Description
Book SynopsisThe famed Maharal of Prague, a 16th-century mystic, is known for the legend of the Golem, but his Torah scholarship has remained a closed book to English speakers for far too long. While several attempts have been made to translate or abridge the Maharal’s Torah, the complexity of his thought has defied standard translation methodologies. This edition of the Tiferet Yisrael (the Splendor of Israel) seeks to present the Maharal’s thought in all its majesty and to enable beginners and scholars alike to grasp the overall structure of the Maharal’s concepts through the addition of innovative summaries and graphical aids. In the work, the Maharal contemplates questions of Jewish life, such as How can there be ritually observant Jews who behave immorally? What is the reason for performing Mitzvot (commandments)? Is there any relevance or meaning to performing Mitzvot if one doesn’t understand God’s reasons for commanding them? What is the path to self-fulfillment? The translation is lucid and faithful, with in-line comments to guide the reader in exploring the Maharal’s depths.
Trade Review"One of the major novel approaches that Rabbi Widmonte has taken is to create a method of synthesizing the Maharal's thought and summarizing them, utilizing summaries and graphics devices" Rabbi Avraham Tanzer
"Maharal's thought to the English reading public is a great service that will provide the intelligent and interested reader a window into the thought of this great thinker." Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein
"Sets out very clearly the flow of the Maharal's ideas, as well as how they connect to the Maharal's broader philosophy and ideas. The unique combination of text and diagrams . . . illuminates Tiferet Yisrael in a comprehensive and excellent manner." Rabbi Warren Goldstein
"What is unique in your work is that you have succeeded in clarifying the words of the Maharal in a manner that benefits everyone." Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman
"This is a clear and lucid Hebrew edition with English translation of the Maharal of Prague's Tiferet Yisrael (the Splendor of Israel) intended for the English reading public... In addition to providing a much-needed translation Widmonte's unique approach to presenting this text enables the English reader to better appreciate the Maharal's depth of thought and the important place his work occupies within the Rabbinic corpus. Also included is a glossary, a general index, name index, and an index of sources. Recommended." David B Levy, AJL Reviews
