Best books about judaism according to redditors

We found 685 Reddit comments discussing the best books about judaism. We ranked the 302 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

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Subcategories:

Books about haggadahs
Jewish hasidism books
History of Judaism books
Jewish holidays books
Jewish life books
Jewish prayer books
Jewish sacred texts books
Kabbalah & mysticism books
Jewish movements books
Jewish sermons books
Jewish law books
Women & judaism books

Top Reddit comments about Judaism:

u/Elementarrrry · 17 pointsr/Judaism

It helps to have more specific questions, but of course, having specific questions usually requires some basic level of knowledge.

jewfaq.org is pretty good. we have some decentish resources in our wiki. there's a judaism stackexchange, but like stackexchange as a whole it tends a bit towards elitist, high-level, and unfriendly to beginners.

The standard book recommendations when this situation comes up is To Be a Jew and Jewish Literacy.

Also possibly relevant, depending on your tastes, This is My God by Herman Wouk. Was reminded of this book by this Ask the Rabbi, which also recommends Partners in Torah -- possibly relevant, depending on your level of investment in learning more (sets you up with a weekly study partner)

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did a quick google, this looks relevant: https://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/found-out-jewish-ancestry-in-20s

So does the book Suddenly Jewish, which I found via this article

oh and there's this post from a day ago: judaism for beginners

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also, for your perusal, the search results for "found out jewish" on this sub

u/send_nasty_stuff · 15 pointsr/DebateAltRight

What are your thoughts on major jewish civic groups that gather together for conferences to put together documents that are a distilled agenda. These documents clearly state that the jewish community support gun restrictions, non white immigration, etc. How do you then explain that jewish influenced industries then push these agreed upon agendas? Do you deny that jews have collective power? or do you deny the agenda?

https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Power-Inside-American-Establishment/dp/0201327988

Also I'm curious about your thoughts concerning think tanks that are funded by central banking. These seem to also mysteriously align with a lot of the agendas drawn up by jewish civic coalitions. Obviously I agree that there are disagreements in the jewish community but they are certainly not the same as disagreements amongst gentile populations in western nations.

u/oorraannggeess · 14 pointsr/Psychonaut

The Sacred Mushroom and The Cross: A study of the nature and origins of Christianity within the fertility cults of the ancient Near East https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982556276/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_-z4EDbWFEQT1P

The Psychedelic Gospels: The Secret History of Hallucinogens in Christianity https://www.amazon.com/dp/1620555026/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_SA4EDb1CJH5WS

Astrotheology & Shamanism: Christianity's Pagan Roots. A Revolutionary Reinterpretation of the Evidence (Black & White Edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1439222428/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_bB4EDbW0ZGGTT

Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences https://www.amazon.com/dp/0231174063/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_rC4EDbZ2RWDBS

DMT and the Soul of Prophecy: A New Science of Spiritual Revelation in the Hebrew Bible https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594773424/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9C4EDb46EFXG4

❤️

u/abandoningeden · 11 pointsr/exjew

was this on your mother's side or your father's side? Given that most cultures give you a last name based on your father's side I'm going to assume father's..in which case most jews would not consider you jewish since judaism is 'passed down' through women, but not men. There are some groups that consider judaism as "passed down' from both women and men but only if you yourself were raised jewish (which clearly you weren't). Anyway this doesn't mean that you might not want to learn more about judaism given you still have jewish ancestry but you should be aware....

Also ashkenazi's aren't a tribe per se, more of an ethnic group that means your anscensters were european (mostly central/eastern european) jews. There is another group called sephardis that are descended from jews in spain/the iberian peninsula (and many from north africans who moved there after the spanish expulsion of jews), and then there are mizrachis which are descended from middle easterners. But all 3 groups are supposedly descended from the original group of jews who lived in Israel and were expelled by the romans (and moved to different areas afterwards and developed somewhat different traditions and foods and stuff, but were still pretty similar).

If you are interested in learning more about judaism and how it is currently practiced, I would recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Literacy-Revised-Ed-Important/dp/0061374989 although it's kinda like an encyclopedia so might be boring AF at times.

You may be better served posting this in r/judaism , this page is more for people who grew up as religious jews and no longer keep the religion.

u/aggie1391 · 10 pointsr/Judaism

Just to start off, its shabbos in much of the world so you won't get so many responses for a bit.

​

Lots and lots of people grew up with some Jewish identity, didn't do much, and later became religious. Seriously, its a whole movement. Of course everyone's situation is unique, but you aren't the first to struggle with this kinda thing. Thankfully, that has meant a ton of books and resources for people in your shoes, who want to learn more and do more but didn't grow up with it. Some of the biggest resources online are Aish and Chabad, I just found NJOP but it doesn't have as much on the site.

​

Now, as you know, the first step is to find a synagogue. I'd recommend looking for a Chabad or a young adults organization like a Young Jewish Professionals type of thing. They will have lots of classes for people from all sorts of backgrounds and will be super happy to help you find good resources, to teach you, etc. Chabad especially is everywhere, the joke is that only Coca-Cola and Chabad are worldwide. Next weekend is actually The Shabbos Project, which brings together people from all sorts of background to do a shabbos in a community. Actually one of these helped me really finalize my decision to become religious. And there are people here from all over who can recommend places.

​

So there are lots of basic books out there. One thing I would definitely recommend is to get a Chumash, I'd recommend the Stone Edition since its the most common but the Steinsaltz one also came out recently. A Chumash has the whole Torah and the Haftorot (the section from the Prophets read in synagogues every shabbos) with commentaries. Both the ones I linked have stuff from all sorts of commentators that help explain the text. One section of Torah is read every week on shabbos, so it makes for a great reading guide.

​

A good beginner book is To Be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim HeLevy Dovin. That one is absolutely classic. He also has another one, To Pray as a Jew, that's also excellent. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin also has a great one, Jewish Literacy, that goes through everything from Bible stories and characters to Jewish historical figures and writings. R' Teluskhin has tons of good stuff, I also have his A Code of Jewish Ethics, Jewish Wisdom, and a daily study book The Book of Jewish Values, they are all great learning resources. I'd also recommend Exploring Jewish Tradition, it really gets to the basics of Jewish practices. The 'Jewish Book of Why' set is also good, there are two volumes. There's no need to dive full on into halacha (Jewish law) and like books on Talmud right away, take the basics and then explore what is interesting to you. People sometimes burn out if they try too much too quick, but others love to just jump in full on and learn a bunch really quick (I'm the second but know people in the first category, both are totally ok ways to be).

​

If there is any specific thing you would like to read more about, I can recommend more stuff after shabbos. Its only been a year since I decided to become religious so I know the position you are in. And if you have any questions, there are lots of great resources online and lots of knowledgeable people here. Of course, as I'm sure your mother can attest, there are unhealthy Jewish communities. But I firmly believe for every bad one there are far more great ones. I'm pretty new to it but the couple places I have been are both very welcoming and I have made friends from most of the major areas. It does not have to be suffocating, and there's nothing wrong with learning and doing more at your own pace. If its ever too much, slow down and reassess before jumping in further. If you listen to what your neshama (soul) is saying it'll guide you right!

u/n_ullman176 · 8 pointsr/Judaism

I know you were asking for Tanakh specifically, but you'll probably have better results with a book like Jewish Literacy.

It has a summary of the Tanakh along with sections on history, beliefs & practices, etc.

u/COINTELPROxShareBlue · 8 pointsr/Drama

First of all, you're misinformed if you don't think "both sides" in American politics (outside of, predominately, the far left and right) are all for Israel. Obama was a bit more 'stern' with Netanyahu, but he still gave the Israeli's the largest weapons deal in US history lmao. And then of course you have higher-up dems like Schumer who are practically Israeli nationalists.

Second, powerful American Jews are predominantly for the state of Israel; people like Soros, who don't support the Israeli state, are outliers. It's been proven with polls that American Jewry holds allegiance to Israel over the US. AIPAC is funded largely by American Jews from all-over the tip-top echelons of society.

And by the way I am not white nationalist or right-winger by any means.

https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Power-Inside-American-Establishment/dp/0201327988

u/Theinternetisassur · 8 pointsr/Judaism

Yup Jewishness passes purely along the maternal line.

Time for you to learn more about your people and heritage. And stick around this sub. Welcome home.




Recommended Reading:

To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life

On Judaism: Conversations on Being Jewish

Judaism for the Rite Reasons

Becoming a Jew

This Is My God


Check out Torah Mates or Partners in Torah.




