Richard S. Sarason

In the Seat of Moses

World Religions

“Jack Lightstone has written an eminently readable—and successful—teaching book for non-specialists introducing how to read early rabbinic literature: Mishnah, Tosefta, the halakic midrashim, and the two Talmuds. His thesis is that the key to understanding this literature, in each of its genres, is to master the highly formulaic rhetorical patterns that serve as signposts and structure the entire discourse. Specialists, too, will benefit from this book and can profitably use it in their teaching.”

Laws in the Bible and in Early Rabbinic Collections

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“This book's intriguing thesis is that there are many 'remainders' of ancient near eastern law that survive in the late antique legal literature of rabbinic Judaism (the Mishnah and the two Talmuds) . . . Greengus uniquely shows how this influence may be discovered in rabbinic legal materials that lack explicit biblical models and antecedents. A fascinating read for all those interested in the history of law and intercultural influences.”

Subversive Principles

World Religions

“Drawing on the theoretical work of Bourdieu and Foucault, David Aaron provides a refreshingly innovative and often startlingly insightful commentary on the first two chapters of Mishnah-tractate Avot. Aaron explores possible meanings of this text in its original Greco-Roman context, in which early rabbinic master-disciple circles were akin to those of Hellenistic philosophical schools, particularly Epicureanism. He also proposes an ethics of reading for handling difficult, albeit canonical, texts from the past. Thought-provoking and highly recommended.”