A ponderous and lengthy treatise dealing with questions of Jewish theology is not very attractive to men of modern days, but Maimonides' "Guide" is a classic in philosophical literature, and as such merits a new setting dressed in modern garb.
Just as the Christian theologians of the middle ages endeavored to establish the doctrines of the church upon an Aristotelian basis, so Maimonides, the "Jewish Aristotle," as he is often called, tried to apply to Judaism the principles of that most level-headed Greek of ancient days. In the "Guide for the Perplexed" Maimonides often starts with some theory or belief of Aristotle and with that as his guiding influence, elaborates his own beliefs and ideas.
The edition under consideration is excellently gotten up and makes a respectableappearance on the shelf beside the jewelledtomes of Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Schopenhauer and the other masters. To the seekerof philosophical wisdom it should be a veryvaluable book of reference, and especiallyso to the student of the religious beliefsof the Middle Ages.
A translation of Midrash Rabba by Mr. Lazarus Shapiro of New York is now in progress. The advance sheets of this publication indicate that the work, (which is to be published in parts, each of which will consist of eighty octavo pages) is all that
*The Guide for the Perplexed: Translated from the Original Arabic of Moses Maimonides, by M. Friedlaender, Ph.D., E.P. Dutton & Co., New York. Price $2.00 net.
**Midrash Rabbah: Translated and annotated by Lazarus Shapiro. N. Y., 1906. George Jeshurun, Secretary Publication Committee, N. Y. City. Price $1.00 each part of eighty octavo pages.
*A Jewish Reply to Christian Evangelists: By Lewis A. Hart, M.A., B.C.L., Bloch Publishing Company, New York, 1906.
is desired in the way of mechanical excellence. We doubt, however, that such an undertaking will meet with the public support that is so necessary in order to bring it to a successful issue.
The Midrash is a veritable store-houseof legends and tales that have instructedand inspired since they were first penned.As such, it offers a peculiar attraction tothe rabbi—it is a fountain head of homi-lectics, a source from which the modernrabbi may draw many of his telling illustrations and episodes. But the greater portionof the Midrash is devoted to the discussionof theological minutiæ; e. g., in the advance sheets before us, we notice a discussion concerning the question: “When werethe angels created?” The Ghetto Jew mayfind spiritual food in solving such intricate problems, but that is far beyond theclass of Jews the English translation of theMidrash Rabba would appeal to. As a workthat will open a new field to discriminatinglovers of Jewish literature who are not acquainted with the Hebrew, this Englishtranslation of the Midrash Rabba ought,however, to be heartily welcomed. Thecommittee which has charge of the issuingof the work includes Dr. H. PereiraMendes, Mr. Herman Rosenthal, and MissHenrietta Szold.
This book consists of a compilation of articles which were originally published in the Jewish Times of Montreal. They aim to controvert those opinions and beliefs of Christian Missionaries by which they endeavor to carry o their work of proselytizing. The book presents the Jewish side of the argument and is quite exhaustive and thoro.