web analytics
May 23, 2013 /14 Sivan, 5773
At a Glance ▼
Sections
Sponsored Post
The Tosfos Yomtov was convinced that the death of 300,000 –600,000 Jews during the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648-49 were because of improper Tefila. Communicated: Tefilla

Chillul Tefila Bifarhesia, as well as halachicly challenged verbiage and dress, are external manifestations of a critical lack of personal yiras shomayim which has lethal consequences.



Home » Sections » Books »

Title: The Jewish Home – A Guide to Jewish Family Life

Published: June 23rd, 2010
tell a friend

Title: The Jewish Home - A Guide to Jewish Family Life


Author: Eliyahu Kitov


Publisher: Feldheim


 


 


   Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov lived through turbulent times, whether as a young man in war-torn Poland in the middle of the last century, or as an early settler in the fledgling State of Israel during its formative years. In Israel, he developed into an exceptional educator and outstanding writer, and these two skills merged remarkably well when he authored a series of innovative texts that still resonate strongly throughout the Jewish world.

 

   Rabbi Kitov witnessed, and surely understood, that Jewish life, in experiencing such tragedy and destruction, would be profoundly hurt to its very core, and one of the titles he authored was The Jewish Home, realizing full well that the Jewish family is the absolute cornerstone of Jewish life.

 

   When the Jewish world suffers such immeasurable losses, the Jewish family is severely torn asunder. Healing would have to begin by putting the Jewish family back together again. And so, with great skill, warmth, erudition, and style, he addressed the concerns, the mindset, and the fractures of the time in which he lived, and The Jewish Home provided an informed, focused, and insightful roadmap to recreating Jewish family life in all its beauty, splendor, and spirit.

 

   Although in a different guise altogether, Jewish family life is still under tremendous assault – now, just as it was then. Today, assimilation rates are at an all time high, traditional life styles and the family unit in particular is under steady attack, while the culture at large constantly challenges, undermines, and belittles authentic family values.

 

   In 27 chapters, spanning over 500 pages, Rabbi Kitov guides the reader through all aspects of Jewish family life – from a multi-faceted discussion of the husband/wife relationship to an in-depth presentation of the mitzvos that relate to the Jewish family: kindness and hospitality, sanctifying the act of eating, mezuzah, separating tithes, the dietary laws, family purity, familial happiness, circumcision, pidyon haben, raising children, bar mitzvah, and more.

 

   But don’t mistakenly think that when you open these pages you’re going to encounter a dry presentation of laws and information. On the contrary: Rabbi Kitov, in addition to being a true talmid chacham, was also a master craftsman in the writing arts, and this is clearly evident in his presentation and style. The Jewish Home is a beautiful blend of ideas, insights, stories from chazal, personalities and events from Tanach, history, as well as basic halacha, all woven together into a literary tapestry that is thoughtful, yet practical, and always a delight to read.

 

   Take the mitzvah of mezuzah, for example. The chapter begins with the Talmudic story of Onkelos ben Kalonimus, the convert who authored the Aramaic translation of the Torah. The story centers on the mezuzah and this leads to a discussion of what this mitzvah means to a Jewish household.

 

   The author then describes what an actual mezuzah consists of in terms of content and material; he quotes a beautiful Rambam regarding what a Jew should have in mind as he affixes a mezuzah to the doorpost; and he concludes the chapter with a selection of basic laws. This same approach holds true for whatever topic or concept you encounter in the text. For readers, this means you come away both uplifted and informed.

 

   The current edition of The Jewish Home bears a handsome new cover, while the content remains a beautiful, highly readable translation of this noted work – organized with convenient shoulder captions and laid out in a manner that is easy on the eyes.

tell a friend

About the Author:


You might also be interested in:


no comments

You must log in to post a comment.

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

Current Top Story
Minister Yaakov Perry, (Yesh Atid, on the left), with Minister Limor Livnat, (Likud, second from left) visit Haredi soldiers serving in the Israeli Air Force, April 23, 2013.
Perry Committee Haredi Recruitment Plan: Sanctions on Draft Dodgers
Latest Sections Stories
Respler-052413
Sections → Family → Marriage and Relationships

Dear Dr. Yael:

Do you really believe that the Internet is the reason why the divorce rate is so high among young couples? This may be so in some cases, but what about the fact that many singles are pressured to get married at a young age despite not having any idea what they are looking for in a mate? And add to that the fact that many are pressured to make a decision about marriage after dating for a very short period of time.

