It is rare for me to publicly recommend a book, but I had the honor of welcoming my dear friend Sina Kahen’s new book on Bereshit into my library and I cannot recommend it enough!
Below, please find my words which were printed in the beginning of the book, as well as a free excerpt of the introduction generously provided by Sina.
“It is an immense honor for me to write these brief words sharing my impressions of “Ideas” on Bereshit, the handiwork of my dear friend R’ Sina Kahen, may HaKadosh Baruch Hu bless him with a long and healthy life. In these pages, R’ Sina shares with us refreshing and relevant insights on the weekly Torah portion, weaving together extremely varied sources to create convincing Jewish ideas which engage and give reasons to the educated, intelligent Jew. Among the diverse rabbis and scholars presented within this book, it is especially exciting for me to see the names of the greatest of the Sages of Sepharad, exposing English-speaking Torah learners to their life-changing words of wisdom, full of clarity and truth. R’ Sina has not only single-handedly restored their honor and dignity so that these giants shall not be forgotten by the apathy shown towards them by the Judaism of today, he has also faithfully followed in their footsteps and continued to expound on the Torah in ways which would make them proud, especially our Master and Teacher the Rambam, peace be upon him, who taught us to “accept the truth from whomever says it”. As such, R’ Sina has merited to take his rightful place alongside the great minds of our illustrious tradition, and about him it must be said: “fortunate is she who gave birth to him”. I am left only to bless him that he may continue to publish more works in the likeness of this one, b’ezrat HaBoreh Yitbarach.”
Please read the introduction here:
https://shiviti.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/SINA-KAHEN-IDEAS-INTRODUCTION.pdf
To order your own copy:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08C8XFDT4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_G6dOFb8K99R1R