Pirke Avot: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Life

The great Jewish ethical tradition through a contemporary lens

In this new edition of the well-known Jewish classic, Berkson helps us see that Pirke Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) is more than just a fundamental religious text; it is also a compelling, contemporary ethical guide.

Berkson looks at the individual sayings, or mishnayot, through the interpretations of the great Jewish commentators and also within the broader context of Western thought—through views found in the Bible, the ancient Greeks, the Enlightenment, Buddhism, Confucianism, and American culture today.

The book’s most important and innovative feature is its exploration of the relationship between the beliefs of the ancient Sages and modern psychology, particularly the key to good relationships: ethical conduct. The result is a book that goes far beyond the plain meaning of the sayings to explore their ethical, psychological, and religious significance for us today.

Included are an extensive index and the full text of Pirke Avot in English and Hebrew on facing pages.

 

William Berkson completed his PhD in history and philosophy of science under Sir Karl Popper at the London School of Economics. He is author of Fields of Force: The Development of a Worldview from Faraday to Einstein and Learning from Error: Karl Popper's Psychology of Learning.