Jewish Thought
Rishonim
“The first ones:” leading rabbis and thinkers who lived in the 11th through 15th centuries.
Akeidat Yitzchak
15th-century philosophical commentary on the Torah based on sermons the author delivered to his congregation.
Derashot HaRan
14th-century compilation of 12 discourses elucidating the fundamentals of Judaism alongside explanations of the Torah.
Duties of the Heart
11th-century treatise that details ten principles of spiritual life, focusing on obligations performed with the heart, like repentance.
Eight Chapters
Maimonides’ 12th-century philosophical introduction to Pirkei Avot, analyzing the soul, human purpose, and free will.
Guide for the Perplexed
Maimonides’ 12th-century philosophical masterwork, written as a letter to his student demonstrating the compatibility of Judaism and philosophy.
HaEmunot veHaDeot
10th-century treatise of Rav Saadia Gaon providing rational proof for traditional beliefs.
Kuzari
12th-century philosophical and apologetic dialogue between a rabbi and a pagan king about the truth and superiority of Judaism
Ma'amar al Yishmael
13th-century polemical work of the Rashba refuting an Islamic scholar who had attacked Judaism.
Minchat Kenaot
14th-century collection of correspondence about a campaign against the study of rationalist philosophy like the works of Maimonides.
Ohr Hashem
15th-century work of Rabbi Chasdai Crescas defining the principles of faith and criticizing attempts to harmonize Aristotelian rationalism with Jewish theology.
Sefer HaIkkarim
15th-century work detailing three principles of faith: God’s existence, the Torah’s divine origin, and divine reward and punishment.
The Wars of the Lord
14th-century work by the rationalist Ralbag on the basic tenets of faith, modeled after the Guide of the Perplexed.
Treatise on Logic
Maimonides’ 12th-century brief introduction to Aristotelian logic, written in Arabic in his early years.
Yesod Mora VeSod HaTorah
12th-century treatise of the Ibn Ezra with philosophical explanations of biblical commandments.
Acharonim
“The later ones:” leading rabbis and thinkers who lived in the 16th through 19th centuries.
Beit Elohim
16th-century work by Rabbi Moshe di Trani on prayer, repentance, and fundamental beliefs.
Derekh Hashem
18th-century work of the Ramchal systematically organizing the basics of Jewish thought in clear and accessible language.
Derush Chiddushei HaLevanah
17th-century treatise by Tosefot Yom-Tov expanding upon a midrash that describes God's diminishing of the moon during creation
Essay on Fundamentals
The Ramchal’s brief summary of his Derekh Hashem.
Horeb
19th-century work by R. Samson Raphael Hirsch that aims to convey the meanings of Jewish laws and inspire traditional observance
Imrei Binah
19th-century work of the Ben Ish Chai containing riddles, religious instruction, and Torah insights.
Kol HaTor
Work describing the teachings of the Vilna Gaon on the signs of redemption, first published in the 20th century.
Letter to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel
Letter sent from rabbis in Israel to the tribes that they hoped would be found by an emissary sent to Yemen in 1830.
Maharal
Works of the 16th-century mystic, philosopher, and talmudist Rabbi Yehuda Loew, commonly referred to as the Maharal of Prague.
Matteh Dan
18th-century work that follows the conversational style of Judah Halevi’s Kuzari and argues for the necessity and authenticity of rabbinic tradition.
Midrash HaIttamari
17th-century collection of sermons by Rabbi Eliyahu HaKohen of Smyrna
Nefesh HaChayim
Major 19th-century work of Rav Chaim of Volozhin on human purpose, God, Torah study, and prayer, incorporating kabbalistic elements.
Nineteen Letters
19th-century defense of Orthodoxy by R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, in the form of a fictional correspondence between a rabbi-philosopher and a young intellectual
On Resurrection of the Dead
17th-century work by Menasseh ben Israel defending traditional rabbinic views of immortality of the soul, reincarnation, and resurrection, in light of challenges posed by skeptics.
Parashat Derakhim
18th-century homiletical work by the chief rabbi of the Ottoman Empire and author of the Mishneh LaMelekh commentary on the Mishneh Torah.
Sefer HaHiggayon
18th-century work on logic by R. Moses Chaim Luzzatto, known as Ramchal.
Sefer HaMelitzah
18th-century work on rhetoric by R. Moses Chaim Luzzatto, known as Ramchal.
The Third Beit HaMikdash
18th-century work of Tosefot Yom Tov explaining the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the Third Temple
Torat HaOlah
16th-century work of the Rema that analyzes the sacrifices and service in the Temple, blending philosophy and Kabbalah
Modern
Dirshuni I
First-ever collection of midrashim written by contemporary Israeli women, covering topics from biblical stories to contemporary feminist issues.
Dirshuni II
First-ever collection of midrashim written by contemporary Israeli women, covering topics from biblical stories to contemporary feminist issues.
Eliezer Berkovits
Works of the 20th-century theologian, educator, and rabbi in Germany, England, Australia, and the United States.
Em HaBanim Semecha
20th-century book by Rabbi Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal arguing that redemption can come only if the Jewish people unite to rebuild the Land of Israel.
Gan Naul
18th-century work investigating Hebrew roots and their bases in Tanakh, focusing on the root “chakham” and its synonyms.
Halakhah and Aggadah
Landmark 20th-century essay of Hayim Nahman Bialik about law, narrative, and the relationship between them
Hegyonei Uziel
20th-century work on the fundamentals of faith by Rav Ben-Zion Uziel, the first Sephardic chief rabbi of Israel
In the Narrow Places; Daily Inspiration for the Three Weeks
21st-century work by Dr. Erica Brown with short essays and prompts for reflection for each day of the period from the 17th of Tammuz through Tisha B’Av.
Kol Dodi Dofek
20th-century essay by Rav Soloveitchik on God in the Holocaust and the State of Israel, considered a classic of contemporary religious Zionism.
Leadership in the Wilderness; Authority and Anarchy in the Book of Numbers
21st-century work by Dr. Erica Brown analyzing events of the Book of Numbers in search of the key to successful leadership.
Moreh Nevukhei HaZeman
On the philosophy of Jewish history by 19th-century thinker Nachman Krochmal.
Panekha Avakesh
Collection of sermons delivered by Rav Shagar at Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem in 1981-1982, when he served as head of the yeshiva.
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Global religious leader, philosopher, award-winning author, and respected moral voice in the late 20th and early 21st centuries
Rav Amiel
20th-century works by Rav Moshe Avigdor Amiel, rabbi of Antwerp and later of Tel Aviv, on legal methodology and pre-state religious-Zionist (Mizrachi) ideology.
Rav Kook
Works of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi in pre-state Israel and an essential figure in religious Zionism.
Return; Daily Inspiration for the Days of Awe
21st-century work by Dr. Erica Brown with textual study and self-improvement exercises for the ten-day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Revealment and Concealment in Language
20th-century poetic essay of Hayim Nahman Bialik on the meaning of words and the difference between poetry and prose
Sefer Yesodei HaTorah
19th-century treatise of the Shadal on Jewish belief in light of humanistic ethics and psychology.
The Jonathan Sacks Haggadah; Essays
Essays on the themes and motifs of the Passover holiday
Torah of the Mothers
21st-century collection of essays and teachings by women Torah scholars and educators
Words of Peace and Truth
18th-century pamphlet advocating incorporating secular studies in Jewish schools, by the author of Gan Naul.
Zakhor VeShamor
Contemporary work by Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun analyzing connections to both nature and history throughout the Jewish calendar.
Adam Min HaAdamah
21st-century work analyzing the spiritual essence of Shemitah and Yovel, compiled by students and faculty at Yeshivat Otniel in Israel.
Al Kapot HaMan'ul; Homilies for the Days of Awe
Collection of Rav Shagar’s HIgh Holiday sermons; a continuation of Zikaron leYom Rishon.
Guide for the Perplexed
Megillat Eifah
Work by Rabbi Shabbatai Hakohen, known as the Shakh, describing the atrocities of a 1648 massacre against Jews in Uman.
Nishmat Chayyim
17th-century work on the immortality of the soul by Menasseh ben Israel
Penei Sheviit Nekabelah
21st-century work demonstrating the centrality of Shemitah in our personal lives, authored by Rav Elchanan Cherlow, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Otniel.
Pur Hu HaGoral; Homilies for Purim
Collection of Rav Shagar’s sermons and conversations about Purim, delivered between the years of 1982 and 2003.
Talks of Yeshayahu Leibowitz on the Parasha
Published versions of Leibowitz's radio discourses on the weekly Torah reading.
Talmud Series; Shemitah
Rav Shagar’s teachings on tractate Sheviit, combining traditional methods and academic insights with a search for existential meaning.
Zikaron leYom Rishon
Collection of High Holiday sermons delivered by the religious postmodern Israeli thinker Rav Shimon Gershon Rosenberg, known as Rav Shagar for his acronym.
About Jewish Thought
“Jewish Thought” includes works of philosophy and theology, ranging from medieval to contemporary. These works analyze topics like free will, chosenness, miracles, and faith and reason.
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