Best jewish life books according to redditors
We found 168 Reddit comments discussing the best jewish life books. We ranked the 53 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 168 Reddit comments discussing the best jewish life books. We ranked the 53 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
It helps to have more specific questions, but of course, having specific questions usually requires some basic level of knowledge.
jewfaq.org is pretty good. we have some decentish resources in our wiki. there's a judaism stackexchange, but like stackexchange as a whole it tends a bit towards elitist, high-level, and unfriendly to beginners.
The standard book recommendations when this situation comes up is To Be a Jew and Jewish Literacy.
Also possibly relevant, depending on your tastes, This is My God by Herman Wouk. Was reminded of this book by this Ask the Rabbi, which also recommends Partners in Torah -- possibly relevant, depending on your level of investment in learning more (sets you up with a weekly study partner)
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did a quick google, this looks relevant: https://www.xojane.com/it-happened-to-me/found-out-jewish-ancestry-in-20s
So does the book Suddenly Jewish, which I found via this article
oh and there's this post from a day ago: judaism for beginners
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also, for your perusal, the search results for "found out jewish" on this sub
>I've read the wiki
I think I'm going to cry.
Recommended Reading:
To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life
On Judaism: Conversations on Being Jewish
Judaism for the Rite Reasons
Becoming a Jew
This Is My God
Just to start off, its shabbos in much of the world so you won't get so many responses for a bit.
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Lots and lots of people grew up with some Jewish identity, didn't do much, and later became religious. Seriously, its a whole movement. Of course everyone's situation is unique, but you aren't the first to struggle with this kinda thing. Thankfully, that has meant a ton of books and resources for people in your shoes, who want to learn more and do more but didn't grow up with it. Some of the biggest resources online are Aish and Chabad, I just found NJOP but it doesn't have as much on the site.
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Now, as you know, the first step is to find a synagogue. I'd recommend looking for a Chabad or a young adults organization like a Young Jewish Professionals type of thing. They will have lots of classes for people from all sorts of backgrounds and will be super happy to help you find good resources, to teach you, etc. Chabad especially is everywhere, the joke is that only Coca-Cola and Chabad are worldwide. Next weekend is actually The Shabbos Project, which brings together people from all sorts of background to do a shabbos in a community. Actually one of these helped me really finalize my decision to become religious. And there are people here from all over who can recommend places.
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So there are lots of basic books out there. One thing I would definitely recommend is to get a Chumash, I'd recommend the Stone Edition since its the most common but the Steinsaltz one also came out recently. A Chumash has the whole Torah and the Haftorot (the section from the Prophets read in synagogues every shabbos) with commentaries. Both the ones I linked have stuff from all sorts of commentators that help explain the text. One section of Torah is read every week on shabbos, so it makes for a great reading guide.
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A good beginner book is To Be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim HeLevy Dovin. That one is absolutely classic. He also has another one, To Pray as a Jew, that's also excellent. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin also has a great one, Jewish Literacy, that goes through everything from Bible stories and characters to Jewish historical figures and writings. R' Teluskhin has tons of good stuff, I also have his A Code of Jewish Ethics, Jewish Wisdom, and a daily study book The Book of Jewish Values, they are all great learning resources. I'd also recommend Exploring Jewish Tradition, it really gets to the basics of Jewish practices. The 'Jewish Book of Why' set is also good, there are two volumes. There's no need to dive full on into halacha (Jewish law) and like books on Talmud right away, take the basics and then explore what is interesting to you. People sometimes burn out if they try too much too quick, but others love to just jump in full on and learn a bunch really quick (I'm the second but know people in the first category, both are totally ok ways to be).
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If there is any specific thing you would like to read more about, I can recommend more stuff after shabbos. Its only been a year since I decided to become religious so I know the position you are in. And if you have any questions, there are lots of great resources online and lots of knowledgeable people here. Of course, as I'm sure your mother can attest, there are unhealthy Jewish communities. But I firmly believe for every bad one there are far more great ones. I'm pretty new to it but the couple places I have been are both very welcoming and I have made friends from most of the major areas. It does not have to be suffocating, and there's nothing wrong with learning and doing more at your own pace. If its ever too much, slow down and reassess before jumping in further. If you listen to what your neshama (soul) is saying it'll guide you right!
