Zimzum: God and the Origin of the World (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023), by Christoph Schulte Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) This scholarly work is an intellectual history of the reception of the concept of tzimtzum in various circles. The concept of Tzimtzum refers to the Kabbalistic notion of Divine “contraction” or “withdrawal.” In Lurianic Kabbalah, it is fundamental for understanding how the infinite Divine essence interacts with the finite world. According to this concept, before creation, God — often referred to in Kabbalistic literature as the Ei ..read more

The Choice to Believe: Based on the shiurim of Rav Moshe Shapiro, z"l (Mosaica Press, 2023), by Rabbi Aryeh Feldman Reason to Believe (Mosaica Press, 2017), by Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) Although both of these books have similar titles and are ultimately aimed at bringing the reader to believe in the same thing — namely, the tenets of Judaism — these two books take quite different approaches towards that end. Both authors agree that there is no such a thing as an ironclad logical proof that can demonstrate the existence of G ..read more

Temptation Transformed: The Story of How the Forbidden Fruit Became an Apple (The University of Chicago Press, 2022), by Azzan Yadin-Israel Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) Professor Azzan Yadin-Israel's latest work is a fascinating exploration that delves into the evolution of a concept taken for granted in popular discourse. The Biblical account of Adam and Eve consuming the Forbidden Fruit leaves the specific identity of this fruit shrouded in the generic term pri, which simply means "fruit" in Hebrew. However, over time, this “fruit” has been widely perceived as an ap ..read more

Not a Real Enemy: The True Story of a Hungarian Jewish Man’s Fight for Freedom (Amsterdam Press, 2022), by Robert Wolf, MD Reviewed by Shira Yael Klein (Rachack Review) At its core, this book is a fairly typical Holocaust memoir, yet it is undeniably a stellar five-star read, as attested to by the multiple awards it earned. The book chronicles the life of a young Hungarian Jewish man from his childhood as a coddled only child of well-to-do parents, through the harrowing depths of the Hungarian forced labor camps during the Holocaust, and eventually to adulthood in post-war Communist Hungary ..read more

America First: The Story of Sol Bloom, the Most Powerful Jew in Congress During the Holocaust (Brenn Books, 2023) by Elliot Resnick, PhD Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) In this book, Elliot Resnick — a former editor of the Jewish Press and scholar of Jewish History — offers a scholarly biography of Sol Bloom (1870–1949), the U.S. Congressman who served as Chairman of the House Foreign Affair Committee from before World War II until after the war. Bloom has been much maligned by some Jewish historians for failing to help save the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust d ..read more

Kohelet: A Map to Eden — An Intertextual Journey (Maggid Books, 2023), by David Curwin Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) This work is a highly enjoyable and refreshingly-original exploration of the Book of Koheles (Ecclesiastes). David Curwin employs a non-linear approach in his commentary to that book that delves deep into select passages from different parts of Koheles to provide the reader with a broader and more profound perspective on this notoriously enigmatic Biblical text. One of the book's unique features is its application of a Modern Midrash methodology develope ..read more

First Impressions: Sefer Ḥassidim and Early Modern Hebrew Printing (Brandeis University Press, 2023), by Joseph A. Skloot Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) Through this fascinating work, the author embarks on a scholarly journey into the first two printings of the renowned pietistic work, Sefer Chassidim. That seminal work is known for its moralistic lessons, presented in the form of stories akin to aggadah, as well as pietistic customs (minhagim) and rulings reminiscent of Halachic decisions. Skool’s captivating yet meticulously-researched work explores the first two prin ..read more

England’s Jews: Finance, Violence, and the Crown in the Thirteenth Century (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023) by John Tolan Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) This scholarly book offers an in-depth look at the Jews' place in English history during the 1200s. The author meticulously researched the topic and provided exact dates, names of people and places within the context of the events that it describes. Although that sort of attention to detail makes the book somewhat overwhelming, the comprehensive index makes it easy to find specific topics. Two major overarching ..read more

The Anochi Project: Seeking God’s Identity (2017), by Paul M. Hamburger Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein (Rachack Review) In this work, Paul M. Hamburger — a lawyer by profession and author of several legal books — assumes his alter ego Shlomo Mordechai Hamburger to take readers on a profound exploration of the meaning of the word anochi in the Torah. He begins by distinguishing between the Hebrew word anochi and its more common synonym ani, both of are used by the first person to refer to himself (“I/Me”). In doing so, the author emphasizes the meaningful difference between the two words ..read more

The Rachack Revew is proud to serve as the June 2023 host for the Jewish Book Carnival, “a monthly event where bloggers who blog about Jewish books can meet, read, and comment on each others’ posts.” The posts are hosted on a participant’s site on the 15th of each month. Here are the latest book-related blog posts from the last month or so... Gila Green interviews Tara Ison about her new book that explores Vichy France under Nazi Occupation.  Sarah Rindner reviews a newly translated book by Chaim Grade about two ex-Yeshiva students. Ben Rothke takes a look at two new books on Med ..read more