A Historical Rabbi

I like to introduce you to one of the most prolific Jewish luminaries of our time, Rabbi Berel Wein.

Rabbi Berel Wein is a noted scholar, historian, speaker and educator who is admired the world over for his books and cassette tapes -- particularly on Jewish History. RabbiWein.com is the ultimate source for your Jewish History, Jewish Education, and Torah needs. Rabbi Wein has created hundreds of Torah Tapes, CD's, and Books.

Among many of his accomplishments are several Jewish history books:

Triumph of Survival, The Story of the Jews in the Modern Era

Herald of Destiny, the Medieval Era

Echoes of Glory, the Classical Era and

Faith and Fate, the story of the Jews in the Twentieth Century

Rabbi Wein is the founder and director of The Destiny Foundation, which is in the process of translating his riveting accounts of Jewish history into a series of films on Jewish personalities – the first, entitled Rashi-A Light After The Dark Ages, was released in 2000, and Rambam/The Story of Maimonides had its premiere in New York, in November 2004. Currently in production, The Destiny Foundation is preparing a 10-part documentary series, based on Rabbi Wein’s history of the Jews in the twentieth century, Faith & Fate.

Here is a sample of one of Rabbi wein's recent articles in Jerusalem Post.

"One of the main differences that separates Judaism from the other major monotheistic religions - Christianity and Islam – is the matter of exclusivity. The rabbis of the Talmud long ago reiterated the traditional Jewish position that “the righteous of the nations of the world all have a share in the World to Come.” This meant immortality of the soul and heavenly reward once one passes on from this life.

One need not be Jewish to gain holiness, immortality and heavenly eternal reward. I have always been reminded of the famous advertisement so popular in New York City decades ago which loudly proclaimed: “You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy Levy’s rye bread.” Well, immortality and heavenly reward aren’t rye bread but you get the idea I am trying to communicate.

...

The Jewish people are very small in number, especially as compared to other major faiths in the world that count their adherents in many many hundreds of millions. The Torah told us in advance that we were destined to be small in numbers. “I have not chosen you because of your great numbers for you are the smallest of all peoples,” God told us in the book of Dvarim. Being small in numbers and obviously never aspiring to be the majority faith in the world, for God had foreclosed that option to us at the dawn of our nationhood, Judaism could never take the position that all of the other billions of humans were automatically doomed to eternal damnation and destruction."

You can read the whole article here, and while there, browse around for a great selection of items to learn about Jewish history by the great history teller, Rabbi Berel wein.