The most comprehensive all-in-one resource on this is Jewish Views of the Afterlife.
I've recommended it many times.
Yup Jewishness passes purely along the maternal line.
Time for you to learn more about your people and heritage. And stick around this sub. Welcome home.
Recommended Reading:
To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life
On Judaism: Conversations on Being Jewish
Judaism for the Rite Reasons
Becoming a Jew
This Is My God
Check out Torah Mates or Partners in Torah.
Where do you live? Check out your local chabad(they are everywhere) if you don't live in a place with a big Jewish community. Otherwise go to your local shul (synagogue) and talk to the rabbi.
Check out This is my God by Herman Wouk and To Be A Jew by Donin HaLevi.
Welcome to the Tribe!
One of the first things you might like to read is
To Life! , a very accessible book with a lovely feeling through it all. https://www.amazon.com/Life-Celebration-Jewish-Being-Thinking/dp/0446670022/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=to+life&qid=1562354401&s=gateway&sr=8-4
Also, even though you are not a convert and are legitimately and wholly Jewish right now, you might enjoy some books written with a convert in mind, as this is coming from the perspective of introducing people without the life history of it to the ins and outs of Judaism.
Choosing a Jewish Life is one, but a lot of the beginning is specific to converts (though still a good read). And it may have things like choosing a Hebrew name or understanding other rituals that you might still like to do. The fifth section, about building your Jewish life and identity and finding your community, would be most applicable. https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Jewish-Life-Revised-Updated-ebook/dp/B000UMZMQ0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=choosing+a+jewish+life+by+anita+diamant&qid=1562354710&s=gateway&sprefix=choosing+a+&sr=8-1
My rebbitzen edited this book, Bread and Fire, and I found it really moving and empowering. It's not so much a guidebook, but a collection of essays/stories from Jewish women.
I'll defer to Hillel's answer when he was asked this: "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it."
EDIT: Just to clarify, there are a lot of details and it's hard to know where to begin explaining. But this is a traditional summary.
Some books you may want to check out are To Life http://www.amazon.com/To-Life-Celebration-Jewish-Thinking/dp/0446670022/ref=pd_sim_b_17 and To Be A Jew http://www.amazon.com/To-Be-Jew-Observance-Contemporary/dp/0465086322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335446823&sr=8-1
Personally, I found To Life resonated with me.
First. You need to take a deep breath. You’re doing great.
if you are worried about a meal tonight find A Chabad in walking distance call and email the Rabbi ASAP. Chabad specializes in people with very little background and will love to have you for dinner
Second this is a life long journey. Consult with a Rabbi you like and trust on which siddur to buy as well as the direction of your study.
As far as code of jewish law start more basic that that probably with To be a Jew https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0465086322/ref=tmm_pap_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr= five dollars shipped A kitzur is nice but may not be applicable to your community depending.
Another good book for neophytes is Jewish literacy for less than ten dollars shipped https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B001F0R9HQ/ref=tmm_hrd_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&qid=&sr=
Again, take a deep breath, you’re doing awesome.
So you're legally Jewish. Welcome to the tribe.
Shabbos is still on so you're going to get more answers in a short while. Don't feel weird, a few of us roam the chats on Shabbos.
>I am familiar with the Tanakh, since I read the Old Testament as a Christian.
So the Old Testament of the Christian bible is an entirely different beast from the Tanakh.
Some of the translations are corrupted in the Christian version and they are only using half of the actual document.
The Torah is comprised of two documents. The first half is the Written Torah which are the stories that most people are familiar with. The second half is the Oral Torah. This encompasses all of the Rabbinical commentaries and interpretations and guidelines which establish Jewish philosophy and practice.
The Christians are using half of a document so you actually have a lot of stuff you look into. You'll be fine though, it's reading and study and discussion with Jewish leaders. Nothing you can't handle.
Sefaria.org is a great online resource
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It contains a vast amount of Jewish religious texts which you can access online. It's great if you can't get your hands on a physical book to study.
