(Part 2) Best products from r/Judaism

I've got some suggestions!

One of my favorite books is The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish Identity in Buddhist India by Rodger Kamenetz. The book chronicles a journey by the first Jewish delegation to meet with the Dalai Lama. The rabbis involved come from different backgrounds. Some are more mystical than others, but each have important things to say. As a bonus, it's a thrilling adventure and you get to learn a little bit about Tibetan Buddhism. Also, Kamenetz is a beautiful writer.

Now, you mentioned "mysticism." So mysticism in Judaism often defaults to Kabbalah. Many Jews and Jewish denominations do not believe in Kabbalah. So keep that in mind. But of course, there are Jews who do believe in it. So certainly it should be discussed. Anyway, there's a lot of misinformation about Kabbalah out there, much of which spread by the Kabbalah Centre. Just as "Yoga" means something different to a Hindu and an American, so too does "Kabbalah" mean something different in Judaism than to an American. New-Age movements are inspired by ancient traditions, but it's best not to confuse them with the ancient traditions.

Anyway, much of Kabbalah derives from the Zohar. Daniel C. Matt is a wonderful scholar, and has a book with selections of the Zohar translated called Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment. He also has a book called The Essential Kabbalah: The Heart of Jewish Mysticism which presents translated primary sources to explain many concepts in Kabbalah. It's a pretty book, and a fun read. Also, here is a video of Daniel C. Matt speaking, just to give you a taste of who he is.

Daniel C. Matt's Zohar: The Book of Enlightenment has a forward by Rabbi Arthur Green. Green is a leader in Reconstructionist Judaism and Neo-Hasidism, and a scholar of Jewish mysticism. He has a book called Radical Judaism: Rethinking God and Tradition which outlines a liberal and panentheistic Judaism deriving from Hasidic Kabbalah. Green is a theologian while Matt is a scholar, so Green is presenting a cohesive spiritual view while Matt is simply presenting documents. Green's book is pretty short. I think some of his ideas are nice, but some of them didn't do anything for me. Maybe it's the kind of thing you'd like to check out.

Green's book is based on Hasidism which is a mystical Jewish movement which is derived from Lurianic Kabbalah. I have a few books on my reading list for Hasidism waiting to be read. Of what I've read, I greatly enjoyed Ellie Wiesel's Souls on Fire: Portraits and Legends of the Hasidic Masters. Wiesel's book is a collection of tales and descriptions of the different Hasidic leaders. Stories and the character of different leaders have been very important in Hasidism, so this is a good book to give you a feel of Hasidism. Many of the tales invoke a sense of ecstasy, love, and awe. There's also Martin Buber's Tales of the Hasidim, but I found it a little drier than Wiesel's book.

The Chabad is a well known Hasidic organization. Their website offers a lot of information on regular Jewish concepts, but they also have articles on a whole range of mysticism. Further, the Chabad also has a digital library with many books relevant to their Hasidic philosophy. Their website has a lot to offer, but I have some qualms about the Chabad and am wary to be overly reliant on them. Still, they're certainly a resource you should be aware of.

As /u/juden-shikker points out, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan is a great resource on meditation, Kabbalah, and mysticism. Further, Gershom Scholem is considered the father of academic study of Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism. Scholem has numerous books on a range of mystical topics in Judaism. Moshe Idel was a student of Scholem and in some ways a successor to him. Idel has published many works. Significantly, he has written on Abraham Abulafia and Prophetic Kabbalah (as opposed to Theosophical Kabbalah which is what most people saying, "Kabbalah," refer to). These authors would all serve as great resources for you.

If you're interested in more earth-based spirituality and feminist themes, Rabbi Jill Hammer has a website called Tel Shemesh devoted to these themes. She's also written a beautifully poetic book called The Jewish Book of Days: A Companion for All Seasons. For each day of the Jewish Year she quotes a verse from the Tanakh and a related quote from Midrash or Talmud. She then writes about the importance of that day in the Jewish Year or discusses a seasonally appropriate Jewish legend. It's interesting and beautifully written, however sometimes you have to take what she writes with a grain of salt. I also disagree with some of her sources. Still, though, she's a beautiful writer with something a little different to offer.

