Here I provide a list of books on Torah. Each entry links to a website to buy the book, but since there are multiple translations published for each work, I just link to one of them. Of course, it is cheaper to buy in the original Hebrew, in which case simply go to your favorite sefarim shop.
First is a list of essentials. These are the fundamental books of Judaism. The list is not exhaustive, but for the scope of my website, I believe it is adequate.
Next, is a list of books that provide evidence of the divine origin of the Written and Oral Torah. Anyone who questions my beliefs and is serious about learning about the evidence with an open mind should read the books listed here and look at the links on my links page.
I then list a selection of English books on Chassidus and Kabbalah because I have found that these are hard to find. There are many, but they are produced by various publishers and are scattered around all over the net. I link each book to a place where you can buy it.
Finally, I have a list of books on Torah topics which I feel are important or interesting to read, and that people may not realize are out there.
The Essentials
The 5 books of Moses. See my Torah page for a description of The Torah. This is a link to the Artscroll edition of the Chumash, which has a very good English translation, and commentary compilation. There are MANY other translations and English commentaries, but they are too numerous to list.
The rest of the Written Torah includes the books of the Prophets and the books of Writings. The link goes to the Judaica Press edition. They are very good and translate every Rashi, and has a commentary digest. Artscroll also has a nice set on the first 6 books. Check it out here.
This is what Jews call the complete Hebrew Bible. It stands for Torah, Neviim (Prophets), and Kisuvim (Writings). The link goes to the wonderful Artscroll version, which has a small, but useful commentary, and many charts and graphics.
The Mishnah was the first ever written record of the Oral Torah. It is very terse, and often has meanings that seem to directly contradict the simple reading. The link goes to the Feldheim edition, which has a very good translation, and the translated commentary of Kehati. The Kehati explains the Mishnayos very clearly. Artscroll also has a very good Mishna set, but some volumes are not out yet. Check it out here.
The Yerushalmi was the first compilation of the Rabbinic discourses explaining and elaborating on the Mishnayos. It was compiled amidst intense persecution, and historically was not learned over the years as much as the Bavi. As such, it often is very terse, and has many scribal errors. The link goes to the brand new and ONLY English translation and explanation on the Yerushalmi. Only two mesechtas have been completed. There are a series of audio lectures which translates and learns through the entire Yerushalmi, given by Rabbi Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer. Check those out here.
The Bavli is the compilation of the explanations and elucidations on the Mishnayos, written by the Rabbis in Babylon. It has been the cornerstone of Torah learning for Jews for the past 1500 years. It was the last universally accepted book among the Jews. All later Halachic works had to conform to the opinions cited in the Bavli (or Yerushalmi). The link goes to the incredibly good Artscroll edition, which translates the whole Bavli and gives an explanation primarily based on Rashi’s commentary. Before the Artscroll, the only English edition was the Soncino, which has a more strictly literal translation, and has only a few explanatory notes. Check it out here.
The Midrashim are a wide collection of Rabbinic teachings that were passed down through the generations about the Torah and pretty much everything else. There are many different kinds of Midrashim, some are large stories, some are 2 line comments that at first glance seem meaningless. Some are very ancient, and some were written down after the Talmud. The Midrash contains wild stories and cryptic remarks that are meant to reveal secrets about the Torah to the learned reader. The link goes to an English translation of the Midrash Rabbah. The Midrash Tanchumah also has been translated, and can be found here. For a compilation of translated Midrashim, there is The Midrash Says.
Not to be confused with the Mishnah, Rambam’s Mishneh Torah is a Halachic overview of the entire Talmud. It is a useful digest to cover all of Judaism. Although the way Rabbis have poskined over the years have gone contrary to the Rambam, it is nevertheless learned extensively as an aid to Talmud study and for an overview of the law. The link goes to the only complete English edition I know of. It has a fine translation, but does not have the Hebrew text as well.
This, like the Rambam is a collection of Halachah gleaned from the Talmud and previous Halachic works. It differs in that it does not cover those topics, which unfortunately are not relevant to day-to-day life for the Jews presently (such as sacrifices, farming laws, spiritual impurity laws, etc.) Along with the Ashkinazi comments of the Rema, the Shulchan Aruch became the accepted law book of the Jews. With only slight differences, all the things Jews do are laid out in the Shulchan Aruch. As far as I know, there are not complete English translations of the Shulchan Aruch. The link and image are of the Kitzer Shulchan Aruch, which is a shortened summery of the full Shulchan Aruch, which was written much later. Not everything in it is common practice today, but probably close to 95% is, so it is a very useful tool in learning Jewish law.
The Mishna Berura is a commentary/digest of Halachic views and explanations on ¼ of the Shulchan Aruch. It deals with everyday laws such as holidays, prayer, daily conduct, etc. It was written by the Chofetz Chaim in the later 1800’s. It has almost been universally accepted in America as the definitive work of Halachah to guide Rabbis to make rulings. The link goes to the Feldheim edition, which to my knowledge is the only English version available.
Evidence (not proof) of the Divine Origin of the Written and Oral Torah
Although most of the relevant information about this topic are in lectures, websites, articles, and classes given around the world, there have been a few books published on the issue.
This is by far the best of the lot. It is written by a Rabbi in Ohr Somayach who has a PhD in Mathematical Logic, and taught philosophy at John Hopkins University. This booklet is the most intelligent, and honest defense of the divine origin of the Torah out there (as far as I know). It is highly recommended.
![[Lawrence Kelemen Permission to Believe]](booklist_torah_files/image045.jpg)
This booklet deals with the belief in God. I don’t think there are many people who truly don’t believe in God, but it is always a good way for one to reinforce belief to read rational arguments for God’s existence. In that light, this small book is very useful and recommended.
![[Lawrence Kelemen Permission to Receive]](booklist_torah_files/image046.jpg)
This booklet also deals with the divine origin of the Torah. In my opinion, this book comes in as a close second to Living up to the Truth. It is refreshingly intelligent, and readable. It is highly recommended.
![[Rabbi Shmuel Waldman Beyond a Reasonable Doubt]](booklist_torah_files/image047.jpg)
This book deals with belief in God, as well as the divine origin of the Torah along with various other theological issues. It has its ups and downs, some sections are not so great, while other sections are good. If one has already read the books above and can sift the good from the not-so-good in this book, then I recommend it.
![[Rabbenu Yehuda Halevi The Kuzari]](booklist_torah_files/image048.jpg)
I have not yet read this, but it is a translation/adaptation of the Kuzari argument for the divine origin of the Torah.
Also, be sure to check out the links on this topic here.
Chassidus and Kabbalah
(Look for links and descriptions later…)
The Light Beyond
The Chassidic Masters
Flames of Faith
The Tanya: A Lesson a Day
Opening the Tanya
Learning from the Tanya
Sfas Emes:
Sfas Emes on Shabbos
Sfas Emes on Perkei Avos
Sfas Emes on Channukah and Purim
Sfas Emes on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur
Emes on Succos, Pesach, and Shevuos
Sfas Emes on the Haggadah
And the Angels Laughed
Rebbes and Chassidim
Obligations of the Student
Sefer Yitzira
Dibbuk
Golem
The Lost Princess
The Seven Beggers
Interesting and/or Important
Torah Study – Leo Levi
Contemporary Eruv – Rabbi Bechhofer
Bigdeh Shesh: The Collected Writings