I'm going to suggest a shortlist of books and some online materials which I think will really help you out in establishing a foundation of Jewish knowledge. I used this myself when I got into Judaism in college. They are really helpful.
This is a great way to just "wet your feet in the Mikvah" so to speak. It's all easily digestible and accessible information which you can access on your own at your own schedule.
I would do the basic research yourself and allow this to buildup and digest for a month or so before you finally decide to visit the synagogue. The Rabbis can help you in correctly executing Jewish practice and taking on more advanced levels of knowledge.
You shouldn't do that until you feel comfortable though. There's no need to rush it unless you feel totally ready and prepared. They're cool people and they'll be extremely pleased to see someone took an interest in their history.
Also remember something
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There are going to be a lot of people who try and drag you down their specific path of Judaism. Some of these will be Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, or something in-between.
You're part of this regardless of your observance level. Observance is important but it doesn't dictate your Jewish status. Once you're born of a Jewish mother, you're 100% Jewish regardless. No one can argue otherwise.
I don't want you to allow someone else to dictate your Jewish experience. There are a lot of different Jews and they all have their own ideas and philosophies about proper observance. Do not allow anyone to drag you down a path you are uncomfortable with.
I run Orthodox/Conservadox, myself, but you may not be Orthodox. You define your Jewish experience. No one else gets to do that beyond sharing their opinion with you.
Blessings and enjoy the ride. It's a cool thing to be a part of.
>Thank you for your personal take on this, I appreciate it.
You're welcome. I can be a bit strange when it comes to these sort of things.
Rabbi Elijah Benamozegh has a great book that I recommend, Israel and Humanity - it is one of my favorites in terms of writings on religion and spirituality.
You may want to read "To Be a Jew" by Hayim Halevy Donin, it offers a very good overview.
As others have advised, reading is a good first step. If you're starting from zero and just want to learn about the basic ideas and practices, some very accessible (non-Orthodox) entry points are:
- Diamant: Living a Jewish Life
- Green: Judaism's Ten Best Ideas
You might also research introductory classes at nearby synagogues. Many offer them and they are frequently open to all ... but inquire. You are welcome to DM me if you have further questions.
I'm with you. I used to go camping all the time as a kid, but I've never tried shabbos camping since I've been frum.
I know you build your own eruv, since it's certainly not a rishus harabbim. I have a rough idea of how this works, but I need to read up more.
That's pretty standard when tent camping. I put my tent up first thing when I get there and taking it down is the last thing before I leave.
I'm mostly uncertain how to approach the cooking, especially if one wants to make sure they have hot food shabbos day.
Here's a book I've been meaning to pick up on the subject.
Hi there, one of the books I had to read before enrolling in the conversion process was one called "Becoming a Jew" from a rabbi called Maurice Lamm. It's available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Jew-Maurice-Lamm/dp/0824603508
Other than that there are many videos on YouTube that may clarify some of the points in your journey. The Rabbi John Carrier who happens to have a YouTube channel is a great resource of knowledge plus he has live streams during the week where one can ask him questions and look for guidance. Best wishes!
I was in a very similar situation as you! I found this book to be super helpful for filling in the gaps in my knowledge.
Simpletoremember.com is also amazing. Highly recommended speakers: Rabbi Dr. Dovid Gottlieb & Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen.
There are also retreats and such that help a lot with this stuff, but it can depend on where you're located. I can give you suggestions if you let me know where in the world you are. (Feel free to PM.)
Becoming a Jew is a great overview of the conversion process (from an orthodox perspective but imo a lot can translate to conservative judaism too), with stories written by converts. It's not specifically a religious text, but it's a great book for converts.
Jewish Literacy by Telushkin is also a good bet, but it's very much a 'broad strokes' overview of many individual stories in Tanakh. If you really have ZERO knowledge of Tanakh, it's a good place to start before you dive deeper.
>However, several people have told me that I would never "truly" be accepted as a jew due to my not having been raised in the culture.
This is not true.
