On Being a Jew

A mamiferous animal is considered Kosher if it chews the cud, if it has a hoof and if the hoof is cloven.Of the many interpretations or reasons of these rules given through time by the Sages of the Scriptures, there is one which comes to mind when reading James Kugel's book. The hoof is hard. It is cloven to show the uncompromising distinctiveness between right and wrong. That is the law! Chewing the cud is a symbol of mercy, of going over what is presented to find some flaw. That is clemency. Eating only Kosher animals is to keep these two apparently contradictory properties firmly in mind.In "On being a Jew" Kugel shows how the Law and Clemency are intimately interwoven in the fabric of Jewishness. It shines a bright light on our centuries-old traditions and beliefs. A wonderful book for the convinced, the sceptic and the bewildered.

Kugel is a treasure for those of us who care deeply about our response to God. And thanks Mr. Kugel for whatever you have done in your life to be such a help to the rest of us. I'm an 84 yr old ( Roman Catholic) Christian.

While I take issue with some of his views, especially those on non-Orthodox religious Judaism, Kugel's book deserves attention because of its unique approach. Instead of explaining Jewish religious traditions in humanistic terms, as do most contemporary defenses of traditional observance (Orthodox and non-Orthodox), Kugel does what Yehuda Halevi did for medieval Jews. Like Halevi's, Kugel's is not a rationalist approach. He describes the life of observant Jews as it is experienced by (at least some of) those who live it. His quirky reading of the tradition has a charm and attraction that shouldn't be written off.

Kugel's book provokes you to think rather than present you with pre-packaged answers to complex questions. If you're looking for easy answers, look elsewhere. If you're looking for an approach, this is a good place to start.Rather than use the stadard approach to selling religion: It will make you happier and healthier, Kugel provides an alternative to this narcissistic version of G-d's place in our lives.

I would give this book zero stars if it were possible to do so. Kugel's presentation of what it means to be a Jew in the world today has a heavy-handed Orthodox bias that is most present in its presentation of other Jewish movements. The most disappointing aspect of the book was Judd Lewis's (Yehuda HaLevi's) failure to raise any serious questions to the dogma and doggerel laid down by the man who is supposed to convince him not to intermarry. If you are seeking a good book about what it means to be a Jew today, check out any of Joseph Telushkin's books, which, though written from an Orthodox viewpoint, manage to present all forms of Judaism without bias/