And finally there's Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Jewish Renewal. Gosh, what can one even say about Rabbi Zalman and Jewish Renewal? Some love them, some hate them. For some they're purely a phenomenon of one generation which is on its way out. Who knows? Maybe some of his works and the Jewish Renewal organization will be of some value to you. Also, Rabbi Zalman is one of the rabbis who traveled to meet the Dalai Lama in the first book I mentioned.

For the past few months I've been doing a lot of study on Jewish mysticism. So that's why I'm so ready and willing to throw books at you. I have other books as well, but the ones I've listed here give a wide variety of different views in Jewish mysticism and spirituality. Plus, I found all these ones to be pretty fun reads. Hope this could help!

As a person who converted through the Reform movement, I highly suggest that you take a holistic approach to your initial study of Judaism. Getting a better idea of where other movements are coming from will not only give you a better grounding in Judaism as a whole, but it will foster understanding between movements and also put you in a better position to decide which movement works best for you.

Personally, even though I converted Reform, I don't actually identify strongly as a Reform Jew, because it's a bit too free form for me (in particular, I became very frustrated when the response to any question I had about observance essentially boiled down to 'do whatever makes you feel good'). That said, like you, I don't identify completely with the theology or some of the practices of Orthodoxy (separation of men and women being one of them), so I wouldn't make a good Orthodox Jew even though I'm more observant than, oh, 90% of Reform Jews.

Take the advice of other people in this thread and try out several different synagogues and Jewish events in your area, if possible. And read a lot on Judaism from different perspectives. Even if you strongly identify with the Reform movement (which is totally fine--I am not knocking the movement, it just isn't 100% for me), it will still be helpful to understand other levels of observance.

Some books I suggest you check out:

• Basic Judaism by Milton Steinberg -- This book gives a brief and easy-to-read overview of the basics of both traditional (Orthodox) and liberal Judaism. VERY good place to start your studies.
  
• Choosing a Jewish Life by Anita Diamant is a good overview of the conversion process and some of the issues coverts face. Been a while since I read this, but it's definitely not from an Orthodox perspective--I think it strives to be more neutral as far as denomination goes.
  
• I also highly recommend To Pray as a Jew by Hayim Halevy Donin. This is an introduction to the synagogue service and its prayers. Very informative book. It is written from an Orthodox perspective, and will be easier to follow once you are further along in your studies, I think, but it's a wonderful resource.
  
  Particularly because you mentioned that you are a feminist, I thought you might also be interested in:
  
  
• How to run a Traditional Jewish Household by Blu Greenberg. This book is written from a Modern Orthodox perspective by a well-known Orthodox feminist. It gives a lot of background and information about Orthodox customs that aren't as well-known to more liberal Jews (like the concept of an eruv, for example). Though I don't identify as an Orthodox Jew myself, I found this book fascinating and it really helped me solidify my own practice and feelings about traditional Judaism.
  
• Life on the Fringes: A Feminist Journey Toward Traditional Rabbinic Ordination by Haviva Ner-David is an account of Ner-David's journey to becoming one of the first women granted the equivalent of Orthodox semicha (ordination) in Israel. I found it very eye-opening. It is definitely possible to be a feminist and be traditional. I don't agree with everything she says/does, but this is another great book to give you a perspective on how and why Orthodox Jews do things the way they do.
  
  Welcome to the path of Jewish study. If you ever have any other specific questions about converting Reform or need support in your studies or your journey, please feel free to PM me any time.

nice! welcome to your new life needing lots of space for books lol

1. How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws (helps you appreciate and learn to take on keeping kosher- you can do it!)
   
2. How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household (this one is a MUST! esp. if you're a woman, but still amazing for men to read as well. despite the title, it's just a wonderful glimpse into traditional/orthodox jewish life and the writing itself is really fresh even though it was written in the 80s. i recently re-read it and it holds up! literally laughed and cried reading it, it's just a fun read that goes through all the major themes of jewish life like holidays, keeping shabbat, laws of family purity, tzniut, etc.)
   
3. The Garden of Emuna: A Practical Guide to Life (this book is about faith/spirituality from a breslov chassidic pov. it's very well-known amongst chassidic circles and is written by a brilliant rabbi i've come to follow since reading this book. it literally changed my life and every one of his books brings me closer to G-d, i tell everyone about this book now and i promise you won't regret it! remember while it's good to have the 101s of judaism down, without a strong foundation in your faith and personal relationship with G-d it's all kinda moot so be sure to include spirituality and personal growth in your studies as well.)

