Jeremy Rosen
Ecclesiastes: The First Self-Help Bestseller
Summary
Jeremy Rosen delves into the Book of Ecclesiastes, acknowledging its enigmatic nature and exploring its historical context and authorship. The book, often considered cynical and philosophical, raises questions about the purpose of life and the pursuit of wisdom and pleasure. Highlights include its relevance as an early example of a self-help guide, offering insights into coping with life’s challenges and uncertainties.
Jeremy Rosen
Manchester-born Jeremy Rosen was educated at Cambridge University England and Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He has practiced as an orthodox rabbi, as principal of Carmel College in the UK, and as professor at the Faculty for Comparative Religion in Antwerp, Belgium. He has written and lectured extensively in the UK and the US, where he now resides and was the rabbi of the Persian-Jewish community in Manhattan.
I think Ecclesiastes is the only one that sets out to be this self-help in the abstract as opposed to self-help like love your neighbours yourself, be good, and so forth and so on.
Kohelet, which literally means the community. The message for the community. Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus is Tam, you’ll know from the church is the Ecclesias. The Ecclesia is the system of religious behaviour.