Outstanding introduction to Judaism. ( )

I try to avoid lengthy reviews, but this excellent book merits one. First, the things I didn't like: Gelernter misunderstands or is not aware of the diversity of Christian belief about the passion and death of Jesus, and totally ignores the centrality of the Resurrection, which undercuts his assertion that Judaism is a uniquely joyous religion. (On the other hand, this is a book about Judaism, not Christianity.) His argument, in an appendix, for belief in God is weakly stated. His discussion of gender roles and issues is far less convincing than the arguments he made in "Drawing Life", his 1997 reflections after surviving a letter bomb explosion.

But these are quibbles, because Gelernter passionately and persuasively presents four theme-images each of which becomes a point of entry to address key issues in Judaism: what constitutes the sacred, how can we know God, what does it mean to be human, and what is the purpose/meaning of life. His arguments and images are complex and at times initially difficult to grasp, but all are rich and rewarding. Gelernter's loving discussions of Orthodox Judaism impressed upon this Christian a better and more sympathetic understanding of Judaism (and of Christianity). His exposition of the meaning of the mezzuzah, a small part of his discussion about knowing God, is profound and profoundly enlightening. In short, he grapples with difficult problems of fundamental importance. These discussions taken as a whole portray Orthodox Judaism, from observance of the laws to Torah commentary to the meaning of the Sabbath. Even better, Gelernter summarizes each chapter, and repeatedly restates his points in ways that draw deeper levels of meaning from each. This is a book to savor, ponder and study. ( )