Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh's "Nineteen Letters about Judaism", first published in Germany in 1836, used a fictional correspondence between Naftali, a young rabbi and philosopher, and Benjamin, a youthful intellectual, to present traditional Orthodoxy's response to the Reform movement. This work, written in a language appropriate to the contemporary world, was to prove a milestone in the course of Jewish history. Hirsch's ideas became key factors in the rise of Torah Jewry in the Western world. The relevance of S.R. Hirsch's teachings for our time lends special importance to this new edition, complete with an extensive commentary by Rabbi Joseph Elias that spells out the author's message in greater detail.
Translated by Joseph Elias