Pirkei Avot - Ethics of the Fathers Memorial Edition

Complied by: Rabbi Yosef Marcus
Publisher: Kehot Publication Society
Language: Hebrew / English 
Format: 8.5" x 11", Leatherette Cover, 248 pages

FEATURING:

• Anthology of the classics: Rashi, Rambam, Bartenura, Maharal and hundreds of other commentaries
• Insights from the Chasidic Masters
• Biographies of the Tannaim
• Stories and Parables
• Historical backgrounds
• Original artwork

The Talmud states "One who wishes to be a chasid, should practice the words of Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)."

Now, with the release of Pirkei Avot: With a New Commentary, Anthologized from the works of the Classic Commentators and the Chasidic Masters, that daunting task has become that much easier.

Compiled by well-known author and translator Rabbi Yosef Marcus, and published by the Lubavitch publishing house, Kehot Publication Society, the volume gives the reader a comprehensive and fundamental understanding of Pirkie Avot. Anthologized from hundreds of commentators, classic to obscure, the commentary is crowned with the insights culled from the voluminous works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his predecessors.

Printed in elegant two-color with original artwork, and issued in a deluxe gift edition as the "Rabbi Gavriel and Rivky Holtzberg Memorial Edition" it was dedicated by Howard and Claire Glowinsky of Toronto, Canada, in honor of the Bar Mitzvah on their son Benji.

The publishers hope that this volume will contribute to the appreciation of the wisdom of Ethics of the Fathers and its application to modern, daily life.

While there are many collections of commentaries on Pirkei Avot, this is surely one of the best. It includes commentaries of Rashi, Rambam, Bartenura, Maharal, and hundreds of other commentaries, including many Hasidic interpretations.

Compiled by well-known author and translator Rabbi Yosef Marcus, and published by the Lubavitch publishing house, Kehot Publication Society, the volume gives the reader a comprehensive and fundamental understanding of Pirkie Avot. Anthologized from hundreds of commentators, classic to obscure, the commentary is crowned with the insights culled from the voluminous works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his predecessors.

Printed in elegant two-color with original artwork, and issued in a deluxe gift edition, the reviews accurately capture the essence of this splendid volume. Splendid in appearance – a treasure to own, to behold, and to study from.

For example, former Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks writes: “The Pirkei Avot with Commentary elegantly produced by Kehot Publication Society is an invaluable addition to the library of Jewish scholarship. This volume has succeeded in presenting some of the deepest profundities of Torah thought, judiciously selected from a broad range of commentaries, in a succinct and accessible manner. The biographical sketches of the Sages featured in Avot, in addition to the unique insights gleaned from the teachings of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, will immeasurably enhance the reader`s appreciation of this timeless tractate.” I couldn’t have said it better.

Dr. Mark I. Rosen, of the Hornstein Program in Jewish Professional Leadership, Brandeis University, comments:

"Quite simply, the new edition of Pirke Avot published by the Kehot Publication Society has the most comprehensive and spiritually rich commentary in English that I have ever run across. Drawing on a wide variety of classic and Chasidic sources, it illuminates and reveals the deeper meanings of the timeless verses in an accessible yet profound fashion."

The book is aesthetically pleasing as well. Its large binding, silver gilded pages and ornately embossed lettering will look great on the coffee table or bookshelf.

Subtle, thematic illustrations and artwork of the column headings helpfully guide the reader through the various styles of commentary in order to personalize his learning experience. Shades of blue add color to the elegant antique style of the layout and design. The writing engages the reader, addressing him in the first person so that the life-lessons appear to be more personally applicable.

The commentary`s text includes historical background, brief biographies, and insights into the lives of the Mishnaic sages whose sayings make up the Ethics of the Fathers.

All in all this book is a great treasure, a wonderful gift for newly-weds, graduates, or anyone interested in enriching his mind, heart and soul.

--Dov Peretz Elkins, Jewish Media Review

 ... a tribute to the publishers of this excellent volume. Its publication in a large and handsome format is enhanced by the commentary, especially by the late Lubavitcher Rebbe.

--Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor Yeshiva University;

To become a righteous person, one must observe the mitzvahs of Torah and Talmud. But to become a true spiritual powerhouse, one must study the Pirkei Avot, or the Ethics of the Fathers.

That worldview led Yosef Marcus, rabbi at Chabad of the North Peninsula, to compile a new commentary on the classic Jewish text. In its six chapters, the sages of the Pirkei Avot serve up a virtual owner’s manual for humanity.

Rabbi Yosef Marcus “In its short, concise sentences the sages seem to get to the heart of things,” says Marcus. “If people lived their lives according to the Pirkei Avot, they would have very productive and spiritually rich lives. It’s a unique book in all of Judaism. In all the Mishnah [Talmud], it’s the only one that deals entirely with character.”

So many iconic aphorisms fill the Pirkei Avot, it could be called “Judaism’s Greatest Hits.” To wit:

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me?”

“The world stands on three things: Torah, service and deeds of lovingkindness.”

“Who is wise? He who learns from all people.”

Sound familiar?

Knowing there have been many commentaries on the Pirkei Avot over the years, Marcus wanted to take a different approach. He incorporated not only excerpts from classical commentaries, he also added mini-biographies of the sages, kabbalistic perspectives and historical fun facts. He says he tried to keep out any commentary that would require much previous knowledge of Jewish texts.

Marcus borrowed the English translation of Pirkei Avot that appears in the Chabad siddur, though he admits he “tampered with it.” He also added artistic flourishes, with blue borders, logos for different headings and a pen-and-ink portrait of a sage.

It’s all part of Marcus’ intention to make the volume user-friendly and then some, appealing to readers at all levels of Jewish education, including those with none.

“The innovation, the new thing here, was to give it a Chassidic spin,” Marcus adds. “A lot of the commentary in there is from Chassidic teachings and particularly from Chabad teachings. That was totally original.”

Being a Chabad rabbi, Marcus drew on the teachings of the late Chabad Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose synopsized Pirkei Avot commentaries Marcus wove throughout the volume.

“If a person reads this they will get a good sense of the rebbe’s philosophy,” Marcus says. “One of the ideas that comes out of it is the unconditional love for one’s fellow, a very nonjudgmental love.”

Marcus admires the sages of the Pirkei Avot, who compiled the text during a time of great stress for the Jewish people.

“These rabbis were living under severe persecution,” he says. “The Romans, the destruction of Israel and the Second Temple, this was the time these ideas were being taught. You would think people under such physical torment, the last thing they’d be thinking about would be spiritual work. I found it very inspiring.”

Marcus says the Pirkei Avot can help anyone become a better person because it focuses on the individual, rather than the other great tenet of Judaism, tikkun olam (repairing the world). “Our efforts at fixing the world are greatly enhanced when we are engaged in fixing ourselves,” he says, “and Pirkei Avot helps us fix ourselves.”

The book is dedicated to the memory of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg, the Chabad couple murdered in the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year. Marcus says they embodied the spirit of the Chassid — a term relating to the Hebrew word chesed, meaning kindness.

It’s a Chassidic tradition to study Pirkei Avot in the summer, which means Marcus will soon be taking a close look at his own book.

Familiar as he is with Pirkei Avot, how does Marcus keep the material fresh and alive when it comes time to study?

“Thankfully my memory is not as good as it used to be,” he says with a laugh. “When I read my own commentary I say, ‘Wow, that’s pretty interesting. I wrote that?’ ”

--Dan Pine, Jewish News of Northern California

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