La tradition juive (Jewish Tradition) is an introduction to Judaism, its teachings and its practice. It brings together halakha—the many laws that shape Jewish life—with the principles of faith (emunah) and the central themes of Jewish thought.
The first volume begins with a brief account of biblical history up to the revelation at Sinai, then explains our obligations toward others, which are no less important than our religious obligations. Its second part addresses family, marriage, circumcision, bar and bat mitzvah, education, relationships with parents and mourning. The third part explores faith, including the unity of God, awe and love, free will, idolatry and revelation. It also examines the transmission of Torah from Moses to the present day, the people and Land of Israel, the Temple and conversion.
The second volume contains the fourth and fifth parts of the work. The fourth covers our obligations toward Heaven: the synagogue, sacred books, tallit and tefillin, private and communal prayer, blessings and kosher food. The fifth discusses the Jewish year, Shabbat and its spiritual meaning and laws, the Torah festivals—Pesah, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret—as well as fast days and the rabbinic festivals of Hanukkah and Purim.
“Moved by a sense of fellowship with our people, so that they might discover the spiritual treasures of Jewish tradition, and by deep regard for those who wish to convert, I began writing this work. I sought to describe Jewish tradition for a range of readers: observant readers who would appreciate seeing Judaism’s fundamental ideas, mitzvot and familiar laws presented as an integrated whole connected to their underlying principles, and secular readers who wish to study Judaism as it is.” (From the foreword.)
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