Category: New Releases

AS: Over 20 years ago, you wrote From Central Park to Sinai, chronicling your incredible journey to Torah observance. How does it feel to carry the story forward to a new generation of readers, in Rabbi Nachman Seltzer’s From Sinai to Yerushalayim?

YN: We are so excited to be carrying our story forward. The biggest thrill is to meet an audience that seems so far from us, as my wife, Leah, and I have done in Russia, Baku, Tbilisi, Mexico, and so many other places. They don’t even speak our language, but words from the heart enter the heart!

AS: Of course, there are still many thousands who read your first book. What will they find that’s new in From Sinai to Yerushalayim?

YN: We never get tired of telling our story and people never get tired of hearing it! And each day adds to it, which is why Rabbi Seltzer wanted to take it to the next level.

Here’s an example: Our biggest turnaround happened on January 10, 1966. My wife and I were young married college students, and our marriage and whole life were falling apart. I awoke in the middle of the night, thinking life was literally all over, and then a “crazy” thought flew into my head: “Maybe there is a G-d!” Wow! That thought turned our life around.

I later found out that that day was the 18th of Teves in the Jewish calendar. Since then, many miraculous events have happened to us on that date. And last week, on the 18th of Teves 5783 — 57 YEARS LATER TO THE DAY! — From Sinai to Yerushalayim went on the presses at ArtScroll.

AS: You had such a wealthy, privileged childhood, yet it wasn’t enough — until you found Torah. Can you share a brief inspiration to those who grew up in the Torah world?

YN: We grew up living the “American Dream.” There was no material thing we lacked, and we had wonderful families. We traveled everywhere and saw the world of man and the world of nature. But we found out: Without Torah it is all empty … totally empty! Until the door opened to the world of Torah, we were not even alive. We tried to live that way, but it is a black hole. We can never thank Hashem enough for giving us true, meaningful life!

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One of the most influential sefarim of the modern era, Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan’s Sefer Chofetz Chaim was the foundation of the “shemiras halashon revolution.” Tens of thousands now follow the counsel of Rav Yehudah Zev Segal, the Manchester Rosh Yeshivah, to learn two halachos daily from the sefer, improving their lives and relationships immeasurably, and often seeing extraordinary yeshuos in many different aspects of their lives.

ArtScroll, in conjunction with the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, now presents the second and final volume of the Elucidated Sefer Chofetz Chaim. This volume discusses the halachos of rechilus and, like Volume 1, provides a translation, elucidation, and notes in the classic ArtScroll style, enabling the reader to truly understand the nuances of these vital but sometimes complex halachos. Thousands of hours of research by a team of talmidei chachamim went into making the intricate laws of shemiras halashon understandable and accessible. Many of the halachos are accompanied by “Scenarios” that illustrate a real-life application of the halachah, helping the reader apply it to daily life. We read the Chofetz Chaim’s words, and then we see how they might play out in our contemporary world. And each “klal” (chapter) concludes with a summary to help readers organize, review, and remember the halachos they have learned.

This volume includes many other features, some of them unique, which make this the go-to resource for shemiras halashon issues. How often have we faced the question of what to say — and what not to say — in the ultra-sensitive topic of shidduchim? The Comprehensive Halachic Guide to Shidduch Information and The Shemiras HaLashon Handbook for Giving and Getting Shidduch Information offer more than 80 pages of halachos, insights, and realistic examples to help us determine what information can be shared, what information may not be shared — and what information must be shared.

At the end of his sefer, the Chofetz Chaim included several essential sources that he drew upon, and these primary source materials are also included in the sefer, together with a translation and elucidation.

As the Introduction to this volume states: While there are many shemiras halashon learning texts and tools available, the experience of immersing oneself in the words penned by the Chofetz Chaim himself is one of unparalleled impact and power. As Rav Pam said, the words themselves are holy; they convey holiness to those who learn them.

