The Committed Life: Principles for Good Living from Our Timeless Past

by Esther Jungreis

The search for meaning in our lives has become a particularly difficult quest. The high-pressure world we live in, with its emphasis on material goods, has eclipsed the timeless values of commitment and spirituality. Today success is measured not by what we are, but by what we the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, the trinkets we buy. As a result, more and more people live with self-doubt, depression, ennui, and familial dysfunction. Relationships are stalled. Personal growth seems unattainable. In the end, the things we buy offer us no comfort. We grow old, lonely, and afraid, wondering how we could have done it differently. The Committed Life teaches us a better way. Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis has been reaching out to people and helping others find happiness her entire life. By age six she was smuggling food and messages into Nazi detention camps during World War II, thereby learning her first lesson of the "You shall not stand idly by while the life of your brother is in jeopardy." Today she is a dynamic and inspiring leader who has devoted her life to combating the spiritual wasteland surrounding us. The Rebbetzin knows that many of us are in trouble. She has heard countless cries for help escaping the emotional vacuums that have become our lives. Twenty-five years ago, she founded Hineni (Hebrew for "Here I am"), an outreach organization that has ignited the hearts and minds of people throughout the world. Her popular classes, based on the teachings of the Torah and focused on what is truly important in life, draw thousands every week. Filled with wisdom as timeless as the Torah itself, The Committed Life is for anyone eager to connect with ancient wellsprings of faith. Each chapter offers its own riveting lesson on such pivotal subjects as responsibility, forgiving, banishing fear, gratitude, anger, commitment to marriage, depression, faith, and hope. This is a book that you will want to keep on your bookshelf and pick up again and again for help dealing with the many restrictions of daily living. Written with the Rebbetzin's rare combination of honesty, love, and chutzpah, the stories here are universal and yet so deeply personal that reading them is like having her speak to you in your own home. This inspirational guide will give you the sustenance you need to lead a more fulfilling and committed life. Drawing on the timeless wisdom of the Torah, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis reminds us of the principles necessary for living a better and more committed

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Nonfiction, Religion, Self Help, Judaica, Inspirational

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 1998

About the author

Esther Jungreis was the founder of the international Hineni movement in the United States. A Holocaust survivor, she worked to bring Jews to Orthodox Judaism.

Reviews

[J.M. Wang · Rating 1 out of 5]

I honestly cannot even get past the Introduction/first chapter. It is extremely condescending and self-righteous, dripping with a heavy "holier-than-thou" attitude. Additionally, it is filled with broad generalizations that readers are supposed to automatically accept without questioning. Moreover, it is simply not realistic. It turned me off immediately.

Examples:

Pg xiii, 2nd paragraph of Introduction:

"...Ours is a generation that lacks moral underpinnings. There are no values to hold onto, no role models to look up. Movie stars, sports heroes, and government leaders from presidents to royalty have become the new 'fallen idols' of our age."

Really? Where is this view coming from? While I can see examples of this, there are many other contrary examples. The author makes no attempts at convincing the reader why she holds this particular view.

Pg 3, first page of first chapter:

"My husband was a paradigm of commitment in public as in private life, in war as in peace, in health as in illness, in life as in death. In forty years of marriage I never heard him utter an unkind word, raise his voice, or lose his temper."

Wow. I think if I roll my eyes any harder my contacts will fall out. Difficulties suppressing gag reflex aside, it is simply impossible for human beings to ALWAYS be kind and non-judgmental. It is like proclaiming someone NEVER lies (liar!). To be human is to have human emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. And this means having "bad" feelings like anger or holding uncharitable thoughts and judgments, along with "positive" feelings and attributes like happiness and compassion. We all judge whether or not we want to.

We all know that "first impressions" are not always true, yet it is human nature to judge things quickly (e.g., Ambady & Rosenthal, 1992); we simply cannot help it. While in many instances it may be useful to question such judgements, sometimes it is helpful to acknowledge and accept such judgments (in fact, the uncomfortable truth is that many times our intuition is actually objectively correct, even if we do not want it to be; refer to the work of Nalini Ambady for empirical evidence).

