Witnesses to the One - by Joseph B Meszler (Paperback)

About the Book

A deeply personal exploration of Judaism's most sacred statement. Delve into the spiritual history of the Sh'ma and claim your own personal meaning in these enduring words. Traces the Sh'ma through the ages and in the lives of Jewish historical figures.

Book Synopsis

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 of: 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 Prophecy: "One World or No World"

Review Quotes

The Genesis of Leadership: What the Bible Teaches us about Vision, Values and Leading Change by Nathan Laufer. Foreword by Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. Preface by Dr Michael Hammer. Witnesses to the One: Spiritual History of the Sh'ma by Rabbi Joseph B. Mezler. Foreword by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein. Rosh Hashanah Readings: Inspiration, Information, Contemplation. Edited by Rabbi Dov Peretz Elkins with section introductions from Arthur Green's These Are The Words....

Witness to the One is an inspiring consideration of the Shema in terms of its impact on Jewish history and thought as seen through the life and experience of 9 individuals: Moses, Akiba, Saadia Gaon, Maimonides, Haim Vital, Moses Luzzatto, Rav Kook, Leo Baeck and Heschel with a final chapter that ties all the preceding together and invites the reader to actualise the message and power of the Shema in their own lives. This is a marvellous source text for adult education, in terms of the Shema itself, but also as access to the thought of the author's exemplars.

--Rabbi Dr Charles H Middleburgh "Union of Liberal & Progressive Synagogues "