
Ask Now of the Days That Are Past
Eliezer Segal(Author)
University of Calgary Press
Will be published approx. on 30. March 2005
Book
Paperback/Softback
323 pages
978-1-55238-131-1 (ISBN)
Description
Written for a general audience, the essays collected here present refreshing and often humorous glimpses of various topics in Jewish history and traditional religious literature. Inspired by the diversity of Jewish thought, author and scholar Eliezer Segal sheds light on the social and political forces that have brought the Jewish community together in the past and still speak with familiarity to a modern western culture.Enlightening and entertaining, Professor Segal's writing is a rare blend of scholarship and wit, highlighting contemporary experiences that bring the rich heritage of Jewish civilization to life for the everyday reader.
With an extensive and broad knowledge of ancient and medieval Jewish social and religious traditions, Segal deftly crafts anecdotes and explanations that address the tribulations of contemporary life. From topics as diverse as panhandling, tennis, vampires, and the history of the tomato to themes as universal as weddings, charity, and taxation, the essays presented here, some for the first time in English, all include detailed notes on sources for further reading.
Equally suited to those after a light-hearted romp or those on a serious quest for knowledge, Ask Now of the Days that Are Past is sure to satisfy anyone who has ever wondered how the past still influences us today.
With an extensive and broad knowledge of ancient and medieval Jewish social and religious traditions, Segal deftly crafts anecdotes and explanations that address the tribulations of contemporary life. From topics as diverse as panhandling, tennis, vampires, and the history of the tomato to themes as universal as weddings, charity, and taxation, the essays presented here, some for the first time in English, all include detailed notes on sources for further reading.
Equally suited to those after a light-hearted romp or those on a serious quest for knowledge, Ask Now of the Days that Are Past is sure to satisfy anyone who has ever wondered how the past still influences us today.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Calgary
Canada
ISBN-13
978-1-55238-131-1 (9781552381311)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Eliezer Segal is a Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Calgary, where he has been teaching since 1986. In addition to his scholarly writing, he has published extensively for non-specialist audiences on diverse topics related to Jewish history and tradition. Through his website and newspaper columns, he has attracted a broad readership with his amusing style and novel perspectives.
Content
Introduction
Scribes and Scholarship
People of the Book
How to Start a Jewish Newspaper
The European Genizah
The Crown of Aleppo
Holiness and Heresy
Where Seldom is Heard a Mystical Word
A Dubious Blessing
Hiwi the Heretic
Encounters and Enlightenings
Rabbi in the Abby
Though Shall Not Kill
On the Other Hand
Babies, Brides, and Burials
Birth Rites
May the Best Man Win
Beauty versus Virtue: an Age-Old Argument
Who was Rembrandt's Jewish Bride?
Beneath the Stars
All Cows go to Heaven
Congregation and Community
Trimming the Guest List
Service interruption
Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?
Policy and Piety
Taking Leave of our Census
The Wagers of Sin
Affairs of State
Prophets, Protests, and Pepper Spray
The Vice-President of Grenada
Majority Rules
Baldness, Bears, and Bottled Water
Economics and Ethics
Minimizing Your Assets
Not All That Glisters
You Can Bank on It
Ransom Note
The Price is Right
Buildings and Blessings
Rabbi, Watch Out for That Beam
Beam Me Up
The Walls have Ears
Preparing for a Prophet
Life and Leisure
Healthy Advice from the Top Authorities
Tennis, Anyone?
Keeping the Ball in Play
Pushing Torah
Creatures and Curiosities
The Sirin's Song
The Power of the Human Voice
The Love Apple
Horse Sense
The Right Vampire
Going to the Ants
Glossary
Index
Scribes and Scholarship
People of the Book
How to Start a Jewish Newspaper
The European Genizah
The Crown of Aleppo
Holiness and Heresy
Where Seldom is Heard a Mystical Word
A Dubious Blessing
Hiwi the Heretic
Encounters and Enlightenings
Rabbi in the Abby
Though Shall Not Kill
On the Other Hand
Babies, Brides, and Burials
Birth Rites
May the Best Man Win
Beauty versus Virtue: an Age-Old Argument
Who was Rembrandt's Jewish Bride?
Beneath the Stars
All Cows go to Heaven
Congregation and Community
Trimming the Guest List
Service interruption
Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?
Policy and Piety
Taking Leave of our Census
The Wagers of Sin
Affairs of State
Prophets, Protests, and Pepper Spray
The Vice-President of Grenada
Majority Rules
Baldness, Bears, and Bottled Water
Economics and Ethics
Minimizing Your Assets
Not All That Glisters
You Can Bank on It
Ransom Note
The Price is Right
Buildings and Blessings
Rabbi, Watch Out for That Beam
Beam Me Up
The Walls have Ears
Preparing for a Prophet
Life and Leisure
Healthy Advice from the Top Authorities
Tennis, Anyone?
Keeping the Ball in Play
Pushing Torah
Creatures and Curiosities
The Sirin's Song
The Power of the Human Voice
The Love Apple
Horse Sense
The Right Vampire
Going to the Ants
Glossary
Index