God Was Not in the Fire

I read Rabbi Daniel Gordis' "God Was Not in the Fire" ten years ago when I was in the conversion process, and it resonates with me still. Gordis has a beautiful way of explaining so many things that I didn't understand. Primary of those confusing details of Judaism was the question of the importance of Torah. He made the study of Torah exciting to me, through his beautiful prose, and his logical sense. Now, nearly a decade later, I'm finally saying Thank You to Rabbi Gordis. He made a difference.

The book is directed towards modern "sophisticated" Jews who are looking for compelling reasons to engage more fully in Jewish custom, tradition, and spirituality, and I thought Rabbi Gordis did a superb job at doing so; He not only eloquently and thoughtfully describes in depth the how of Jewish life, but the "why", the meaning behind the customs and traditions, and specifically how incorporating these aspects into life provides a richer, fuller experience. Secular Jews and those considering conversion who are trying to be 'convinved' of 'Why Be Jewish' will not only discover the richness of Judaism, but also those who already convinced, will greatly appreciate this book.

Rabbi Gordis describes this book as an attempt to answer the question, "Why be Jewish?" But the question he really addresses is, "Can living a traditional Jewish life of study, prayer, ritual and mitzvah lead one to a spiritual life that is meaningful in today's world?" To this question, his answer is a resounding "yes," and he is largely successful in describing how traditional Jewish practices can lead one to the sense of connectedness and commitment -- here equated with spirituality -- often missing in our lives. His approach is largely psychological: study validates our struggles to believe; ritual takes us away from the mundane world; keeping kosher brings an aspect of spiritual discipline into the mundane world. Although this approach has inherent limitations -- the persuasiveness of some of his arguments may lie in the psyche of the individual reader -- it is well-suited to his target audience of people who are already seeking a deeper Jewish spirituality.If you are looking for a book that demonstrates that the prayer services, rituals, study and observance of the mitzvot really can lead you to a more spiritual life, then you have come to the right place. Rabbi Gordis is eloquent in his belief that traditional Jewish practice can provide spiritual sustenance. If that thought is a sufficient reason for you to "be Jewish," then you will find that Rabbi Gordis has also answered the first question posed above. The problem for me, however, is that Rabbi Gordis does not really address why it should be *Jewish* study, prayer, ritual and discipline that leads one to spirituality. Most of the arguments Rabbi Gordis provides apply equally, at least in general terms, to other religions I have studied. Prayer, ritual, discipline and ethics, in one form or another, are shared by Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Why one should adopt *Jewish* forms of spirituality -- and what sets Jewish forms apart from other religions -- are questions not addressed in this book.Rabbi Gordis includes a *very* helpful section of "Suggestions for Further Reading," which is arranged by the themes covered in each chapter and provides a brief comment on each of the books, instead of just the usual unadorned list.

Reading R'Abraham Joshua Heschel's meatier works such as God in Search of Man is a significant undertaking - not as tricky as Talmud, but nonetheless, not for the faint of heart. R'Gordis has managed to extract from R'Heschel's works a truly elegant and easy to grasp distillation of most of R'Heschel's most critical works. Nonetheless, this is not the "Cliff's Notes" version of his work. R'Gordis captures the essence of many difficult concepts beginning with the central idea of "God in search of Man". Through this he works illustrative texts from Scripture, Aggadic literature and Talmud to make R'Heschel's work much more accessable to the novice. Having read, at this point, many of R'Heschel's works, I can truly appreciate the thought and care with which R'Gordis has produced this wonderful book.My only complaint is that R'Gordis opens with a number of theological questions which he implies will be resolved in the course of his book - Not surprisingly, they are not. However, this is a minor quibble as he has plenty of great company in this stretching back over 3000 years.

Rabbi Daniel Gordis discusses a way for modern Jews to find spirituality in Judaism. The book provides answers to today's most perplexing questions about life and Judaism. I was particularly impressed with Rabbi Gordis' explanation of the importance of blending ritual, prayer, and mitzvot to live a fulfilling Jewish life. For those with doubts about their connection to G-d and to Judaism should read this book.