Where do you live? Check out your local chabad(they are everywhere) if you don't live in a place with a big Jewish community. Otherwise go to your local shul (synagogue) and talk to the rabbi.

u/SF2K01 · 8 pointsr/Judaism

Check out This is my God by Herman Wouk and To Be A Jew by Donin HaLevi.

u/Boredeidanmark · 7 pointsr/Judaism

I'll defer to Hillel's answer when he was asked this: "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it."

EDIT: Just to clarify, there are a lot of details and it's hard to know where to begin explaining. But this is a traditional summary.
Some books you may want to check out are To Life http://www.amazon.com/To-Life-Celebration-Jewish-Thinking/dp/0446670022/ref=pd_sim_b_17 and To Be A Jew http://www.amazon.com/To-Be-Jew-Observance-Contemporary/dp/0465086322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335446823&sr=8-1

Personally, I found To Life resonated with me.

u/attitudegratitude · 7 pointsr/Judaism

First. You need to take a deep breath. You’re doing great.

if you are worried about a meal tonight find A Chabad in walking distance call and email the Rabbi ASAP. Chabad specializes in people with very little background and will love to have you for dinner

Second this is a life long journey. Consult with a Rabbi you like and trust on which siddur to buy as well as the direction of your study.

As far as code of jewish law start more basic that that probably with To be a Jew https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0465086322/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr= five dollars shipped A kitzur is nice but may not be applicable to your community depending.

Another good book for neophytes is Jewish literacy for less than ten dollars shipped https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B001F0R9HQ/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=

Again, take a deep breath, you’re doing awesome.

u/[deleted] · 7 pointsr/Judaism

Do you have access to the goat necessary for entering the covenant? A sheep can work but the goat would be best.

Seriously though, the fact you have family that is practicing already puts you at an advantage. I'd get into contact with them and visit them on holidays and ask them for advice. They can be really supportive in this.

In terms of basics, there are some solid books that are great for breaking down the topic.

Essential Judaism is a great book for basics. It explains historical, cultural, and common practices in a way which anyone can understand. It's a solid book for filling gaps.

I don't know if you live near a synagogue but if you have access to one I would suggest possibly speaking with the Rabbi there. A Rabbi can be a great resources if you ever need some direction or guidance. Family is great but the Rabbis can sometimes direct you to useful resources. (study programs and so on)

u/benadreti · 7 pointsr/Judaism

I'm sure it's not the most expensive document in history. But a full set iss expensive because it's large. For example this set that costs $2,400 comes in 73 volumes. That's only $33 per volume, so actually kinda cheap. You could buy individual volumes but seeing as you don't actually know what you're looking for that wouldn't make sense either.

You should read the link I sent you, or the recommended books on the other link I sent you.

u/RomanOrgy69 · 7 pointsr/occult

For books on the Qabalah, the two best books to have been written on the subject are The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune and The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford by Lon Milo Duquette. I'd also pick up a copy of 777 And Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley, which is a book of qabalistic correspondences.

The best book on the Golden Dawn would be The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magick, which covers (almost) everything someone would wish to know about the original Golden Dawn and was written by one of the most famous initiates of the Golden Dawn.

There is not many books on Rosicruciaism, and many books that are out there on it are fraudulent and are not an accurate representation of the Rosicrucians. The only book that I would say is worth a read is Zanoni, which is a fictional story written by a Rosicrucian. It is based on Rosicrucian philosophies and symbolism.

As for Tarot, I myself prefer the Crowley/Thelemic system of tarot over that of the Golden Dawn, so I can only really recommend books on that system, which are The Book of Thoth by Aleister Crowley and Understanding Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot by Lon Milo Duquette.

For the goetic demons, the best text would simply be The Goetia

Also, some beginner books I usually recommend are:

Circles of Power: An Introduction to Hermetic Magic by John Michael Greer, which is a beginners guide to ceremonial magick.

Book 4 by Aleister Crowley, which is the most comprehensive treatise on the practice of magick to ever be written, in my own personal opinion.

Enochian Magic in Theory by Frater Yechidah with Enochian Magic in Practice by Frater Yechidah, which are guides to the Enochian system of magick, a very popular and powerful system of magick, developed by the famous magician and advisor to Queen Elizabeth I John Dee, and used and improved upon by many occult orders, most notably the Golden Dawn.

And finally, The Corpus hermeticum by Hermes Trismegistus, which is the foundational text of all hermetic and occult philosophy.

u/chewsyourownadv · 7 pointsr/occult

Chicken Qabala is a pretty entertaining and informative intro.

u/hagbardceline666 · 7 pointsr/occult

Chicken Qabalah by Lon Milo DuQuette is supposed to be pretty good, never read it though: http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Qabalah-Rabbi-Lamed-Clifford/dp/1578632153

Anyone have an ebook to share?

u/YordeiHaYam · 6 pointsr/Judaism
  1. It is generally permitted for a non-Jew to perform מצוות (God's commandments) except learning the תורה שבעל פה (Oral Torah) for its own sake (i.e. learning the Oral Law in order to keep the Law is permitted.) Learning the Written Law (the "Hebrew Scriptures") is fine. It is generally agreed that it is not appropriate for non-Jews to keep שבת (the Sabbath) entirely.

  2. You may find Jewish Literacy to be of use.

  3. If your interest in Judaism continues, conversion is an option.

    Keep in touch if you have more questions!

    Edit: BTW this is merely one perspective from an Orthodox perspective. I don't mean to discount the other opinions here.
u/not-throwaway · 6 pointsr/Judaism

Personally I'd just recommend picking up a copy of Jewish Literacy. It's very large but very readable. Covers many different areas. Great place to start. You might be able to find it in a library as well depending on your location.

http://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Literacy-Revised-Ed-Important/dp/0061374989/

u/honmamichin · 6 pointsr/Judaism

As a person who converted through the Reform movement, I highly suggest that you take a holistic approach to your initial study of Judaism. Getting a better idea of where other movements are coming from will not only give you a better grounding in Judaism as a whole, but it will foster understanding between movements and also put you in a better position to decide which movement works best for you.

Personally, even though I converted Reform, I don't actually identify strongly as a Reform Jew, because it's a bit too free form for me (in particular, I became very frustrated when the response to any question I had about observance essentially boiled down to 'do whatever makes you feel good'). That said, like you, I don't identify completely with the theology or some of the practices of Orthodoxy (separation of men and women being one of them), so I wouldn't make a good Orthodox Jew even though I'm more observant than, oh, 90% of Reform Jews.

Take the advice of other people in this thread and try out several different synagogues and Jewish events in your area, if possible. And read a lot on Judaism from different perspectives. Even if you strongly identify with the Reform movement (which is totally fine--I am not knocking the movement, it just isn't 100% for me), it will still be helpful to understand other levels of observance.

Some books I suggest you check out:

  • Basic Judaism by Milton Steinberg -- This book gives a brief and easy-to-read overview of the basics of both traditional (Orthodox) and liberal Judaism. VERY good place to start your studies.
  • Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant is a good overview of the conversion process and some of the issues coverts face. Been a while since I read this, but it's definitely not from an Orthodox perspective--I think it strives to be more neutral as far as denomination goes.
  • I also highly recommend To Pray as a Jew by Hayim Halevy Donin. This is an introduction to the synagogue service and its prayers. Very informative book. It is written from an Orthodox perspective, and will be easier to follow once you are further along in your studies, I think, but it's a wonderful resource.

    Particularly because you mentioned that you are a feminist, I thought you might also be interested in:

  • How to run a Traditional Jewish Household by Blu Greenberg. This book is written from a Modern Orthodox perspective by a well-known Orthodox feminist. It gives a lot of background and information about Orthodox customs that aren't as well-known to more liberal Jews (like the concept of an eruv, for example). Though I don't identify as an Orthodox Jew myself, I found this book fascinating and it really helped me solidify my own practice and feelings about traditional Judaism.
  • Life on the Fringes: A Feminist Journey Toward Traditional Rabbinic Ordination by Haviva Ner-David is an account of Ner-David's journey to becoming one of the first women granted the equivalent of Orthodox semicha (ordination) in Israel. I found it very eye-opening. It is definitely possible to be a feminist and be traditional. I don't agree with everything she says/does, but this is another great book to give you a perspective on how and why Orthodox Jews do things the way they do.

    Welcome to the path of Jewish study. If you ever have any other specific questions about converting Reform or need support in your studies or your journey, please feel free to PM me any time.
u/HeWillLaugh · 6 pointsr/Judaism

> Open orthodoxy doesn't fall under the incredibly wide tent of orthodoxy for some unknown reason.
> And yes, the reason is unknown.

