David Hazony, The Ten Commandments: How Our Most Ancient Text Can Renew Modern Life
Recommended by Clare Goldwater, Washington
David Hazony’s idea is very simple: take the 10 Commandments one by one and show how they can inform the values of a modern, spiritually healthy and ethical society. Hazony weaves together traditional and modern sources into an engaging read that will appeal to beginners and scholars alike. His contention is that taken in an almost chronological way, the 10 Commandments can form the basis for a better world. I was particularly taken by Chapter 2, in which Hazony addresses idolatry through the lens of ‘Morality and Loneliness’, making a cogent case against the allure of our own creativity to explain a modern manifestation of an ancient prohibition. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and plan to read it again.