{"title":"Theology","description":"\u003cp\u003eTheology within Judaism addresses the study and interpretation of Jewish religious beliefs, traditions, and philosophical questions. This subject examines foundational concepts of faith, the nature of the divine, and the meaning of rituals as understood in Jewish thought. Whether you are interested in scriptural analysis or historical development of doctrine, theology provides structured inquiry into why and how beliefs take shape in Judaism.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo refine your research or reading, consider focusing on particular theological themes such as monotheism, covenant, or the problem of evil within Judaism. Alternately, compare Jewish theological perspectives with those from other religious traditions to highlight both unique and shared spiritual frameworks. This approach allows for a more targeted engagement with theological questions as they appear in Judaism.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"epistle-yemen-introduction-helek-9798336601190-new","title":"Epistle to Yemen: and Introduction to Helek","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"In none of Maimonides' works did he reveal himself so much the leader and comforter of his people as in his \u003ci\u003eIggeret Teman\u003c\/i\u003e (Epistle to Yemen) ... The effect of this letter on the Jewish community of Yemen was miraculous. Its members were heartened by the new rays of hope which permeated the \u003ci\u003eEpistle\u003c\/i\u003e, giving them a sense of pride in their heritage and a determination to weather the storm with dignity.\"\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e- Professor Jacob I. Dienstag\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1165 C.E., the Jewish community of Yemen was in grave crisis. The fanatical Muslim ruler of Yemen presented the Jews with a choice: conversion to Islam, or martyrdom. Additionally, a zealous Jewish apostate began a campaign to convince his former co-coreligionists to convert to Islam, preaching that Mohammed was a divinely-sent prophet alluded to in the Bible. And if that was not enough, an impoverished Yemenite Jew began proclaiming that he was the long-awaited Messiah. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn desperation, the Yemenite Jewish community turned to the greatest scholar of the generation: \u003cb\u003eRabbi Moses ben Maimon\u003c\/b\u003e, also known as \u003cb\u003eMaimonides\u003c\/b\u003e, and in Hebrew, \u003cb\u003eRambam\u003c\/b\u003e. Maimonides, not yet 40 years old, had recently been appointed leader of the Egyptian Jewish community. Maimonides had experienced first-hand the persecution of Muslim extremists in his homeland of Spain, where his family had chosen exile rather than forced conversion at the hands of the Almohad Muslims. It is not surprising that Maimonides was acutely sensitive to the plight of the Jews of Yemen. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaimonides responded to Rabbi Jacob's inquiry with his \"Epistle to Yemen\" (\u003ci\u003eIggeret Teiman\u003c\/i\u003e). Despite the obvious dangers involved, Maimonides wrote his bold response in Arabic so that his response would be understood by all members of the threatened Yemenite community. The epistle was successful. The Yemenite Jews remained faithful to their religion despite the grave dangers facing them. Maimonides also used his influence at the court of Saladin in Egypt to intervene in their behalf, and the persecution ceased. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSeveral years prior to writing his \"Epistle to Yemen,\" Maimonides published his monumental \"Commentary to the Mishnah.\" Perhaps the most famous section of this major work is his Introduction to Mishnah Tractate Sanhedrin, \"\u003ci\u003ePerek\u003c\/i\u003e\u003ci\u003eHelek\u003c\/i\u003e\". This article deals with eschatological themes in Judaism, and concludes with Maimonides' famous creed, \"\u003cb\u003eThe Thirteen Principles of the Torah\u003c\/b\u003e.\" Since the essay discusses the Messianic Era and the final redemption of Israel, it is a natural companion to the Epistle to Yemen. In his Introduction to \u003ci\u003eHelek\u003c\/i\u003e, Maimonides discusses the various rewards promised to those who faithfully observe the Torah and its precepts: material benefits in this world, the Messianic Era, the Revival of the Dead, and the Garden of Eden. All of these rewards, Maimonides explains, are not goals but merely means so that we will be free to attain greater wisdom and perfection. Rather, the ultimate recompense is the World to Come.","brand":"INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51543415980322,"sku":"9798336601190-new","price":11.89,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9798336601190.jpg?v=1776379144"},{"product_id":"spirit-possession-judaism-cases-contexts-middle-ages-present-9780814330036-new","title":"Spirit Possession in Judaism: Cases and Contexts from the Middle Ages to the Present","description":"This extraordinary collection of essays is the first to approach the phenomenon of spirit possession among Jews from a multidisciplinary perspective. What beliefs have Jews held about spirit possession? Have Jewish people believed themselves to be possessed by spirits? If so, what sorts of spirits were they? Have Jews' conceptions of possession been the same as those of their Christian and Muslim neighbors? These are some of the questions addressed in these thirteen essays, which together explore spirit possession in a wide range of temporal and geographic contexts.