Dont feel bad about not knowing. I spent more than a year doing research before I even first approached a Rabbi. For us learning is a life long process.

Books:

• Jews, God and History will give you a good understanding of our history as a people. Many major empires have tried to destroy us, by all rights we should not be here any more but our oppressors end up consigned to museums and history books.
  
  
• Basic Judaism seems to be good
  
  
• To Be a Jew is highly recommend by many.
  
  
• Becoming A Jew also popular regarding Orthodox conversion.
  
  
• Essential Judaism seems to be Reform oriented but may contain a more broad oversight than just that viewpoint.
  
  
• Being Jewish was one I read that I thought offered lots of good information overall.
  
  Possibly most importantly I'd say you need a Jewish bible with commentary. I'd recommend the Stone Chumash. I also keep a JPS Hebrew/English Tanakh on my desk. The "chumash" (AKA the Torah) is the five books of Moses. The "Tanakh" is the Torah, Prophets and Writings, the entire Hebrew bible .I say a "Jewish Bible" because 1) the translation is more direct from Hebrew, without the distortions of the KJV/NIV/etc. 2) you also get commentary on the text from key Jewish scholars throughout the ages to help you understand the meaning of the text, this part is very important.
  
  All above book links are to Amazon but I am not an affiliate and do not gain in any way. You can probably find all those and more at a specialty Judaica shop like http://www.judaism.com or another similar site.
  
  BTW you probably want to go over this site entirely http://www.jewfaq.org/ It is written by an Orthodox guy so is slanted that way but the information is all good.

It sounds comforting to say that Judaism is an immovable rock in the sea of time, and yes we have concrete proof that the text of the Torah is unchanged, but even that has some cracks (namely the case of the Three Scrolls) and the Torah itself is not the core of Jewish practice for anyone but groups like the Karaites. The Talmud, even in its unbroken sequence has proven to be a very organic, living document. That's both by design and necessity. Jews and Jewish practice has absolutely changed and adapted to a changing world. For example, prohibitions against providing aid non-Jews have been relaxed and allowances for things like polygamy and child marriage restricted. We can't pretend pre-digital laws perfectly fit into 2019 any more than we could expect to live as one did in Babylonia or Jerusalem during Talmudic times in the modern day. Judaism has evolved.

That's not to say halacha is flexible. It is absolutely rigid and unbending in a pure exercise of letter-of-the-law legalism. But the halachic process is far more organic than hardliners will admit. Rabbinic decision-making is not one of prophetic revelation or divine decree, it's made by humans in response to changing human conditions. But the core strength of the process does not lie in the verdict, as Loius Ironson points out in Angels in America, but the process of debate and investigation by which we get there that makes Judaism unique among religions. Many books have been written about the extrajudicial decisions made by rabbis over the centuries that deviate from the law based on the reality of a situation, and even some on the efforts to ignore or outright deny these halachic decisions. Herman Wouk talks about this in This Is My God, calling it the 'slow veto' of Judaism, whereby changes to modern living start with the decisions of old, but are adjusted by necessity as communities accept or reject where they must to survive.

I've come to think of the Torah less as 'the bible' and more as the Constitution. It's a framework document, the core of all the myriad of legal decisions and counter-decisions and counter-counter-decisions over the centuries. It in and of itself is not a working document for how to live life, but it's the core of the larger Jewish superstructure. We'll always be hated and viewed as backward by some and called bigots by others, and while the core is unchanging the greater Jewish lifestyle and understanding is able to adjust where it needs as it always has.

>What the Hatham Sofer wrote is straightforward enough. The Haredi velt has a long history of whitewashing history when it inconveniences the contemporarily accepted social narrative.

It is not disparagement, it is an acknowledged sociological fact that has been documented time and over again. For a lengthy study of the phenomenon see Dr. Marc Shapiro's "Changing the Immutable".

If in this specific context, you would like to understand how I believe it constitutes whitewashing, see this excerpt:

>Perhaps the posek most responsible for creating resistance to accepting the Hatam Sofer at face value was the Maharam Schick... There is certainly no one capable of denying the status of the Maharam Schick as a leading posek and communal leader of the second half of the 19th century, and as the Gadol who came closest to inheriting the mantle of leadership of his teacher, the Hatam Sofer. But... The Ḥatam Sofer certainly did not consult Rabbi Schick (who at that time was still engaged in private study in Halitsch) before composing his 1837 reply to another former student ― Rabbi Horowitz, Chief Rabbi of Vienna since 1829. Rabbi Schick certainly did not receive any direct information on this issue from his revered teacher, for if he had, he most certainly would have mentioned
it at some point in the two Responsa that he composed regarding MBP [mesisah b'peh].
.

