Tiferet Yisrael - Translation and Commentary, Volume 1

The famed Maharal of Prague, a 16th-century mystic, is known for the legend of the Golem, but his Torah scholarship has remained a closed book to English speakers for far too long. While several attempts have been made to translate or abridge the Maharal's Torah, the complexity of his thought has defied standard translation methodologies. This edition of the Tiferet Yisrael (the Splendor of Israel) seeks to present the Maharal's thought in all its majesty and to enable beginners and scholars alike to grasp the overall structure of the Maharal's concepts through the addition of innovative summaries and graphical aids. In the work, the Maharal contemplates questions of Jewish life, such as: - How can there be ritually observant Jews who behave immorally? - What is the reason for performing Mitzvot (commandments)? - Is there any relevance or meaning to performing Mitzvot if one doesn't understand God's reasons for commanding them? - What is the path to self-fulfillment? The translation is lucid and faithful, with in-line comments to guide the reader in exploring the Maharal's depths. This volume contains the complete Hebrew text of Tiferet Yisrael together with a full and parallel English translation, as well as commentary in English and sources. The text is complemented by an informative introduction which includes an historical overview. In addition, there is a unique graphical summary of every chapter which allows the reader to immediately grasp the structure and overarching ideas in an integrated fashion. The Maharal of Prague was an important 16th-century Talmudic scholar, Jewish mystic, and philosopher who served as a leading rabbi in the cities of Mikulov in Moravia and Prague in Bohemia. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Rabbi Ramon Widmonte attended Yeshivat Har Etzion in Alon Shvut, Israel, where he was privileged to learn from Rabbi Yehuda Amital, z"l, Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, z"l and Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein, shlita. He also holds a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. He directs Mizrachi South Africa and is the co-founder and Dean of the Academy of Jewish Thought and Learning (www.TheAcademy.org.za), a cutting-edge adult education program. Rabbi Widmonte and his wife, Julie, are blessed with three children, Batya Chaya, Yonatan Ya'akov Yitzchak and Aryeh Tzvi. You can read more of Rabbi Widmonte's writings on the website, www.RavRamon.net. PRAISE FOR TIFERET YISRAEL “One of the major novel approaches that Rabbi Widmonte has taken is to create a method of synthesizing the Maharal’s thought and summarizing them, utilizing summaries and graphics devices. These are elements which assist majorly with acquiring an overall understanding of how the Maharal’s Torah flows together to become the magnificent edifice of Torah that it is.” - Rabbi Avraham Tanzer “…Maharal’s thought to the English reading public is a great service that will provide the intelligent and interested reader a window into the thought of this great thinker.” - Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein “What is unique in your work is that you have succeeded in clarifying the words of the Maharal in a manner that benefits everyone ... Moreover, you created tables and comparisons from within the Maharal’s works and you succeeded in making these ideas tangible.” - Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman