Great Books
The Great Books
13 works of the Jewish tradition — halakha, philosophy, Kabbalah, ethics and liturgy. Public-domain classics render on-site in later cycles; copyrighted works are catalogued and linked, never reproduced.
- Mishneh TorahMaimonides · 1170–1180Maimonides' monumental code of the entire Jewish law, written in clear Hebrew — the first comprehensive codification of halakha.HalakhaPublic domain
- The Guide for the PerplexedMaimonides · c. 1190The supreme work of medieval Jewish philosophy, reconciling the Torah with Aristotelian reason.PhilosophyPublic domain
- The KuzariJudah Halevi · c. 1140A defence of Judaism framed as a dialogue between a rabbi and the king of the Khazars.PhilosophyPublic domain
- The Book of Beliefs and OpinionsSaadia Gaon · 933The first systematic work of Jewish philosophy, harmonizing revelation and reason.PhilosophyPublic domain
- Duties of the HeartBahya ibn Paquda · c. 1080The classic of Jewish ethical and devotional literature, on the inner duties of the spiritual life.MussarPublic domain
- Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation)Anonymous (ancient) · early (uncertain)The earliest and most enigmatic work of Jewish mysticism, on the creation of the world through letters and numbers.KabbalahPublic domain
- The Zoharattributed to Shimon bar Yochai; Moses de Leon · 13th c.The central text of Kabbalah — a mystical commentary on the Torah, the foundation of later Jewish mysticism.KabbalahPublic domain
- Shulchan AruchJoseph Karo · 1565The 'Set Table' — the authoritative code of Jewish law that became the standard for observance across the Jewish world.HalakhaPublic domain
- Keter Malkhut (Crown of the Kingdom)Solomon ibn Gabirol · 11th c.A sublime liturgical poem on God and the cosmos, recited on Yom Kippur.LiturgyPublic domain
- Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers)The Sages · c. 200 CEThe tractate of ethical maxims and the chain of tradition — the most widely studied text of Jewish ethics.MussarPublic domain
- TanyaSchneur Zalman of Liadi · 1797The foundational text of Chabad Hasidism, a systematic work of mystical psychology and the service of God.HasidismPublic domain
- The Star of RedemptionFranz Rosenzweig · 1921A landmark of 20th-century Jewish thought on creation, revelation, and redemption. Copyrighted — catalogued, not reproduced.PhilosophyCatalogued (copyright)
- I and ThouMartin Buber · 1923Buber's philosophy of dialogue and encounter. Copyrighted — catalogued and linked, not reproduced.PhilosophyCatalogued (copyright)