Wisdom of Judaism book

Some Comments on the book:

“A reservoir of rabbinic insights into how we should live our lives—in relationships, family and community…. Helps all of us in our struggles with the enduring questions we face as human beings. A must read for anyone who reflects on what it means to live lives of holiness and goodness.”
—Dr. Norman Cohen, provost, Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion; author, The Way Into Torah

“The author has a remarkable knack for choosing those statements in the “wide sea” of the Talmud that best express the human values of Judaism. Even as a collection of moral and ethical aphorisms, the book will be outstanding. Add to that the author’s elaboration and explication of the values inherent in these dicta in a charming and literate style, and you have a book that is not only worth reading and studying, but also sharing with others.”
–Rabbi Norman Lamm, Chancellor, Yeshiva University

“Beautifully shows the eternal wisdom of our sages in our contemporary world. Elkins’ personal wisdom is interwoven with ancient texts to illuminate so many issues with which we are faced today. A valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the great worth of the Talmud.”
—Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, PhD, founder and director, Maqom: A School for Adult Talmud Study

“For those of us unable to tackle the multivolume Talmud, this thoughtful and well-written book gives us the essence of Jewish wisdom on a variety of topics relevant to our lives today.”
—Ron Miller, chair, religion department, Lake Forest College; coauthor, Healing the Jewish-Christian Rift: Growing Beyond Our Wounded History

“A sturdy craft for sailing the sea of Talmud, and Rabbi Elkins is a fine navigator. His choice of text is solid, his commentary is insightful, and his style is both enlightening and engaging. This is a book to come back to over and again.”
—Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author, Ethics of the Sages: Pirke Avot—Annotated & Explained

“Clearly and beautifully elucidates important teachings on spiritual concepts like love, charity, kindness and companionship—plus some of life’s sticky issues like greed, sin, and belief. A great book for anyone wanting to dip into the pool of Judaism’s timeless wisdom.”
—Rabbi Elyse Goldstein, editor, The Women’s Torah Commentary and The Women’s Haftarah Commentary

“Filled with wise guidance on the dilemmas humans face every day, mixed with gems from the Jewish tradition. A great book.”
—Rabbi Sid Schwarz, founder/president, PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values; author, Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World

“Wise and accessible, this book shines. Everything you need to know about how to be a ‘mensch’ —a fully evolved, caring human being—is here in this treasure trove of practical inspiration.”
—Joan Borysenko, PhD, author, Inner Peace for Busy People

“Filled with gems of insight and inspiration.”
—Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles, California