The Book of the Shulchan Aruch - Erich Bischoff

n nPerhaps no book is less known, yet more important, than the Shulchan Aruch. n n n nMost people have heard of the Talmud-that compendium of Jewish laws, and thus the essence of Judaism. The Talmud, however, is vast and largely inscrutable for non-Jews. Fortunately, back in the mid-1500s, a Jewish rabbi named Joseph Karo decided to create a condensed, compact version of the Talmud. He called it 'the set table': the Shulchan Aruch. n n n nMost of the Shulchan Aruch deals with inter-Jewish laws, but a fair number of passages discuss non-Jews -- the Gentiles, or in less polite terms, the 'goyim.' As it happens, the laws of Judaism hold Gentiles in very low regard; they can be cheated, lied to, abused, even killed, if it serves Jewish interests. Jewish supremacy reigns throughout the Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch.n n n nIn Weimar Germany, a German scholar of religion and the Hebrew language named Erich Bischoff decided to write a summary and analysis of this most-important of books. In 1929, he published Das Buch vom Schulchan Aruch -- the present work is translated from the 1942 edition. Never before or since has a knowledgeable scholar conducted such an honest and critical study. Here, we see many dark corners of the Jewish religion exposed; here, we see exactly how Jews view the contemptible goyim.n n n nThis book is invaluable for all those interested in cutting through the fog and obscurity of the Talmud, and in getting to the heart of Jewish thinking and Jewish attitudes: the Shulchan Aruch.n