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Where Judaism and health intersect, healing may begin. Essential reading for people interested in the Jewish healing, spirituality and spiritual direction movements, this groundbreaking volume explores the Jewish tradition for comfort in times of illness and Judaism’s perspectives on the inevitable suffering with which we live. Pushing the boundaries of Jewish knowledge, scholars, teachers, artists and activists examine the aspects of our mortality and the important distinctions between curing and healing. Topics discussed include: The Importance of the Individual Health and Healing among the Mystics Hope and the Hebrew Bible From Disability to Enablement Overcoming Stigma Jewish Bioethics Drawing from literature, personal experience, and the foundational texts of Judaism, these celebrated thinkers show us that healing is an idea that can both soften us so that we are open to inspiration as well as toughen us—like good scar tissue—in order to live with the consequences of being human.

The co-director of JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) argues that homosexuality is an illness that can be cured through practical steps based on the teachings of the Torah and the Talmud.

Healing Practices: Insights from the Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah is a voyage into ancient texts and methods of addressing the many ills that have always been part of human life. Scholars and practitioners of old studied ways of eating, drinking and living that appeared to have the capacity to improve various conditions, infirmities and problems. Such healing practices may have been passed down through the ages as "folk remedies," others are surprisingly out of date. Whatever their current value, it is inspiring to learn of our forebears' methods and beliefs. In this era of "holistic" medical approaches, this book demonstrates that new age methods may not be all that new! The book provides a history of recommended treatments for various ailments found in the Torah, the Talmud and Kabbalistic writings. Part 1, Medicine Through the Ages, is an overview of the tenets presecribed for good health and preservation of life in various writings, along with a discussion of eras and periods when Jewish thought in medicine flourished or was surpressed. Part 2, Medical Uses of Foods and Herbs, lists, alphabetically, more than 100 plants, foods and substances that are cited in holy scripture or laws. Each citation includes the Latin and Hebrew names, a description of the particular plant, food or medicine, the text which mentions the healing practice with that citation, and whatever medical use is found in the text(s). Quotes from various rabbis and biblical/ talmudic passages add depth to the listed descriptions. In Part 3, various healing practices and remedies, such as methods for maintaining acuity in hearing and seeing by treating eyes and ears, are described at some length. Once again, quotes from Rabbis, Physicians and other thinkers lend a sense of history and deeper meaning to the alphabetical listing. For example, a long section on pregnancy and childbirth reveals the relationship, in early thinkers, between human responses to natural events as affected by their belief systems. The importance of prayer and faith for healing is evident in these citations. Following the three major sections are four rich additions to the text. First, an Appendix that lists the sages, in alphabetical order, leads the reader through a history of the various periods in which these individuals lived, and how they influenced scriptural and medical thought. The next section is an alphabetical glossary of Hebrew and other terms used in the text. Finally, Rabbi Brod cross-references prior citations by ailment or condition, also listed alphabetically. A reader who wishes to learn of the people, the writings, or the medical problems found in the Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah can refer to these helpful additions to the main text. Rabbi Brod hand-wrote each entry in all the sections of the book. His writing in both English and Hebrew is evident of his artistic and purposeful nature, as the calligraphy and painstaking insistence upon accuracy and detail are evident in the original manuscript. This, the print version, contains his wisdom and knowledge, and, hopefully, the strength of his spirit also shines through the words.

A devastating critique of the presumed theological basis of the Jewish social justice movement—the concept of healing the world. What is tikkun olam? This obscure Hebrew phrase means literally “healing the world,” and according to Jonathan Neumann, it is the master concept that rests at the core of Jewish left wing activism and its agenda of transformative change. Believers in this notion claim that the Bible asks for more than piety and moral behavior; Jews must also endeavor to make the world a better place. In a remarkably short time, this seemingly benign and wholesome notion has permeated Jewish teaching, preaching, scholarship and political engagement. There is no corner of modern Jewish life that has not been touched by it. This idea has led to overwhelming Jewish participation in the social justice movement, as such actions are believed to be biblically mandated. There's only one problem: the Bible says no such thing. In this lively theological polemic, Neumann shows how tikkun olam, an invention of the Jewish left, has diluted millennia of Jewish practice and belief into a vague feel-good religion of social justice. Neumann uses religious and political history to debunk this pernicious idea, and shows how the Bible was twisted by Jewish liberals to support a radical left-wing agenda. In To Heal the World?, Neumann explains how the Jewish Renewal movement aligned itself with the New Left of the 1960s, and redirected the perspective of the Jewish community toward liberalism and social justice. He exposes the key figures responsible for this effort, shows that it lacks any real biblical basis, and outlines the debilitating effect it has had on Judaism itself.

The Bible may be likened to a magnificent diamond, glistening with many brilliant colors all at the same time. And although the different hues often appear to be contradictory, when you view the totality of the light emanating from the diamond, you begin to appreciate how complementary they really are. Thus the sages of the Talmud understood that there are many possible truths contained in each biblical statement, each adding its unique melody to the magnificent symphony of the whole, synthesizing not in conflicting dissonance but in holy dialectic. Torah Lights is Rabbi Shlomo Riskin'ss analysis and original contemplations on life, love and family in the biblical book of Genesis.