Heavenly Torah: As Refracted through the Generations

I have been led to The Heavenly Torah by Heschl's  The Sabbath , The Prophets , and  God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism . Although he says little or nothing in those books about Christianity, my own Christian faith has been enriched by reading them. Unfortunately I cannot read The Heavenly Torah with the same expectation; I am in fact illiterate in matters of the Torah and Talmud. I have wandered into an ancient controversy of no apparent relevance to me, but I am interested. (As the Vatican Council said, "Nothing that is human is foreign to the Church.) I intend to explore the Talmud before reading more of The Heavenly Torah.

The original "Torah min Hashamayim b'Aspaklaria shel Hadorot" was a Heschel masterpiece; its style of writing was, for lack of a better term, "high-rabbinic-esoteric", and its accessability was therefor somewhat limited. The translator's notes point out many of Heschel's literary tricks which would otherwise be lost to the English reader. Other on-the-page annotations provide excellent background into issues and ideas which Heschel relies upon after assuming that the reader is highly literate in rabbinic scholarship at the "rosh-yeshivah" level. To those who have not yet reached such level, this work is a wonderful addition to a library of basic rabbinic thought. As a scholarly work it proves that Heschel was first and foremost a great rabbi.

Amazing Author am now at 58 reading all of his work I can get my hands on.I am not one usually drawn to existential writing but Heschel is the exception.Without being into existential babble I will say the Book Moral grandeur Spiritual audacity is one of the greatest works of moral and jewish thought I have ever read.You can really see and feel one the greatest minds of this century in reading this compilation of his speaches and writings.After that I felt ready to delve deeper into this is Torah and Jewish law and philosophy experiment.

Another great work from Heschel! Such knowledge and thought combined into one study is awesome. It is about the two main intellectual approaches taken in order to determine the true meaning of the words and sentences in the Hebrew bible.A lengthy and indepth study which must be studied over and over in order to obtain a true understanding of what is being stated.This is one of those rare works that makes religious belief into a living science rather than a mystical tale. A must read !

Worth the investment in time and energy

The spouse says this is a great book, a useful reference, and a nice addition to her library. She refers to it on a regular basis.

This book is very informative and inspiring. It's a guide to help you turn the negative aspects of your life into positive.

This is a great text to illuminate the notions of historical Jewish thought through the generations, and especially to highlight the differing views of R' Akiva and R' Ishmael.

definitely this is one is, one of the best books that I've ever read.