Neuman-Rabbi-M-Gary
Sections → Family → Marriage and Relationships

From the moment they stand under the chuppah, newlyweds have two years to enjoy the special bliss that new love brings. This new finding, reported by the New York Times, is based on a study undertaken by American and European researchers. 1,761 people who got married and stayed married over 15 years were followed. The research shows that after two years the couples moved into a more companionable state in their relationships.

Schonfeld-logo1
Sections → Family → Parenting Our Children

Shel Silverstein’s 1974 poem “Where The Sidewalk Ends” is intended to paint a magical picture of a world of peace and serenity far away from the “black and dark streets.” At the time, perhaps the end of the sidewalk was a place that was “measured and slow.” Today, however, for many parents, where the sidewalk ends can feel like a scary place.

Sections → Community → South Florida

Florida is famous for sparkling water. We have the beautiful Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico surrounding our coast. We have bays, lakes, canals and, of course, an incredible abundance of swimming pools in homes, resorts, apartment complexes and city parks.

Sections → Community → South Florida

The buzz is back as Camp Gan Israel Florida Overnight gears up for another fantastic summer, CGI Florida style. What makes CGI Florida so different from all the other overnight camps? It’s all in the details.

Sections → Magazine → Teens and Twenties

Leah Katz, a TeenZone camper at Oorah’s TheZone summer camp and an 11th grader at Midwood High School, read her winning essay about how TheZone changed her views on Judaism at the Jewish Heritage Awards Ceremony held at Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes’s office in April. The purpose of the Jewish Heritage Essay Contest is to acquaint public school students with Jewish history and customs and to help foster a deeper understanding of Jewish culture. The contest is open to students of all ethnic and religious backgrounds. Leah’s essay is reproduced in full below.

Sections → Jewess Press → Impact Of Women On Jewish History/Prof. L. Jackson

Moshe Sharett, the head of the Jewish Agency’s Political Department, visited Egypt in 1945. In Cairo he met a most remarkable young woman, a beautiful journalist who was the darling of Egyptian high society – from high-ranking military brass, to culture icons and Muslim sheikhs, to the court of King Faruk.

Sections → Family → Marriage and Relationships

The two proceeded to talk about everyday things and surprisingly her mother-in-law did not find anything else to criticize. This occurred a few more times, with my client changing the topic every time by complimenting her mother-in-law or mentioning something positive about her.

Sections → Family → Parenting Our Children

There is always a lot of confusion surrounding sensory processing disorder – mainly because there are many different diagnoses that fall under the catch-all phrase sensory processing disorder (SPD). Among them are three specific subcategories:

Sections → Family

The doctor had warned us that even if we did everything right and followed the protocol after the follicle was of the right size, there was no guarantee of success. Fertilization still had to occur, and just like couples do not necessarily become pregnant every month, we had no way to know if we were actually expecting for two full weeks.

More Articles from A. Y. Sofer
Sections → Books

Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov lived through turbulent times, whether as a young man in war-torn Poland in the middle of the last century, or as an early settler in the fledgling State of Israel during its formative years. In Israel, he developed into an exceptional educator and outstanding writer, and these two skills merged remarkably well when he authored a series of innovative texts that still resonate strongly throughout the Jewish world.

Sections → Books

Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov lived through turbulent times, whether as a young man in war-torn Poland in the middle of the last century, or as an early settler in the fledgling State of Israel during its formative years. In Israel, he developed into an exceptional educator and outstanding writer, and these two skills merged remarkably well when he authored a series of innovative texts that still resonate strongly throughout the Jewish world.

    Latest Poll

    Which is the most beautiful location in Jerusalem?









    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...

Printed from: http://www.jewishpress.com/sections/title-the-jewish-home-a-guide-to-jewish-family-life-2/2010/06/23/

Scan this QR code to visit this page online:

Related posts:

  1. Staten Island
Close