Book of the Year 2010
WorldMask by Akiva Tatz
“Torah and the world parallel each other exactly. Torah is the spiritual core, the world is its physical expression”. With these introductory words, Akiva Tatz takes the reader on an incredible journey of unmasking the physical world in order to gain access to the spiritual. Beginning with man’s perception of G-d, Tatz uncovers errors and shortcomings in the common understanding of the Almighty as existing outside of nature from which He controls and uses the physical world as His tool. Drawing on Torah descriptions that “HaShem is One” and that there is “nothing other than Him” the basic understanding is presented that everything in all of nature, down to the tiniest vibration of an atom, is a direction manifestation of the Creator Himself.
From this basis Tatz explains that the world is designed to hide the Almighty in order to provide man the opportunity to exercise his free will. Nature is a “smokescreen” meant to hide HaShem “like a mask”. Unmasking the physical in order to discern its spiritual reality begins with understanding that the actions of man cause the spiritual world to move. This is evidenced in Torah through miracles which always require a physical action or response from man in some way.
In considering anthropomorphic descriptions of HaShem, Tatz finds error in the understanding that HaShem’s “eyes”, “hands” etc., are merely analogies regarding Him. Instead G-d’s “eyes”, “hands” etc., define reality in the deepest sense that transcends human understanding and that finds its analogy in the human physical form. In other words HaShem’s hand is the real hand and our human hand is the analogy of this reality. From this Tatz explains that not only the human body but the entire world is an analogy for a higher reality. In every object and phenomenon is a Divine lesson, an analogy relating to the creator.
From the concept that the world reflects its spiritual root, and that the outer world always parallels the inner, Tatz considers various aspects of both nature and man in profound ways that reveal higher spiritual realities. On a societal level, Tatz uses the example of art throughout the centuries to reveal the collective mind and heart of a given society. As art has progressively moved away from the precision and realism of the past and now embraces the haphazard and bizarre, the inner heart of our present society is revealed as one of strife and disintegration.
On an individual level Tatz considers broad topics such as obligations, rights, intimacy, morality, and prophecy before moving on to more mundane matters of speech and eating as he layer by layer unmasks profound spiritual insights and parallels in these physical categories. In later chapters the author presents teachings regarding the most difficult and perplexing concepts of predestination and free will, suffering and joy, and reward in this world in considering the connection between higher and lower existences.
As the book comes to a close, the author draws together his general theme of the world as a mask through a most fascinating consideration of Purim and its central nemesis, Haman, in relation to the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. The root of Haman’s name first appears in Torah in G-d’s question to Adam after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit; “Did you (hamim) eat from the tree”? Although the question is logically ridiculous for G-d certainly knew that Adam ate from the tree, the asking of it reveals the central concept of the entire book — that G-d relates to man only as man relates to him. As Adam experienced distancing from G-d as a consequence of his sin, he reacted by hiding from Him. Adam’s actions affected the way G-d dealt with him, as one hiding. Therefore G-d asks Adam “Where are you?” and “Did you eat?” as if these things were hidden from Him, although in reality they were not. From this time forward G-d has donned a mask, the mask of nature that hides His Presence from fallen mankind who is distanced from Him and driven to hide from Him.
Yet, as the author most beautifully explains, although G-d dons the mask of nature he is not distant from mankind. If G-d were distant he would not need a mask for distance would conceal his identity. Only those who are nearby and can be clearly seen hide by means of a mask. The same is true of HaShem who hides behind the mask of nature which needs only be peeled back to reveal its Source.
In the final chapter Tatz considers the “Paradox of the Ego” by relating Adam’s motivation in eating from the Tree of Knowledge. In concluding, the author leaves the reader with an incredible secret; that the greatest act of free choice is yielding one’s freedom to choose. When one gives up his freedom to choose in order to obey HaShem this is the highest assertion of will possible to mankind. The challenge of Adam is to use one’s will to want what HaShem wants. When one chooses to be obligated to G-d instead of choosing to be free, in that obligation is real freedom found.
