Jacob Neusner Book order (chronological)

The collection of 24 essays delves into the evolving identity of "Israel" in the context of American Judaism after the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948. It addresses the complexities and challenges American Jews face in defining their connection to Israel, reflecting on the broader implications of Zionism in their religious and cultural identity. Through various perspectives, the book examines the impact of historical events on Jewish self-definition and the ongoing dialogue surrounding Israel's significance in American Jewish life.

In this Neusner book, he seeks to discern the Talmud's forests from its trees. By "trees" is meant episodic and free-standing statements, facts out of any larger context. By "forests" is meant whole paragraphs and still larger constructions of thought made out of sentences that in context and in sequence cohere. Accordingly, the issue here is how the Talmud transforms isolated facts into cogent and coherent constructions: the forests formed by the Talmud's trees. What is at stake is simply stated: What ignores the program of the Bavli in its composition and in the formation of its composites belongs in other, different documents from the Bavli and we can reconstruct through an act of imagination in response to the characteristics of the secondary composites of the Bavli the traits of those other, different documents.

The Talmud serves as a foundational text that unifies Jewish communities across diverse languages and cultures through a shared set of values, law, and theology. Jacob Neusner, a distinguished scholar, provides insights into the Talmud's historical context and significance, demonstrating its enduring relevance in contemporary society. Through his exploration, readers gain a deeper understanding of this pivotal work and its impact on Jewish identity and tradition.

A leading scholar of the formative age and writings of Judaism here formulates a theory of the Mishnah (one of the earliest dated sources of Judaism): what it is, how it should be read, and why it is of considerable interest in the study of religious conceptions of the social order. Each of the book's chapters are amply illustrated with texts that have been freshly translated by the author. The result is a relatively quick and easy entry into the sometimes difficult and complex world of the Mishnah and its laws concerning agriculture, appointed seasons, women and property, civil and criminal law, conduct of the cult and the Temple, and preservation of cultic purity in the Temple and under certain domestic circumstances, with special reference to the table and the bed. Any valid description of early rabbinic thought - and therefore of early Christianity - must begin with the Mishnah and must focus on the subjects the sages considered important. This book introduces the reader to the world of the Mishnah in a thoughtful, engaging, and spirited manner.

Judaism represents a tradition that goes back nearly 6,000 years. This book talks about the stories, beliefs and expressions of that tradition. The key topics covered include: the Torah; Israel - the state and its people; Passover; Reform Judaism, Orthodox Judaism and Zionism; and, the impact of the Holocaust.

Exploring the Mishnah's connection to Scripture reveals its vital role in understanding Judaism. It examines how religious concepts evolved within their historical context and the significance of the Mishnah's language. Rather than merely documenting ancient rules, it reflects the lived experiences and social dynamics of Jewish life, offering insights into the religion's development and practices.

Do ubiquitous modes of thought—types of analysis, types of argumentation—pervade the entire corpus of the Rabbinic writings of late antiquity and impart coherence to those diverse documents? Here the author reports on the results of a systematic probe of representative Halakhic and Aggadic documents in search of the answer to that question. The result is limited but one-sided: the answer is yes, they do. The inquiry proves urgent, because the bases for supposing the Rabbinic documents coalesce have diminished, and the differences between and among them have made their mark. For we now realize that each of the rabbinic documents of the formative age, from the Mishnah through the Talmud of Babylonia, ca. 200–600, exhibits indicative traits that distinguish that document from all others in the Rabbinic canon. If we characterize a document by reference to its governing program of topic, rhetoric, and logic of coherent discourse, none recapitulates the definitive qualities of any other. Some share traits of common forms or rhetoric; others appeal to a logic of coherent discourse that pertains beyond their limits; and still other sets of documents may go over the same topics of propositions at some determinate points. But the particular combination of [1] rhetorical forms, [2] topical issues, and [3] the logical media of coherence that define one document prove unique to that document.

Focusing on the structure and logic of the Talmud, the author systematically analyzes its discourse units and their organization into larger composites. By delineating the sequence and governing principles of rationality, he reveals the Talmud's role as both a commentary on the Mishnah and an expansion of its laws. The work is presented in a graphic manner, making complex academic concepts accessible to a broader audience.

Imagine yourself transported two thousand years back in time to Galilee at the moment of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. After hearing it, would you abandon your religious beliefs and ideology to follow him, or would you hold on to your own beliefs and walk away? In A Rabbi Talks with Jesus Jacob Neusner considers just such a spiritual journey.

Demonstrating that the Yerushalmi forms a systematic compilation of commentaries on the Mishnah, Neusner (religious studies, U. of South Florida; Bard College, NY) outlines the second-fourth divisions of this tractate in the Babylonian Talmud and compares and contrasts them with their counterparts in the Bavli. He focuses on the document's sense-units, how they take shape, and what makes them cohere. There is a vol. no. discrepancy between the CiP and listing elsewhere in the text. No index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR