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What are the fundamental principles that generate the rituals and public ceremonies of Judaism? In this groundbreaking work, Martin S. Cohen attempts to isolate six dozen of these underlying concepts that are so rarely spoken out loud –– or even identified –– for the sake of answering a question so rarely asked as to sound almost unanswerable: What exactly is Jewish about Judaism?Comments about Sefer Ha‘ikarim Livnei ZemanenuThe Book of Principles (Sefer Ha‘ikarim Levnei Zemanenu) is a gutsy book. Rabbi Martin Cohen’s short work is written in the style of a classic book of Jewish thought. But it is not only the Hebrew style which recalls classics such as the Guide of the Perplexed, it is also the approach—Cohen opens a window into his own soul, which is that of a committed, practicing religious Jew and puts on display the various principles which underlie his commitment to Judaism. Because in this case, however, the Jewish soul in question is one which is totally conversant with the tools of modern scientific scholarship into the history of religion as well as classical traditional texts, the results are very impressive….For the Israeli reader, this book will be a revelation and a challenge, a kind of spiritual “Outward Bound” preparation course designed to deepen commitment to faith through honesty, reason and emotional integrity.—Rabbi Michael Graetz |