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First, there was the Schottenstein Edition Hebrew Talmud, affectionately known as the “Blue Gemara.” It was followed by the Ryzman Edition Hebrew Mishnah, the Zichron Asher Herzog Hebrew Sefer HaChinuch, and the Schottenstein Hebrew Edition of the Yerushalmi Talmud.

Different as they are from each other, these Hebrew-language sets have some things in common. They are all very successful, with tens of thousands of readers poring over their pages. Though loosely based on ArtScroll’s English-language texts, they all bring new features, a new style, and new insights. And they all prove that even in English-speaking communities, many prefer to learn the classic texts in Hebrew.

So here is exciting news for those readers who prefer Hebrew-language learning: The publication of the first volume in the Ryzman Edition Hebrew Midrash Rabbah!

This series is designed to be both comprehensive enough for scholars and “user- friendly” enough for those seeking to share the wisdom of the Midrash at their Shabbos tables or in divrei Torah. The elucidation of the Midrash text has been expanded, allowing readers to appreciate the teachings of the Midrash without the necessity of deeper study. For those who do want to learn the commentaries, the Etz Yosef, Maharzu, Matnos Kehunah, and Eshed HaNechalim have been carefully proofread and punctuated. And the original, classic Midrash commentary, Yefeh Toar, has been quoted extensively. Explanatory notes give more background information, but are not essential for those who simply want to taste the flavor and understand the p’shat of the Midrash.

Readers of the English-language Kleinman Edition Midrash Rabbah have hailed the “Insights” section, in which we see the Midrash through the eyes of major medieval and contemporary giants of Torah thought, from Ramban and Rabbeinu Bachya to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Sfas Emes, Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, and scores of others. The Ryzman Edition Hebrew Midrash Rabbah includes an even more expanded “Insights” feature, sure to enhance the reader’s experience.

The first volume, Parashas Shemos – Beshalach, is now available, and the second and final volume of Sefer Shemos, Yisro – Pekudei, will be released in time for the Torah reading.

In Hebrew or in English, ArtScroll’s Midrash Rabbah opens to all of us the spiritual treasures that we find in the Midrash.

Sefer Madreigas HaAdam: Maamar Darchei HaBitachon – The Path of Bitachon

Reb Yosef Yoizel Horowitz, the Alter of Novardok, was a legendary figure whose teachings had a huge impact on the Torah world, both in his own time and even in ours. Thousands of talmidim followed the “Novardok derech,” which emphasizes the vital importance of character development and refinement. In his classic work, Madreigas HaAdam, the Alter offers perceptive insights into human behavior — and guidance in how to perfect ourselves.

Maamar Darchei HaBitachon isone of the best-known essays in Madreigas HaAdam.In this incisive essay, now available in an ArtScroll English-language translation and elucidation, the Alter applies his classic Novardok thought processes to the mitzvah of bitachon, trust in Hashem. He shows us how bitachon means to constantly live with trust in and reliance on Hashem, and that we can, and must, strive to do so. He explores the essence of bitachon, what it demands of us, and how we can acquire deep trust in Hashem’s infinite goodness. He discusses the complex relationship between relying on Hashem and human effort, and examines the amazing power of trust to help the sincere baal bitachon who faces difficult challenges.

The Alter carefully examines the text of the Chumash, showing us how the steadfast bitachon of our forefathers served them well — and showing us, too, how we can follow in their path of bitachon. In words both inspiring and instructive, the Alter shows us how every person, in every generation, can acquire unshakeable bitachon — and he makes it very clear to us how that unshakeable bitachon will lead us to a life of serenity.  

The Haas Family Edition of Madreigas HaAdam: Maamar Darchei HaBitachon — The Path of Bitachon includes a translation, elucidation, and notes on this seminal essay, as well as vignettes from the life of the Alter that relate to the topics discussed in the work. These fascinating stories about the Alter show us how he himself lived a life of unwavering bitachon and was given Siyata DiShmaya to accomplish more than anyone would have believed possible.

