Essential Jewish Library

Thanks for the list, but judging from some of the comments, I think you will have to follow up with list #2. There are so many choices for those who wish to study and grow.

This is super helpful! Thank you so much for posting this!

Adin Steinsaltz "Teshuvah: a guide for the newly observant Jew"...its title is misleading however. it IS for the newly observant however it's also for those that are mature and advanced in their journey. Rabbi Adin explains very well with great insight what all Jews must remember: HaShem demands a life of "teshuvah" (repentance) as a part of torah conscious lifestyle. This work is well worth the read regardless of how many years one is righteous. Rabbi Steinsaltz is very underrated and is one of the more brilliant minds out there. So Enjoy! Shalom v' hachmah!

What a good idea to compile a starter list of Jewish reading! And all the eideas in the commentst just add to it!

2 more: the 'tehilim' (psalms) of King David, and the 'Tanya' by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi

I think it's a good idea to have a book about Moshiach and why "that other guy" wasn't Moshiach. A lot of Jews can find themselves misled by missionaries who sometimes know how to twist verses to "prove" their case. I think that Kaplan's "The Real Messiah" (at least I think that's the title), You Take Jesus, I'll Take G-d (can't remember the author), and The Mythmaker: Paul and the Invention of Christianity (again, not sure of the author) are all excellent books that help Jews see why "the other guy" wasn't Moshiach. (I've read all three, so I can attest to their helpfulness.)

Excellent list!

How about the artscroll tenach? It should be no1 on the list that is the souirce of our faith.

No cookbook? There must be a mistake!

At minimum, we should include a Set of Machzorim and Haggadoth. As this is a list for "starters" I would include the NCSY Brachot pamphlet too.

I suggest we shouldn't have just the Chumash in our house but the complete Tenach, and read and read it over and over again.

How can a jew live without knowing Rav Dessler(strive for truth) and Ramchal, both Messilat Yesharim and Derech Hashem,So truth and inspiring a basis to any believer Jew.

In addition, I suggest the Artscroll editions of Pikei Avos and Tehillim.

Thank you for such a wonderful list. I am happy to see that I may have chosen my library well. I would like to also suggest the Handbook of Jewish Thought. This is a two volume set by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan. It is very thorough but easy to read. The topics are divided into sections that can be read in a short period. Great references are provided in the footnotes for follow up.

Comment about Jay Grossman's comments about Artscroll and Metsudah sidurim.

I dafka think that the Artscroll is great for davening where as the Metzuda is perfect for sitting with my children and teaching the meaning of the tephilot. I used the Metzuda for davening a few times but found it far too heavy and large for practical use.

Living in Israel I often find the Artscroll anoying that it does not contain the small amounts of differences between nusach Ashkenaz in Israel and outside of Israel. Many Hebrew only siddurim incorperate these differences very well. There is no reason why Artscroll cannot add a few lines here and there to guide English speakers in Israel.

Another thought. If Artscroll did include references to the slightly different nusach in Eretz Yisrael then perhaps this would encourage more Jews to visit Israel.

Don't forget a Sefer Tehillim- Metzudah or Artscroll and a Pirke Avos.

There's nothing that teaches the Jewish world view so well as good Pirke Avos and Tehillim...with commentary!

Your list is great. I believe that there could be one additional one added. I just finished A. Lefkowitz' " From Fear to Eternity". It is outstanding - concise and very readable. My baalei batim who are reading it say it speaks to them.

Berel Simpser

The artscroll siddur is good for studying. I think, howver, that for Davening, the Metsudah linear siddur is better. The prayers are presented with a few words on each line with the english translation directly opposite on the same page. This makes it easier to look at the translation while praying. With an artscroll siddur, you have to search on the next page for the few words you wish to translate.

Another positive feature of Metsudah is that they do not translate ALL the prayers. There are sections which are left untranslated because even in translation, a person would first have to assimilate a wealth of information before the words of the prayer would make sense.

