GOOD
MORNING! When was the last time you read the Bible? When you
were in Sunday School? Maybe you never read the Bible at all -- or
maybe it was late at night in a hotel room and you were desperate for
something to read. Chances are, if you ever tried to read the Bible,
it seemed like gibberish.

Now there is a fascinating new book out -- Bible For The Clueless But
Curious -- written by my Aish HaTorah colleague and friend, Nachum
Braverman. It won't throw a bunch of "thous" and "forsooths" at
you, it won't talk down to you from the pulpit or try to make you
feel guilty. It won't ask you to accept a bunch of religious dogma
on blind faith and it won't pretend to be the only book you will ever
need to read if you want to be happy.

It will speak to you like the thoughtful human being that you are,
and, by way of a gallery of icons, present the wisdom of the
Bible in a fun and uniquely insightful fashion. (My sixteen year old
son was on the couch reading it with enjoyment and laughing -- from
it, not at it).

There are top-notch insights and real wisdom in this book. If you
have been baffled by the stories in the Bible, then this is a great
book to understand the lessons for life to be learned from the
stories. After all, people have been turning to the Bible for 3,300
years looking for insights.

I think of it as "The Bible Companion for the Channel-Surfer." When
one channel-surfs, they've got five seconds to grab your attention to
make you want to stay longer. This book is designed so that when you
turn to any page you will find an icon, a side-bar, a box with
concise, to-the-point wisdom. At the end of the book are four
appendices: Who's Who, 32 frequently asked questions, Famous Biblical
Phrases (and what they really mean), and a Chronology for the
historically clueless but curious.

To give you a taste of the book, here is a Question and Answer from
Frequently Asked Questions:

Why are religious people so intolerant?

Tolerance means assuming the people you disagree with are honest and
well-meaning. It doesn't mean that all opinions have equal merit or
that no one is right. As Dorothy Parker said, "If two people agree,
one of them is unnecessary."

It is also crucial to distinguish between loving people and loving
all their actions or beliefs.

Rabbi Aryeh Levin lived in Israel during the British Mandate. One
Shabbat, he was walking in the streets of Jerusalem when a secular
Israeli came toward him, smoking a cigarette. "My master," said Reb Aryeh, "it's prohibited to smoke on Shabbat." "Oh, my son, don't say that," said Reb Aryeh. "I love you as my own
child." The Israeli paused. "The Rabbi doesn't want me to smoke?
I'll put it out" "Don't put it out," said Reb Aryeh, " just put it
down." "I can't tell the Rabbi I'll never again smoke on Shabbat,"
said the Israeli, "but this Shabbat, I won't smoke."

The Bible for the Clueless But Curious is available at better
bookstores everywhere or by calling toll-free to 877-758-3242.

Torah Portion of the Week

YITRO

This is the Torah portion containing the giving of the Ten
Commandments. (It is important to note that they are the Ten
Commandments and not the Ten Suggestions.) Did you know that there
are differences in the Ten Commandments as stated here (Exodus 20:1
-14) and related later in Deuteronomy 5:6 - 18? (Here IS a
Suggestion: have your children find the differences as a game at
the Shabbat table during dinner; there are approximately 30
differences).