Although Tatz presents philosophically profound concepts in Worldmask the book is written in an engaging style that is succinct and clear and that left me filled with inspiration and wonder.
In a nutshell: A presentation of the physical world as a mask designed to hide G-d’s Presence and enable human free will while yet revealing profound spiritual realities for those who seek to discover them.
Book of the Year 2009
Love and the Messianic Age by Paul Philip Levertoff
In attending the First Fruits of Zion Annual Shavuot Conference in May I had opportunity to buy a pre-release copy of Love and the Messianic Age and the accompanying Study Guide and Commentary. Before the conference had ended I spoke with a handful of people who had decided to read this brief eighty-one page book at one sitting. When questioning these individuals regarding their opinion of the book, the reaction I received was oddly the same. Each person agreed that the book was “good” and “inspirational” after which they would get a contemplative look on their faces and find difficulty describing the book further. In one of the final evening sessions of the conference, Daniel Lancaster took us through the first few sentences of Chapter 1 of this book and unpacked its dense contents with aid of the Study Guide and Commentary, an endeavor that occupied about 45 minutes of time. After this experience, I knew that this little book was much more than a short inspirational work to be read in one afternoon.
Much like its cover depicting a thoroughly Jewish-looking man with full beard dressed in an old-fashioned double breasted suit and clergy collar, Love and the Messianic Age is a unique and eclectic work. The book begins with a brief biography of the author relating his upbringing in Orthodox Judaism and conversion to Christianity at age 17 after which he went on to work as a translator for Christian missionary organizations before taking a leadership position in the Church of England. Through his journey of Christian ministry, Levertoff never lost ties with the Judaism of his past, serving as professor of Hebrew and Rabbinics at the Institute Judaicum in Leipzig, Germany, and also as a key member of the translation team for the Soncino Press Zohar.
Next, an introduction to the book in general is given by D. Thomas Lancaster in which the reader is made abundantly aware that Levertoff compares Chasidic Judaism with ideologies of the apostles, in a way that strives toward experiencing the Messianic age in the “here and now”. A disclaimer regarding Levertoff’s abundant use of Jewish mystical literature and ideals includes the understanding that the Apostolic faith as given in the Apostolic Writings is also a “mystical expression of Judaism”, but yet that the mystical ideas presented by the author need not be accepted at face value or endorsed completely.
In the preface to the book Levertoff presents its purpose which is to prove that “traditional Orthodox Judaism has no lack of spiritual fervor”, but rather that Jewish piety has a “Johannine coloring”. In addressing potential Jewish readers Levertoff explains that although spiritual conceptions of love in both Christianity and Judaism are similar, the Christian experience of such love embraces a higher quality or degree than that known to Judaism.
What follows is a six chapter discourse in which Levertoff presents Chasidic ideals regarding love between man and God in this age and in the Messianic Era. Each chapter relates love to various themes including; “knowledge”, “the law”, “fear”, “joy”, “prayer”, and “repentance”.
In considering “Knowledge and Love”, Levertoff begins by relating the understanding of knowledge in classic Chasidism. For the Chasid there are two types of knowledge; the rational (static) knowledge of G-d which is acquired through the study of creation and the irrational (dynamic/mystical) knowledge of G-d regarding His inner being and essence. Knowledge of G-d’s being leads to love for Him but such knowledge, although longed for and sought after by the devout in every age, will not be fully realized until Messianic times. Yet, according to Levertoff “we know God best when we know Him in His holiness and wisdom and love, apart from His creation.” In this way the higher and greater goal is to strive for a realization of the Messianic Age by pursuing the dynamic/mystical knowledge of G-d above and beyond merely a rational or static knowledge of Him. This point is illustrated through means of the Exodus from Egypt in which redemption is not presented as the revelation of G-d’s power or miracles (rational/static evidence) but rather as the revelation of His condescending love for Israel which embraces His inner essence and being.
