Publisher: Simon & Schuster   Publication Year: 2001   First Edition: No

Book Type: Used   Format: Trade Paperback   Condition: Very Good

Friends, farmily, love, God, death, faith. These are deceptively simple words that we use all the time. But do we know what we mean by these important words? Do we know what other people mean when they use them? Because we seldom pause to reflect on these words, we misunderstand others, and they misunderstand us. -Simple words are by no means simple,- states Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in his introduction to Simple Words. This is certainly true of the words he has teased out from contemporary spirituality to expound upon here. Each chapter is dedicated to so-called simple words such as death, envy, masks, sex, good, and love. Steinsaltz uses familiar language and progressive thinking to offer a greater moral and spiritual understanding to these core concepts. Although many of the selected words are age-old, the accompanying commentary feels fresh and contemporary. When writing about envy, Steinsaltz explores how this misunderstood emotion can be used to serve the higher good rather than lowly desires. And in addressing the idea of sex, he writes, -Jewish tradition ... does not see sex per se as sinful.... It is a pleasure that is derived from giving and being connected with another--both in the body and beyond the physical plane; it can become a most meaningful expression of love, of charity, of benevolence. Sexual desire, possibly the most powerful human desire, can become an expression of holiness.- Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz explores some of the meanings of these powerful words that are so central to our lives. He transforms each word into a gem, turning it this way, then that, examining it to see more clearly its brilliant facets and what lies behind them. He challenges us to think deeply about the connotations of these commonplace words, and in so doing, to see that there may be other ways of looking at things we have taken for granted all our lives. Thus, our notion of -goodness- may become fluid rather than fixed; we may think ourselves not at all spiritual, yet find that we have a deeper involvement in the world of spirit than we realized; and, as Rabbi Steinsaltz explains, we may mean many different things when we use the word love. -Questions of Faith are not philosophical, sociological, or psychological; they are intensely personal, - says Rabbi Steinsaltz. In Simple Words, Rabbi Steinsaltz summarizes a lifetime of spiritual wisdom that will enrich our lives and open us to better and deeper communication with others. Simple Words is a thought-provoking -- and surprising -- adventure that may change the way we think, speak, and act.