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Reading Up For
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New volumes encourage spiritual thought.

GILA WERTHEIMER

Chicago Jewish Star

Jr

ewish New Year traditions do
not include New Year's reso-
lutions, made with good
intent annually on Dec. 31,
likely broken or forgotten shortly
thereafter.
Instead, Jews have an entire period
of time given over to introspection,
to examination and prayer, through
which we seek to better ourselves, to
grow as individuals.
As each of us looks closely at our
past misdeeds and shortcomings, as
we face ourselves openly and honest-
ly, thoughts must be turned to action.
Personal awareness and acknowledg-
ment is only a first step; it must then
be transformed into behavior.
The Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur
period is the framework to bring this
about.
Here are several newly published
books that can contribute to this
process.

What's right and what's wrong? This
used to be a relatively simple ques-
tion, but today it's become complicat-
ed as boundaries are stretched and
the clear line between the two is
blurred.
As for living an ethical life, who
even thinks about it?
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, for one,
and this prolific author — always
with something worthwhile to say —
has tackled the subject in his newest
book, published this month in good
time for the holidays.
The Ten Commandments of
Character:
"Essential
T H E. TEN
Advice for
Living an
Honorable,
Ethical, Honest
Life" (Bell
Tower; $25) is
not New Age-y
philosophy or a
conservative
back-to-basics
manual. Rather,

it's about the daily living of an ethi-
cal, moral life.
Rabbi Telushkin devotes just a
short section to elucidating his com-
mandments of character, and the rest
to their practical application in every-
day life situations.
His first commandment is "Know
your weaknesses", his 10th is "Admit
when you have done wrong, seek for-
giveness and don't rationalize bad
behavior," and in between are "Be
fair," (commandment #4), "Be grate-
ful,"
(#7) and "Exercise common sense"
(#9).
Perhaps these sound too mundane
or simplistic to be inspiring — we
wish for noble, elevated language.
Instead, what Rabbi Telushkin has
done is to strip away the rationaliza-
tions and excuses that too often bury
or render unrecognizable the core val-
ues. To this he adds the why and the
how they should guide our decisions,
our judgments and our behavior.
Key, based on the teaching in the
biblical book of Genesis, is Rabbi
Telushkin's third commandment:
"Treat all people with kindness, and
with the understanding that they, like
you, are made 'in God's image."'
Now there's a way to begin the new
year.

Another rabbi who offers practical
advice and
helps others
in their daily
lives is
Harold S.
Kushner,
author of,
among other
books, When

Bad Things
Happen to
z
Good People.
In his
newest book,
The Lord Is My Shepherd (Alfred A.
Knopf; $19.95), Rabbi Kushner, who
is scheduled to appear at this year's
Jewish Book Fair 8:15 p.m.

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May the New Year bring to
all our friends and family
health, joy, prosperity and
everything good in life.

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WISHING THE COMMUNITY
A HAPPY, HEALTH? NEW TEAR

From the Staff at

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on page 126

9/26

2003

125