I guess it would be a good idea to have both artscroll and metsudah.

I am so very glad you put this in. I am still so new at learning the ways of my people. There is so much to learn, I am never sure what to read but this list make sense to me.

When I saw the title of this article, I really had to check if "On Judaism" is on there. It definitely warrents being in the Top 10, and I'm glad you're letting the world know.

I agree that if you only have one Chumash (Five books of Moses) in your home then the Stone Chumash is it!

This is just the five books though. If you want the complete Bible (Tanach) then the Artscroll Stone Tanach is the one to get. It is particularly good if you are bothered by missionaries. Their so called "proof texts" can be looked up in the Stone Tanach and read in a clear and correct English translation. There is also a small amount of commentary at the bottom of each page.

For those of you who are looking for the next step up after the Stone Chumash, something with a bit more meat on it, something that tackles difficult questions and gives full and inspiring answers then the 5 volume set by Rav Eli Munk entitled "The Call of The Torah" published by Artscroll is it!

The Call of The Torah combines the analytical mind of Rav Hirsh with the mysticism of the Zohar as well as generations of all the great Rabbis. It asks the questions you ask and gives satisfying in depth answers.

It's also great for that clever inspiring devar Torah at the dinner table or in shul.

If you wish to learn Chumash with Rashi in English then I would recommend the Metsuda Linear translation of Chumash and Rashi.

There are currently (as far as I know) no less than 5 Chumash/Rashis in English out on the market including the original Silverman's and the popular Artscroll. The Silverman contains old very difficult English and the Artscroll's format is cluttered and squashed.

The Metsuda Chumash is clear. The translation of both Chumash and Rashi is modern and flows well. The Metsuda also contains comprehensive notes on Rashi's sources, Talmud midrash etc.
Highly recommended.

Born American, traveled the world, lived in Europe Asia, several States, raised Catholic in a U.S. Army/Airborne Family, found confusion until I began to study Ivri...I sense a Jewish Soul living in me...L'Chaim, Brachot L'Yachid, B"H...what can I possibly do...

I'd like to add some more books to a jewish home's library.

First of all, for the French-speaking people, the chumash is very well explained thanks to Elie MUNK.



Secondly, here are some books I wanted to add
1. Two Halves of a Whole (Rav J. ABRAMOV and his wife).

About marriage... how to build it and hwo to understand each other - well, here I could add a book written by a goy, which was recomended to me at a Jewish seminar: "Men are from Mars, women from Venus" (John Gray)).



2. Planting and building (Rav Schlomo WOLBE)

About educating children... and parents?



3. One lesson a day + Chemirat Halashon (Hofetz Haïm) Feldheim Publishers.



4. All for the boss (Rochama Shain)

A biography about Rabbi Yaacov Yossef Herman, pioneer of the orthodox movement in the USA: a lesson of courage, pure faith, love and wisdom.


5. The Fifth Commandment.

Honoring parents-laws, insights, stories and ideas (Rabbi Moshe LIEBER) The Blumenthal Edition.

Both lists of books are excellent! I already have most of these books, and now know what I should add. Thank you, Rabbi Simmons.

Despite the excellent quality of the Artscroll siddur, the chumash and tenach leave much to be desired, particularly for those studying the translation. Artscroll editors often ignore the plain meaning of texts they don't like, offering instead aligorical translations. In other cases they skip phrases in hebrew leaving them untranslated altogether. The commantary is extremely particular, offering only those sages that agree with the artscroll position while ignoring those Rabbis that take a different view. For comentary in english, Judaica Press is far more open to giving a diversity of views and letting the reader choose. For translation, at least of the Five Books, Everett Fox offers a very literal and honest translation that works hard to maintain the poetry of the Hebrew.

Too often Artscroll glosses over difficult and disturbing parts of the text. We study Torah to be challenged, not spoon fed.