See here: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Open-Orthodoxy-Not-Orthodox/dp/0692727043

Here: https://cross-currents.com/2015/11/17/rav-aharon-feldman-on-open-orthodoxy/

Just about every other article here: https://cross-currents.com/

Here: http://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/opinions/open-orthodoxy-is-openly-unorthodox/2016/11/03/

Its really not hard to find the reasons. I have no idea why you say the reasons are unknown.

u/IbnEzra613 · 6 pointsr/Judaism

I recommend the ArtScroll Stone Chumash. It's just the Five Books of Moses, but they are the most important ones. It has a really good English commentary anthologized from traditional sources.

u/TheGuyWithTheBalloon · 6 pointsr/Judaism

To Be a Jew is always a good intro to general practice.

I also think an Artscroll Chumash does a pretty good job of explaining our inception, while getting your feet wet in the Torah.

u/DingDongInDaPingPong · 6 pointsr/Judaism

So you're legally Jewish. Welcome to the tribe.


Shabbos is still on so you're going to get more answers in a short while. Don't feel weird, a few of us roam the chats on Shabbos.


>I am familiar with the Tanakh, since I read the Old Testament as a Christian.

So the Old Testament of the Christian bible is an entirely different beast from the Tanakh.

Some of the translations are corrupted in the Christian version and they are only using half of the actual document.

The Torah is comprised of two documents. The first half is the Written Torah which are the stories that most people are familiar with. The second half is the Oral Torah. This encompasses all of the Rabbinical commentaries and interpretations and guidelines which establish Jewish philosophy and practice.

The Christians are using half of a document so you actually have a lot of stuff you look into. You'll be fine though, it's reading and study and discussion with Jewish leaders. Nothing you can't handle.

Sefaria.org is a great online resource
-

It contains a vast amount of Jewish religious texts which you can access online. It's great if you can't get your hands on a physical book to study.

I'm going to suggest a shortlist of books and some online materials which I think will really help you out in establishing a foundation of Jewish knowledge. I used this myself when I got into Judaism in college. They are really helpful.

  1. Essential Judaism: Updated Edition: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs & Rituals - This is a great book for establishing basic knowledge of Jews ideas and concepts and creating a foundation to build off of.

  2. Living Judaism: The Complete Guide to Jewish Belief, Tradition, and Practice - This book is within the same theme as the first with a few different bits of information for study. Both are great options to read and build yourself up with. I own both, myself.

  3. Hidabroot TV (YouTube Channel) is a Jewish online video resource for studying Jewish concepts and philosophies. These are great if you have 10 or 15 minutes to kill and want to use it to study a Jewish idea. They have great topics from respected and knowledgable Rabbis and leaders.

    This is a great way to just "wet your feet in the Mikvah" so to speak. It's all easily digestible and accessible information which you can access on your own at your own schedule.

    I would do the basic research yourself and allow this to buildup and digest for a month or so before you finally decide to visit the synagogue. The Rabbis can help you in correctly executing Jewish practice and taking on more advanced levels of knowledge.

    You shouldn't do that until you feel comfortable though. There's no need to rush it unless you feel totally ready and prepared. They're cool people and they'll be extremely pleased to see someone took an interest in their history.

    Also remember something
    -

    There are going to be a lot of people who try and drag you down their specific path of Judaism. Some of these will be Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or something in-between.

    You're part of this regardless of your observance level. Observance is important but it doesn't dictate your Jewish status. Once you're born of a Jewish mother, you're 100% Jewish regardless. No one can argue otherwise.

    I don't want you to allow someone else to dictate your Jewish experience. There are a lot of different Jews and they all have their own ideas and philosophies about proper observance. Do not allow anyone to drag you down a path you are uncomfortable with.

    I run Orthodox/Conservadox, myself, but you may not be Orthodox. You define your Jewish experience. No one else gets to do that beyond sharing their opinion with you.

    Blessings and enjoy the ride. It's a cool thing to be a part of.
u/grego23 · 5 pointsr/Judaism

You would probably like Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin. I personally found it even more thorough than Essential Judaism.

u/namer98 · 5 pointsr/Judaism

For a scholarly translation: The JPS Study Bible

For a more "traditional" translation, The Artscroll Tanach

However, I need to note that you won't learn about Judaism or Jewish practice from reading the Tanach. I hear Jewish Literacy by Rabbi Telushkin is a very good starting place.

u/Casual_Observer0 · 5 pointsr/Judaism

You may want to read "To Be a Jew" by Hayim Halevy Donin, it offers a very good overview.

u/OutsiderInArt · 5 pointsr/TrueChristian

(Actually, your quote is not from Romans, but from Titus 1:9.)


I don’t understand why you chose to ignore what I write then chose to lecture me, but I will write here plainly:


1.) I do trust scripture – with my life. I believe and confess it is the inerrant word of God.


2.) I do not trust, or put my salvation, in your interpretation of it.


It’s naïve to think that we clearly understand every beautiful nuance and detail that is held within the Torah. I explained that the entire six days in Genesis is described in 31 sentences and a few hundred words. All I’m asking, is not to project a total understanding of those few sentences in a simple reading of an English translation viewed through 21st century eyes. Even Solomon alluded to looking deeper into the Torah: “A word well spoken is like apples of gold in a silver dish.” (Proverbs 25:11) Maimonides in The Guide for the Perplexed interprets this proverb: The silver dish is the literal text of the Torah, as seen from a distance. The apples of gold are the secrets held within the silver dish of the Torah Text. Thousands of years ago we learned that there are subtleties in the text that expand the meaning way beyond its simple reading.



Examples for you:


The origin of the Biblical calendar. The Jewish year is figured by adding up the generations since Adam. Additionally, there are six days leading up to the creation to Adam. So where did Jewish scholars make the zero point? On Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year). Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the Neshama (the soul of human life). So we start counting our 5700-plus years from the creation of the soul of Adam. We have a clock that begins with Adam, and the six days of creation are separate from this clock. The Bible has two clocks. In an expansion of the Talmud (Midrash Vayikra Rabba 29:1) all the Sages agree that Rosh Hashana commemorates the soul of Adam and that the six days of Genesis are separate.


Why were the six days taken out of the calendar? Perhaps because time is described differently in those six days of Genesis (e.g. see my references to days/generations.) The world sees 15 billion years – the Torah says six days. They both may be correct. The Bible tells us what happened on each of those six days and you can take cosmology, paleontology, archaeology, and see whether or not they match up day-by-day. They match up close enough to send chills up your spine.


If you are in the least interested, you may wish to read Genesis and the Big Bang and The Science of God both by Gerald Schroeder.


Please note: I asked politely that you not to put words in my mouth. I did not write or imply “yea, that’s what it says, but I refuse to believe that’s what it says". If you continue with this posturing, this ceases to be a civil discussion and unfortunately I will be forced to end the discussion. I’m asking you again to please be respectful.

u/leo_poldy · 5 pointsr/Judaism

I like Essential Judaism personally.

This is from a Reform/maybe Conservative viewpoint.

Also, to echo /u/sabata00, you should be talking to Rabbis and going to services. Catholic to Judaism is a paradigm shift (I was born and raised Catholic). PM me if you have any questions!

u/killzr · 5 pointsr/occult

This was my first book on the subject and was extremely enlightening. I still reference it often.
http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Pomegranates-Skrying-Tree-Life/dp/1567181414

u/fr-IGEA · 5 pointsr/occult

> In case some don't know, Religious-traditional Jew or not a Jew is still a Jew forever, that's what the covenant is about,

I recognize this point of view, though I do not necessarily subscribe to it myself. I say "necessarily", because I'm not intrinsically opposed to the idea either, but I suspect I use these terms quite differently from you.

>but I understand you got the impression i a speaking from a religious point of view because many Christians see Christianity as a faith in Jesus and religion, these seals mix some gospel stuff too which does not work with Judaism, nit even messianic texts.

Again, it's a lot more helpful to describe my outlook on faith as pragmatheism than anything else. I believe in what works. From this point of view, there's no difficulty in syncretizing various traditions even though their original adherents wouldn't be able to make it work like that for themselves. To each his own.


> It may upset some rabbis and provoke curiosity if they see anyone sharing what iam with other nations who may be seeking to use the light from the Jewish nation to bond, communicate and pack with unseen beings hashem banished during creation billions of years ago,

I'm very happy that you're willing to have this conversation, and I hope the downvotes won't put you off. Our perspectives may vary, but we've got plenty to learn from each other, and I wish I could be more helpful in answering your questions.

