Mar 8, 2016
Book Review: When God is Near
NOTE: I was not paid to review this book. It is an unbiased and objective review. If you have a book with Jewish or Israel related content and would like me to write a review, contact me for details of where to send me a review copy of the book.
Book Review: When God is Near, by Rabbi Yehuda Amital
When God is Near, On The High Holidays, by Rabbi Yehuda Amital, has been a new experience for me. I have never read anything from Rav Amital before and was not sure what to expect.
You might think it strange to be reading a book about the High Holidays now, between Chanukah and Pesach, rather than closer to the High Holidays themselves, and I thought so too at first. But, truthfully, is tshuva, repentance, introspection and all that really just meant to be limited to Elul and Tishrei? Tshuva is meant to be a full-time endeavor. And, I guess, it is never really too early to begin preparing for the High Holidays.
When God is Near was really written by Rav Amital's son, Rav Yoel Amital, compiled from his father's sichot, his talks in the yeshiva. Rav Yoel writes a beautiful introduction, much of which is technical as he describes how he worked to stay true to the original sichot, describing his father and his style and connection to his talmidim.
When God is Near is a mussar sefer. It is his sichot from the yomim noraim, but what he talks about is relevant over the entire year. What I found special about these sichot is the way he connects them to the overall life and culture we are involved in, and not just to have the reader or listener work on his middos. He relates to our lives on a national and social level as part of our being - in sichot he talks about, for example, students who will be missing form the beis medrash over the holidays because they will be serving in the army and how to deal with tefilla in that regard, but also in the sense that we have obligations or responsibilities to more than just ourselves, but to the entire community. Rav Amital is not just giving mussar in these books, but he is giving direction.
The essays were, to me at least, fresh and inspiring and subtly different than what I was used to..
buy When God is Near on Maggid-KorenBook Review: When God is Near, by Rabbi Yehuda Amital
When God is Near, On The High Holidays, by Rabbi Yehuda Amital, has been a new experience for me. I have never read anything from Rav Amital before and was not sure what to expect.
You might think it strange to be reading a book about the High Holidays now, between Chanukah and Pesach, rather than closer to the High Holidays themselves, and I thought so too at first. But, truthfully, is tshuva, repentance, introspection and all that really just meant to be limited to Elul and Tishrei? Tshuva is meant to be a full-time endeavor. And, I guess, it is never really too early to begin preparing for the High Holidays.
When God is Near was really written by Rav Amital's son, Rav Yoel Amital, compiled from his father's sichot, his talks in the yeshiva. Rav Yoel writes a beautiful introduction, much of which is technical as he describes how he worked to stay true to the original sichot, describing his father and his style and connection to his talmidim.
When God is Near is a mussar sefer. It is his sichot from the yomim noraim, but what he talks about is relevant over the entire year. What I found special about these sichot is the way he connects them to the overall life and culture we are involved in, and not just to have the reader or listener work on his middos. He relates to our lives on a national and social level as part of our being - in sichot he talks about, for example, students who will be missing form the beis medrash over the holidays because they will be serving in the army and how to deal with tefilla in that regard, but also in the sense that we have obligations or responsibilities to more than just ourselves, but to the entire community. Rav Amital is not just giving mussar in these books, but he is giving direction.
The essays were, to me at least, fresh and inspiring and subtly different than what I was used to..
buy When God is Near on Amazon.com
NOTE: I was not paid to review this book. It is an unbiased and objective review. If you have a book with Jewish or Israel related content and would like me to write a review, contact me for details of where to send me a review copy of the book.
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I have the Hebrew edition. It is excellent. Rav Amital stands out as being able to convey depth and impact, with a 'normal' (a word he sometimes used) balance. When I was young I came across his thin book of essays, Hamaalot M'maamakim. It impressed me so much that I ran back to Lichtenstein et Holder and bought up the remaining few copies to give to friends.
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