The role of the Law in experiencing the Messianic Age through knowledge of G-d’s inner essence is next presented by Levertoff as comprehending the spiritual meaning of G-d’s Word. The Chasid is scrupulous in keeping the Law because he understands it not only as a set of rules and guidelines for living, but also as embodying the very thoughts of G-d Himself. Because the Torah reveals G-d’s will and wisdom, which are one with Him, it essentially embodies the “real presence” of HaShem Himself. Because it is possible to “keep the commandments and yet be far from G-d” one must understand the Law as symbolized in the cloud that surrounded Moses on Sinai as he received the Torah. This cloud emanated from G-d Himself and sustained Moses for forty days and forty nights in which he did not eat or drink. In the same way, the Law is Israel’s spiritual food, which when received as a form of spiritual sustenance, causes G-d’s will to be embodied in an individual’s thoughts, words, and deeds.
The natural outcome of striving to draw near to HaShem is fear. As one experiences the consciousness of G-d’s love they at the same time tremble because of the awesomeness of His presence. According to Levertoff, two types of fear are known to mankind regarding HaShem. The first is a fear of G-d as He is revealed in creation and the natural forces. Such fear is embodied in the phrase “fear ye before the L-RD” (Psalm 33:8). The second type of fear is that which realizes G-d’s holiness, omnipresence and transcendence described in Psalm 34:9 as “fear ye the L-RD”. This relationship of fear and love are “the wings by which the soul is carried to heaven”.
Joy, according to Levertoff is the “keynote of Chasidic piety”, for nearness to HaShem will produce a divine joy that fills the whole personality. To say there is no joy in one’s heart is to deny the love of G-d. Yet, the joy of the L-RD is not joy as defined by the world. Joy is found in that which is hidden, while delight is experienced in that which is realized. Experiencing the love of the Messianic Age is to find joy in that which is yet a hidden treasure “because the deepest spiritual meaning is as yet not made perfectly clear to us”. But, as Levertoff explains, the day is coming when divine mysteries will be unfolded by the Messiah and we will see G-d face to face. In that day we shall delight.
The role of prayer is presented by Levertoff as the means to apprehend HaShem in a way that goes beyond mere intellectual understanding, for prayer is worship of G-d which has its source in the human personality. Through prayer the divine wisdom which is above human understanding and knowledge is “brought down” (so to speak). For it is during prayer that the “divine soul” of man (the spiritual) and the “natural soul” of man (the flesh) struggle with each other most intensely, as the divine soul longs to unite with G-d while the natural soul desires to descend and focus on the material. This struggle is realized most clearly by distracting and sudden thoughts that enter a person’s mind during their most fervent times of prayer in which their spirit is drawing close to G-d.
Levertoff presents repentance as a profound means in this life of experiencing the love of G-d for the repentant person “lifts himself up above time and space” and “throws himself entirely into the arms of G-d”. The “sin-forgiving” love of G-d is understood in Chasidic thought to come from the “inner heart” of G-d or His “will of wills”. It is this “will of all wills” that will be perfectly manifested in Messianic times. The awakening of the sinner toward repentance is beyond understanding and knowledge and a gift from G-d emanating from “the light of the upper countenance”. Repentance is likened to a son on a journey far from home who longs for his father and therefore is a love that reveals itself “in the distance”. In this respect G-d sometimes hides his face from his children so they may realize this longing for Him afresh and turn toward Him anew that the “light of His countenance” may shine upon them more strongly.
In the epilogue of the book, Levertoff considers “Love and the Fourth Gospel” in light of the highest ideal of Chasidism “achdut” or unity in which a believer is of one heart and one soul with HaShem. This mystical oneness or perfect “achdut” is found in the oneness of Jesus with the Father and is experienced through Jesus by those who believe in Him. It is only through Jesus that an active love is realized for through him one receives not only “the will but also the power to love”. Therefore, Levertoff concludes that “love is a reality only in the Messianic community”. By giving believers of His Spirit, G-d makes the hearts of human beings His habitation and in this is found the highest realization of the Messianic Age that can be experienced in the here and now.
