Marc D. Angel

Ever since his novel, The Search Committee, I have been waiting anxiously for Rabbi Marc D. Angel's next work of fiction. The short story collection The Crown of Solomon and Other Stories was worth the wait! A unique and moving collection that allows the reader insight into Sephardic Jewry's rich heritage." — Naomi Ragen, Author of The Sister's Weiss and the Ghost of Hannah Mendes

These wry parables of Jewish wisdom and ignorance touch a nerve. We find ourselves thinking about these characters long after we've put the book down—this one timid and self-demeaning until she suddenly is not, that one stubborn and aggressive, another, hesitant beyond reason. The stories quietly ambush assumptions of many kinds. — Jane Mushabac, CUNY Professor of English, author of "Pasha: Ruminations of David Aroughetti."

While reading Rabbi Marc Angel’s The Crown of Solomon and Other Stories, I could not stop wondering whether David Barukh, the unrecognized Sephardic Mozart, was a metaphor for the last two centuries of the Ottoman Sephardic culture, a metaphor for all the wasted opportunities and unrealized potentials! Rabbi Angel’s stories demonstrate that Sepharadim can still teach modern American readers a thing or two, a lesson in honesty, or modesty—or, maybe, how to turn a defect into effect. Rabbi Angel does not idealize his Sephardic characters, not even the rabbinic ones. Some of his rabbis, like Hakham Shelomo, are wise in an a la turca way; others are quite average, like Hakham Ezra; some are humble, honorable and even saintly like Rabbi Bejerano—and yet others are frivolous and self-centered, like Rabbi Tedeschi. All are convincingly human and quite imaginable in real life. The lay characters of the stories are simply conquering in their charming simplicity, in their human rootedness and in their folk wisdom. While reading Rabbi Marc Angel’s new book, I felt everything was in its place. It takes a person deeply rooted in both cultures, traditional Sephardic and modern American, to tell so Sephardic a story in a language such as English, and who makes everything feel totally right. — Dr. Eliezer Papo, Head of the Sephardic Studies Research Institute, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev… (meer)

Neste livro, o Rabino Marc Angel oferece ao leitor uma análise pessoal das tradições e dos costumes da vida judaica, incorporando também reflexões de pensadores Sefaraditas. Partindo do princípio que o modo de vida proposto na Torá é equilibrado, ele utiliza esta análise para discutir os desvios que os judeus têm tomado das suas próprias tradições. A obra se propõe a apresentar uma estrutura para a compreensão equilibrada e harmônica da forma de viver judaica, constituindo-se em um norte que aponta para o equilíbrio.Por outro lado, quando alguém se dedica em excesso e ao extremo, acaba por se isolar, tendendo para xenofobia e para a superautovalorização, reduzindo então o caminho da Torá a guetos autoimpostos, tanto físicos quanto espirituais.… (meer)

There are many divergent interpretations of the brilliant sage Moses Maimonides (1138-1204). Some scholars, such as Leo Strauss of the University of Chicago, are convinced that Maimonides wrote for two audiences, intellectuals and the general population, and that he frequently hid his true views from the non-intellectuals, convinced that the more philosophically-minded could mine what he wrote and understand what he really thought. Others, such as Menachem Kellner of the University of Haifa, Israel, believe that this is not true. Maimonides meant what he wrote and did not hide ideas so as not to disturb the common people or say things just to make people feel better. Rabbi Marc Angel, the founder and director of the prestigious Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals (jewishideas.org) takes the latter approach and presents it well.

He includes texts from Maimonides’ Book of Knowledge and from his famous Thirteen Principles of Judaism. He chose these two sources because they give a clear presentation of Maimonides’ teachings on morality, ethics, Torah study, idolatry, and the principles of Judaism. He places Maimonides’ words on the right side of the book, puts numbers where there are ideas he wants to explain, and he explains them on the left side. For example, he quotes Maimonides’ teaching about when Jews should give up their lives for Judaism on the right and gives historical examples on the left. Similarly, he mentions Maimonides view that prophets must be philosophers on the right and explains on the left that people do not have to accept his view and gives his opinion why. Also, he quotes Maimonides that righteous people do more than what the law requires and deviate from the middle path on the right and describes the higher standard on the left. His explanations are clear and he frequently refers to other books that help clarify and supplement Maimonides’ thoughts, including other books that Maimonides composed.

Rabbi Angel starts his book with a thirty page introduction that introduces Maimonides, his history, and writings to the reader. He tells readers that Maimonides was both a religious man and a philosopher; contrary to some people who think he was only one or the other. He describes the Book of Knowledge and the Thirteen Principles. He points out that Maimonides insisted that religion must have a sound intellectual foundation. “His approach (to religion) allows a person (of every religion) to be religious without turning off his or her brain.” He tells readers that Maimonides never wrote, as most people think, that Jews must believe in God. The translators misunderstood what he wrote. He said that people should study and understand as well as they could about God. Maimonides emphasized knowledge not belief.

Rabbi Angel tells us that Maimonides felt strongly that there is no distinction between Jews and other human beings; humans are humans. The Torah emphasizes this message when it states 36 times that we should love the stranger. Non-Jews know things Jews don’t know and everyone should learn from everyone else; the truth is the truth no matter what its source. One cannot be a true Torah scholar without deriving wisdom from all sources. Non-Jews have the identical rights to the world to come.

The book is filled with Rabbi Angel’s insightful interpretation of Maimonides and this great sage’s important teachings, such as the following: Maimonides believed in miracles, “but God does so very rarely.” People should not be ascetic, such as fasting when not required to do so. Contrary to the thinking of some ultra-Orthodox, Maimonides stressed that Torah scholars should work and not depend on the charity of others.

In summary, readers will gain much by reading this book because Maimonides was the greatest sage since the biblical Moses and Rabbi Angel gives us a good explanation of his views.… (meer)

Rabbi Marc D. Angel, PhD has written an extremely though-provoking book, giving the reader much to ponder regarding Moses Maimonides and Baruch Spinoza. Maimonides, Spinoza and Us is quite the intense read.

Angel’s comparing and contrasting Moses Maimonides and Baruch Spinoza, two great Jewish philosophers, is done with sensitivity, yet with a forthrightness that vividly speaks the varied philosophical languages and thinking of the two men. The two men, born almost five centuries apart had differing perspectives on religion, yet, Angel manages to blend the two together, incorporating both of their philosophies into the realm of Jewish life and Jewish religious practice and religious faith. There are areas where the two definitely agree. There are areas where Angel disagrees with each of them, and areas where he agrees with one or both of them, depending on the aspect and perspective demonstrated.

There is nothing wrong with questioning, and even questioning the sages, wise men and/or holy men. To seek truth is to question, and to learn from knowledge is to question the knowledge presented…continually.… (meer)