"In reading Rabbi Menachem Creditor's 11-year compilation of poems, stories and meditations, I am once again reminded that the journey towards truth is anything but linear. With the passage of time, what might have once been considered fallacy is now revisited with a deepened maturity and awareness; the same can be said in reverse. So while it is true that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, when it comes to Creditor's own spiritual sojourning, his act of relating personal recollections and later entwining them in this collection of evocative written word creates a most wondrous textured and woven shared lived (and living) history." - Daphne Lazar-Price, Executive Director, Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance"Everything feeds into Rabbi Creditor's observations about the world and about the soul. He is a Magid, a storyteller, and a Musarnick, a moral counselor and advisor. Menachem Creditor is a Rabbi. These are not essays that demand to be read in sequence but they demand to be read with seriousness. Don't get me wrong - they are not difficult to read or to understand. But each one has many levels, and you can skip from one part to the other and find your appreciation deepening with each reading. The Talmud teaches, in one of its most beautiful and fanciful statements, that behind each blade of grass is an angel that whispers 'grow.' Behind each essay here is the same whisper, urging us to grow. Only it does not come from an angel; it comes from a Rabbi. Read, and grow." - from the Foreword by Rabbi David Wolpe

BACHYE’S “Guide to the Duties of the Heart” is the unique work that first linked the ethical science of the West with the emotional and spiritual morality of the East. It combines, in an artistic unity, elements drawn from the philosophy and contemplative mysticism of the Arabs, from Biblical and Rabbinic Judaism, and from Greek thought. By exhibiting the spiritual foundations of universal Ethics, and of the moral law of the Bible, in the light of pure reason, Bachye prepared the way for finding that common ground on which, wholly or in part, all the moral religions, and all the non religious systems of morality, are rooted. Therefore, although actually written in Spain, a land of the West, it forms a fitting opening volume for the “Wisdom of the East Series.” Only a small part of the original finds a place in the following pages; but I have in my translation—sometimes literal, now and again a summarised —endeavoured to give a selection of passages connected by the author’s central thought, and showing his line of argument and the aim and spirit of his work, instead of a mere collection of pithy sayings and isolated, beautiful, but disconnected reflections. This was the only way of doing justice to an author, some of whose reasonings are out of date, but the spirit of whose main contention is eternally valid; a teacher of virtue and duty, who did not attempt to inculcate this or that individual virtue, but aimed at the formation of character and conditions in which right conduct would be inevitable, so that details might well be left to take care of themselves. If the modern world owes its delight in physical beauty, and much of its sense of the true in Nature and in Art, to Greece; its ideal of goodness, and practically all the spiritual elements in our thought and feeling, our conception of holiness, and every moral characteristic of civilisation and of culture, have come to us from the Orient. For the form and system of Ethics we may be indebted to the few Hellenic thinkers whose sublime intellects raised them above the phenomenal world into a clear atmosphere of ideas, always suffused with the light of truth and justice; but all the permanent and vital contents of Ethics came, living and pulsating, with their vitalising possibilities, both into that atmosphere and into our life of to-day, with the glow of dawn from the East. Indeed, the two cardinal ideas essential to all present and future moral systems—the sanctity of human life as such, and the absolutely universal authority and validity of moral law and obligation—are entirely absent from even the writings of Plato, the greatest of the Greeks. These two are among the most definite colours that the prism of modern thought has enabled us to single out in our perception of the pure white light, from the sun of righteousness, that shone on Sinai. They are specially characteristic of the Hebrew moral teaching which the three great religions—Judaism, Christianity and Islamism—have spread throughout the world.

As Abba’s children, we need only to define ourselves through His Son, just as the apostle John did—as one beloved by God. Through this timeless devotional, author and speaker Brennan Manning brings you from a lukewarm, distant faith to being close enough to lean against Jesus—the Great Rabbi—and listen to His heartbeat. Adapted from the best-seller Abba’s Child, this daily reminder of the Father’s relentless love will help you accept your identity as a child of God as you grow in spiritual formation.

This volume is a compelling invitation to meditate on the deeper meaning of the fourteen verses of Psalm 27. During the month of Elul and the High Holy Day and Festival season, we reflect on our relationships, choices, beliefs, and practices, considering where to make repairs, adjustments, and atonement. Opening Your Heart with Psalm 27 provides gentle guidance through this journey of reflection, offering heartfelt insight, profound translation, and an invaluable framework for meaningfully participating in this annual spiritual practice.

A deeply personal journey to interfaith collaboration that offers hope for an inclusive and healing way of being together in the world. Too often religion seems to fuel more hatred than love, more conflict than collaboration. Interfaith Talk Radios interfaith amigosa pastor, a rabbi and an Imamprovide a rich understanding of the road to interfaith collaboration by sharing their stories, challenges, and the inner spiritual work necessary to go beyond tolerance to a vital, inclusive spirituality. From their deep commitment and lived experience, they present ways we can work together to transcend the differences that have divided us historically. Together they explore: The five stages of the interfaith journey The power of our stories The core of our traditions The promises and problems of our traditions New dimensions of spiritual identity And much more Along with inspiring insights and encouragement for tapping into the promise of interfaith dialogue, they provide practical actions, additional readings and discussion questions to help you embody their revolutionary spirit of healing.

Shows us how to understand and meet the challenges of our own process of aging—and the aging of those we care about—from a Jewish perspective, from midlife through the elder years. Over 40 contributors offer their insights and experiences through personal narrative, text studies, poems, ceremonies and stories about aging, retiring, growing, learning, caring for elderly parents, living and dying.

An instant New York Times bestseller! Journey with Kathie Lee Gifford and Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel into Israel and explore the deep roots of the Christian faith. As a lifelong student of Scripture, Kathie Lee Gifford has always desired a deeper understanding of God’s Word and a deeper knowledge of God Himself. But it wasn’t until she began studying the biblical texts in their original Hebrew and Greek—along with actually hiking the ancient paths of Israel—that she found the fulfillment of those desires. Now you can walk with Kathie on a journey through the spiritual foundations of her faith: The Rock (Jesus Christ): Hear directly from Kathie about her life-changing and ever-deepening connection with Jesus, the Lover of her soul. The Road (Israel): Explore dozens of ancient landmarks and historical sites from Israel, the promised land of God’s covenant. The Rabbi (God’s Word): Go beyond a Sunday-school approach to the Bible by digging into the original languages and deeper meanings of the Holy Scriptures. As you journey through The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi, you’ll also find additional content from Messianic Rabbi Jason Sobel throughout the book. Jason’s insight into the Hebrew language, culture, and heritage will open your eyes to the Bible like never before. Begin your journey toward a deeper faith through The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi.