Great New English Halacha Releases

In the past few months Israel Book Shop has come out with a very impressive selection of English Halacha seforim. A few of these new seforim include:

• Ginzei HaKodesh by Rabbi Yechezkel Feinhandler on the laws of treatment of religious articles 
• Inside Stam by Reuvain Mendlowitz, which contains questions for the consumer when purchasing a Torah, mezuzos, and tefillin
• The Laws of an Eruv by Rabbi Shlomo Francis and Rabbi Yonason Glenner which is a detailed sefer on Hilchos Eruvin, complete with diagrams (the release conicided well with Daf Yomi) 

Another new release that caught my attention in particular is Dvar Yom by Rabbi Dovid Braunfeld. This sefer is quite remarkable in it's depth and detail. It is an explanation of all the zmanim on the Luach with pages of colored charts and diagrams of astronomical phenomena. The author explains in the introduction "An innovation of this sefer is that before explaining when Tzais HaKochavim and Alos are, it explains what they are. Just as one who knows the anatomy of a cow has a completelty different understanding of Maseches Chullin than one who has never seen a cow, so too when one understands the astronomical facts of Tzais and Alos, he will have a completely different understanding of the intent of the Gemara and the Poskim." There are many chapters in this sefer that are incredibly complex and scientific and, as an aid to the reader, the author clarifies at the beginning of the sefer which chapters are good for a basic understanding of the Luach and which chapters are for more advanced learning. 

All of these new releases can be viewed at the Israel Book Shop website. 

Two New Books to Check Out

Some of you may have noticed that there have been a lot of new book releases in the past few weeks, and you can expect a couple more as Yomtov starts appearing around the corner. One book that I was very excited for and that I have begun reading is Rabbi Yechiel Spero's new book from Artscroll, "A Touch of Purity." I only jumped onto the "Touched by a Story" bandwagon a year ago but I've already become an enthusiastic fan of the stories. Rabbi Spero's latest book is about Elul and Tishrei and all the messages associated with those times (i.e. Teshuva, davening, etc.) As someone who learns better through stories then pure mussar seforim I really appreciate Rabbi Spero's books, especially those that are about certain times of year or other themes, like his book on Tisha B'av which has given me something meaningful to relate to on that day the past two years, as well as his books of Tefillah. I haven't gotten all the way through "A Touch of Purity" yet since I want it to last me through Yom Kippur, but I have finished the section of Elul and if the rest of the book is as powerful as the first section I would recommend this as inspirational and timely reading for those of you looking for a good book/sefer on the Yomim Noraim. Each story is followed by a short d'var Torah that gives the story an extra boost to help make its point. I'll admit that sometimes I skip the d'var Torah and go straight to the next story, but everything written in this book is worth reading.

The second book that I've been reading, which I picked up yesterday, is a book from Feldheim on Jewish medical ethics titled "The Value of Human Life." It is based on a series of lectures that were delivered at the first ever Jewish medical ethics conference that took place two years ago in Switzerland. I actually took a class on Jewish medical ethics a year ago which drew me to this book but its relevance is for all of us as it is fascinating and pertinent to the times we live in. In todays world we are constantly hearing about issues like stem cell research, organ donations, prolonging the life of people who are brain dead, and many other health related issues. "The Value of Human Life" has articles written by some of the biggest names in Jewish medical ethics, including Rabbi J. David Bleich, Professor Avraham Steinberg and Professor Abraham S. Abraham. I think that understanding the issues discussed in this book will help us to be more educated on these relevant issues and will give us a Torah perspective to maintain when reading about them in the newspapers. This book is reader friendly and truly fascinating for anyone interested in reading it.

Wishing you all a K'siva V'chasimah Tovah!

Insights for Mothers: A New Book with New Perspectives

Sent in by the author, Julie Hauser:

This book speaks to women of all ages and stages of motherhood. As the reader grows, the book grows with her.

Women in our generation arrive daily to motherhood with varying backgrounds, personalities, and levels of preparation. The most warm and capable mothers can sometimes feel conflicted, isolated, or depleted. They long for validation from peers and support systems, perspective from mentors that are ahead of them, and inspiration that comes from Judaism’s appreciation of a mother’s challenges and goals.

That is just what they will find in Mothers to Mothers.

First-time author and occupational therapist Julie Hauser, (having her own “lab experience” in motherhood for the past 10 years), personally interviewed thirty mothers across the globe, ranging in age from 22 to 65, and who were chosen for their colorful personalities, depth, and honesty. Excerpts from the interviews, arranged by topic, are blended with advice and positive Torah-based outlooks from respected prominent educators, Jewish leaders, and parenting experts.

Mothers to Mothers invites the reader to listen in on some fascinating, lively, and always straightforward talk from an introspective, open and engaging group of women.

Adjusting to first-time motherhood (or grandmotherhood!), resisting the urge to compare, refining one’s character, linking with generations, making a new start, and using one’s unique gifts brought to motherhood are just some of the topics addressed herein. From learning to take care of the ‘captain’ while navigating the “ordinary” daily ups-and-downs, transitioning to new stages of motherhood and even overcoming post-partum depression -Mothers to Mothers touches on many of the concerns of contemporary Jewish motherhood, with an inspirational spin packaged in a delicate mixture of "reality” and positivity.

To view table of contents:

http://www.artscroll.com/images/insides/mtmh-3.html#view-link

New Book by Yaakov Astor

"The Hidden Hand - The Holocaust" has just been released by Yaakov Astor and the folks at Judaica Press. I read the first book in this series, titled "The Hidden Hand" around two years ago and it makes for an interesting read, especially by any history buffs out there. In the first book, Astor takes a look at well known historical incidents, including the fall of the Berlin wall or the West's victory in WWII and shows how the final outcome, which could have come down to something as simple as Hitler y'msh oversleeping one morning, was the hand of Hashem guiding history step by step. I am guessing that this book will be written in a similar vein, and with the Holocaust as the main topic it should make for a very moving and inspiring lesson in Emunah.