All this is to say is that, assuming the author's husband was human, it is simply not possible that he NEVER displayed any "human" characteristics like judging. I am not saying that the husband was not a good person-- it is very well possible that he was kind and moral-- yet the author's highly emotional and frankly illogical statement is simply unrealistic.

I can go on and on, but these are just some examples of why I find the book trite, unrealistic, and condescending. However, this is just my own personal view, and you may (and are very much welcome) to disagree. I am sure some people will argue that my low opinion of the book stems from my own bitterness and cynicism, and that my refusal to drink the Kool-Aid indicates that I am a hopeless soul who will never reach spiritual heights. I can understand the need to automatically attack one's character in arguing against a view, but such arguments are, in my view, frankly unconvincing and cognitively lazy.

As well, one can argue that one does not have a "right" to rate a book before finishing it. Although I understand why people may feel that one cannot "legitimately" judge a book without finishing it, I personally do not agree with this view. For me, I do not want to invest the time and effort to finish a book if I already know the book is not for me. This is particularly true if such aversion is strong and immediately apparent VERY early on in the book. I think we guilt others (and ourselves) too often about not finishing books. Instead of forcing ourselves to override our intuition, perhaps we would do well to acknowledge it. Life is short and there are WAY too many books out there! No shame and no guilt in quitting.

In a nut shell, consider this reader "uncommitted" to the views in this book :].

[Russell Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis was a Holocaust survivor, a Talmudic scholar, a devoted wife, a loving mother and grandmother, a counselor, and the founder of Hineni, an outreach organization. She was a remarkable woman and a treasure. Her book The Committed Life is part Jewish history and tradition, part self-help book. I have long been fascinated with the Jewish religion, so I found her explanations of the traditions to be enlightening and inspiring. She goes into great detail about the Sabbath (Shabbos,) the Passover Seder, the concept of marriage and its importance, and many more things that Jews, especially, hold dear. But, using parables, she also teaches the “principles for good living”—and I’m quoting here from the book jacket. The rebbetzin uses contemporary stories and stories from the Torah and the Talmud to lead us to a more joyful, committed way of life. Although the book is steeped in Jewish tradition, the reader can learn and apply her principles, even if the reader is Christian, of another of the world’s religions, or, in fact, an atheist. Yes, the rebbetzin wants us to get closer to G-d (the full word is never spelled out in accordance with Jewish law) and in doing so to accomplish her principles. But if we simply can follow her principles and put them into practice, we can become better humans. Religious beliefs are powerful. That can’t be denied, and they are helpful and empowering to their believers. But humans being human, principles of living a happy, fulfilled life can be put into place even if you are not Jewish, Christian, etc. Humans are pre-disposed to be good; evil in our lives only erupts when brought about by outside forces (saving the very few who have been proven to be inherently evil from birth for whatever reason.) And thus, Rebbetzin Esther’s principles apply no matter who we are or how we have been brought up. I highly recommend this book.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much to Think About

A person who is laser focused can accomplish much with great confidence. Rebbetzin Jungreis is a first degree relative of many rabbis and has spent her life trying to rekindle the faith in non practicing Jews. She presents a situation where she counseled someone and gives all the components necessary to help someone find their way back to their religious roots. Everything she does is based on Torah and Talmud stories combined with a lot of caring, sharing, networking and trust that the family rabbis will also know how best to respond to whoever she brings home. She wants everyone to share a Shabbat table that includes love, beauty, joy, prayers, singing, a true celebration of faith and life. She gives a glimpse into how to convey love to grandparents, one's spouse, children, grandchildren, the stranger, the sick and the widowed. Reading the book is inspiration and makes one want to be more loving oneself.

[Memory Toast]

This book reinforced for me the concept of "turning the pages of the Torah over and over, because everything is in it." As I read, I didn't encounter new information, but I reconnected with many areas of growth and was inspired to see if I could emulate the Rebbetzin's manner of looking through a Torah-lens at every situation.

