Where Judaism Differed: An Inquiry into the Distinctiveness of Judaism.

New York, NY Macmillan Publishing Company, 1956. Hardcover First Edition [1956]; Tenth Printing [1967]. Very Good+ in Very Good DJ: The Book shows indications of very careful use; just a touch of shelving wear along the bottom edge of the blue cloth over boards; the binding is square and secure; the text is clean. The DJ shows moderate wear to the extremities, with a few small chips along the top edge; the blue background field at the backstrip has been lightly sunned, but the white titles remain bold against the slightly blanched background; the price has been clipped; very mild rubbing overall and the faintest soiling to the white background field of the rear panel; mylar-protectected. Overall, remains structurally sound and tightly bound, showing a little wear in a worn, but intact DJ. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 318pp. Tinted top edge. First Edition [1956]; Tenth Printing [1967]. Hardback with DJ. This fine volume is exactly what it sounds like: an extended discussion of the features that make Judaism unique. Abba Hillel Silver (an American Reform rabbi probably best known for his staunch support of Zionism when it wasn't fashionable) takes the reader on a grand tour of Judaism's distinguishing features, comparing it not only with Christianity but also with Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism where these are relevant. Mainly, though, this volume is a positive portrait of what Judaism has historically stood for. The discussion is broken up topically; Rabbi Silver devotes chapters to various topics including e.g. Judaism's rejection of belief in Original Sin, its moderation and anti-fanaticism, its orientation toward daily life in the present world, its belief that every human being has direct and unmediated access to God, and its gratitude for the gift of the Law (and its concomitant inability to countenance Pauline Christianity's description of the Torah as an instrument of death). His prose is lively and he has a knack for the pithy formulation; the volume is extraordinarily well-written and highly informative.