Rabbi Taragin’s book extracts basic principles of hashkafa from Pirkei Avos.

Highlighting: “Essentials of Judaism” by Rabbi Reuven Taragin. Mosaica Press. 2024. 300 pages.

Rabbi Reuven Taragin wears many hats—dean of the overseas program at Yeshivat Hakotel, rosh beit midrash at camp Moshava I.O. in the summer, educational director at Mizrachi along with his wife, Shani, and the creator of unity initiatives such as the Vayichan program and Acheinu Worldwide Unity Project.

Usually, hashkafa is discussed in the context of topics that divide us. Rabbi Taragin’s “Essentials of Judaism” does the opposite—it explores a host of hashkafic topics that are actually shared by most of the Torah world, but are so fundamental that they are ironically rarely discussed. As the sefer is built on Mishnayos in Pirkei Avos, it is the perfect complement to our national return to Avos this Sefiras HaOmer period.

How would you summarize your book?

The sefer uses the Mishnayos of Pirkei Avos as a base for presenting the central issues of Torah hashkafa, such as:

Our mission in the world,

How we are meant to relate to our money and possessions,

The character of the Jewish people,

The nature of a Jewish home.

What piqued your interest in this topic?

It is critical that we understand how we are meant to view the world and ourselves. Often, we spend much of our time learning about details of different halachos, mitzvos or topics of hashkafa:

How should you make tea on Shabbos, or keep a kosher kitchen with a single oven or sink?

What is the nature of the halachos of the four shomrim, or the nature of kesef kiddushin?

How does one square free will with divine foreknowledge?

While these sorts of topics are important, it is crucial for them to be understood within the context of the basic, foundational perspective we have on our lives. Hashem created us with a specific goal in mind, and we must understand what that is in order to live properly.

What inspired you to write “Essentials of Judaism?”

As the dean of the overseas program at Yeshivat Hakotel, I get a front-row seat to the questions that talmidim are asking after 12 years of yeshiva day school. In addition to formal shiurim on topics of hashkafa, I also offer questions and answer sessions throughout the year to give students the chance to ask whatever may be on their minds. Over many decades, I have noticed that I was getting many questions about basic hashkafic topics, which showed that these students lacked clarity in this area. At the same time, I felt that there was a dearth of sefarim available that I could recommend to them, and I did not find any curricula that organized the topic in a way that would fill the need.

What is one major misconception you’ve found people hold about this topic?

People think that every topic in Judaism, and especially in hashkafa, is a machlokes. This perspective is reinforced by the “boxes” different communities place themselves in—Modern Orthodox, Yeshivish, Chassidish, etc. Though it is true that there are many machloksim, most of the basic themes are agreed upon. Everyone committed to traditional Orthodoxy agrees to these principles, but they are so basic that they are not often spoken about. When only the controversial topics are discussed, this leads to the impression that everything is subject to disagreement.

Who would gain the most from reading this book?

Anyone looking to get clarity or background on what the Torah’s hashkafa is. The book is written to be accessible to someone with a limited background, while including rich source material for individuals that are more advanced.

If you write another book, what will the topic be?

Hashkafah beyond Pirkei Avos. I chose to use Pirkei Avos as the base for this sefer because it highlights many of these basic themes and is already considered a basic text of Jewish hashkafa. Additionally, the fact that it is traditionally learned between Pesach and Shavuos means the basic text is familiar to many, making it easier for people to deepen their understanding of its ideas. However, there are other topics that go beyond Pirkei Avos, and I would like to apply the same approach to them.

Link to order: https://mosaicapress.com/product/essentials-of-judaism/

To hear even more from Rabbi Taragin about Pirkei Avos, his personal “Avos” and “Essentials of Judaism,” check out his podcast episode with our friends at Shtark Tank.