Reddit mentions of Everyman's Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages

> Not only did the Rabbis believe in this perfect holiness of God,
but they insisted that it was the paramount duty of the Jew to
guard it from profanation by discreditable conduct on his part.
The House of Israel, as the chosen people of God, were the guardians
of His reputation in the world. By worthy actions they brought
credit upon Him and 'sanctified His name.' Base conduct, on the
other hand, had the effect of causing Chillul Hashem (profanation
of the Name).

>This tenet concerning the interrelationship between God and
Israel is of Biblical origin and finds its fullest expression in the
prophecies of Ezekiel (36:22-33) It was seized upon and elaborated by the
Rabbis until it became for them a fundamental motive of behaviour.
A bad action more than involved the Jew in personal guilt; it was
treachery to his God and people. Therefore a distinction was
drawn between a wrong done to a Gentile and to a co-religionist
on that ground. 'More serious is the defrauding of a non-Jew
than the defrauding of a brother Israelite on account of the profanation
of the Name' (Tosifta B.K. x. 15).

> To profane the Name was regarded as one of the most heinous of
sins. How serious was the view taken of such an offence may
be gathered from the statement, 'He who is guilty of profaning
the Name cannot rely on repentance, nor upon the power of the
Day of Atonement to gain him expiation, nor upon sufferings to
wipe it out; death alone can wipe it out' (Joma 86a). In other
places we find an even stricter attitude taken up, and the profaner
of the Name is classed among the five types of sinner for whom
there is no forgiveness (ARN XXXIX).

• Everyman’s Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages

Yes absolutely!

Thanks for asking.

Here’s a few links:

The Philosophy of Hebrew Scripture

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0521176670/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bsxzDbT284DPQ

Everyman's Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0805210326/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VsxzDbR6AG841

Hebrew Thought Compared with Greek

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0393005348/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_RtxzDbS4V0Q07

Let This Mind Be In You: An historical study of the differences between Greek and Hebrew thought

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017I1JE9Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VxxzDbP8JXNWA

For a good intro from the very basics in video format check this out

The guy that runs the channel has a website where you can get more info and study materials if you want as well. He is more on the reformed side and not conversion focused, rather education focused so it's a good starting place.

In book form there are these two which are excellent starting points:

Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash

Everyman's Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages

However as you go through this journey you will run into a lot of Judaic concepts, words and meanings. The best place to get the core canonized understandings of these IMO is Chabad’s Q&A section.
One thing to keep in mind when accessing info from Chabad is that they are very conversion focused and very conservative. Telling someone to learn about Judaism from Chabad is like telling someone to go talk to the Vatican to learn about Christianity, keep that in mind.

Once you get comfortable with the basics and core concepts I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore other expressions of Judaism as in addition to Hasidics (Chabad, etc…), there are conservatives (think Ben Shapiro) and reformed Judaism with there own interpretations. Then there is messianic Vs. non messianic schools so enough rabbit holes for a few lifetimes 😊

Yes and no, in my own way - I took a little break from Kabbalah after reading a number of different books about it, and and went on to a few other subjects. I sort of have this project in mind that is becoming massive and I'm trying to figure out how to tie everything together and deal with all the notes I have. I mean, I pretty much know how I'm going to do things, I just need to sit down and kick myself in the butt and get the writing done. But I want to tie in Kabbalah, as well as other Jewish ideas, with Christian mysticism, as well as historical Jesus scholarship and scientific ideas (a number of scientists have written books tying in Quantum Theory with mystical spirituality). And somehow despite my desire to focus on Judaism's connection to Christianity, as I've written the first couple sections of the series, some Buddhist ideas crept in.

But in any case, I have a copy of The Talmud (the one with Joseph Barclay listed as the editor, linked) and Tales and Maxims From the Midrash sitting on my kindle waiting to be read, and I also found a slightly used, very cheap copy of Everyman's Talmud: The Major Teachings of the Rabbinic Sages at the local McKay's (it's a place where people trade in media of their own and so you can buy other people's used stuff for really cheap).