they were idol-worshippers, and furthermore he made the members of his family participate in this hospitality. Kindness to animals is another lesson to be learned from the Torah. Rebekah gave the camels to drink after they came in from a long journey. In fact, it is forbidden to eat a meal until after one has fed one's animals. All this is not limited to physical actions, but also to not hurting the feelings of animals, such as not muzzling an ox when it is working in a field, nor ploughing with an ox and an ass together, since they are of different strengths. One is commanded to repay good by good, and a favour which has been given should never be forgotten however long a time may have passed. An example is the actions of Miriam in endangering her life by guarding Moses in the bulrushes. This was remembered as much as eighty years later. The above are just a few examples of the lessons I gave during the course of my sermons. In addition to my weekly Sabbath sermons, I would give sermons on the various Festivals which occurred throughout the year. I also delivered yearly a special sermon on the Sabbath before the Festival of Passover and on the Sabbath between the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement. All these sermons are to be found in this book.

We think of the Hebrew Bible as the Book--and yet it was produced by a largely nonliterate culture in which writing, editing, copying, interpretation, and public reading were the work of a professional elite. The scribes of ancient Israel are indeed the main figures behind the Hebrew Bible, and in this book Karel van der Toorn tells their story for the first time. His book considers the Bible in very specific historical terms, as the output of the scribal workshop of the Second Temple active in the period 500-200 BCE. Drawing comparisons with the scribal practices of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, van der Toorn clearly details the methods, the assumptions, and the material means of production that gave rise to biblical texts; then he brings his observations to bear on two important texts, Deuteronomy and Jeremiah.

Traditionally seen as the copycats of antiquity, the scribes emerge here as the literate elite who held the key to the production as well as the transmission of texts. Van der Toorn's account of scribal culture opens a new perspective on the origins of the Hebrew Bible, revealing how the individual books of the Bible and the authors associated with them were products of the social and intellectual world of the scribes. By taking us inside that world, this book yields a new and arresting appreciation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

This volume collects several articles by scholar Uri Zur on various areas in the field of Jewish studies. Topics discussed include different types of structure in Talmudic texts from a literary point of view, the study of the Aramaic language utilized in the Bible and the Talmud from a linguistic and interpretive perspective, the redaction of sugyot in the Talmud Bavli analyzed from a textual point of view, and matters of halakha and halakhic rules. The author also examines contemporary topics such as modern Judaism in Israel and peacemaking efforts grounded in the Pentateuch and Jewish tradition.

The ancient rabbis believed that the Torah was divinely revealed and therefore contained eternal truths and multitudinous hidden meanings. Not a single word was considered haphazard or inconsequential. This understanding of how Scripture mystically relates to all of life is the fertile ground from which the Midrash emerged. Here Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso explores how Midrash originated and how it is still practiced today, and offers new translations and interpretations of twenty essential, classic midrashic texts. You will never read the Bible the same way again!

This history of Sufi conceptions of the hereafter - often imagined as a place of corporeal reward (Paradise) or punishment (Hell) - is built upon the study of five medieval Sufi Qur'an commentaries. Pieter Coppens shows that boundary crossing from this world to the otherworld, and vice versa, revolves around the idea of meeting with and the vision of God; a vision which for some Sufis is not limited to the hereafter. The Qur'anic texts selected for study - all key verses on seeing God - are placed in their broader religious and social context and are shown to provide a useful and varied source for the reconstruction of a history of Sufi eschatology and the vision of God.

A murderer, an outcast, a man cursed by God and exiled from his people - Cain, the biblical killer of Abel, is a figure of utter disdain. But that disdain is curiously in evidence well before his brother's death, as God inexplicably refuses Cain's sacrifice while accepting Abel's. Cain kills in a rage of exclusion, yet it is God himself who has set the brothers apart. For Regina Schwartz, we ignore the dark side of the Bible to our peril. The perplexing story of Cain and Abel is emblematic of the tenacious influence of the Bible on secular notions of identity - notions that are all too often violently exclusionary, negatively defining "us" against "them" in ethnic, religious, racial, gender, and nationalistic terms. In this compelling work of cultural and biblical criticism, Schwartz contends that it is the very concept of monotheism and its jealous demand for exclusive allegiance - to one God, one Land, one Nation or one People - that informs the model of collective identity forged in violence, against the other. The Hebrew Bible is filled with narratives of division and exclusion, scarcity and competition, that erupt in violence. Once these narratives were appropriated and disseminated by western religious traditions, they came to pervade deep cultural assumptions about how collectives are imagined - with collective hatred, with collective degradation, and with collective abuse. Recovering the Bible's often misguided role as a handbook for politics and social thought, Schwartz demonstrates just how dangerous it can be.

