For too long; Jews have defined themselves in light of the bad things that have happened to them. And it is true that; many times in the course of history; they have been nearly decimated: when the First and Second Temples were destroyed; when the Jews were expelled from Spain; when Hitler proposed his Final Solution. Astoundingly; the Jewish people have survived catastrophe after catastrophe and remained a thriving and vibrant community. The question Rabbi Jonathan Sacks asks is; quite simply: How? How; in the face of such adversity; has Judaism remained and flourished; making a mark on human history out of all proportion to its numbers?Written originally as a wedding gift to his son and daughter-in-law; A Letter in the Scroll is Rabbi Sacks's personal answer to that question; a testimony to the enduring strength of his religion. Tracing the revolutionary series of philosophical and theological ideas that Judaism created -- from covenant to sabbath to formal education -- and showing us how they remain compellingly relevant in our time; Sacks portrays Jewish identity as an honor as well as a duty.The Ba'al Shem Tov; an eighteenth-century rabbi and founder of the Hasidic movement; famously noted that the Jewish people are like a living Torah scroll; and every individual Jew is a letter within it. If a single letter is damaged or missing or incorrectly drawn; a Torah scroll is considered invalid. So too; in Judaism; each individual is considered a crucial part of the people; without whom the entire religion would suffer. Rabbi Sacks uses this metaphor to make a passionate argument in favor of affiliation and practice in our secular times; and invites us to engage in our dynamic and inclusive tradition. Never has a book more eloquently expressed the joys of being a Jew.This is the story of one man's hope for the future -- a future in which the next generation; his children and ours; will happily embrace the beauty of the world's oldest religion.
#309870 in Books Simon Schuster 2005-01-03 2005-01-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.44 x .90 x 5.50l; .97 #File Name: 0743219694320 pagesISBN13: 9780743219693Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Be Careful; this is the same book as Rebel Gold; just renamedBy Robert D. BennettThe book's not too bad if taken with a grain of salt. I enjoyed the story and the writing style; but was miffed that I ordered both this one and Rebel Gold only to find out they were the same book under a different name.In the story the treasure hunter/co-author makes A LOT of jumps in logic to arrive at his conclusions but it doesn't make the concept any less interesting.Unfortunately; the book ends with the co-author claiming he has deciphered the code to a treasure in the Superstition Mountains but then just leaves it hanging as to whether anything was ever found there.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Conspiracies aboundBy Jesse S. WalkerIs it true? Who knows. The real question is whether the book can keep my interest. At first it did a great job in laying out the story as the authors saw it. Unfortunately most of the last half of the book is spent trying to describe how he "located" the "treasure" spots. It also included maps which to my inexperienced eyes seem more of a stretch. I agree if there was a succession of Confederate treasure spots it would make sense that they all were laid out in similar patterns with markers. The question is whether you believe his explanation of markings. I have to admit it seems a bit of a stretch but who knows stranger things have happened I guess. The real problem is the book simply falls apart half way through whether true or not you no longer care.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Stretches a MiteBy Michael E. FitzgeraldDepending on your point of view; this is conspiracy theory at its best or maybe not so much. Regardless; there is an amazing amount of supposition here all conveniently woven together with the most imperfect of threads. And while some of the authors' conjecture simply does not pass the sniff test; the writing is so superb; the fundamental analysis so remarkable; one is left with the understanding that this book was seriously researched before its story was placed on paper. As to the story's building blocks; there is very little fiction here. The myriad of organizations and people really existed.The book's thesis revolves around the Knights of the Golden Circle; what led up to its formation and its subsequent legacy. The book purports that the KGC was responsible for the South's succession in 1861 and as early as 1863 started to plan for the Confederacy's defeat by burying arms; ammunition and gold in a series of clandestine; underground depositories protected by guardians who understand a hieroglyphic code adopted from the Freemasons and their progenitors; the Knights Templar (of Jerusalem and the Crusades fame). Imagine if you will a story of treasure buried across the Southern United States; from North Carolina to Arizona with the leading guardian none other than Jesse James! It seems Jesse wasn't the outlaw bumpkin history delivers but; according to this version of events; was the head General of a nationwide depository system designed to enable the South to Rise Again!Unfortunately; the book melts down at the midway mark. The first part is quite good "what if" conjecture; but the second part becomes a rambling jumble of dubious map interpretations that is remarkably boring. The book's second half; the treasure hunting portion; fails to find any meaningful treasure and is unsuccessful in supporting the story guidelines set up earlier.However; the book's premise is a fun one. If you are into this sort of hidden history; you will enjoy this work. The first half of the book is fascinating guess work; some of which could possibly be true; and the writing is quite excellent throughout.
