Rabbi Dr. Michael Gold’s Books
Enjoy many books by Rabbi Dr. Michael Gold on your journey to ask and answer questions about science, philosophy, and religion.
Books
The Rabbi’s Sex Class
Rabbi Efraim Williams volunteers to teach a class on Jewish sexual ethics to the students at a local Jewish high school. He wants to find an authentic middle ground between the strict observance of the ultra-Orthodox rabbi who teaches in the school and the sexual freedom of contemporary American life. Little does he imagine the challenges he will face from his students, his synagogue, the school, and ultimately his own family.
This novel combines a clear overview of Jewish sexual ethics and the compelling story of a rabbi facing career-altering challenges.
This book includes Hebrew/English references from the Torah, Talmud, and Bible, and a discussion guide for classes, small groups, or individual reflection.
Three Creation Stories: A Rabbi Encounters the Universe
What is reality? Is reality both mind and matter, body and soul, as taught by Western religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? This is dualism, the approach of philosophers from Plato to Descartes. Or is reality only matter, as taught by many modern scientists and philosophers? This is materialism, the approach of philosophers from Hobbes to Marx. Or is reality only mind, as taught by Eastern religions and Western mystics. This is the approach of philosophers from Berkeley to Whitehead.
The beginning of Genesis allows for multiple translations and interpretations. We will read the creation story in Genesis from the point of view of each of these three approaches—dualism, materialism, and idealism. In doing so, we will tell three very different creation stories. These stories will take us on a fascinating journey through science, philosophy, and religion. Join us on this journey as we explore issues such as does God perform miracles, why is there evil in the universe, was Darwin correct, can robots have souls, and if light is a wave, what is waving?
Reviews
Seldom does one find in a single volume the range of knowledge contained in Rabbi Gold’s work, Three Creation Stories. From Plato to Aristotle, from Descartes to Kant, Gold examines the creation stories of the Bible from the perspective of three major philosophical views of reality–dualism, materialism, and idealism. A must read for anyone wishing to grasp the intellectual basis of religious faith. A brilliant course in Western philosophy combined with solid theology.
– William Bogard,
PhD, Whitman
College
“Gold has gone beyond traditional rabbinic scholarship to define the mysteries of creation and reality. He has synthesized in this groundbreaking, maverick book one of the best and most convincing argumenting statements for faith in G-d as the one and only True Reality. Gold’s writing is an absolute masterpiece of enlightenment and revelation for anyone searching for truth. I highly recommend this book.”
– Choy Wong, Teacher
of Biblical Mysticism
Writing in a clear and personal style that draws in and holds the reader’s interest to the end, Michael Gold examines fundamental questions on the nature of mind, matter, and God from three dominant perspectives within science, philosophy, and religion. Drawing from the wisdom of ancient, modern, and contemporary thinkers, Gold makes a compelling case that the universe is not simply made of inert matter but that it is, instead, imbued with life and consciousness.
– Marina P. Banchetti,
Florida Atlantic
University
More Books
And Hannah Wept: Infertility, Adoption, and the Jewish Couple
The definitive work on Judaism’s approach to infertility, pregnancy loss and adoption. An indispensable resource for couples facing infertility.
Does God Belong in the Bedroom?
Does Judaism offer appropriate guidelines to the intimacy of the bedroom? Using the Torah, the wisdom of the rabbis of the Talmud, the Midrash, and exploring the vast reservoir of rabbinic sources on sexuality, Rabbi Gold demonstrates how those classical sources differ from Christianity and modern secular ethics.
God, Love, Sex, and Family: A Rabbi’s Guide for Building Relationships That Last
This important new volume deals with issues, spanning the entire spectrum of family life, including relationships between parents and children, marriage, divorce, sibling rivalry, sexuality, infertility, and family abuse.
The Ten Journeys of Life: Walking the Path of Abraham
This is a book filled with practical wisdom about how to live today. It is a book on how to be fully human. An old saying goes, “Life is a journey,” but Rabbi Gold proposes that life is actually ten very different journeys. We all travel most of them and many of us travel them all, even though we may travel them in a different order. Different journeys may become crucial at different times in our lives. We may even successfully complete one of these journeys, only to discover later that we must begin that journey again. The Ten Journeys of Life is a guide to being human-a veritable pathway into the basic essence of humanity. Rabbi Gold takes us through an exploration of these journeys using Abraham the Biblical patriarch as a mentor. Based on ancient and timeless principles, the insights and wisdom within these pages are both contemporary and essential. What makes this book even more meaningful are the “Guideposts for Your Journey.”
The Kabbalah of Love: The Story of a Soul
Moshe is a very successful rabbi of a suburban South Florida congregation. And he is in the midst of a deep, spiritual malaise. He has forgotten how to love. His wife and son send him to Israel for a month with the hope that he can recharge his spiritual batteries. And there, in a small café in Jerusalem, he meets a mathematician-kabbalist named Uri. For five days in a row, Uri tells Moshe the story of a soul. And by the end of the story, Moshe has learned how to love once again.
Based on the wisdom of Isaac Luria and the Jewish mystical tradition, The Kabbalah of Love speaks of the four worlds of creation. It also speaks of the five levels of the soul. It relates how these kabbalistic ideas are reflected in modern science – particularly relativity, quantum theory, and evolution. But at the center of the story is a lesson in love. What does it mean for one human being to connect to another in each of the four worlds? How can we love with each of the five levels of the soul?
Ancient spirituality, modern science, and the true meaning of love touch one another in this modern fable of a rabbi’s search for a purpose in life. This is spiritual fiction that is very real.
A Rabbi’s Guide to Being Human
Every week Rabbi Michael Gold sent a spiritual message to his congregation, and thousands of other people of all faiths and no particular faith. The messages deal with the fundamental question – what does it mean to be human? What can we say about our purpose in life, having and raising children, love and marriage, sexuality, money, our bodies and our souls, dealing with sadness, redirecting our lives, growing old, and the end of life? What can we say about controversial issues such as abortion, homosexuality, organ transplants, and euthanasia? Although drawing from the vast wells of Jewish tradition, this book is written for people of all faiths and no particular faith. In 45 messages, the book covers the most fundamental questions all people ask about life. It is truly a rabbi’s guide to being human.
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Through reading these books, you can learn to improve yours and others knowledge better, when it comes to science, religion, and philosophy.
