People of the Word

In PEOPLE of the WORD we gain insight into fifty key Hebrew words that have been mistranslated and misunderstood for centuries. Each chapter takes the reader on an etymological journey into the big ideas that continue to shape Jewish thought, values, and culture to this day.

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About the Authors

RABBI MENDEL KALMENSON is the author of several best-selling books including Seeds of Wisdom, A Time to Heal, and Positivity Bias. Mendel was an editor at Chabad.org, has published hundreds of articles on Jewish thought, and his writings have been translated into eight languages. Mendel and his wife Chana established Chabad Belgravia in London, where they live with their children.

RABBI ZALMAN ABRAHAM is a member of the leadership team of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute, author of several JLI courses, and director of The Wellness Institute—a division of JLI dedicated to youth mental health. Zalman previously served as a writer and editor at Kehot Publication Society and as Editor-in-Chief at AskMoses.com. Zalman lives with his wife, Leah, and children in Brooklyn, New York.

Praise for People of the Word

“People of the Word beautifully illustrates how words create worlds and how concepts conceive.
If you'd like to learn more about Judaism, and no less so about yourself, this splendid book is a must-read.”

— Professor Tal Ben-Shachar
author of the "most popular course" in Harvard's history

“This book is filled with information and mind-expanding insights that will deepen your knowledge of Hebrew and your understanding of life. Rabbis Kalmenson and Abraham's wisdom is prodigious and they have produced a book that the Jewish community really needs both for its erudition and its compelling readability.”

— Joseph Telushkin
bestselling author of more than 15 books, including volumes about Jewish ethics, Jewish literacy, as well as the book Rebbe, a New York Times bestseller

“People of the Word condenses decades of learning into a clear roadmap for spiritual, ethical, and positive living. The Rabbis open up a dimension of human potential for a broad readership that has been held deep within Jewish wisdom. In short, an invitation to see and live in an added dimension.”

— Lisa Miller, PhD
Professor, Columbia University and NYT bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and The Awakened Brain

Click here to read more praise for People of the Word.

About this book

A growing body of research suggests that language does more than communicate our perception of reality; it creates it. The patterns, structures, and particular words used in each language not only offer a window into a culture’s sensibilities, dispositions, and priorities, they help shape them, as well. In the words of Charlemagne: “To have a second language is to have a second soul.”

Moreover, unlike other languages, Hebrew words and names are not arbitrary. They are definitive and expressive of the true nature of things and are therefore understood to provide insight into the nature and meaning of things. This means that a deeper understanding of any given object or idea is embedded within the Hebrew word used to describe it. In G‑d’s language, words are portals into the meaning of things from the Divine perspective.

This book is, therefore, more than just a book of words. It provides windows of insight into Jewish history, thought, culture, meaning, and practice. It is an attempt at capturing the unique spirit of Judaic thought that sets it apart from its counterparts and popular society. It includes many relevant themes to provide a glimpse of the profound depth of Jewish philosophy by unpacking fifty Hebrew words to uncover their deeper meaning, significance, and insights into life.

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FIFTY WORDS THAT SHAPED JEWISH THINKING

PEOPLE of the WORD

FIFTY WORDS THAT SHAPED JEWISH THINKING

About the Authors