New Book on Parsha Themes

By COLlive reporter

The Inside Story: A Chassidic Perspective on Biblical Events, Laws, and Personalities, Volume II: Shemos, by Rabbi Yanki Tauber, hits bookstores just in time for when we begin reading this second book of the Torah.

As he has done so masterfully in his previous works, the author and Chassidic scholar combed through years of the Lubavitcher Rebbe‘s sichos and maamarim to unearth and consolidate the definitive Chassidic themes of each parshain the book of Shemos.

Rabbi Tauber has become renowned for his thoroughness and ability to shape the timeless and relevant messages of the Rebbe’s original talks for English-speaking, diverse audiences.

Published by the Meaningful Life Center, the new volume is a beautifully presented collection of 62 essays, each exploring an event or insight from the book of Shemos to illuminate the big questions of life as well as its most rudimentary concerns.

Why did the Nile turn into blood? What do the mysterious “cherubim” on top of the golden ark in the Tabernacle represent? What is the inside story behind Moses’ mask? What do the “four guardians” teach us about the interplay between responsibility and reward in our own lives?

Based on the teachings of the Rebbe, these insights demonstrate how each and every event in the second book of the Torah, Shemos, is never just a simple story, but rather an eternal lesson as relevant today as it was 3,300 years ago.

The Rebbe’s unique contribution to Torah scholarship was his ability to take any event in the Torah, from the most well-known to the most esoteric, and bring forth its inner meaning. Readers will find themselves relating to the depth of biblical events, gifting us with the realization of how vital and meaningful the Torah is for our contemporary lives.

This second volume of The Inside Story, of what will be a 5-volume set, is part of a larger “Inside Anthology,” which began with the acclaimed 3-volume Inside Time set, published in 2015.

The Inside Story collection is a perfect addition to every library and a memorable gift for Jews of all backgrounds. The style and tone is conducive for personal reading, group study, and as a resource for preparing and teaching Torah classes.

Order in books stores and online at meaningfullife.com/shop. For a limited time, you can get a 30 percent discount on the first part of the Inside Anthology – Inside Time: A Chassidic Perspective on the Jewish Calendar. This 3-volume series explores themes brought into focus by the festivals and special dates of the Jewish calendar.