As for a "rule one warning" - I have not been a "jerk" (though your suggesting I have been seems kind of jerky). If the moderators feel the need to now censor me after years (longer than you've had your account) of demonstrated civil participation on this forum, I will definitely have to reconsider my participation in /r/Judaism.

I love the Jewish Study Bible too! To my knowledge, the only similar translation- and really the only modern translation whatsoever- of the Talmud is Artscroll. This is the go-to translation for Talmud scholars in yeshivas everywhere. Luckily it's a very good translation, crowdsourced from many Talmudic scholars all across the world.

I did manage to find a free translation online which uses the standardized page format.

Regarding Artscroll: only Orthodox scholars were involved, and no secular scholarship whatsoever. It's a thoroughly Orthodox translation instead of a "consensus". They're also a bit pricy for the full set.

But luckily you don't need the full set, because it's going to take you your whole life to read it!

Traditionally, the Talmud is not learned in order (probably because the beginning is extremely dull imo). A good starting point is Bava Kama "The First Gate", the beginning of which deals with the different types of animal damages. It's one of my favorite pieces of gemara, honestly. (It's also the page I linked to for the online translation.)

Last thing: you don't want to just read the Talmud, it's not that kind of book. Rabbi Dov Linzer gives a daily class on a single page, and he's been doing it for years. Read the page first, then listen to the class and follow along, then go back and read the page again.

TLDR:

1. free translation
   
2. Artscroll Bava Kama
   
3. Rabbi Dov Linzer
   
   EDIT: Forgot to mention, arrays start at 2. Page 2 is the first page of every book, because reasons. So that is the first video of the series :)

Congratulations on observing kashrut!

Rice and veggies, wraps, so many options! I recommend looking through food blogs to get ideas, and then if the recipe needs it- make it kosher!

One great kosher food blog I love is Kosher in the Kitch

also, if you need any more information on the laws of Kashrut, or a good guide (as it can be confusing at times), here are two:
How to Keep Kosher

The Kosher Kitchen

> orthodoxy has always had the same beliefs and the same observances. The only changes are in regards to custom, and even then at a glacial pace.

The order in which the blessing vs lighting the candles changed in Hadlakat Nerot specifically because of the Esseans their are others but that is the one that I can think of offhand.

I have on my ever expanding reading list a book about changes in Orthadoxy called Changing the Immutable: How Orthodox Judaism Rewrites Its History by Marc Shapiro that I want to get to. The People's Prayerbook series (Hoffman) goes into some good history as well but they are easier used as a reference (IMO). Their is also a good article on the above book here.

The article points out some other items like the fact that men were not allowed to use mirrors, and one opinion in the Talmud was to allow fowl and milk to be cooked together. Orthodox Judaism does change they just do it in the Talmud, but that also allows for re-writing of things. *Rabbinic Judaism itself was only created after the destruction of the second Temple and takes a lot of it's practices from the Babylonian exile.

Yes, I think Catholics have a lot of the same tradition sort of perspective vs Protestants so that's interesting. Honestly, there's a lot. If you ever go to a rabbi's office it's like a library. At least in my experience. My humble suggestion to dip a toe in would be read the weekly parasha. So, we divide the Torah into sections and every week at shabbat service one section is read. And that section is paired with a reading from the Prophets that somehow relates to the Torah portion. So, what you could do is, get a translation of the Torah you like (I use Etz Chaim: https://www.amazon.com/Etz-Hayim-Commentary-David-Lieber/dp/0827607121) and hopefully that will include footnotes with blurbs from commentaries and other literature like Talmud etc. Or, you could look here https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/guide-to-weekly-torah-commentaries-online/ and use those to read alongside the weekly portion as well. There's a bunch to choose from. I subscribe to Jonathan Sacks' mail list and also Mechon Hadar's and every week they send an e-mail with some explanation of the portion always citing from our other sources.