> Th g-d of Israel is one and everyone's g-d and creator, those who use hashems names to conjure or invoke unseen beings who where banished are using the names in vain, especially if they are Christian and no way around during solomons time, it would mean a pagan is trying to trick hashem or the spirit into a service., and it was the Arabs who wrote stories about Solomon and his ring blending it all with Arabian nights, the gienie in the bottle etc, Arabs believe these spirits get burned for coming near a living person (especially ones thousand of years old) and so they will only do so as long as that person proves them they lower the grace of hashem, his angels and names to their level, some times even mocking, sacrificing something or sharing their own blood to pack or connect with them.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm taking the Holy Names in vain through my practices, but I'm not worried about it. My approach to these names and the Hebrew alphabet is quite Hermetic (or Chicken-ish, if you will), and they work just fine without the dogmatic framework of Judaism. This video gives a good intro to the perspectives I'm describing, please forgive the blatant heresy.

> But since they are banished it's called praying using hashems name in vain.
> But if your a Jew you talk to hashem and ask permission which is how it should be done, that's the point of the names of hashem, but I guess depending on what someone is asking it's gonna be hard to go that route,
>
> Anyway, so the Latin text and other esoteric writing on Solomon's seals was contributed by who?

I wish I could answer your final question. I believe the texts are traced back to the 1500s, but I'm in no way sure. There are people frequenting this subreddit that are way better versed in the Solomonic tradition than I am, Here's hoping some of them will chime in.

^^Paging ^^dr. ^^/u/Lucifereus!

u/drak0bsidian · 4 pointsr/AdviceAnimals
  • Jews, God, and History would actually be a good pairing for your book now - while Johnson is more Zionist and philosemitic, Dimont takes a stance similar to Spinoza, which - while still of course being 'pro-Jew,' is more cultural in the context of the world than religious as the 'Chosen People.'
  • Jewish Literacy is what you are guaranteed to find on every single rabbi's shelf on Earth. Telushkin is an excellent writer, and is concise in his explanations of why we are the way we are and why we do what we do. It's less about a strict history than explaining all those things, but it's still valuable if you want to really get to your roots.
  • History of the Jewish People - I read this in college. More of a text for students, but valuable all the same.
  • Josephus is a historical text by one of the greatest historians from the turn of the first millennium. If you choose to get this, I highly recommend having Wikipedia open as you read it.
u/avazah · 4 pointsr/Judaism

Becoming a Jew is a great overview of the conversion process (from an orthodox perspective but imo a lot can translate to conservative judaism too), with stories written by converts. It's not specifically a religious text, but it's a great book for converts.

Jewish Literacy by Telushkin is also a good bet, but it's very much a 'broad strokes' overview of many individual stories in Tanakh. If you really have ZERO knowledge of Tanakh, it's a good place to start before you dive deeper.

u/minimalist_reply · 4 pointsr/Jewish

https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Literacy-Revised-Ed-Important/dp/0061374989

Keep in mind though that the Jewish religion and culture is filled with an enormous range of beliefs. It is a culture that has always allowed interpretation and practically motivates one to question and argue with the texts. So her 'beliefs' will not be found in a book, but by talking with her and asking about her upbringing.

u/juden-shikker · 4 pointsr/Judaism

>However, several people have told me that I would never "truly" be accepted as a jew due to my not having been raised in the culture.

This is not true.


> Also where are good places to get further information on conversion

The side bar FAQ


This reading list is pretty good but overwhelming


>but would like more practical info

To be a Jew is a good place to start and you can get a copy for four dollars after shipping from Amazon (not to mention it's probably in your local library)

u/spirit_of_radio · 4 pointsr/Judaism

Gerald Schroeder has two great books on it. The Science of God and Genesis and the Big Bang.

He provides one possible framework showing that Creationism and Evolution are not at odds. He also has audio version available at Aishaudio.com.

u/fx-86BR · 4 pointsr/Judaism

Hi there, one of the books I had to read before enrolling in the conversion process was one called "Becoming a Jew" from a rabbi called Maurice Lamm. It's available on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Jew-Maurice-Lamm/dp/0824603508

Other than that there are many videos on YouTube that may clarify some of the points in your journey. The Rabbi John Carrier who happens to have a YouTube channel is a great resource of knowledge plus he has live streams during the week where one can ask him questions and look for guidance. Best wishes!

u/Kabayev · 4 pointsr/todayilearned

A little extra reading. This is all from "Permission To Receive – Four Rational Approaches To The Torah's Divine Origin by Lawrence Kelemen" which is the sequel to "Permission To Believe - Four Rational Approaches to God's Existence"

> Finally, one might ask: maybe Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Nanak and Bab all fulfilled God's will? Maybe God wanted to provide five separate assignments: one for Jews, one for Christians, one for Muslims, one for Sikhs, and one for the Bahais. Why must we assume that only one of these religions is the word of God? Maybe all five are completely true?

> The problem with this approach is that each subsequent religion absolutely denies the current validity of its predecessor(s).

> Despite the Torah's twenty-four statements that it's laws are forever binding, the New Testament states: "In Christ it [the Old Testament] is being anulled;" "We [Jews] are released from the law;" and "Christ has redeemed us [Jews] from the curse of the law."

> The Koran states: "if they [Jews and Christians] accept your faith [Islam], they shall be rightly guided; if they reject it, they shall surely be in disaster;" "He that chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be excepted from him, and in the world to come he will be one of the lost;" and "the only true faith in Gods sight is Islam."

> Sikh tradition teaches, "In the court of the True God [they adherents of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam] are suffering severe punishment."

> Bahai writings speak about "a new revelation, the Bayan, which abrogated the Koran, as the Koran had abrogated the Gospels." They point out that "the manifestation [of Bab's successor] Baha'u'llah is the most recent instance of revelation" and declare that "the only salvation in any age is to turn again towards God, to accept his manifestation for that day."

> If the Torah is true then, Judaism will be valid forever; if Christianity is true, then Judaism was an old; if Islam is true, then both Judaism and Christianity were repealed; if Sikhism is true, then Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are obsolete; and if Bahai Faith is true, then Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism are all outdated.

> All five religions' perspectives cannot be simultaneously valid, since all modern expressions of monotheism claim that God did reveal the Torah, and since the Torah itself affirms over and over that it is an eternally valid revelation, Moses' prophesy appears to be the only candidate.


Yes, this is all assuming that there is a God and if you have trouble with that, I strongly suggest buying and reading the book which covers all topic and shows you how believing in God is rational.

u/photoducky · 4 pointsr/Jewish

I was in a very similar situation as you! I found this book to be super helpful for filling in the gaps in my knowledge.

Simpletoremember.com is also amazing. Highly recommended speakers: Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb & Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen.

There are also retreats and such that help a lot with this stuff, but it can depend on where you're located. I can give you suggestions if you let me know where in the world you are. (Feel free to PM.)

u/ZalmoxisChrist · 4 pointsr/Judaism

I've really enjoyed the clarity and depth of Essential Judaism by George Robinson.

u/JustJivin · 4 pointsr/Judaism

Essential Judaism is pretty good.

u/BabeOfTheAbyss · 4 pointsr/occult

Magick is for all, I would recommend working on the kabbalah for a start, or reading the liber 4, not necessarily in that order, maybe try liber 4 and then A Garden of Pomegranates by Israel Rgardie and Mystical Kabbalah by Dion Fortune. The Hardcover edition of Liber 4 is a great edition. I have it and it is amazing, and not as complex as most of his writings. This book has a lot of appendixes too, that helps. Having the Thoth Tarot deck and the Book of Thoth and studying its correspondencies with the tree of life is very helpful too.

Fascinating readings anyway.

About what he is in relation to mankind, better judge yourself from his writings.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Thoth-Egyptians-Equinox/dp/0877282684/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z

http://www.amazon.com/Thoth-Tarot-Deck-Aleister-Crowley/dp/1572815108/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422560601&sr=1-1&keywords=thoth+tarot+deck


http://www.amazon.com/Magick-Liber-ABA-Book-4/dp/0877289190/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422560336&sr=1-2&keywords=magick

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Pomegranates-Skrying-Tree-Life/dp/1567181414

http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Qabalah-Dion-Fortune/dp/1578631505/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TNF7RPG3Y67DX4G00QH

u/SHAMMASH · 4 pointsr/occult

This book by Israel Regardie (a disciple of Crowley) is the best introduction to the Hermetic Qabalah which includes astrology and other correspondences. The stuff by the Ciceros is very good as well.

u/g3n3ricz3r0 · 3 pointsr/Judaism

One of the most comprehensive and well written books is "Jewish Literacy" by Joseph Telushkin.

u/puck342 · 3 pointsr/Judaism

If you want another book to better learn about the Jewish people and our history, read Joseph Telushkin's Jewish Literacy

u/TheChaiLife · 3 pointsr/Judaism

Might I recommend https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Literacy-Revised-Ed-Important/dp/0061374989.