As inspiring as Levertoff’s short essay on Love and the Messianic Age is, within its pages are details and ideals that can easily be overlooked in considering the overarching thematic topics of each chapter. Descriptions such as “flames” and “sparks” and the “upper and lower waters” can naturally be assumed to be poetic or descriptive phrases embellishing the main concepts presented. But intertwined among the general concepts is a treasure trove of ideas providing additional depth and meaning for those who can discern them amidst the dense and compact style of the author. Unless one has been schooled in Orthodox mysticism and very familiar with kabbalistic thought the vast richness of Levertoff’s short essay will be “sensed” but not realized (thus the contemplative looks of those who read it so quickly and were unable to describe it fully).
For this reason, I personally found the Study Guide and Commentary produced by FFOZ to be an invaluable aid which provided page after page of explanation as well as proof from the Apostolic Writings that indeed the faith of the believer in Yeshua incorporates “a mystical expression of Judaism”. Although I could write pages of review on the study guide alone I found a concluding chapter in the appendix “The Exalted Rebbe” by Toby Janicki to be most outstanding. In this essay an introduction to the Chasidic concept of cleaving to G-d (devekut) by means of a tzaddik (righteous person) is presented and the parallel model found in the gospel of John regarding our relationship with Yeshua is elaborated upon. Without a doubt this core concept of Chasidic Judaism is the very same central teaching encompassed in the Apostolic Writings.
The final appendix of the study guide presents several short articles as “Sketches of the Chasidic World”. One of the articles “The Hidden Christ Among the Jews” by Elizabeth Belenson relates the idea that a veiled form of Yeshua’s teaching is to be found within Judaism. This concept drew the entire study completely together for me and clarified many questions that I have been wrestling with regarding the place of Jewish mysticism and kabbalah for the Torah observant believer in Yeshua. Instead of considering the historic development of Jewish mysticism as merely a pseudo-science that is irrationally fueled by the desire for ecstatic experiences, could it be that HaShem is preparing the Jews to receive their Messiah (Yeshua) through a longing and desire to unite with Him and experience a mystical oneness by means of a completely righteous person (tzaddik)?
How ironic, that as Christians generally wait and watch for Jesus to come and take them out of this world and into Heaven, they disregard the invaluable treasure they have in this life for being united to HaShem through means of the only completely righteous individual to ever walk the face of the earth. The Chasid, on the other hand, does all he can to experience the realities of the Messianic Age now due to a burning desire in his heart for redemption and a providential leading that compels him seek out a tzaddik as a means of uniting with HaShem. Only HaShem could have arranged that a Gentile woman might discover the most profound treasures of her faith in Yeshua by means of a Chasid. A discovery that makes Love and the Messianic Age and its Study Guide and Commentary the best book I have read so far in 2009.
In a nutshell: A comparison of Chasidic Judaism with the apostolic-era teaching of faith in Yeshua of Nazareth as based on the love between man and G-d in this age and in the Messianic Era. A study which encompasses subtle and profound mystical ideas among its general themes which are greatly clarified and expanded upon by means of the Study Guide and Commentary published by FFOZ.
Book of the Year 2008
God in Search of Man; A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel
“Religion is an answer to man’s ultimate questions. The moment we become oblivious to ultimate questions, religion becomes irrelevant, and its crisis sets in”. With these opening words, Abraham Joshua Heschel takes the reader on an inspirational journey meant to uncover the ultimate questions to be found at the very heart of Jewish philosophy. In this 434 page volume divided into three sections (“God”, “Revelation”, “Response”), Heschel provides the reader with an abundant banquet of philosophical thought and “quotable” quotes on almost every page.
Beginning with the premise that “God is waiting for man to seek Him” Heschel expounds upon and interweaves the concepts of “wonder”, “awe”, and “glory” to reach the conclusion that “All of human history as described in the Bible may be summarized in one phrase: God is in search of man. ” With this most basic premise defined Heschel goes on to the subjects of “insight” and “faith” before turning his attention to the revelation of G-d and its mystery and purpose.