> Also where are good places to get further information on conversion
The side bar FAQ
This reading list is pretty good but overwhelming
>but would like more practical info
To be a Jew is a good place to start and you can get a copy for four dollars after shipping from Amazon (not to mention it's probably in your local library)
If you're interested in this issue, but can't stomach the idea that God would command you to do something for reasons that you can't comprehend, I recommend that you study some of the other approaches listed (but heretofore ignored by you) in this thread. Read To Be a Jew, Horeb, or R' Hirsch's commentary on Leviticus.
If you can't stomach the idea that God could come up with something that you can't comprehend, then I think your quarrel with Judaism is much larger than just the purpose of dietary laws.
This book might be helpful, especially if you aren't ready to discuss this with your rabbi yet.
It also depends on your family's attitude towards your being observant. I have heard many unfortunate, negative stories, and am grateful that my siblings are also observant, and my parents accepted our respective decisions (though they don't always agree with them). That's not to say that there aren't differences in our (my siblings and my) approaches to observance; there's always a spectrum, and sometimes that makes it even more difficult when one says something is not ok and the other says it is fine and that the first sibling is holding by a chumra.
All families have challenges. It's great that you want to be able to hold your values while not tossing away your family. However, unless you know your rabbi to be harsh/incredibly strict, most (many?) have dealt with these types of situations and can give you personal guidance in, hopefully, a compassionate manner. Good luck.
> Any recommended reading or studying I could do before I go on with my decision??
http://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Judaism-What-Jewish-Life/dp/1422600300
This is a very good primer on the very basics of Judaism. It is an intro to all the major holidays, the basic Jewish beliefs, and some of the day to day laws that a Jew must be mindful of.
Regardless of what you decide I have two books I think you should read.
To be a Jew and To Pray as a Jew. Both by an Orthodox Rabbi, but pretty pertinent no matter what you decide.
http://www.amazon.com/Be-Jew-Jewish-Observance-Contemporary/dp/0465086322/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304059774&sr=8-1
To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465086322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UyAACb6FYNFXB
To be a Jew and maybe Chabad.org are good starting points besides jewfaq.org as SF2K01 said.
Then again there are many different kinds of minhogim etc.
My favorite commentary (on the Pentateuch) available in English is the commentary of R' Samson Raphael Hirsch. The full set is 5 volumes. There is also an abridged one volume version.
To my knowledge, the only English commentary that covers the full Tanach is the 24 volume set from Judaica Press.
If you want a why, I'd recommend this book. The punishment is left intentionally vague. In temple times, the punishment on the books was death by stoning (although the death penalty was literally impossible to enforce given that it required the perpetrator to be clearly warned before the act, verbally acknowledge it to two witnesses and then perform the act in front of two witnesses).
Now, it's really a personal moral decision to follow God's law. The Talmud says various unclear things about reward and punishment in the afterlife, but there's no Christian-style fire and brimstone.
> Why are customs the way they are?
It would depend on which specific custom you had in mind. Many practices are quite a bit more than "custom" actually, and are required as a matter of Halakha. The two major classes of Halakha are biblical (d'oraisa) and rabbinic (d'rabanan).
> How come people who leave Judaism do not talk about it?
There are people who unfortunately leave Judaism and are rather vocal about it... however if I wanted to generalize about those who refrain and/or evade discussion of Judaism, I'd say most likely they were stigmatized in some way and that the same reasons they sought to abandon Judaism in the first place is the same reasons they seek to avoid discussing it in the present. It probably brings up memories and emotions that they find too painful to confront within themselves.
> I want to know the deeper meaning behind everything... Just anything and everything.
A proselyte once asked Rabbi Hillel (c.110 BCE) to teach him the entire Torah whilst standing on one foot... God-willing with patience and time you will come to understand quite a bit in greater depth :)
> Why do some families keep kosher and some do not.
With the advent of the Haskalah (the Jewish Enlightenment) in the 18th/19th c. many Jews for the first time had the doors of Western society open to their integration. Many Jews seeking acceptance simply abandoned Judaism altogether, others sought to reform Judaism in order to facilitate greater acceptance within modern society without given up everything (this is where the origins of most of the liberal denominations can be traced back to). Accordingly during this period many Jews stepped away from Judaism's traditional practices, including the dietary laws. This in addition to the eventual deep and profound trauma of the Holocaust which has contributed to the face of modern Jewry largely not reflect the practices of their ancestors.
