The Thirty-Third Hour

A great read - both intriguing and instructive. The mystery keeps the pages turning, and before you know it you've been through a Torah course taught in a very unique way. But beyond that is a new philosophy on the form and future of jewish life and learning - some ideas that really make you think.It's rare to get so many "benefits" from one book!

Unlike anything I've read. A rabbi sits sleepless in his study, watching videos and reading journals in a desperate attempt to discover why a colleague -- another rabbi! -- so betrayed his trust that the whole congregation is threatened. As mystery, the apparent betrayal generates only mild heat. but mystery (THIS mystery, in any case) is not the main point here. Rather, "Thirty-third Hour" looks at the deeper mysteries of how people relate to one another, their religious traditions and texts, and the nagging uncertainties of existence. Chefitz's book is a wonderful, insightful and provocative exploration of mysticism and midrash. Not only was I unable to put the book down, but I immediately integrated some of the material into a course I teach. What's more, the very day I finished it, I bought two copies as gifts for friends.

This book is FABULOUS. I couldn't put it down, a real pageturner. I thought I knew the familiar Old Testament stories, butThe Thirty-third Hour puts them into a brand new light. This is a must read foranyone who thinks there's only one approach to the Bible. PLUS it is a great mystery, with an amazing ending.

After reading "The Seventh Telling", I had been anxiously awaiting the promised sequel from Mitchell Chevitz. His "The Thirty-Third Hour", bringing back Moshe Katan from the first book exceeded even my prejudiced expectations. With superb skill, he takes us through a review of the critical Torah texts, examining each for deeper Kabbalistic meaning in a setting of family study, all disguised in an intricate suspenseful novel. After the first Chapter, the plot became so intriguing that it is impossible to stop reading until it is exposed, incidentally in the last Chapter. The entire setting is so familiar and logical that you really feel immersed within the story. There is so much to be learned from this "teaching", disguised as a novel, that it should be mandatory reading in every home, school and religious institution. Kudos to Mitchell Chevitz.

Arthur Greenberg is a rabbi with the discomforting task of investigating accusations brought against a colleague, Moshe Katan. They are serious accusations of a sexual nature and they have been made by a widow, Brenda, who is a congregant and who has confided, if not boasted about her amorous exploits to Arthur's wife. As the plot unfolds we are treated to the intricacies of Greenberg's struggles with his own life, his career crisis, his loyalty to the accused colleague and his sense of integrity, and perhaps just a touch of vanity. The second volume of a trilogy, volume one being The Seventh Telling of Moshe Katan, this story reads like the mystery it is. Yet, it is more than a good mystery; it is a warm story about life and the struggles which people encounter in day to day living. And it is a story about the successes these same people have and the generosity the human spirit embraces from time to time. Beyond that, it's enjoyable reading even as it provokes much thought.-----A Donnelly, KS