Fans of this book should also check out The Committed Marriage: A Guide to Finding a Soul Mate and Building a Relationship Through Timeless Biblical Wisdom.

[Daniela Misrahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tanto que quiero escribir, y las palabras parecen quedarse chicas cuando intento abarcar todo lo que fue el libro, todo su valor y su riqueza.

Muchas pensamos: "el judaísmo es de antaño, ya no aplica hoy en día. Religión machista y controladora". Pero no es así...

Gracias Rebetzin por transmitirnos el verdadero valor, el significado real de el judaísmo, símbolo de un pacto eterno cuál yo creía irreal, y es que ahora me doy cuenta de que es verdad.

Admiro su Emuna, su humildad y la dedicación a su misión.

Espero llegar a su edad para poder relatar historias que prendan la pequeña chispa que vive en cada persona,
Gracias ❤️

[Judit Gueta · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's interesting how your actual state of mind (or soul) influences your perception of a book. It annoyed me at first. I felt like "What does she know?" "Sure, as an offspring of such wonderful family, it's easy for her to be such a good person"
But I kept reading, chapter by chapter, story by story, once a week and it became one of the most inspirational book I have read.

[Barbara Kapelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and touching

This is a wonderful book filled with touching stories about real people with problems could relate to. I found myself in tears many times - in a good way. Highly recommended

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so, so, so good! Made me laugh & cry and was so convicting at different points. While from a Jewish perspective it was so worth the read. On our list for our next family read aloud and I've already ordered multiple copies to share.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book of essays written by a fascinating woman. Her first book and, in my opinion, her best.

[Cat Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful book

[John Minster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent life lessons and pretty thoughtful/uplifting. Dialogue was unrealistic but the points came across nevertheless

[Liset Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebbetzin Jungries has this touching and delightful way to bring the key topics of life to your heart, with delicacy and profoundly.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful & Inspiring

[Jasmine S · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book which cannot help but touch your heart and inspire you to live your life in a more committed way.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this years ago but a recent conversation reminded me of how much I liked it and how much it's lessons have stayed with me over the years. I remember feeling very encouraged in my efforts to live a more God-centered life without feeling condemned for my failures. One of the things I liked most was the author's excellent use of stories to illustrate true principles. I think the stories are what have really stayed with me and have continually reminded me of the principles illustrated here.

[Barbara L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me want to be a better person. More important, it made me believe I can be a better person. Rebetzen Jungreis inspires not just by talking about good middot (character traits) but by sharing personal anecdotes that help you understand how these things can be put into practice. I want to keep it close by my side to refer to when I am challenged in the many areas she discusses: commitment, responsibility, charity, peace, prayer, forgiveness, banishing fear, compassion, faith, hope, and gratitude, among others. Just wonderful.

[Thomas Whaley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent way to reconnect and reestablish your way of living and the way you want others to perceive you. Similar to Percolate and The Four Agreements, which I both highly recommend, The Committed Life provides you the opportunity to think about your life and how we could all live it in a more meaningful way. Great for anyone of any faith!

[batya7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational straight talk about fundamental Jewish beliefs and how to live a good life. Rebbitzen Jungreis powerfully engaged my mind, my emotions, and kept me thinking long past the time I put the book down.

[Laura]

Read this forever ago, when I was younger and more pious, but it made an impression. I'll need to read it again to get a better sense.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GREAT book of short stories and commentary. It will enrich your life.

[Glittervomit · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books for learning to change behaviors and have a new outlook on life.

[Melena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Absolute must read! I gave out a a bunch of copies as gifts it was that good!

[Donna Godfrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book 5 times. The author is so wise and share so many truths. She is a story teller mixed with all the points she is making. I am reading it again at the beginning of this year.

[Leora Hagedorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third or fourth time reading. I again enjoyed gleaning some wisdom and seeing another perspective on reaching out to the world with the tools our Heavenly Father has given us.

[Lucy Khodorovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I cried at least twice every chapter...really.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very spiritually uplifting, applies to all faiths although geared towards jews.

[Gabrielita Carchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved her!!!