> Wikipedia has not been helpful at all.
Unless you have a very specific topic in mind, wikipedia can indeed be too daunting a source to get any kind of real comprehensive view. A general introductions to Judaism can be found in Hayim Halevi Donin's book "To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life." I've heard that it is very good and very accessible (an easy read). I see that you can find used copies on Amazon for as little as a penny! A work like this or something of a similar nature would probably be the best place for you to start. If you read something you don't understand there, or would like to understand in greater depth, feel free to let us know :)
gateway to judaism by Rabbi Becher https://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Judaism-What-Jewish-Life/dp/1422600300
Gateway to Judasim x10000000 - https://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Judaism-What-Jewish-Life/dp/1422600300
Derekh haShem (Path of God) - R. Moshe Chaim Luzzatto - Kabbalah/Musar
God in Search of Man - R. Abraham Joshua Heschel - Conservative
The Thirteen Petalled Rose - R. Adin Steinsaltz - Chasidic (Lubavitch)
Israel and Humanity - R. Eliyahu Benamozegh - Sefardi/Kabbalah
To Pray as a Jew, by Hayim Donin. Concentrates on synagogue prayer/ritual, but very rich with information. I continually return to it.
'To pray as a Jew' teaches one how to pray, same author as 'to be a Jew,' which I also highly recommend for anyone toying with (or intent upon) becoming Jewish.
It's also required reading for many Beit dins.
and there is an English language version for those who need it too.
Do I look like a Rabbi to you?
https://www.amazon.com/Chumash-ArtScroll-Haftaros-Commentary-Anthologized/dp/0899060145
https://www.amazon.com/Be-Jew-Jewish-Observance-Contemporary/dp/0465086322
https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Book-Second-volumes-slipcase/dp/0824603141
Oh yeah, wasn't going to recommend any purchased just yet but couldn't help but notice this book going for £1.54 if you have a kindle. It's a good read and a very frank look at the reality of conversion.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Become-Jewish-And-Why-ebook/dp/B006428IVG
Strongly strongly recommend this book: https://www.amazon.com/What-You-Mean-Cant-Home/dp/080524221X
I found this on Amazon. It's called "Camping on Shabbat: How to: Build an Eruv, Bake Bread, go to the Toilet, and More"
I think converts should read works from all across the Jewish perspective. Especially the "very different sort."
How else is anyone supposed to know what they believe if they don't know or understand what they don't? It's not an informed decision if you're not informed.
On that note...
Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Persepctive.
Choosing a Jewish Life (liberal, leaning Reform)
To Pray as a Jew (Orthodox)
OP: Go wild. Read across the spectrum. Read things you agree with and things you don't. Read stuff you don't understand yet. Ask questions about what you read. Read, read, read!
I remember reading in To Be a Jew that taking care of one's health is a mitzvah, but I don't see how a state of being could be a sin. I think it would be like pregnancy outside of marriage: the act of having sex is a sin, but the state of being pregnant is not.
Dont feel bad about not knowing. I spent more than a year doing research before I even first approached a Rabbi. For us learning is a life long process.
Books:
Possibly most importantly I'd say you need a Jewish bible with commentary. I'd recommend the Stone Chumash. I also keep a JPS Hebrew/English Tanakh on my desk. The "chumash" (AKA the Torah) is the five books of Moses. The "Tanakh" is the Torah, Prophets and Writings, the entire Hebrew bible .I say a "Jewish Bible" because 1) the translation is more direct from Hebrew, without the distortions of the KJV/NIV/etc. 2) you also get commentary on the text from key Jewish scholars throughout the ages to help you understand the meaning of the text, this part is very important.
All above book links are to Amazon but I am not an affiliate and do not gain in any way. You can probably find all those and more at a specialty Judaica shop like http://www.judaism.com or another similar site.
BTW you probably want to go over this site entirely http://www.jewfaq.org/ It is written by an Orthodox guy so is slanted that way but the information is all good.
