Meaning in Mitzvot by Rabbi Asher Meir Available at: http://www.feldheim.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=1-58330-742-7 Perfect gift for a bar or bat mitzvah! From the book jacket Meaning in Mitzvot's lucid and vivid commentary makes our daily practices accessible and meaningful. The book follows the 221 chapters of Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried's classic Kitzur Shulchan Arukh (Concise Compendium of Jewish Law), encompassing the entire range of Jewish observance including prayer and holidays, kashrut and family purity, marriage customs, monetary laws, mourning, and many other topics. Rabbi Meir draws on a variety of sources including Talmudic insights, aggadah, Midrash, classic commentaries, and Chasidic masterpieces. Readers of Torah Tidbits have been privileged to weekly previews of the unique and superb comments on a remarkably comprehensive and extensive range of halacha and Jewish practice contained in Meaning in Mitzvot. Rabbi Meir's insights will enrich, educate and inspire Jews (and others) with diverse backgrounds, from the curious beginner to the accomplished scholar... and everyone in between. Phil Chernofsky, Educational Director of the OU Israel Center, Jerusalem, and editor of Torah Tidbits Published reviews of Meaning in Mitzvot
"All of Jewish law, halakhah, becomes meaningful and spiritually uplifting for every Jew" Rivkah Blau, Jewish Press "R. Meir's explanations provide both background and depth" Gil Student, Hirhurim "An interesting read, backed up by a valuable wealth of footnotes" Andrew Friedman, ynetnews Reader reviews, from Amazon.com Excellent overview This book is very well written, lucid about many of the reasons and how-to's of mitzwot, written by a contemporary scholar. It was immediately enthusiastically adopted by friends, who put it on their shopping list as well... N.W. De Kraker, Netherlands A Scholarly yet Accessible Explication of Mitzvot Rabbi Asher Meir has accomplished a rare feat. He has written a commentary on the famous Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) that is at once meticulously researched and referenced, and yet remains accessible to the reader with little or no Jewish background. Mitzvot, or commandments, provide the structure or underpinning that guides observant Jews in every aspect of their private and public lives. The Kitzur is a codified Jewish Law book that is owned and referred to often by many Jewish families in the English-speaking world. "Meaning in Mitzvot" follows "the Kitzur" chapter by chapter, expanding on the deeper meanings of the mitzvot. Each chapter is brief, extensively referenced, and easily readable by those with or without background in Judaism or Jewish texts. Dr. Lindeman, Brookline MA
The Jewish Ethicist Everyday Ethics for Business and Life Rabbi Asher Meir Available at: http://www.ktav.com/product_info.php?products_id=2026 From the book jacket The weekly Jewish Ethicist Internet column was launched in March 2001. The author, Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir, an economist and ethicist, set out to create a modern-day "guide to the perplexed" on everyday ethical dilemmas in the workplace and marketplace. Now, scores of the most popular and important columns have been edited, expanded, and collected into a book with detailed introductions to each topic. In The Jewish Ethicist, Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir distills the Torah's wisdom on a wide range of practices in the marketplace and in other social settings. Evident throughout the volume is Rabbi Dr. Meir's expertise in Jewish Law and his sophisticated understanding of the marketplace. This masterful work is a very valuable addition to the Jewish Business Ethics literature. Rabbi Dr. Aaron Levine, Samson and Halina Bitensky Professor of Economics, Yeshiva University, author Case Studies in Jewish Business Ethics Published reviews of The Jewish Ethicist
"The book is an important source of ethical insights for Jews and non-jews alike." George Cohen, Booklist (journal of the American Library Association) "Combines up-to-the-minute knowledge of his field with thousands of years of Jewish tradition." Rivka Blau, Jewish Press "This tome was a delight to read and provided tachlis modern application to principles of halacha." David Rosenthal, shamash.org, explaining the selection of The Jewish Ethicist as Book of the Month Reader reviews, from Amazon.com Rigorous analysis of ethical dilemmas This book consists of a series of essays on various ethical topics, most of which (but not all) deal with ethical dilemmas encountered in the real workaday world. What apppeals to me is the writer's rigorous, analytical, and systematic approach to problems, as opposed to expressing vague, politically correct, feel-good sentiments. I warmly recommend the book to individuals who are looking for a thoroughgoing, non-superficial approach to solving moral conundrums. John Krew A practical guide to morality and ethics in an increasingly complex world Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir, economist and ethicist, presents The Jewish Ethicist: Everyday Ethics For Business And Life, a practical guide to morality and ethics in an increasingly complex modern world. Presented largely in a question-and-answer format, The Jewish Ethicist offers frank advice to such conundrums as "Is it ethical to buy from low-wage suppliers?", "Can I be frank in a letter of reference?", and "Are Commercial Dating and Matchmaking Services Ethical?" Rabbi Meir addresses each question in depth, discussing varying circumstances under which the given situation could take place, and explaining the rationale behind judgments of modern day morality and ethics.
The Jewish Ethicist scrupulously avoids oversimplification of diverse complex dilemmas ("principles do not exist in a vacuum", Meir comments), while at the same time presenting Meir's wisdom in direct terms. Though The Jewish Ethicist scrutinizes modern morality from a distinctly Jewish perspective, its discussion and justifications reach well beyond scriptural law into the matterof-fact realm of practical morality - actions can and are characterized as unethical not just because a holy text says so, but because they promote unhappiness, self-aggrandizement at the expense of others, or worse. Highly recommended for readers of all faiths. Midwest Book Review