With the brilliance and perception of the Alter of Novardok as our guide, we will find ourselves walking on the “Path to Bitachon” — and dealing with life’s challenges with calm and tranquility, secure in our trust in Hashem and His goodness.

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AS: What was your goal in writing The Eishes Chayil Yamim Noraim Treasury?

DW: My goal was to provide women of all ages the opportunity to tap into the inspiration, greatness, and beauty of the Yamim Noraim through divrei Torah, explanations of customs, uplifting stories, and practical insights, and to show the unique and significant role women play. For someone to be able to open up the sefer to any page and find an inspiring message that can move them along their path of growth. 

AS: It’s often hard for mothers taking care of young children to feel connected to the Yamim Noraim. Any advice for them?

DW: Rav Eliyahu Lopian said that women who are home on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, caring for their children, do not require lengthy tefillos in order for their tefillos to be accepted. Hashem designed for them a special pipeline that carries their tefillos directly to Him. They may not have many hours to daven, but they are connected to that special pipeline. Mothers should remember that caring for their children is an act of chessed that can be performed only by them. As soldiers in Hashem’s army, we understand that everyone has different duties and responsibilities, and each and every one of us serves a unique and vital purpose.

AS: Can you share a brief, inspiring story with us?

DW: Chaya Salomon was a teacher in the Noam Meiri school in Lod, Israel. She was beloved by her students and was taken from us in a terrorist shooting in 2017. At the end of each school year, Morah Chaya would send the following message with her students’ report cards:

When I give out report cards at the end of the school year, I’m always reminded of another report card, the one given by our Father in Heaven. Instead of the regular subjects and test grades, Hashem gives grades in the following subjects — friendliness, patience, understanding, love, kindness, responsibility, humility, gratitude. This report card is more important than any other grade. Life is so busy that we sometimes forget that having good middos is the real test in life.

Rosh Hashanah is the day that Hashem gives each of us our individual report cards. Let us take a lesson from Morah Chaya to ensure that we are focusing on what are truly priority in life: middos, tefillah, and working to live a more elevated and meaningful life.  

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AS: Tell us a little about Zera Shimshon Eishes Chayil.

RNS: When we first released the Zera Shimshon back in 2017, it soon became clear that there was something about the Zera Shimshon’s Torah that spoke to peoples’ neshamos. When I learned that the Zera Shimshon had written a peirush on Eishes Chayil, I was intrigued, and I decided it deserved its own sefer. We would be combining the uniqueness of the Zera Shimshon with the beauty of the beloved words that so many people sing as we usher in Shabbos.

AS: The sefer includes fascinating stories about the famed segulah of the Zera Shimshon. Can you share a story, to whet our appetite?

RNS: One of the many stories in the book tells about a family trying for five years to find their son a shidduch. Then they heard about the segulah of the Zera Shimshon, and about the book, which included vertlach from the sefer as well as stories. The family began learning from it every Shabbos, as a zechus for their son to find a shidduch. He was engaged about nine months later.

Everyone knows the segulah ofgoing to the Kosel for forty days, reciting Shir HaShirim, or saying Tehillim. This family did a cheshbon and realized that their son became engaged after exactly forty weeks of learning the sefer — that’s forty Shabboses!  

AS: The sefer also features “The Bais Yaakov Treasury.” What’s that about?

RNS: The Zera Shimshon team put together segments of the Zera Shimshon’s Torah that were focused on the greatness of the Jewish woman and we added those pieces to his peirush on the Eishes Chayil — very appropriate, since Eishes Chayil is an ode to the Jewish wife.

AS: How will this sefer change the way we look at the words of Eishes Chayil at our Shabbos table — and how we look at the role of Jewish women today? RNS: I was surprised by how the Zera Shimshon “got” the women of today when he wrote his peirush about 250 years ago. He writes about business and real estate and many things that you wouldn’t imagine a rav from long ago would write about. The peirush is very applicable to the woman of today. But you’re going to have to read it to truly grasp what I’m talking about.

