Ask Now of the Days that are Past
eBook - PDF

Ask Now of the Days that are Past

  1. 323 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Ask Now of the Days that are Past

About this book

Written for a general audience, the essays collected here present refreshing and often humorous glimpses of various topics in Jewish history and traditional religious literature. Inspired by the diversity of Jewish thought, author and scholar Eliezer Segal sheds light on the social and political forces that have brought the Jewish community together in the past and still speak with familiarity to a modern western culture. Enlightening and entertaining, Professor Segal's writing is a rare blend of scholarship and wit, highlighting contemporary experiences that bring the rich heritage of Jewish civilization to life for the everyday reader. With an extensive and broad knowledge of ancient and medieval Jewish social and religious traditions, Segal deftly crafts anecdotes and explanations that address the tribulations of contemporary life. From topics as diverse as panhandling, tennis, vampires, and the history of the tomato to themes as universal as weddings, charity, and taxation, the essays presented here, some for the first time in English, all include detailed notes on sources for further reading. Equally suited to those after a light-hearted romp or those on a serious quest for knowledge, Ask Now of the Days that Are Past is sure to satisfy anyone who has ever wondered how the past still influences us today.

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Yes, you can access Ask Now of the Days that are Past by Eliezer Segal in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Jewish Theology. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Contents
  4. Introduction
  5. Scribes and Scholarship
  6. 1. People of the Book
  7. 2. How to Start a Jewish newspaper
  8. 3. The European Genizah
  9. 4. The Crown of Aleppo
  10. Holiness and Heresy
  11. 5. Where Seldom is Heard a Mystical Word
  12. 6. A Dubious Blessing
  13. 7. Hiwi the Heretic
  14. Encounters and Enlightenings
  15. 8. Rabbi in the Abbey
  16. 9. Thou Shall Not Kill
  17. 10. On the Other Hand
  18. Babies, Brides and Burials
  19. 11. Birth Rites
  20. 12. May the Best Man Win
  21. 13. Beauty Versus Virtue: An Age-Old Argument
  22. 14. Who Was Rembrandt's Jewish Bride?
  23. 15. Beneath the Stars
  24. 16. All Cows Go To Heaven
  25. Congregation and Community
  26. 17. Trimming the Guest List
  27. 18. Service Interruption
  28. 19. Buddy Can You Spare a Dime?
  29. Policy and Piety
  30. 20. Taking Leave of Our Census
  31. 21. The Wagers of Sin
  32. 22. Affairs of the State
  33. 23. Prophets, Protests, and Pepper Spray
  34. 24. The Vice-President of Grenada
  35. 25. Majority Rules
  36. 26. Baldness, Bears, and Bottled Water
  37. Economics and Ethics
  38. 27. Minimizing Your Assets
  39. 28. Not All that Glisters
  40. 29. You Can Bank On It
  41. 30. Ransom Note
  42. 31. The Price Is Right
  43. Buildings and Blessings
  44. 32. Rabbi, Watch Out For That Beam
  45. 33. Beam Me Up
  46. 34. The Walls Have Ears
  47. 35. Preparing For A Prophet
  48. Life and Leisure
  49. 36. Healthy Advice From The Top Authorities
  50. 37. Tennis, Anyone?
  51. 38. Keeping The Ball In Play
  52. 39. Push Torah
  53. Creatures and Curiosities
  54. 40. The Siren's Song
  55. 40. The Power of the Human Voice
  56. 42. The Love Apple
  57. 43. Horse Sense
  58. 44. The Right Vampire
  59. 45. Going to the Ants
  60. Glossary
  61. Index
  62. Back Cover