{"id":4730,"date":"2026-09-28T20:53:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T00:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/utj.org\/viewpoints\/?p=4730"},"modified":"2026-09-28T20:56:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T00:56:32","slug":"with-a-new-year-a-plethora-of-books-on-the-parsha-including-the-philosophers-torah-by-rabbi-wayne-allen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/utj.org\/viewpoints\/2026\/09\/with-a-new-year-a-plethora-of-books-on-the-parsha-including-the-philosophers-torah-by-rabbi-wayne-allen\/","title":{"rendered":"With a New Year, a Plethora of Books on the Parsha (including “The Philosophers’ Torah” by Rabbi Wayne Allen)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his article appearing in the Jewish Link<\/a> and on his Times of Israel blog<\/a>, Ben Rothke reviews new books on the parashah, including “The Philosophers’ Torah<\/a>” by UTJ Viewpoints Contributor Rabbi Wayne Allen.<\/p>\n

Copied below, with permission, is the revewi of “The Philosphers’ Torah.”\u00a0 For the full article, follow the links above.\u00a0 Below also find Amazon links (where available) for purchasing each of the books reviewed by Rothke.\u00a0 As a reminder, UTJ is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.<\/p>\n

If you have ever wanted to know what Socrates, Hegel, Diderot, or other philosophers had to say about the parsha, then The Philosophers\u2019 Torah<\/em><\/a> (Maimon Books) by Rabbi Dr. Wayne Allen is the book for you.<\/p>\n

Allen takes the philosophical ideas of more than 70 major secular philosophers from the last 3,000 years and maps them onto various parsha ideas.<\/p>\n

Eichah Rabbah states: \u201cIf someone tells you, \u2018There is wisdom among the nations,\u2019 believe it. If he tells you, \u2018There is Torah among the nations,\u2019 do not believe it.\u201d You won\u2019t be saying birchat haTorah<\/em> on this book, but it does offer a fascinating look at the wisdom of these philosophers.<\/p>\n

Philosophy has had an often contentious journey with Judaism. Perhaps the most famous example is the medieval ban on studying philosophy. The bans of 1232\u20131234 centered on Maimonides\u2019 philosophical works, especially the Guide for the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim<\/em>) and the portions of the Mishneh Torah<\/em> dealing with philosophy and theology. Maimonides used Aristotelian philosophy to explain Judaism, and some rabbis feared that this encouraged young Jews to abandon traditional belief and Torah study.<\/p>\n

Here, Allen shows how biblical texts have long influenced philosophy. To a degree, therefore, philosophy need not be viewed as something external to Torah.<\/p>\n

While most biblical commentaries take a forward approach \u2013 the verse says A, and the commentator explains B. Allen takes a backward approach: he starts with a verse and then finds great philosophers who can contribute to understanding it.<\/p>\n

Shiv\u2019im Panim laTorah<\/em> is a rabbinic phrase meaning \u201cthe Torah has 70 faces,\u201d used to indicate different levels of interpretation. Perhaps one of those 70 is the way of philosophy. The book shows how questions that philosophers have wrestled with for centuries can offer another lens through which to understand the Torah.<\/p>\n

These philosophers have dealt with many of the same issues the rabbis have explored: free will versus determinism, good and evil, the purpose of law, the meaning of suffering, and much more.<\/p>\n

About a third of the book covers Sefer Beresheet, which is fertile ground for philosophical inquiry. Questions such as why God created the universe and whether creation requires a cause naturally arise. In fact, Allen could have written an entire work on Sefer Beresheet given the number of philosophical questions it raises.<\/p>\n

Some of the most compelling ideas he explores include the Flood: why punish humanity if God is omniscient? The Binding of Isaac: can morality conflict with God\u2019s command? Sodom: Abraham challenges God\u2014and much more.<\/p>\n

The book demonstrates the kind of wisdom that can be found among the nations, and Wayne Allen makes a compelling case for engaging with it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read the full article on the Jewish Link<\/a> or on Ben Rothke’s Times of Israel blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Amazon links (where available) for books reviewed by Ben Rothke:<\/strong><\/p>\n