\u003cbr\u003e The phenomena known as spirit possession are both very widespread and very difficult to explain. The late Raphael Patai initiated study of spirit possession as found in the Jewish world in the post-Talmudic period by taking a folkloric and anthropological approach to the subject. Other scholars have opened up new avenues of inquiry through discussions of the topic in connection with Jewish mystical and magical traditions. The essays in this collection expand the variety of approaches to the subject, addressing Jewish possession phenomena from the points of view of religion, mysticism, literature, anthropology, psychology, history, and folklore. Scholarly views and popular traditions, benevolent spirits and malevolent shades, exorcism, social control, messianic implications, madness, literary structure, and a host of other topics are brought into the discussion of spirit possession in Jewish culture. This juxtaposition of approaches among the essays in this volume, some of which analyze the same texts in different ways, creates a broad foundation on which to contemplate the meaning of spirit possession.","brand":"WAYNE ST UNIV PR","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":51590140789026,"sku":"9780814330036-new","price":55.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780814330036.jpg?v=1777522455"},{"product_id":"conversations-my-rabbi-timeless-teachings-fractured-world-9780063573109-new","title":"Conversations with My Rabbi: Timeless Teachings for a Fractured World","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA radically hopeful exploration of faith, identity, morality, and purpose grounded in timeless Jewish principles, captured in a series of profound conversations between Nikki Goldstein and the man who saved her life and became her spiritual mentor, Rabbi Eli Schlanger--whose teachings and wisdom endure beyond his tragic killing in the December 2025 Bondi Beach Chanukah terrorist attack in Sydney, Australia.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eConversations with My Rabbi \u003c\/i\u003eis an unforgettable true story and a profound book of wisdom, offering timeless teachings for living well in an uncertain world. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn September 2022, Nikki Goldstein was comatose, near death in a Sydney ICU when her daughter spotted Rabbi Eli Schlanger in the hallway. Nikki's husband asked the rabbi to come pray for her. Standing beside her bed, he blew the shofar and whispered ancient prayers over Nikki. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne day later, Nikki began recovering from the life-threatening infection. The doctors called it a miracle. As she regained her health, this secular Jewish woman and the devout rabbi formed an unlikely and beautiful friendship. Coming from profoundly different worlds--one grounded in religious tradition, the other in temporal modernity--they discovered they were seeking answers to the same essential questions. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTogether, they turned to ancient Jewish teachings for guidance on living more ethically, compassionately, and spiritually. In January 2025, they began to record their conversations as a book. But just weeks before they were to write the final chapter, Eli was murdered on Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia's second deadliest mass-casualty shooting. He died before lighting the menorah at his annual Chanukah by the Sea celebration, an event he'd run for eighteen years. Devastated by shock and grief, Nikki refused to be silenced by terror. She vowed that Eli's legacy and his mission to bring light, love, and moral clarity to the world would not die, because his teachings were more necessary than ever. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReflecting the dialogue-driven Jewish intellectual tradition, the question and answer format of \u003ci\u003eConversations with My Rabbi \u003c\/i\u003einvites readers to ponder, to question, and to define their own beliefs as they follow Nikki and Eli's real, raw, tender, sometimes funny, sometimes fierce, yet always deeply human conversations centered around the timeless ethical teachings known as the Noahide Laws, tied to the biblical Noah: universal principles rooted in Jewish wisdom that speak to all who seek meaning, moral clarity, and hope in their lives. Questions include: \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTell Me Why I Should Believe in God?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhy Are We So Afraid to Talk About God?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat If People Are Just . . . Terrible?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDo Animals Have Souls?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs Stealing Really That Bad?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat's So Scary About Sex?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat Does Justice Look Like?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eConversations with My Rabbi \u003c\/i\u003eis a repudiation of the madness we are experiencing today. It is Rabbi Eli's eternal gift--a guide for all, regardless of faith, who struggle to live with integrity, compassion, and courage in a divided and uncertain world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"HARPERCOLLINS","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":52573283418402,"sku":"9780063573109-new","price":23.88,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780063573109.jpg?v=1789669864"},{"product_id":"jew-lotus-poets-rediscovery-jewish-identity-buddhist-india-9780061367397-new","title":"The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India","description":"While accompanying eight high–spirited Jewish delegates to Dharamsala, India, for a historic Buddhist–Jewish dialogue with the Dalai Lama, poet Rodger Kamenetz comes to understand the convergence of Buddhist and Jewish thought. Along the way he encounters Ram Dass and Richard Gere, and dialogues with leading rabbis and Jewish thinkers, including Zalman Schacter, Yitz and Blue Greenberg, and a host of religious and disaffected Jews and Jewish Buddhists.\u003cbr\u003eThis amazing journey through Tibetan Buddhism and Judaism leads Kamenetz to a renewed appreciation of his living Jewish roots.","brand":"HARPER ONE","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":52605264363810,"sku":"9780061367397-new","price":16.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0893\/4755\/5618\/files\/9780061367397.jpg?v=1790037785"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.albakireads.com\/collections\/religion-judaism-theology.oembed","provider":"AlbakiReads","version":"1.0","type":"link"}