It's an encyclopedia with short blurbs on the Jewish religion, people, and history. Reading through it will give you a great breadth of knowledge related to Judaism.

u/downt0wnman · 3 pointsr/DebateAltRight


His father has experience: jewish source

> In 1991, Bush lashed out at pro-Israel activists who had flooded Congress in response to the president’s reluctance to approve loan guarantees requested by Israel to help absorb hundreds of thousands of Jews from the just-collapsed Soviet Union.
> Bush called himself “one lonely guy” battling “a thousand lobbyists on the Hill.” Jewish leaders resented the insinuation that the pro-Israel community was possessed of a power sinister enough to unsettle the leader of the free world as borderline anti-Semitic. The “one lonely guy” comment haunted Bush thereafter, with even Republican Jews apt to use the first Bush presidency as a signifier of how far they had traveled in attracting Jewish support.

Despite doing their bidding anyway, he got a lot of shit for that one remark. this read is relevant on how they took their revenge by shifting political funding. I wonder how he felt explaining to his son in 2003 (after lobbiest already pushed him into Iraq) that he is a tool, and a dumb tool.




Look at all that "anti-semitism" I can bring to the table with just citing jewish sources.

u/MOE37x3 · 3 pointsr/Judaism

If you're interested in this issue, but can't stomach the idea that God would command you to do something for reasons that you can't comprehend, I recommend that you study some of the other approaches listed (but heretofore ignored by you) in this thread. Read To Be a Jew, Horeb, or R' Hirsch's commentary on Leviticus.

If you can't stomach the idea that God could come up with something that you can't comprehend, then I think your quarrel with Judaism is much larger than just the purpose of dietary laws.

u/LeadGoat · 3 pointsr/Judaism

To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465086322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UyAACb6FYNFXB

u/blambi · 3 pointsr/Judaism

To be a Jew and maybe Chabad.org are good starting points besides jewfaq.org as SF2K01 said.

Then again there are many different kinds of minhogim etc.

u/Deuteronomy · 3 pointsr/Judaism

> Why are customs the way they are?

It would depend on which specific custom you had in mind. Many practices are quite a bit more than "custom" actually, and are required as a matter of Halakha. The two major classes of Halakha are biblical (d'oraisa) and rabbinic (d'rabanan).

> How come people who leave Judaism do not talk about it?

There are people who unfortunately leave Judaism and are rather vocal about it... however if I wanted to generalize about those who refrain and/or evade discussion of Judaism, I'd say most likely they were stigmatized in some way and that the same reasons they sought to abandon Judaism in the first place is the same reasons they seek to avoid discussing it in the present. It probably brings up memories and emotions that they find too painful to confront within themselves.

> I want to know the deeper meaning behind everything... Just anything and everything.

A proselyte once asked Rabbi Hillel (c.110 BCE) to teach him the entire Torah whilst standing on one foot... God-willing with patience and time you will come to understand quite a bit in greater depth :)

> Why do some families keep kosher and some do not.

With the advent of the Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment) in the 18th/19th c. many Jews for the first time had the doors of Western society open to their integration. Many Jews seeking acceptance simply abandoned Judaism altogether, others sought to reform Judaism in order to facilitate greater acceptance within modern society without given up everything (this is where the origins of most of the liberal denominations can be traced back to). Accordingly during this period many Jews stepped away from Judaism's traditional practices, including the dietary laws. This in addition to the eventual deep and profound trauma of the Holocaust which has contributed to the face of modern Jewry largely not reflect the practices of their ancestors.

> Wikipedia has not been helpful at all.

Unless you have a very specific topic in mind, wikipedia can indeed be too daunting a source to get any kind of real comprehensive view. A general introductions to Judaism can be found in Hayim Halevi Donin's book "To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life." I've heard that it is very good and very accessible (an easy read). I see that you can find used copies on Amazon for as little as a penny! A work like this or something of a similar nature would probably be the best place for you to start. If you read something you don't understand there, or would like to understand in greater depth, feel free to let us know :)

u/Blackfloydphish · 3 pointsr/UpliftingNews

There is a greatly great book, Genesis and the Big Bang, that discusses 15 billion years in seven days as a possible product of Relativity, and points out that the order of events after the Big Bang is more or less the same as in the first story of Creation in Genesis.

u/Yserbius · 3 pointsr/Judaism

Ehhhh.... (waggles hand back and forth).

Open Orthodoxy is an organized denomination with an official head board and all that. The vast majority of frum organizations do not recognize them as being frum. Their conversions are not accepted, their shechita is not accepted, and their psak halachas are ignored.

Books worth of material (literally) have been written about the subject. Pretty much the only people who consider them comparable to MO are the OO heads themselves and people who don't know any better. I mean, a recent spat of controversy arouse when an OO Rabbi defended intermarriage a position that, by it's very definition, is against Orthodox Judaism. And it's hardly the most controversial thing to come out of OO.

u/smokesteam · 3 pointsr/Judaism

Many Orthodox synagogues use the Stone Edition Chumash which is nice since it has lots of commentary. There is also a Stone edition Tanakh but with less commentary.

u/uhohspaghettiohnos · 3 pointsr/ReformJews

While it is not reform, one book I really enjoyed was Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach by Rebecca T. Alpert. I think it might be good to take a broad look at different approaches to Judaism to find one of best fit before conversion process. Rabbi Kaplan's teachings were a radical departure from Orthodox in his day, while often conflated with Reform its lineage is actually quite different.

u/YoniBenAvi · 3 pointsr/ReformJews

This is a decent intro. I also suggest Judaism as a Civilization. It lays out Kaplan's understanding of Judaism pretty thoroughly, and what he thinks the other denominations get wrong.

As for their services, I've heard everything from indistinguishable from Conservative to hippies completely disconnected from tradition. From what I read in the book I just suggested, a large amount of their membership is observant, just not in an Orthodox way. (For example, something like 30% say they keep kosher, but their understanding of kosher may be more lenient (don't need two sets of dishes), disregard certain Rabbinic restrictions (like poultry and dairy mixtures), or include environmental or animal rights provisions that would make Orthodox kosher food treif to them.) I think if you wanted to be traditional in your observance in a Recon setting, you'd be able to, assuming you found a congregation on the more traditional side liturgically.

u/Rrrrrrr777 · 3 pointsr/DebateReligion

I don't like the conflation of "religion" with "faith," because most conceptions of faith imply that it isn't rational, whereas I think that religion definitely can be.

Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen has written and lectured extensively on the subject.

Permission to Believe: Four Rational Approaches to God's Existence

Permission to Receive: Four Rational Approaches to the Torah's Divine Origin

Lecture on the veracity of the Torah

Lecture on the rational approach to the divinity of the Oral Tradition

u/ShamanSTK · 3 pointsr/Judaism

> Any recommended reading or studying I could do before I go on with my decision??

http://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Judaism-What-Jewish-Life/dp/1422600300

This is a very good primer on the very basics of Judaism. It is an intro to all the major holidays, the basic Jewish beliefs, and some of the day to day laws that a Jew must be mindful of.

u/LazerA · 3 pointsr/Judaism

As other commenters have already pointed out, if your mother is a Jew than you are a Jew as well (and, as you are a woman, so will be your children), regardless of your religious affiliation.

If you wish to embrace Judaism, your first priority has to be to educate yourself as much as possible about Judaism. Unfortunately, this is not all that easy to do. The bulk of the popular material available - both in print and online - is unreliable, superficial, or not really geared towards genuine newcomers.

There are a few good books available for beginners. (Most of the popular books that will come up on Amazon or that you will find on the Judaica shelf at your local Barnes & Noble are not reliable.) One popular book that I know to be reliable is Gateway to Judaism: The What, How, and Why of Jewish Life by Rabbi Mordechai Becher. I would also recommend a few of the books by the later Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, specifically the two volumes of the Aryeh Kaplan Anthology and the Aryeh Kaplan Reader. The Anthology is a collection of short works written specifically for beginning students, and the Reader contains a number of similar pamphlet type essays written for such an audience.

