The Right And the Good: Halakhah And Human Relations

In an effort to respond to the baseless criticism that Jewish law is overly pre- occupied with religious ritual at the expense of issues having to do with interpersonal relationships, Daniel Z. Feldman presents readers with a detailed exploration of the vast attention that the masters of Jewish thought have given to relations between and among individuals. This book is not a legal guide to interpersonal relationships in Jewish life, nor is it a volume of moral exhortation. Rather, Rabbi Feldman aims to convey the importance of his subject bye exhibiting its hallowed place within the structure of Jewish and within the analysis that interpersonal relationships have been given among the giants in the field of Jewish thought.

Fourteen topics that impact relationships between people are discussed in detail. Among those issues are the prohibitions of humiliation, derogatory nicknames, taking revenge, raising a hand in violence, and the mandates toward peace, love, truth, and generous judgment. For each of these topics, a detailed overview of the discussions found in Jewish classical literature is provided within a conceptual framework that addresses the nature of the relevant concepts involved.

The author writes, "It is hoped that those who have felt that Jewish law does not sufficiently address these concerns will find the opposite to be the case, and that those who consider these issues to be outside of the realm of obligatory behavior will be convinced otherwise."