The King Is In The Field

If politics is about the state, can a stateless people be political? Until recently, scholars were fiercely divided regarding whether Jews engaged in politics, displayed political wisdom, or penned works of political thought over the two millennia when there was no Jewish state. But over the past few decades, the field of Jewish political thought has begun to examine the ways in which Jewish individuals and communal organizations behaved politically even in diaspora. The King Is in the Field centers writing from leading scholars that serves as an introduction to this exciting field, providing critical resources for anyone interested in thinking about politics both within and beyond the state. From kabbalistic theology to economic philanthropy, from race and nationalism in the U.S. to Israeli legal discourse and feminist activism, this key study of Jewish political thought holds the promise to reorient the field of political thought as a whole by expanding conceptions of what counts as "political." In a world in which statelessness now applies to 100 million individuals, this volume illuminates ways to understand how diaspora Jewish political thought functioned in adopted homelands. This approach allows the book to offer questions and analysis that add depth and breadth to academic studies of Jewish politics while simultaneously offering a blueprint for future volumes interrogating political action through multiple diasporas. Contributors: Samuel Hayim Brody, Lihi Ben Shitrit, Julie E. Cooper, Arye Edrei, Meirav Jones, Rebecca Kobrin, Vincent Lloyd, Menachem Lorberbaum, Shaul Magid, Assaf Tamari, Irene Tucker, Philipp Von Wussow, Michael Walzer.

Throughout the ages, Jews have connected legends to particular days of the Hebrew calendar. Abraham's birth, the death of Rachel, and the creation of light are all tales that are linked to a specific day and season. The Jewish Book of Days invites readers to experience the connection between sacred story and nature's rhythms, through readings designed for each and every day of the year. These daily readings offer an opportunity to live in tune with the wisdom of the past while learning new truths about the times we live in today. Using the tree as its central metaphor, The Jewish Book of Days is divided into eight chapters of approximately forty-five days each. These sections represent the tree's stages of growth--seed, root, shoot, sap, bud, leaf, flower, and fruit--and also echo the natural cadences of each season. Each entry has three components: a biblical quote for the day; a midrash on the biblical quote or a Jewish tradition related to that day; and commentary relating the text to the cycles of the year. The author includes an introduction that analyzes the different months and seasons of the Hebrew calendar and explains the textual sources used throughout. Appendixes provide additional material for leap years, equinoxes, and solstices. A section on seasonal meditations offers a new way to approach the divine every day.

The King in the Field is a story of five friends who dream of seeing the king and making some requests. But it's not easy to be admitted to the royal palace, and they wonder if they will ever have the chance. Imagine their surprise when they see that the king has left his palace to walk through the field where they are sitting! Imagine their joy at being so close to their beloved king, their happiness at being able to speak to him face to face!The King in the Field is a parable for the month of Elul, the Hebrew month just before the start of the Jewish New Year, is one of the best times to approach G-d with prayers and requests. In that special month, G-d makes Himself closer and more accessible than ever, just like a king who goes for a walk through a field where his subjects can easily speak to him.

You are invited to enter the new-old pathway of Neo-Hasidism--a movement that uplifts key elements of Hasidism's Jewish revival of two centuries ago to reexamine the meaning of existence, see everything anew, and bring the world as it is and as it can be closer together. This volume brings this discussion into the twenty-first century, highlighting Neo-Hasidic approaches to key issues of our time. Eighteen contributions by leading Neo-Hasidic thinkers open with the credos of Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Arthur Green. Or Rose wrestles with reinterpreting the rebbes' harsh teachings concerning non-Jews. Ebn Leader assesses the perils of trusting one's whole being to a single personality: can Neo-Hasidism endure as a living tradition without a rebbe? Shaul Magid candidly calibrates Shlomo Carlebach: how "the singing rabbi" transformed him and why Magid eventually walked away. Other contributors engage questions such as: How might women enter this hitherto gendered sphere created by and for men? How can we honor and draw nourishment from other religions' teachings? Can the rebbes' radiant wisdom guide those who struggle with self-diminishment to reclaim wholeness? Together these intellectually honest and spiritually robust conversations inspire us to grapple anew with Judaism's legacy and future.

The first examination of cultural exchanges between England and Bohemia after 1382, eventually leading to the suppression of heresy.

Contains hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries that provide information about various aspects of the life and work of popular novelist Stephen King.

She was a passionate lover. But was she also a murderess? In the first of Paul Doherty's series featuring the time travelling scholar Nicholas Segalla, the reader is transported to the 16th century Scottish court. Perfect for fans of Susanna Gregory and C. J. Sansom. Edinburgh, 1567. Beautiful Mary, Queen of Scots, leaves her ill husband's bedside to attend the wedding festivities of her maid of honour. Hours later, the calm night is shattered by a devastating explosion. The King's body is found in a field with a cloak, a chair, a slipper and a dagger by his lifeless corpse. When stolen letters cast suspicion on the queen herself, she is accused of murder. Was the fiery Mary the perpetrator of the King's bloody murder, or the object of a ruthless plot of betrayal, crafted by England's most masterful assassin, the Raven Master? Only the shadowy scholar Nicholas Segalla can uncover the truth. What readers are saying about Paul Doherty: 'A cracker, full of twists and turns, with an overarching mystery of who exactly is Segalla' 'Paul Doherty's books are a joy to read' 'The sounds and smells of the period seem to waft from the pages of [Paul Doherty's] books'

Only in the world of the theater can Nat Field find an escape from the tragedies that have shadowed his young life. So he is thrilled when he is chosen to join an American drama troupe traveling to London to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream in a new replica of the famous Globe theater. Shortly after arriving in England, Nat goes to bed ill and awakens transported back in time four hundred years -- to another London, and another production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Amid the bustle and excitement of an Elizabethan theatrical production, Nat finds the warm, nurturing father figure missing from his life -- in none other than William Shakespeare himself. Does Nat have to remain trapped in the past forever, or give up the friendship he's so longed for in his own time?