Maimonides: The Book Of Adoration - Rabbi Chaim Brecher

Continuing from its companion-volume, The Book Of Knowledge, this work presents the second volume of Mishneh Torah, the monumental code of Jewish law by Maimonides (Rambam, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon). In this second volume, titles Sefer Ahavah (the Book of Adoration), Maimonides delves into those areas and aspects of halachah (normative Jewish law) which concern the expression of the Jews’ constant devotion to God. With his masterly gift for organization, in his usual lucidity, this towering thinker sets down the laws of keri’ath shema (saying “shema yisrael”every morning and evening): prayer to the Almighty; the blessings and benedictions; and the synagogue. Following his logical system, he then takes up the precepts that concern the outer, visible signs of the Jewish faith: t’fillin (phylacteries), tzitzith (the tassels or fringes on a four-cornered garment), mezuzah (the small parchment scroll in a case affixed to doorpost), the sefer torah (Torah scroll) and milah (the sacred covenant of the circumcision). As in its companion-volume (the Book of Knowledge), the text is reproduced line by line from the autographed manuscript in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. Scholarly notes and references, of invaluable help to the reader and student, have been provided by Rabbi Chaim M. Brecher. As is the preceding volume, the faithful English translation, by Rabbi Dr. Moses Hymason, is printed with the Hebrew on facing pages.