Have you read Jewish Literacy? Also, while this is written by an Orthodox Rabbi, Rabbi Aryeh Moshen's Gerus Guide may be helpful. This is my God is a popular suggestion. Here's a reading list suggested by Orthodox courts. Given your interest in Conservative Judaism, you may find Rabbinic Authority interesting, although it's a little advanced. I found Maimonides' introduction to the Talmud to be a great intro to the idea of the Oral Law.

Also, check out /r/Giyur if you need help/support.

I'm not sure. I guess the first step would be basic Jewish thought (theology, ethics, and basic principles), so I would recommend the same basic books I would recommend most Jewish adult beginning students:

• The Aryeh Kaplan Anthology, vol. 1 (volume 2 gets into material that is specifically Jewish practice)
  
  
• With Perfect Faith by J. David Bleich
  
  
• A Maimonides Reader by Isadore Twersky
  
  
• The Nineteen Letters by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch.
  
  
• Sayings of the Fathers by Joseph H. Hertz (a translation of the Talmudic tractate Avos, which deals with ethics and thought, with a basic commentary).
  
  I would also recommend a good basic, one volume translation and commentary on the Torah (i.e. the five books of Moses). My personal recommendation for you would be the the Hertz Pentateuch. However the the Artscroll Stone Chumash, and the Hirsch Pentateuch are also very good.
  
  These ought to get you off to a solid start.

No problem, if you want some starter books here are some that I enjoyed reading.

Tefillin by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan

Judaism and Christianity: A contrast by Rabbi Stuart Federow

Kashrut, Tefillin, Tzitzit by Stephen Bailey

Basic Judaism by Rabbi Milton Steinberg

These are some pretty good books to read giving you a little bit of an insight to some basic Jewish practices.

Aish.com is a good website for info and you can ask the Rabbi a question too.

Chabad.org is similar to Aish and you can, again, ask the Rabbi a question.

You should still go to a Rabbi and talk to him about your reasons for your desire to convert as well as the process.

I highly recommend the Hertz Chumash (Bible). The translation can be a bit stilted, but it has some of the best commentary around: http://www.amazon.com/The-Pentateuch-Haftorahs-Translation-Commentary/dp/0900689218

I've heard good things about the Koren, as well: http://www.korenpub.com/EN/products/tanakh/tanakh/9789653011625

My recipe:

Mix 5 tsp yeast and 1 3/4 cups of warm water together, let sit for 5 minutes. Mix in 1/2 cup oil, 1 cup sugar, 1 tbsp salt (I use kitchen aid mixer). Then add in 5 whisked eggs, one by one. Then add 8 cups of flour, one cup at a time. Allow at least a few minutes for flour to mix in well. If dough still looks wet after 8 cups (if its still sticking to the side or the bottom), add in 1/4 cup flour at a time until no longer sticky. I normally add in about 1/2 cup more, sometimes less sometimes more. Allow to rise at room temperature for about 1-2 hours. If you need to refrigerate it overnight, punch down the dough and then store it in the refrigerator overnight. Cover it with Saran wrap so that it doesn't dry out. Take out challah dough from refrigerator about 3 hours before you plan to braid it so that it has time to warm up to room temperature.

For coloring:

We used this: https://www.amazon.com/McCormick-Food-Colors-Neon-0-25/dp/B000V89GEW/ref=asc_df_B000V89GEW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241990299491&hvpos=1o2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1455823531753279850&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031300&hvtargid=pla-583650341205&psc=1

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And this: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/6434487604899626170?biw=1280&bih=561&q=gel+tube+food+coloring&oq=gel+tube+food+coloring&prds=epd:13820419090589240314,prmr:3&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidxLGY5LDjAhVIqp4KHXocAn8Q8wIIlwM

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Add the colors before the egg/flour step. If you need to add colors after adding flour, its better to add it in when the dough is still wet and allow the added color to mix in as much as possible.

For red: use the Betty Crocker red

For orange: mix the McKormick pink and the Betty Crocker yellow

For green: Mostly McKormick green, add a little Betty Crocker green to darken it (that's what we did)

Blue: same as green

Purple: Use McKormick purple (I don't think we added anything else)

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To braid: I watched this Jamie Geller video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWSPfToKiYA

After braiding, I like to wait for it to rise (second proofing step) for 30-45 minutes.

Before baking, apply egg wash liberally. Smother that goodness in whisked egg.

