Saving the World Entire: And 100 Other Beloved Parables from the Talmud

Bleefeld, rabbi of the Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Philadelphia, and Shook (Mary Kay's You Can Have It All) collect timeless wisdom from the Talmud in an anthology designed to incorporate Talmudic teachings into everyday life. The authors have selected stories from the Talmud and arranged them into three sections. In the first section, ""A Path to Wisdom,"" Talmudic parables illustrate concerns ranging from ""values"" to ""destiny."" The second section, ""Living as a Community,"" gathers stories that offer examples of respect, humility, compassion, harmony and fairness, while the third section, ""Our Covenant with God,"" collects stories that portray the value of devotion and faith. Each story from the Talmud is accompanied by Bleefeld's brief interpretation for modern readers. For example, in a story about the coming of the Messiah taken from the Talmud tractate Sanhedrin, Rabbi Joshua learns that the Messiah will come today, ""if only humanity would hear his voice."" Bleefeld comments that this story demonstrates that the Messiah is indeed ready to come, but, due to continued suffering and injustice, ""humanity is not yet ready"" for the Messiah's coming. The universal spiritual messages of these Talmudic gems will appeal to Jew and non-Jews alike. (Sept.)