Witnesses to the One: The Spiritual History of the Sh'ma

by Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler, Elyse Goldstein (Foreword)

An exploration of Judaism's most sacred statement and world-changing idea. "Hear O Israel, the Eternal is Our God, the Eternal is One!" There is arguably no more important statement in Judaism than the Sh'ma. Its words―calling us to hear, to listen, to pay attention―defy direct translation and have meant different things throughout history. In a deeply personal exploration of this sacred proclamation, command, and prayer, Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler delves into the spiritual history of the Sh’ma, inspiring you to claim your own personal meaning in these enduring words. By examining how the Sh’ma has been commented upon by ancient sages and contemporary thinkers, he opens the doors between each generation that has found a different dimension of truth in the Sh’ma. Each chapter focuses on a major historical figure and includes a sacred story, an exploration into the story’s many meanings, and a suggestion for a new way of "hearing" the voice in the story. Experience the Sh’ma through the lives w Moses―Fighting Idolatry w Akiba ben Joseph―The Sages Offer Their Lives w Saaida Gaon―Proving the One w Moses Maimonides―Nothing Like God w Haim Vital―Communing with the One w Moses Haim Luzzatto― “Master of the Universe” w Abraham Isaac Kook―A Nation Reborn w Leo Baeck―One Moral Standard w Abraham Joshua Heschel―A “One World or No World”

Genres: Judaism, Jewish, Judaica

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a very readable historical overview of the ideas of Jewish thinkers throughout history. In each chapter, the author shares a bit about the thinker's life and times, as well as his important ideas and contributions to Jewish thought. Then, the person's writings about the Sh'ma are explored as illustration of the general thinking. The reader gets a nice variety of ideas about what the Sh'ma is about, including ideas that conflict with other ideas. The author acknowledges that he could have included more people, including women, but that he chose thinkers that illustrate a good variety of ideas in Jewish religious and philosophical thought.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice, offered a wide array of perspectives and thinking points.

[Shoshanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting to see how the concept of g-d has been thought about over time....