A guide to, and abbreviation of, the standard code of Jewish law, the Shulhan Aruch

The Ḥayei Adam, an abridged code of Jewish law, was written by Rabbi Avraham Danzig (1748-1820) and was first published in 1810. This code spread quickly throughout Europe, and the demand for it required a second publishing which the author printed in 1818. Beyond a Code of Jewish Law attempts to understand the implicit message of its author and discuss various approaches of its writer to both Judaism and Jewish law. While the Ḥayei Adam without any doubt unveils Rabbi Danzig to be a brilliant rabbinic scholar, with a comprehensive knowledge of Jewish law as well as a coherent and concise system of presentation, it also expresses his great concern for the Jewish community and each individual Jew. Aspects of this concern such as Hasidism, musar, kabbalah, are explored.

This masterpiece fills a great need for our generation--a generation characterized by a thirst for the eternal values of Judaism. Now, the English-speaking reader can enjoy a clearly written and easy to read summary of Jewish law, based on the Mishnah Berurah. Among the many topics included in this work are: Tzitzis, the daily routine, prayer, tefillin, blessings, the Sabbath, festivals and special days, the dietary laws, and mourning. Shaarei Halachah has been hailed as the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch for our time.

The sheer number of Jewish laws infuses everyday life with endless opportunities to touch the divine within. With this modern translation, the English-reading public can imbibe the holy ways of Jewish law as taught by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the Alter Rebbe, from the original source. In these volumes, the translation faces the newly reset Hebrew text. Notations appear when the Alter Rebbe's rulings are at variance with Rabbi Yosef Cairo's Shulchan Aruch and when other halachic works cite the subject at hand.

"Responding to a need for our generation, The Concise Code of Jewish Law is a modern and up-to-date work of halachah lema¿aseh, presented in a concise and user-friendly format. The main text is an adaptation of classic sources of halachah, loosely following the order of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, supplemented by notes which explore issues in greater depth and address a wide variety of contemporary applications. This volume on the laws of Shabbat is part of a projected four-volume series covering all areas of practical halachah. First published a generation ago by Rabbi Gersion Appel, this edition has been updated by Rabbi Daniel Goldstein, in style as well as in substance, to address new technological developments and the opinions of recent poskim. Unique among English halachic works in its breadth of sources, Concise Code includes the halachic decisions of classic works such as the Chayei Adam, Mishnah Berurah, and Aruch Hashulchan, in addition to the rulings of the greatest poskim from the recent past, such as R. Moshe Feinstein, R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and leading poskim of our own day, such as R. Nachum Rabinovitch, R. Hershel Schachter, and R. Mordechai Willig, and many more great poskim of the past and present. Concise Code is a perfect text for students, as well as all those interested in enhancing their observance of halachah and acquiring greater knowledge about the intricacies of practical halachah in our time."

For more than a generation, Rabbi Michael L. Munk, as a sidelight to his busy schedule of educational and communal work, has fascinated audiences with his learned and provocative lectures on the Hebrew alphabet. In the process of opening eyes and raising eyebrows, he has convinced countless people that his contention is true: the Hebrew alphabet abounds in scholarly and mystical meaning. He has developed and proven a profound thesis. The alphabet -- if correctly understood -- is a primer for life. Ethical conduct, religious guidance, philosophical insights, all are nestled in the curls, crowns, and combinations of the Hebrew letters. This is one of those rare books that is both interesting and profound, learned and readable. The wisdom and compassion of the author is evident in those subtle ways that do not intrude on the reader, but give him the satisfaction of knowing that a rich, warm, productive lifetime of experience is flavoring the text.