Jewish Wisdom, a Modern Look

About the Book

This book is about the survival of the Jewish heritage. While other civilizations vanished through history, the Hebrew culture and heritage persisted through the ages.

Since the giving of the written and oral Torah in Mount Sinai to Moses (estimated time 1313 BCE), the Jewish law has been observed while being debated by the spiritual leaders of the time.

The study and analysis of the Torah of Moses developed and took the name of Talmud. Talmud includes Mishnah and Gemarah. Mishnah means “study of.” and Gemarah means “completion of ”.

Because the Jews were exiled to Babylonia after the destruction of the first temple in 586 BCE, the Babylonian Talmud flourished in Babylonia while the Jerusalem Talmud developed in the Holy Land.

This book summarizes the wise ideas and laws found within the Talmud, discussed by hundreds of sages between the second century BCE and 300 CE.

The result of 2,500 years of continuous oral study is the priceless Mishnah, which was finally compiled, redacted, and written in a scroll under Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi (Judah the Prince) at the end of the second century.

Following the second destruction of the Jerusalem temple (70 CE) and the exile of the Jews by the Romans, many Diaspora luminaries emerged in Spain, France, Egypt and North Africa, thus clarifying the Torah and the Talmud. Dozens more luminaries are cited in this project, which culminates in the masterpiece of Pirkey Avot, an ethical guide for everyone.

Israel Best seller Dr Ackerman said about this book:

For the past two decades I have been following the works of Asher Elkayam and very much appreciate his originality in clarifying complex issues in the spheres of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam...[into] logical conclusions which give the reader cause to think. I recommend taking a serious look at his enriching books...DR Adam Ackerman, Jerusalem)

About the Author

Asher Elkayam has been an avid learner of the Hebrew Scriptures since the age of seven. In his native French Morocco he was tutored by rabbis and scholars,especially Rabbi Reuben Ben David who was a great Torah scholar.

The author showed passion for the Mishnah and the Talmud and was widely exposed in elementary school to Pirkey Avot (the Wisdom of the Fathers), which is an important tractate of the Mishnah.

A former student of the Hebrew university of Jerusalem and Alliance High School in Haifa, Israel , Mr Elkayam studied, beside biblical studies, Hebrew Morphology, Bible and Talmud.

He is the author of 'The Bible, The Power of the Word' The Qur'An and Biblical Origins', 'Love and Romance in the Bible' previously published books by Xlibris.

Mr. Elkayam studied comparative religions and previously wrote two books on the subject: 'Whose God is it Anyway' (to be found in Amazon.com) and ' Jesus Returns and Faces Moses'.

The present project reveals hundreds of wise lessons learned from the Mishnah and the Talmud which represent a clear explanation and interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Pirkey Avot is a masterpiece Mr Elkayam has been fascinated with for decades. He ardently shares his passion of that learned wisdom with the readers of this book.Those wise maxims can be heard in our century.

Mr. Elkayam is a multi lingual and multi discipline scholar. Besides his Hebrew, Bible and Talmud knowledge, he is also a French and Hebrew teacher, a graduate of the Political Science Institute of Strasbourg, France, and a graduate of Towson University in education. In professional matters and as a US Army veteran he is also a graduate of the American Council of Audioprosthology(in helping the hard of hearing for the last 42 years)