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Here’s a tough question: What do sleepy kids (and their parents) love more than one of Shmuel Blitz’s bedtime story books?

And here’s your easy answer: Four story collections in one amazing volume!

With over 400,000 (!) copies of his children’s books in print, Shmuel Blitz is one of the Jewish world’s bestselling authors. We caught up with our favorite bedtime storyteller to talk about his newest book, The Big Book of Jewish Bedtime Story Books.

AS: Since your first “Bedtime Stories” book came out in 1996, you’ve literally helped tens of thousands of children get to sleep. What’s the secret of your bedtime books’ enduring charm?

SB: If an author is boring enough, he can put anyone to sleep. Just ask my kids!

Actually, these are mostly classic Jewish stories from our thousands of years of history. There is so much to choose from. There is no end to Jews telling stories. Some I remember from my parents and grandparents. Many, I just heard and saw in a number of different places. And every child loves a good story.

AS: Did you “test” the stories on your own children? What were their favorites? And what is yours?

SB: Yes, I’ve always read stories to my children. And I also told stories every Shabbos morning to the children in my shul.

When my whole family had to stay in our sealed room during the First Gulf War, I remember telling stories through the night about my summer camp experiences. It was very relaxing for everyone during a difficult time.

AS: Many of the stories are funny. Tell us a little about the power of humor, particularly for children.

SB: Humor is a part of what has kept the Jewish people content and happy for thousands of years. When we can laugh, it’s easier to get through any difficult time. Hashem commands us to be sameach — happy. It is a basic principle for both adults and children.

AS: What are the four books included in this mega-edition volume?

SB: A Treasury of Jewish Bedtime Stories, Bedtime Stories to Make You Smile, Bedtime Stories of Jewish Values, and A Treasury of Shabbos Bedtime Stories.

I — along with Klal Yisrael — am still reeling. The loss of Rav Chaim zt”l, the Sar HaTorah, the humble leader of our generation, has left a hole in our hearts and lives.

And this, coming on the heels of the Russian invasion, with images and headlines reminiscent of a Cold War that we’d all believed had melted into global peace, leaves many of us unsettled. Melancholy. Maybe just plain scared. Emotions intensified by loss of the gadol hador.

But life must go on, so I put my sadness to the side and open Rabbi Yechiel Spero’s newest book, What A Story!

I read about an act of kindness that a woman did for a surviving orphan of the Chevron Massacre. That kindness was repaid half a century later — and it reminds me that every good deed done, every pasuk of Torah learned, makes an eternal impression. I begin to feel a stirring of consolation.

Now here is an elderly Russian Jew, a child during the Communist revolution who knew nothing about Yiddishkeit. It took one tiny childhood memory — of a little lamb, a “chad gadya” — to bring him back to Torah. Reading that story, I remember that there is always hope.

I read story after story written in Rabbi Spero’s warm and inspiring style, and I feel my spirits rise as I enjoy a sorely needed jolt of chizuk.

Klal Yisrael will always survive.

Rabbi Berel Wein’s new book, Struggles, Challenges and Tradition, gives me still another dose of comfort. Rabbi Wein is one of Torah Jewry’s most articulate and beloved historians. This impressive coffee-table book, with over 150 photographs, takes us on a breathtaking global tour of the Jewish world from 1820 – 1940. It was a restless time, an era of great changes. We travel through Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Austria-Hungary, the British Empire, Eretz Yisrael, and the Americas. We see the many “modern” forces ranged against Torah Judaism. And we see how, despite all the “ism’s,” and all the naysayers who claimed Orthodoxy was doomed to extinction, Torah leaders and their communities fought back and laid the groundwork — despite the horrors of the Holocaust — for Torah to survive. And, yes, for Torah to thrive to an almost unimaginable extent.

And as I read about our people’s resilience, again, I am comforted in these troubled times.

Two books of truth — one of stories, one of history. Very different, and yet both giving us the same messages: messages of emunah, of consolation, of hope.