However, the most important part of educating yourself about Judaism is to get a knowledgeable personal mentor. You might want to check out these two organizations:

Torah Mates: www.torahmates.org

Partners in Torah: www.partnersintorah.org

Both of these organizations provide a free mentoring service. They will match you up with a knowledgeable personal teacher who will study with you over the phone at your convenience (usually people study for about half an hour each week). They will also provide you with whatever book you chose to study with your partner.

I currently volunteer for Torah Mates and I used to volunteer for Partners in Torah as well (several years ago) and I can vouch for the quality work these organizations do. If you would like any specific assistance in this area, please feel free to PM me.

u/Metatronix · 3 pointsr/occult

It sounds like you are wanting some usable ritual work. Some books that do a good job of easing you into ceremonial magic are:

  • Modern Magick - A good primer, from beginner to more advanced work.
  • By Names and Images - Covers the basics, but get more advanced more quickly. Gets into Skrying more quickly.

    And to lesser extents

  • Middle Pillar - Covers the basics of Qabalistic philosophy
  • Garden of Pomegranates - Gets a little more advanced into Qabalistic Philosophy with some good Skrying "how to" as well, such as testing entities, visuals, etc.
u/TallestSkil · 3 pointsr/conspiracy
u/obscure_robot · 3 pointsr/occult

Crowley's book is not an easy starting point, more of a reference work. As usual, Lon Milo Duquette offers a much easier starting point.

But it is also worth keeping in mind that "the occult" isn't really a thing. There are plenty of hidden things out there, and there are plenty of techniques for making sense and nonsense of the clues that may or may not point there. But there isn't a grand hidden conspiracy of great knowledgable masters who communicate via arcane symbols and snatch aircraft out of the sky.

Or is there?

u/tesformes · 2 pointsr/videos

Well, if you are interested, we have an excellent community here on Reddit. /r/judaism would be glad to answer any questions you have. Just remember that Judaism encompasses a wide range of opinions on many issues, so there is very rarely any one answer to any one question. For example, a lot of the more mystically-minded Jews believe that the souls of the departed "rest" in heaven for a while before being reincarnated and sent back down to Earth. Our Talmud is the record of the ancient debates and discussions that rabbis of the past had on a multitude of biblical topics. There is a saying that when you ask two Jews a question, they'll give you three opinions!

We have a nice little FAQ about Judaism you can read if you're interested.

Here is an article they wrote on why we don't believe in Jesus, and another on the differences between Christianity and Judaism. I really recommend reading that one.

If you want a book to read, Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin is one that is frequently recommended on our sub.

u/genuineindividual · 2 pointsr/Judaism
u/Ninjew333 · 2 pointsr/Judaism

No problem, if you want some starter books here are some that I enjoyed reading.

Tefillin by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Judaism and Christianity: A contrast by Rabbi Stuart Federow

Kashrut, Tefillin, Tzitzit by Stephen Bailey

Basic Judaism by Rabbi Milton Steinberg

These are some pretty good books to read giving you a little bit of an insight to some basic Jewish practices.

Aish.com is a good website for info and you can ask the Rabbi a question too.

Chabad.org is similar to Aish and you can, again, ask the Rabbi a question.

You should still go to a Rabbi and talk to him about your reasons for your desire to convert as well as the process.

u/MoreNat · 2 pointsr/JordanPeterson

He won't talk about it because he won't bite the hand that feeds him. I understand that it's a rather taboo, furthermore Peterson ignores the rabid racism of Israel yet criticizes those who criticize them. They admit it themselves in books they've written, as mentioned in the videos above. It's verifiable and not a baseless "conspiracy theory".

Gaza Rockets: How Israeli PR & US media reverse the reality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvH47pAm1MA

​

Written by a jew:

https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Power-Inside-American-Establishment/dp/0201327988/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=jewish+power&qid=1555497193&s=books&sr=1-1

Written by two Gentiles:

https://www.amazon.ca/Israel-Lobby-U-S-Foreign-Policy/dp/0670067253/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=The+Israel+Lobby+and+U.S.+Foreign+Policy&qid=1555587290&s=books&sr=1-1

The JQ - Medieval Edition - (reading E. Michael Jones): https://archive.org/details/youtube-SGVyLAqhVRY – "The Jewish Revolutionary Spirit" by E. Michael Jones.

The History of Jews in China by Bakony and Perlmann (written by a Gentile and a jew respectively): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE4q2-muyuU&t=890s

[ I describe two books on this subject - one written by Itsvan Bakony and the other written by SM Perlmann. One is written by a Gentile and the other a Jew. I mainly focus on the one written by the Jew. The History of the Jews in China (published in 1913) is not so much about the history of the Jews in China, but a diatribe on why the Jews must have their own state. Both Bakony and Perlmann observed that the Jews in China took up the Chinese culture and the Chinese appearance. Bakony comes to the conclusion that they took up the Chinese appearance to subvert the Chinese and act as a fifth column, while Perlmann sees the same situation as proof that the Jews were losing their ways and traditions and becoming assimilated. Perlmann sees this as a reason that something must be done about this "sad" situation and that the only way out of it is to secure a Jewish "homeland". ]

u/aHumanMale · 2 pointsr/DebateAChristian

It is! I'd also really suggest reading Heschel as well. He is magnificent. Especially God in Search of Man. He really is a phenomenal thinker.

And you're right. The throwing around of theological terms has often resulted in their conflation. I agree with the definition of holy you gave, and I think a lot of Christians do as well.

The place where you will likely find distinction is in the theology of Law, which is typically a place where Jews and Christians diverge. Paul talks about Christ inaugurating a new covenant whereby our living in holiness is guided by the Spirit of God rather than the letter of the law. Both Galatians and Romans are especially laden with this idea. I think you will find that most Christian theologians follow that line of thinking, that by living according to the Spirit of God they fulfill the Law of Moses and are therefore holy.

u/tzdk · 2 pointsr/Judaism

I remember reading in To Be a Jew that taking care of one's health is a mitzvah, but I don't see how a state of being could be a sin. I think it would be like pregnancy outside of marriage: the act of having sex is a sin, but the state of being pregnant is not.

u/Grapefruit__Juice · 2 pointsr/Judaism

To Pray as a Jew, by Hayim Donin. Concentrates on synagogue prayer/ritual, but very rich with information. I continually return to it.

u/PotassiumArsenic · 2 pointsr/Judaism

I think converts should read works from all across the Jewish perspective. Especially the "very different sort."

How else is anyone supposed to know what they believe if they don't know or understand what they don't? It's not an informed decision if you're not informed.

On that note...

Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Persepctive.

Choosing a Jewish Life (liberal, leaning Reform)

To Pray as a Jew (Orthodox)

OP: Go wild. Read across the spectrum. Read things you agree with and things you don't. Read stuff you don't understand yet. Ask questions about what you read. Read, read, read!

u/gershonp · 2 pointsr/Judaism

For a very thorough (and Orthodox) perspective on everything to do with prayer try Donin, To Pray as a Jew. It helped me out back in the day and I think it will answer your questions.

u/swifty12345 · 2 pointsr/Conservative

well the church messed up.

nowhere in the bible it says evolution is false, the earth is not 7000 years old.

evolution and age of the earth in science is compatible with old testament go ahead and read this book.

only uninformed misinformed people who think they are smartsy science guys think that.


http://www.amazon.com/Genesis-Big-Bang-Discovery-Harmony/dp/0553354132 read that book

u/Talibanned · 2 pointsr/DebateAChristian

Just depends on your interpretation of the bible. Fundamentalist doctrine says everything in the bible is literal, so genesis is literal. Honestly that position seems more intellectually honest than saying stupid shit like genesis is an account of the big bang.

u/Magnifi-Cat · 2 pointsr/news

If you're trying to read the Torah / other Jewish texts, you might get a 'Chumash.' On each page, there's about half a page [or less] of biblical text, and below that is half a page [or more] of rabbinical interpretation of [almost] every line.

u/menuchababy · 2 pointsr/ReformJews

I feel like the sermon ended with a question that Reconstructionist Judaism attempts to answer, but I've never actually been to a Reconstructionist shul before (too far), soo I'm saying this based off the book I'm reading, Exploring Judaism.

u/gruntel28 · 2 pointsr/Judaism
u/GRat9717 · 2 pointsr/Judaism
u/4cubits · 2 pointsr/Judaism

I would recommend Gateway to Judaism by Mordechai Becher.

u/jamaljabrone · 2 pointsr/Judaism
u/effiebies · 2 pointsr/Judaism

Gateway to Judaism by Rabbi Mordechai Becher. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1422600300

u/LibrarianOAlexandria · 2 pointsr/alexandria

Long shot, but could we be talking about this?

u/criskyFTW · 2 pointsr/alchemy

The Mystical Kaballah by Dion Fortune is probably the best book on the subject, if you are looking to learn directly about the tree of life.