Eknath Easwaran, translator of the best-selling edition of the Dhammapada, sees this powerful scripture as a perfect map for the spiritual journey. Said to be the text closest to the Buddha's actual words, it is a collection of short teachings memorized during his lifetime by his disciples. Easwaran presents the Dhammapada as a guide to spiritual perseverance, progress, and ultimately enlightenment -- a heroic confrontation with life as it really is, with straight answers to our deepest questions. We witness the heartbreak of death, for instance -- what does that mean for us? What is love? How does karma work? How do we follow the spiritual life in the midst of work and family? Does nirvana really exist, and if so, what is it like to be illumined? In his interpretation of Buddhist themes, illustrated with stories from the Buddha's life, Easwaran offers a view of the concept of Right Understanding that is both exhilarating and instructive. He shares his experiences on the spiritual path, giving the advice that only an experienced teacher and practitioner can offer, and urges us to answer for ourselves the Buddha's call to nirvana -- that mysterious, enduring state of wisdom, joy, and peace.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Reflecting on this verse from the Gospel of Luke (2:11), Martin Luther declared it to be a summary of the gospel: "See here what the gospel is, namely, a joyful sermon about Christ our Savior. Whoever preaches him rightly preaches the gospel and pure joy." Reformation commentators meditated upon the significance of the good news of Jesus Christ during a vibrant era in the history of the church that was characterized by spiritual renewal and reform, doctrinal controversy (especially over matters such as the presence of Christ in the Lord?s Supper) and the overriding desire to understand the meaning and implications of Scripture for Christian belief and practice. While in many ways similar to the other Synoptic Gospels, the Gospel of Luke also testified to this good news through unique material, including the announcement of Jesus? birth to the shepherds in the fields, the parable of the prodigal son and Jesus? appearance to his disciples on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. In this volume, Beth Kreitzer skillfully leads readers through the rich diversity of Reformation commentary on the Gospel of Luke. Readers will be able to listen to both well-known and lesser-known voices from a variety of theological traditions, including Lutherans, Reformed, Radicals, Anglicans and Roman Catholics, many of whose comments appear for the first time in English. By drawing from an array of Reformation resources - including commentaries, sermons, treatises and confessions - this volume will equip scholars to understand better the depth and breadth of Reformation commentary, and it will provide contemporary preachers with resources from those in the Reformation church who sought to understand the meaning of this "good news of great joy" (2:10).

This book is based on the teachings of Bhagavad Gita, one of the most widely read books in the world. In today's busy life, we hardly get any time to meditate deeper into the meaning and purpose of life. We tend to take certain things for granted such as our status, wealth, educational achievements, etc. and also presume that they will be given to us in our next birth. But scriptures do not endorse this view. All our possessions, or the lack of them, are the result of our karma in the previous births. We rewrite our destiny everyday for our future births. Hence, we should decide our actions in accordance with the teachings of the scriptures and not allow our materialistic aspirations to distort our understanding and conduct in this world. Also one should not wait till the old age to start reading the scriptures. The right age to read scriptures is as early as one gets the consciousness so as to minimise the loss of deep, illuminating thoughts which an insightful reading of the Bhagavad Gita entails and hence, engage in righteous actions. The divine wisdom of Lord Krishna, encapsulated in the Bhagavad Gita, is addressed to each and every individual to help solve perplexing problems and progress towards a brighter future.

The present volume honours Rabbi Professor Nehemia Polen, one of those rare scholars whose religious teachings, spiritual writings, and academic scholarship have come together into a sustained project of interpretive imagination and engagement. Without compromising his intellectual integrity, his work brings forth the sacred from the mundane and expands the reach of Torah. He has shown us a path in which narrow scholarship is directly linked to a quest for ever-broadening depth and connectivity. The essays in this collection, from his students, colleagues, and friends, are a testament to his enduring impact on the scholarly community. The contributions explore a range of historical periods and themes, centering upon the fields dear to Polen's heart, but a common thread unites them. Each essay is grounded in deeply engaged textual scholarship casting a glance upon the sources that is at once critical and beneficent. As a whole, they seek to give readers a richer sense of the fabric of Jewish interpretation and theology, from the history of Jewish mysticism, the promise and perils of exegesis, and the contemporary relevance of premodern and early modern texts.

'Outstanding, timely and much needed.' Amir Hussain, Professor of Theological Studies, Loyola Marymount University 'A very well-written, remarkably accessible, timely and important book. It is sure to be read widely.' Muhammad Qasim Zaman, Robert H. Niehaus '77 Professor of Near Eastern Studies and Religion, Princeton University A compact introduction and reader's guide to the Qur'an This is an ideal introduction to the Qur'an, featuring the most up-to-date methods for reading and understanding the text. It deals with sensitive issues regarding the interpretation of sacred texts as well as differing points of view and major debates. A substantial explanatory introduction summarises the historical and literary issues and engages with the religious and political context of understanding the Qur'an today, including an appreciation of the ritual and oral uses of text. Key Features: * Includes new translations of 725 Qur'anic verses * Promotes an understanding of multiple interpretations of the Qur'an * Designed for use on introductory courses and for self-study Keywords: Qur'an; sacred; translation; text.

The essays in this volume address the conundrum of how Jewish believers in the divine character of the Sinaitic revelation confront the essential questions raised by academic biblical studies. The first part is an anthology of rabbinic sources, from the medieval period to the present, treating questions that reflect a critical awareness of the Bible. The second part is a series of twenty-one essays by contemporary rabbis and scholars on how they combine their religious beliefs with their critical approach to the Bible.

This volume offers a new reading of Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed. In particular, it explores how Maimonides' commitment to integrity led him to a critique of the Kalam, to a complex concept of immortality, and to insight into the human yearning for metaphysical knowledge. Maimonides' search for objective truth is also analyzed in its connection with the scientific writings of his time, which neither the Kalam nor the Jewish philosophical tradition that preceded him had endorsed. Through a careful analysis of these issues, this book seeks to contribute to the understanding of the modes of thought adopted in The Guide of the Perplexed, including the "philosophical theologian" model of Maimonides' own design, and to the knowledge of its sources.