Rabbi Simon Jacobson is the publisher of The Algemeiner Journal and the author of Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, a best-selling work which has been translated into 11 languages.
What books are currently on your nightstand?
The Quantum God by John S. Denker, The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong, Ayin Beis, vol. 2 by the Rebbe Rashab, and The Theory & Practice of Universal Ethics: The Noahide Laws by Dr. Shimon Cowen.
What’s the best book on Judaism you’ve ever read?
Obviously the best book on Judaism is the divine Torah itself – the written and oral Torah, Talmud, Midrash, Zohar with all their commentaries through the generations, all of which comprise the book of Judaism, G-d’s mandate to us. But as far as human-authored contemporary books about Judaism are concerned, there are a few that stand out: This is My God by Herman Wouk, Man in Search of Meaning by Viktor Frankl, and A History of the Jews by Paul Johnson. Also check out On Two Wings by Michael Novak.
What kind of reader were you as a child? Your favorite books and authors?
Quite voracious I would say. I consumed anything that came my way. As I matured I was especially drawn to mystical and esoteric books, especially the teachings of Kabbalah and Chassidus, which resonated with their profound and sweeping vision of life and the cosmos. I also found the Shelah fascinating and comprehensive.
Some of my favorite secular books include Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, and Journey to the East by Herman Hesse.
Among my favorite authors are Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Franz Kafka, and Erich Fromm.
If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be?
I wouldn’t say one particular book, but rather one genre of books, namely: Chassidus Chabad. Among the first works of Chabad Chassidus that ignited my soul are Tanya by Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi (founder of Chabad Chassidus), Derech Mitzvosecho by the Tzemech Tzedek (third Chabad Rebbe), the series called Samach Vav and Ayin Beis by the Rebbe Rashab (fifth Chabad Rebbe), and the talks of Reb Menachem Mendel Schneerson (seventh Chabad Rebbe).
These works were like music that touched my soul at its core, allowing me to sense the spirit within all of existence, inspiring me to this very day with my life mission to do whatever I can to reveal that spirit.
Hidden gems: Which Jewish book or author should be widely known but isn’t?
Classic: Shomer Emunim by Rabbi Yosef Irgas. Contemporary: Faith after the Holocaust by Eliezer Berkovits.
If someone were interested in learning about Chassidus in general, or Chabad Chassidus in particular, what book/sefer would you recommend to him?
The best is always to study the sources themselves, beginning with the Tanya (which is translated into English, and has some good commentaries like Lessons in Tanya by Rabbi Yosef Weinberg and The Longer Shorter Way by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz) and other Chassidus discourses (today one can find many good English translations and adaptations).
In terms of secondary works, I would recommend The Philosophy of Chabad by Dr. Nissan Mindel, Mystical Concepts in Chassidism by Dr. Immanuel Shochet, and A Treasury of Chassidic Tales by Rabbi S.Y. Zevin.
How about specifically the worldview or ideology of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe?
Despite my personal bias, I would recommend [my own work] Toward a Meaningful Life. Also good are Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Rabbi Zvi Freeman and Open Secret: Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson by Elliot R. Wolfson.
Recent biographies of the Rebbe – Joseph Telushkin’s Rebbe, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s My Rebbe, and Rabbi Chaim Miller’s Turning Judaism Outward – also lend insight into the Rebbe’s ideology.
What books might people be surprised to find on your bookshelves?
The Politics of Ecstasy by Timothy Leary. The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra.
What book hasn’t been written that you’d like to read?
Four books come to mind:
1) A presentation of the universal transformative teachings of Torah as a blueprint for life for secular audiences.
2) A comparative study of all the false and stereotypical definitions of G-d, offering a healthy definition.
3) A study on how the broad universal vision of Judaism became so parochial and polarized over the generations.
4) A comprehensive perspective on sexuality/intimacy according to Judaism, educating our emotionally-bereft generation on how to cultivate a health sexual identity.
Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
What do you plan to read next?
Midrash and Zohar and its commentaries on each parshah.