From there I recommend looking further into kaballah through the tarot (literally the tree of life sorted into cards), Liber 777 and Liber ABA (and really most of the thelemic works) by Crowley, and maybe some less "religious" sources, like The Chicken Kaballah..

Above all, I recommend trying to work with the model and apply it to yourself and your meditation. That is the most important thing; the tree can be applied to pretty much anything, and Liber 777 is a great starting point for correspondences for home-made sigils, seals, and rituals :)

u/HiramAbiffIsMyHomie · 2 pointsr/Psychonaut

"It's all in your head. You just have no idea how big your head is!!!" - Lon Milo DuQuette

} from this awesome book y'all might wanna read:
https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Qabalah-Rabbi-Lamed-Clifford/dp/1578632153

u/calyxa · 2 pointsr/occult

By far the best place to start is with Lon Milo DuQuette's book.

u/Hieromagus · 2 pointsr/occult

The Chicken Qalabah by Lon Milo Duquette. His humorous voice helps me understand fundamental concepts of ceremonial magick. After I read this, I started looking at the world differently, connecting things.

u/chutzpantsu · 1 pointr/Judaism

Jewish Literacy by Joseph Telushkin covers pretty much all the basic stuff you should know regarding Jewish traditions and their roots

u/tooz8 · 1 pointr/Jewish

Find a rabbi you are comfortable with, and don't be shy to meet with a few before moving forward.

I had met with two rabbis before choosing the one who made me feel the most comfortable with my decision. The first two I met with were orthodox, quite conservative and I didn't click with either and the process seemed a bit too intense for what my fiance and I were looking for. Then we came across a reform synagogue and we fell in love with the rabbi there and we're completing our first round of classes in a couple of weeks.

It's been a beautiful process so far and it's exciting! There are several books I too found good, some of them were provided with our classes as well:

u/ajmarks · 1 pointr/Judaism

^ This so much. Also, another great introductory book is Joseph Telushkin's Jewish Literacy.

u/CoyoteGriffin · 1 pointr/Christianity

>the jewish god's correct name is not "god"

Correct, but irrelevant to the issue under discussion. See also HERE

u/fotcfan1 · 1 pointr/Judaism

To be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin:

To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465086322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BXb6CbRCT04QN

u/Garet-Jax · 1 pointr/religion

>conflicts between science and religion

By religion I mean the texts that make up a religion - not the popular interpretations of those texts. (This argument works for Judaism, Christianity and Islam - it may not hold true for other religions)

So there are three possibilities:

  1. Science is wrong and the 'text' is right. In order to take this position one has to deny the human capacity for reason (which is the foundation of free will). This therefore denies one of the basic beliefs of your religion and this position should be rejected.

  2. Science is right and the 'text' is wrong. In order to take this position one has to deny the significance of their religion. IT also ignored all the gaps in scientific explanations. Thus this position should also be rejected.

  3. Science is right and the text is right. This means that any apparent contradiction between the text and science is a result of your misunderstanding of either the science, or the text.

    So there is not really any conflict between science and religion, there is only conflict in heads of those who cling to dogma rather than use their capacity for reason.

    You might find these books interesting:

    Genesis and the Big Bang

    God According to God
u/MrSmite · 1 pointr/Christianity

The Science of God and Genesis and the Big Bang might be of interest to you.

u/---sniff--- · 1 pointr/IAmA
u/RtimesThree · 1 pointr/Judaism

When I read this the most obvious thing was that it was just a Chumash, an Artscroll one or something. Clearly his mom didn't buy him a legitimate Torah scroll. This sounds like exactly the kind of thing a relative would gift to someone getting into Judaism.

u/LordMoe · 1 pointr/Judaism

Seems like many have been recommending this

The Chumash: The Stone Edition, Full Size (ArtScroll) (English and Hebrew Edition) The Torah: Haftaros and Five Megillos with a Commentary Anthologized from the Rabbinic Writings https://www.amazon.com/dp/0899060145/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.9KxzbP1NBRHJ

u/MegillahThriller · 1 pointr/Judaism

My Rabbi recommended me this version of the Torah if you want written explanations.

u/Tehrmbruhn · 1 pointr/Judaism

https://www.amazon.com/Everything-God-Radical-Nondual-Judaism/dp/1590306716 is a great book purely about Judaism practiced with a non-dual understanding of G!d

https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Judaism-Reconstructionist-Rebecca-Alpert/dp/093545750X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499893449&sr=1-1&keywords=a+reconstructionist+approach
is about reconstructionism in general but goes over the reconstructionist view on G!d which is largely non-dual, and a lot more exploratory on how G!d exists than the more rigid sects.

u/723723 · 1 pointr/IAmA

well the one thing that intrigued me about Judaism is how the whole system just points to the realization of god. there's a reason why Jews are so rich, so smart, low divorce and crime rate. the torah is a perfect instruction manual for life and the reason it has so many laws is because humans have so many flaws. the restrictions of being a jew are really opportunity for a better life.

for me i had to overcome the fact if the torah was really divine and is gods knowledge, or was it man made crazy cave man stuff from thousands of years ago..but if you take the time to investigate the authenticity of the torah all fingers point to god. you know unlike the rest of the world we believe humans were actually smarter back in the day and that are great grandparents were not apes. this is easily proven by just learning torah YOU must know that its no easy task to learn and how much knowledge there is. the oral torah is there to explain the written torah , the mishnah is there to explain that , then you have commentator explain that, then rashi explaining what that guy meant and we are here in 2011 breaking our heads trying to understand it from the bottum up. and when we do its a very real and euphoric moment. ......also the torah has things installed in it that in no way possible could be written by a human. think about this psychological argument . imagine we are living three thousand years ago and you're a member for a select committee to write the torah, your goal is convince people that this is a divine document given to you by god. in addition to obvious laws like dont kill or steal would you put kashrut on the list ? if we really wanted to sell this document to the world. not only that, the torah explains what signs a animal needs to be kosher then goes out of its why to name 4 animals that have 1 sign and not the other. How would the authors know such a thing? was Moshe a zoologist exploring the world. its a lot of credibility to put on the line ..to this day we have 5,000 known species of animals and constantly finding new ones ,and not once has there been a find that went against the torahs explicit claim ..no human trying to pass off a forged torah as divine would deliberately include statements which are bound to be proven false ,and risk exposing himself of fraud..only a supreme being can know for certain the characteristics of every animal in the world, because he created them!

this is just one small example like a drop in the bucket .
2 books that really helped me out was
http://www.amazon.com/Permission-Believe-Rational-Approaches-Existence/dp/0944070558
a book explain god through science , logic , history , etc
next one is http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Reasonable-Doubt-Shmuel-Waldman/dp/1583308067 this book just proves in every way why judaism is real, amazing books and there is free audio classes for both..

and know even if you went off the derech every jew is still a diamond and even if a diamond falls in the mud ,all you have to do is polish it off to reveal its value again.

u/tzy7630 · 1 pointr/Judaism

I highly recommend the book Camping on Shabbat by Rabbi Ben Tanny. Covers basically every topic you need to know about camping over Shabbos.

u/lyagusha · 1 pointr/Judaism

Just did it two weeks ago, over Shabbat+Shavuot. The Traveling Rabbi published a short book you can get on Amazon with a lot of useful tips.

A racoon broke in to the tent and ate my Eruv Tavshilin bread, so you might want to be careful with that.

Edit: Light source - in my case it was a solar panel with string of LEDs that turns on automatically at sunset, available here.

u/olhnunafef · 1 pointr/Judaism

I love the Jewish Study Bible too! To my knowledge, the only similar translation- and really the only modern translation whatsoever- of the Talmud is Artscroll. This is the go-to translation for Talmud scholars in yeshivas everywhere. Luckily it's a very good translation, crowdsourced from many Talmudic scholars all across the world.

I did manage to find a free translation online which uses the standardized page format.

Regarding Artscroll: only Orthodox scholars were involved, and no secular scholarship whatsoever. It's a thoroughly Orthodox translation instead of a "consensus". They're also a bit pricy for the full set.

But luckily you don't need the full set, because it's going to take you your whole life to read it!

