Judaism

Judaism is an ancient monotheistic religion, with the Torah as its foundational text (part of the larger text known as the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible), and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash and the Talmud.

New Releases Tagged "Judaism"

Most Read This Week Tagged "Judaism"

Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning

The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues

How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty

Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz and Found the Strength to Live

Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth

More most read this week tagged "judaism"...

Judaism Books

Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History

Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends

Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life-in Judaism (after Finally Choosing to Look There)

God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism

To Life: A Celebration of Jewish Being and Thinking

Essential Judaism: A Complete Guide to Beliefs, Customs and Rituals

People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots

More judaism books...

Lists

Originally Written in Yiddish

57 books — 12 voters

Hasidism & Orthodox Judaism

258 books — 71 voters

The Parables of Peanuts by Robert L. Short

And the Beagles and the Bunnies Shall Lie Down Together by Charles M. Schulz

The Gospel According to Peanuts by Robert L. Short

Religion and Comics

108 books — 15 voters

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

YA Books about Homosexuality and Religion

65 books — 52 voters

Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley

Biblical Retellings

222 books — 59 voters

Jewish (Frum) Books

207 books — 19 voters

Related Genres

Nonfiction
Religion
Judaica

Religión
Judaïca
Relígion

Featured News & Interviews

Get Ready! Readers' Most Anticipated Books of 2026

Read »

Quotes Tagged “Judaism”

“ A Roman came to Rabbi Gimzo the Water Carrier, and asked, "What is this study of the law that you Jews engage in?" and Gimzo replied, "I shall explain. There were two men on a roof, and they climbed down the chimney. One's face became sooty. The other's not. Which one washed his face?" The Roman said, "That's easy, the sooty one, of course." Gimzo said, "No. The man without the soot looked at his friend, saw that the man's face was dirty, assumed that his was too, and washed it." Cried the Roman A Roman came to Rabbi Gimzo the Water Carrier, and asked, "What is this study of the law that you Jews engage in?" and Gimzo replied, "I shall explain. There were two men on a roof, and they climbed down the chimney. One's face became sooty. The other's not. Which one washed his face?" The Roman said, "That's easy, the sooty one, of course." Gimzo said, "No. The man without the soot looked at his friend, saw that the man's face was dirty, assumed that his was too, and washed it." Cried the Roman, "Ah ha! So that's the study of law. Sound reasoning." But Gimzo said, "You foolish man, you don't understand. Let me explain again. Two men on a roof. They climb down a chimney. One's face is sooty, the other's not. Which one washes?" The Roman said, "As you just explained, the man without the soot." Gimzo cried,"No, you foolish one! There was a mirror on the wall and the man with the dirty face saw how sooty it was and washed it." The Roman said, "Ah ha! So that's the study of law! Conforming to the logical." But Rabbi Gimzo said, "No, you foolish one. Two men climbed down the chimney. One's face became sooty? The other's not? That's impossible. You're wasting my time with such a proposition." And the Roman said, "So that's the law! Common sense." And Gimzo said, "You foolish man! Of course it was possible. When the first man climbed down the chimney he brushed the soot away. So the man who followed found none to mar him." And the Roman cried, "That's brilliant, Rabbi Gimzo. Law is getting at the basic facts." And for the last time Gimzo said, "No, you foolish man. Who could brush all the soot from a chimney? Who could ever understand all the facts?" Humbly the Roman asked, "Then what is the law?" And Gimzo said quietly, "It's doing the best we can to ascertain God's intention, for there were indeed two men on a roof, and they did climb down the same chimney. The first man emerged completely clean while it was the second who was covered with soot, and neither man washed his face, because you forgot to ask me whether there was any water in the basin. There was none. ...more ”
― James A. Michener, The Source

21 likes

“ As a convinced atheist, I ought to agree with Voltaire that Judaism is not just one more religion, but in its way the root of religious evil. Without the stern, joyless rabbis and their 613 dour prohibitions, we might have avoided the whole nightmare of the Old Testament, and the brutal, crude wrenching of that into prophecy-derived Christianity, and the later plagiarism and mutation of Judaism and Christianity into the various rival forms of Islam. Much of the time, I do concur with Voltaire, b ...more ”
― Christopher Hitchens, Hitch 22: A Memoir

39 likes

More quotes...