In the third and final “response” section of the book, Heschel integrates and expounds on the concepts of external compliance vs. internal devotion, through the concepts of kavanah, halachah, agada, and mitzvot. Confronting the popularly held understanding that Judaism is a religion of works and external compliance with the law (a notion he defines as “Religious Behaviorism”), Heschel drives home the main point of his philosophical thesis, that man can seek G-d but he cannot find G-d without the aid of G-d. That man cannot draw close to G-d by faith alone, for faith is merely the starting point of seeking after G-d. ”Ultimately, then, the goal of religious life is quality rather than quantity, not only what is done, but how it is done.”
Heschel writes in superb prose that raises the reader to inspirational heights of contemplating the most basic yet profound thoughts involved in a life of Biblical faith. The best book I have read so far in 2008!
In a nutshell: An extensive thesis exploring the Philosophy of Judaism through the nature of Biblical thought, and how that thought becomes faith.
Book of the Year 2007
A Code of Jewish Ethics, You Shall Be Holy, by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
In this 550+ page volume, Rabbi Telushkin presents the first of a three volume series involving the major code of Jewish ethics to be written in the English language. With a heart’s desire to restore ethics to its central role in Judaism, Telushkin provides the reader with an amazingly clear and concise work incorporating more than 3000 years of Jewish laws and suggestions on how to improve one’s character and become more honest, decent and just.
The book is written in an outline style in which the five major topics (TheTask of a Lifetime, Basic Virtues and Vices, Fair Speech, Leading a Holy Life, God and Ethics) are broken down into subtopic chapters. Each chapter contains enumerated details regarding teachings and practical suggestions for living out what is taught. Interspersed among the enumerations are plentiful illustrations from modern examples as well as historical sources (such as the Torah and Talmud).
This is by far the best book I have read the entire year, and has opened my eyes to the demands and details of living a truly ethical life. The only drawback is that this book is so jam packed with wisdom and insights that it is impossible to read only once.
After marking important points on just about every one of the 500 pages I plan to review and consider those points again, on a month to month basis over the next 12 months. This will be a good way to keep my mind focused as I await the release of the second volume in this series “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself”.
This was the second of Telushkin’s book that I initially got on loan through my local library and inevitably ended up purchasing for myself!
In a nutshell: An invaluably clear and concise resource regarding the demands and challenges of ethical living. Best book I have read all year!!
Book of the Year 2006
One God & One Lord by Graeser, Lynn & Schoenheit
This 642 page volume is written by the founders of Christian Educational Services, Inc., an Indiana-based ministry that defines itself as “Biblical Unitarians”. The book considers the orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity based on scripture and reason alone. The authors do a superb job of unraveling the confusion and errors surrounding the doctrine of the Trinity and divinity of Yeshua. The historical perspective section reveals how the concept of the Trinity was formulated and points out that it is rooted in Gnosticism and mythology. The book includes 15 appendices which are invaluable sources of information, and are worth the cost of the book alone.
This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to consider the nature and person of Yeshua based on what the scriptural record alone says about him. I believe it is important reading for those in the “Messianic” movement to consider because the Trinity is the one Christian doctrine that many Messianic’s seem unable or unwilling to reconsider or part with. This, as explained in the book, is due to thousands of years of erroneous teaching that to deny Yeshua is God is to deny the faith. The author’s point out from the beginning that the Apostolic scriptures never define “faith” or “salvation” as believing that Yeshua is God. Rather belief in the resurrection of Yeshua (as proof of his sacrifice for sin being perfect and accepted by God) is the focus of faith and salvation.
The one drawback of this volume is that the authors are strict dispensationalists in their theological viewpoint. It seemed ironic to me that they would scrutinize the doctrine of the Trinity and reveal it as false based on scripture alone, but yet hold to theological perspectives that would never hold up under the same scrutiny.
In a nutshell: A must read for anyone who is ready to venture into what scripture alone says about the nature and person of Yeshua with some dispensationalist baggage to step around in the process.