Traditionally, the Talmud is not learned in order (probably because the beginning is extremely dull imo). A good starting point is Bava Kama "The First Gate", the beginning of which deals with the different types of animal damages. It's one of my favorite pieces of gemara, honestly. (It's also the page I linked to for the online translation.)

Last thing: you don't want to just read the Talmud, it's not that kind of book. Rabbi Dov Linzer gives a daily class on a single page, and he's been doing it for years. Read the page first, then listen to the class and follow along, then go back and read the page again.

TLDR:

  1. free translation
  2. Artscroll Bava Kama
  3. Rabbi Dov Linzer

    EDIT: Forgot to mention, arrays start at 2. Page 2 is the first page of every book, because reasons. So that is the first video of the series :)
u/audacious-optimism · 1 pointr/DebateAnAtheist

>? What happens?

Marriage, in my opinion, requires one testosterone-dominant individual (to protect the family) and one estrogen-dominant individual (to nurture the children).

I am a heterosexual male. By that I mean, if I were given a random choice to have sexual intercourse with an individual with a vagina, or an individual with a penis, then I will choose the individual with a vagina 100% of the time.

I am willing to be tested on this. That was a joke. Never mind.

Anyway, testosterone-dominant individuals tend to be more aggressive than estrogen-dominant ones. That is why the vast majority of psychopaths are male.

If I were a male heterosexual psychopath and no one suspected that, then I would "come out" as gay, and find myself a male partner in crime to marry. I could also find a weak-minded female, as Jerry Sandusky did, but I think that that would be far more difficult. Females, at least in my experience, tend to be smarter about this stuff than males. That is because evolution has made females the experts at caring for children.

After the honeymoon I'd start adopting attractive female children. Can you guess why?

Gay marriage is a slippery slope. Homosexuality does not imply pedophilia but homosexuality gives the pedophiles a wonderful tool to sexually abuse orphans. I do not wish to give them that tool.

\> I do find it disgusting to be against homosexuality though.

Fair enough. I find it disgusting to give pedophiles tools to abuse orphans. I guess I care more about child welfare than those who are A-OK with gay marriage.

\> You are missing the point.

No, I want to do Thunderdome with Judaism and then with Islam. I am betting that Christianity will win. It obviously wins over Islam. I believe that it will win over Judaism, because this:

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Schottenstein-Talmud-English-Volumes/dp/1578190673

Judaism is too damn hard to understand. I believe that that is probably because all of the rules are concrete.

Christianity boils down to a single word! It's an abstract word, and some humans appear to be unable to understand abstractions. Oh well.

u/serpentpower · 1 pointr/occult

Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune was an excellent introduction for me.

u/ThatWerewolfTho · 1 pointr/occult

It seems very boring to a lot of mystic newbs but I've been evangelizing the shit out of Qabalah lately. If you want to see the connections between all things and the machinery that runs the universe, this is the place to start.

Begin with something breezy that'll let you ease into the concepts: Lon Milo DuQuette's Chicken Qabalah. It's like an exegesis of Douglas Adams's Life, The Universe, and Everything.

Then dive in deep.

Dion Fortune's Mystical Qabalah

Aleister Crowley's Book of Thoth

This shit will blow your mind wide open. You can see how the 10 Sephiroth directly correspond to the 10 dimensions of the universe, how the first 4 correspond to actual space and the 5th to time as we understand it.

It'll show you the operating schematic for literally everything and how we are all connected and sprang forth from the same no-thing. Every new page I read blows my mind.

u/toupeira · 1 pointr/ThomasPynchon

Kabbalah is basically Jewish mysticism, there's all sorts of source books and modern writings on it. I can recommend The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford: Dilettante's Guide to What You Do and Do Not Need to Know to Become a Qabalist.

u/Belerion · 1 pointr/occult

Qabalah is great. But I recommend you read some work by Alan Watts first. He takes the greatest lessons the Qabalah has to offer and distills them into ideas so simple and self-evident, you'll be amazed that you never realized it before. His best works are "The Book" and "This Is It."

Then, if you still want to study Qabalah (you should), start here: http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Qabalah-Rabbi-Lamed-Clifford/dp/1578632153

"...for if ye take but one step in this Path, ye must arrive inevitably at the end thereof."

u/Sesh_Re_En_Sesht · 1 pointr/emeraldcouncil

I just mentioned it in my big check-in post in the Lesson 2 topic, but thought I should give you a personal recommendation for Lon Milo duQuette's Chicken Qabalah. He's got a nicely tongue-in-cheek humor about the whole thing which really helped me feel more comfortable with it all.

u/segovius · 1 pointr/occult

I don't know anything about Masonry but I am highly doubtful of the Naqshbandi/Syrian Rue connection. The Naqshbandis are the most conservative Sufis, very anti-drug etc. Almost any other Order would be more likely.

I do have some info on alleged connections between Sufism and Masonry though, but as I say, I don't know anything about Masons.

This book is interesting - from Strassman, the guy who did the DMT research of "Spirit Molecule" - he's arguing for a similar thing in prophecy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594773424/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

u/realsneaky · 1 pointr/DMT

Tool released a band picture with Shipibo designs overlaid. There is no question that they are an ayahuasca/DMT band.

Now, Dr. Strassman's recently published book DMT and the Soul of Prophecy dissects the Old Testament in order to conclude that DMT could have and likely did inspire the prophets. More, Dr. Strassman concludes that the use of DMT should produce contemporary prophets, as Hebrew prophecy is our universal, innate potential. Dr. Strassman's scientific breakthroughs have inscribed into every soul the faculty of Hebrew prophecy.

Now, the most ambitious thing the band could attempt to top themselves after the smash hit AEnima is Hebrew prophecy. Compare “Jambi“ to John 1:51, itself quoting Jacob's Ladder: "[Y]ou will see 'heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on' a human being [the Son of Man]." Tool opened up heaven to crown a Son of God. It is unreasonable for me not to throw my hat into the ring, and I am the only one with a hat in the ring.

u/OtherWisdom · 0 pointsr/Christianity
u/DonQuixoteReference · 0 pointsr/Judaism


>Open Orthodoxy is an organized denomination with an official head board and all that. The vast majority of frum organizations do not recognize them as being frum. Their conversions are not accepted, their shechita is not accepted, and their psak halachas are ignored.
>

Not quite, my friend. There is an Open Orthodox yeshiva, and that's about it. There's nothing like the RCA or the URJ. The non-acceptance you speak of generally falls under personal discrimination, as in: "Yes, this posek is very well done and it makes perfect sense. What? He learned from so-and-so? This poskim is not orthodox."


>Books worth of material (literally) have been written about the subject.

I can find plenty of material on plenty of untrue things. OO is the new bogeyman of orthodoxy. It was Rambam, it was chasidism, it's OO now. Everyone is trying to get to the front of the line and say who can disavow them the loudest. Therefore, the positions against them tend not to hold much substance.



>Pretty much the only people who consider them comparable to MO are the OO heads themselves and people who don't know any better.


You could not use a bigger fallacy in your argument. "People who disagree don't know any better."


>I mean, a recent spat of controversy arouse when an OO Rabbi defended intermarriage a position that, by it's very definition, is against Orthodox Judaism.


I know that rabbi, and he didn't defend intermarriage. He simply said we need to look at the culture around it and not shun those who have already done it. "A jew has intermarried? Ok, that's terrible, but will we still count him for a minyan?" That's what the rabbi was talking about, and he later even clarified the point in the same publication.



>And it's hardly the most controversial thing to come out of OO.


Do tell.

u/Jimmy_Petrille · -1 pointsr/ChapoTrapHouse

Indeed. It finally dawned on me that folks seem to confuse me calling it the Zio Times with the fact that they have a good amount of Jewish employees. That thought hadn't crossed my mind but I suppose it should have. It was sloppy communication on my part. I often call Fox News a Zionist network, no one seems to be bothered by that. Probably because it's accurate. The same can be be said about NYT though.

Downvoters should take me up on my suggestion and read Weisman's book if they want to understand it better. Or you can just look at the voting record of the so-called "" anti-racists "" in the DNC that are 100% pro-Israel. This stuff isn't all that complicated. The relationship between the American empire, liberalism and zionism (white supremacy) is clear for everyone to see. This is not an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory by any means.


This one by JJ Goldberg is also highly enlightening:
https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Power-Inside-American-Establishment/dp/0201327988

There's absolutely no need for Infowars-tier conspiracy bs when you can get this stuff straight from the horse's mouth. Obviously these books aren't written for a socialist audience but that's exactly why we should be reading them.