Baking: I use 350F but the time really depends on the size of your challah. The recipe I just gave you would make 2 very large challahs which would take about 40-50 minutes to bake all the way through. A smaller challah would take about 20 minutes. During baking, I recommend rotating it every 10 min or so to get even sides. Pull when the top looks golden brown. This step might take some trial and error. Once I pulled it when the top was golden brown but it was still raw inside! If the top is getting burnt but you need to bake longer, place some aluminum tin foil on top of it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0394532589/?tag=mh0b-20&hvadid=7009917304&hvqmt=b&hvbmt=bb&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_1tj7s5fs3_b

The book above is by Claudia Roden. It's Amazing. It takes a much more anthropological view of Jewish food. It's equal parts cook book and cultural history. even from jews in china or india. amazing

https://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Jewish-Recipes-Rabinowitz-Family/dp/0761135812/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1494968407&sr=1-1&keywords=cooking+jewish

This one is collected from one family. it's great. much more practical as all these recipes are actually used by people in the family. Each one has a story about each dish.

They’re more expensive because they’re more trusted. They’re more trusted because they have more resources and offer more services. Those resources cost a lot of money.

And we do in fact have lots of research to support the idea that some agencies are more trusted than others, and that switching agencies usually increases sales.

"Etz Chaim Chumash" has the official JPS '85 translation considered the gold standard in academia. It's a real, straightforward translation (no allegories) and this printing has outstanding commentaries and summaries of the best meforshim. It comes with Haftarah as well and some other goodies (I think it might come with handy maps of Ancient Israel and the like).

Comes in hardcover and the significantly cheaper/lighter paperback.

If you don't need a translation into English, I'd advise the Koren series.

It was just me and my younger brother at home, and our cousin/friend stayed over. My brother shopped, cooked and cleaned, so it was a pretty good deal for me.

I spent most of Shabbas reading The Legacy, so now I'm feeling extra Litvish and confident in my hashkafa and also quite inadequate in my conduct... I do highly recommend it for everyone.

I have a few. In order from most popular and general to most academic and specific. All of these are great. Probably the second is my favorite.

Yiddish Civilization


The Golden Age Shtetl

Yankel's Tavern

The Lord's Jews

My favorite is still the first Jewish cookbook I ever bought: The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden. Roden's family was from Egypt, and the book is nicely divided between Ashkenazi and Sephardic recipes, with solid, simple recipes for all. However, it does have the regular format divided up by food type, and a lot of simple traditional dishes, so it may not be what you are looking for.

A couple that I like with menus include Kosher by Design (which has a bunch of sequels, including a Passover one with various seder menus) and The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen. Both of these have modern recipes, with the Design books more fussy and Seasonal more rustic. Seasonal only has a few formal menus, but its organization by holiday/season makes it easy to pick a section and stick to a managable list of appropriate recipes without being forced to flip around too much.

I read this biography a while back and learned a lot from it.

https://www.amazon.com/Rav-Kook-Mystic-Revolution-Jewsh/dp/0300164246/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=kook+mystic&qid=1550774558&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

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There are also some good English translations of some of his work, including this: https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Teshuvah-Rabbi-Avraham-Yitzchak/dp/1546425829/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=kook+teshuvah&qid=1550774573&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

​

I also highly recommend this amazing biography of R' Aryeh Levin, which often mentions his special relationship with Rav Kook:

https://www.amazon.com/Tzaddik-Our-Time-Rabbi-Aryeh/dp/1598262491/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=tzaddik+in+our+time&qid=1550774685&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull

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> There are some negative personality traits which I daily fall prey to that I want to eliminate

This is where I figured you were heading. You are certainly not alone, everyone probably has some trait that they could do without. It's a wonderful thing that you are so conscious of them and determined to change them - that's half the battle. To quote one of many rabbis: "For a person is alive only in order to break a [negative] character trait that he has not broken until now. Therefore one should always strengthen one’s self; for if he does not strengthen himself, why is he alive?” You're not likely to reach a point of "perfection" - but struggling in that direction is to really live.

There is a topic in Judaism called "mussar" - essentially self-improvement and character traits. There is an author Alan Morinis who has written a few books about mussar in a way that's accessible for non-Jews.

One thing that I keep in mind for myself is that one day I'll have children and I don't want to pass on my negative traits to them. God willing one day you'll have your own family, and you have the opportunity to build yourself up into the best possible husband and father. Figure out who you want to be, stay focused on it, and you can achieve it.

