WHAT ARE THE META-VALUES OF JUDAISM? Jewish tradition is rich with analysis of every topic imaginable, from major philosophical issues like belief in God and questions of good and evil, to detailed analyses about the finer points of Jewish practice. However it sometimes goes unnoticed that many Rabbis of the Talmud and Midrash have sought to explore how those sets of practices and beliefs cohere into a whole as a unit.

• Chapter 1 analyzes Hillel’s famous adage: “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor” (Shabbat 31a) and Rabbi Akiva’s opinion: “And you shall love your neighbor as yourself ” (ve-ahavta le-rei'acha kamocha) (Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim 9:4).
• Chapter 2 considers the response, Ben Azzai's opinion, which states: “This is the book of the generations of man in the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him” (JT Nedarim 9:4).
• Chapter 3 quotes an anonymous opinion in the Talmud which says Habakkuk reduced all the principles of the Torah to one verse, “But the righteous shall live by his faith” (ve-tzaddik be-emunato yicheh) (Makkot 23b-24a).
• Chapter 4 evaluates Bar Kappara’s opinion: “In all your ways know Him and He will direct your paths” (Berakhot 63a). What does it mean to know God in all your ways? And is this possible/
• Chapter 5 investigates R. Joseph’s opinion: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace” (Gittin 59a-b). How can this statement be reconciled with places where religion seems restrictive or even destructive?
• Chapter 6 questions R. Yehudah’s opinion: “Anyone who denies the priority of acts of kindness, it is as if he has been kofer be-ikkar [denied the most fundamental principle]” (Kohelet Rabbah 7:4). What is the relationship between faith (emunah) and kindness (chesed)
• Chapter 7 concludes R. Elazar’s opinion: “The entire Torah is based upon justice” (Exodus Rabbah 30:19). How does the idea of "justice" square with the obligation to go above and beyond the letter of the law?

The Great Principle of the Torah explores how the meta-values interconnect and possibly contradict. It is the ideal book for someone who is looking for a big picture perspective on what Judaism represents.

From the introduction: It is my contention that a key cognitive factor as to why the behaviors and beliefs comprising a traditional Jewish lifestyle sometimes fail to serve as either a stopgap or corrective for improper behavior, is that many of us struggle with the fundamental “forest-and-tree” problem. On the one hand, the myriad finite practices imposed by Jewish halakhic observance might actually serve to obfuscate the specific goals of such a lifestyle. On the other hand, our primary sources of Jewish tradition—the Tanakh, the Talmud and its commentaries, Midrash, the codes, and responsa literature—are so dense, ambiguous, massive, and at times even contradictory, that they pose an intractable difficulty in determining what the point of all of this material is, even for the devoted student of Torah. As a result many Jews, even knowledgeable ones, are confused, overwhelmed, or avoid reflecting about the complexities of life and religion."