The classic is probably The Book of Jewish Food. Almost every Jewish kitchen I've come across has a copy, since it has recipes for all the well-known dishes (challah, gefilte fish, honey cake, bagels, etc), as well as hundreds more that aren't so common. If you only want one book, this will provide almost everything you need. If you want more of a library I agree that the Kosher by Design books are a good investment.

>Did you mean for posterity's sake??

I made it clear I wasn't trying to insult you. In fact this mistake came out only because I was doing that.

As far as why OP or anyone else in their position shouldn't "get an English Talmud" is unrelated to how intelligent they may or may not be, or more specifically their "command of English."

Non-Jews studying the Talmud is a rather serious prohibition. Furthermore there are problems with studying a nuanced work in a translated version. Lastly the Talmud isn't the sort of work that the uninitiated should study on their own. Especially not to "lookup the rules." The Shulchan Aruch would have been a much better suggestion for a source to "lookup the rules." Or even better, something along the lines of Shaarei Halachah.

>>>Also if you can get an English Talmud

What do you mean by a "Talmud?" You seem to imply an entire set of Shas. The Complete Artscroll English Talmud is currently selling on Amazon for $2,503.84. Assuming the sheer cost isn't a barrier to entry, it is a 73 set volume, so space might be. Kind of a silly suggestion for someone who just wants to determine their status, no? Or maybe you could guide them to the specific tractates that contain discussion of status. Do you which ones they are?

>If her command of English is like yours, you're probably right.

How do you know OP is female? There's nothing to indicate their gender. When gender is unknown there's a third person possessive pronoun we use, and it's not "her." "Did you mean" their??

Furthermore it's a bit rich to lash out at me for a spelling mistake when nearly everything you've submitted to this thread has been wrong. See all of the downvotes. Also see that the majority of comments in this thread are telling you why you're wrong.

To quote Pergamon111:
>Everything you are posting is wrong.... why?

At that age, I was going to my shul's youth minyan. It ended early, and the Rabbi who led it read this book to us, and gave us prizes for remembering the stories. It was awesome.

I have been practicing Mussar for 6ish years and it has changed my life.

"The Spiritual Practice of Good Actions: Finding Balance Through the Soul Traits of Mussar" is the most recent and accessible Mussar book. "Everyday Holiness" came out about ten years ago, and helped spark the current Mussar revival. "Changing the World from the Inside Out" brings together Mussar with social activism.

In terms of resources, American Mussar, The Mussar Institute, and the Center for Contemporary Mussar are good websites to look at.

There are other takes on Jewish meditation as well, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan has some great starter books explaining the concept. Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide & Meditation and Kabbalah

The sidebar which I'm linking here is a really great place to start. If you want to read the Torah, I suggest picking up a chumash, which is the Torah + commentary (don't read it without commentary). The one I use regularly is Etz Hayim.

The English Sefer ha-Aggadah is my all-time favorite Jewish book. I also like Isaac Bashevis Singer and Agnon a lot.

Not sure if you read the whole article, but its basic point was that fasting is a way to motivate repentance, not a way to effect it.

Most contemporary authorities oppose fasting as described by the Arizal, which would be very difficult on our bodies. The Alter Rebbe (the first Chabad rebbe) holds that it is better to give to charity, and Rebbe Nachman says that we should specifically not fast outside the required fasts.

The main way to fight anger is to internalize that everything we experience is G-d trying to draw us closer to Him. I strongly recommend this book as a starting point for anybody, religious or not, Jew or not.

When you say you purchased the Talmud, you mean the whole Talmud? Like this one?

Jewish Meditation sounds like what you're looking for!

There's a well-regarded biography that came out recently by Yehudah Mirsky.

There's also a new translation of Orot by Rabbi Bezalel Naor that you might like.

Maimonides' Introduction to the Talmud
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1880582287/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1-kMAbSZ4RGZJ

This book outlines the rambam's legal method and definitions. It's basically why I consider myself a rambamist.

Try this
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0805210377/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473133471&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=Jewish+meditation&dpPl=1&dpID=41DhIahkWLL&ref=plSrch

I don't, but I have a book on it. Aptly titled Jewish Meditation by Aryeh Kaplan.

Second on Telushkin's Jewish Literacy. For theology: God in Search of Man by R. Heschel. Also, Basic Judaism by R. Milton Steinberg

http://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Meditation-A-Practical-Guide/dp/0805210377