I apologize if anyone is coming off as rude. The mention of kabbalah just touches a lot of nerves around here. Here are a few books that I think most of us here would agree are good places to start:
I would recommend Gateway to Judaism by Mordechai Becher.
On Amazon
Gateway to Judaism by Rabbi Mordechai Becher. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1422600300
I highly recommend the book Camping on Shabbat by Rabbi Ben Tanny. Covers basically every topic you need to know about camping over Shabbos.
See the work of John Walton or Michael Heiser on Genesis and literally any scholarly work on the distinction between the ritual and moral law in the OT. Here's just one of the papers:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/43722644?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
One of the books you could read:
https://www.amazon.ca/Impurity-Ancient-Judaism-Jonathan-Klawans/dp/0195177657
Show this gift some love. A book on hosting pagan celebrations!
It's ten bucks right now and I'm about to move into my new place. This would be SO PERFECT for that.
https://www.amazon.com/Pray-As-Jew-Synagogue-Service/dp/0465086330
Just did it two weeks ago, over Shabbat+Shavuot. The Traveling Rabbi published a short book you can get on Amazon with a lot of useful tips.
A racoon broke in to the tent and ate my Eruv Tavshilin bread, so you might want to be careful with that.
Edit: Light source - in my case it was a solar panel with string of LEDs that turns on automatically at sunset, available here.
Check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Jew-Jewish-Observance-Contemporary/dp/0465086322
To be a Jew by Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin:
To Be A Jew: A Guide To Jewish Observance In Contemporary Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/0465086322/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BXb6CbRCT04QN
I would start with Artscroll Stone edition, which someone linked to above. The Hirsch chumash also comes in an (out of print but probably still available somewhere online) translation in one volume. I love it. Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/Pentateuch-Translation-Commnentary-Haftoroth-Megilloth/dp/0910818665/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=hirsch+chumash&qid=1558623314&s=gateway&sr=8-7
Thanks, I just got this in the mail on my lunch and am digging into it. Supposedly the "kitzur Shulchan Aruch of our time"
Shaarei Halachah https://www.amazon.com/dp/1583304347/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_tZy8CbD6Z3ACQ
https://www.amazon.com/Why-Be-Jewish-David-Wolpe-ebook/dp/B0096QYPV4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491407453&sr=8-1&keywords=why+be+jewish+david+j.+wolpe
This one? I'll put it on my summer reading list! :-)
There's an excellent book entitled Jewish Views of the Afterlife written by Simcha Paull Raphael. It can be found here
Allow me to suggest Gates of Shabbat, all of Joseph Telushkin's books, and The Sabbath.
Really, the best source is the Tanakh, especially Leviticus, and to a lesser extent the Talmud as a commentary thereon. (The Talmud isn't as good a source because it mostly reflects what medieval Judaism did with the Tanakh, rather than how it was understood in ancient times.) There are a lot of rules about how people should behave, but the only ones that talk about a person coming to be in an improper state are the ones that deal with the concept of tumah.
http://www.religiousrules.com/Judaismpurity00table.htm has a good introduction to the ritual purity laws. For something in more depth, this book examines the distinction between ritual purity and morality, and its evolution across time.
The idea of being enduringly defiled by one's actions such that sacrifice is needed to restore it belongs solidly to the ritual side in Tanakhic material, whereas many modern forms of Christianity explicitly compare the death of Jesus with earlier animal sacrifices as atonement for moral sin. This is a development foreign to the practice of those who actually sacrificed animals at the Temple in Jerusalem, though Temple-era Judaism most certainly included the notion of a divinely-sanctioned moral code as well.
Documentary on Hasidic Jews - https://www.amazon.com/What-Judaism-Tevya-Heller/dp/B01LYYRLXW/ref=sr_1_2?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1498927976&sr=1-2&keywords=judaism
Documentary on kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuSPtXG5dg&t=1289s
Documentary of the history of Judaism - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW9x-Z3u2Lo
English Tanakh (Holy scripture) -https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060621796/ref=crt_ewc_title_oth_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
English Talmud (Jewish law) - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465082734/ref=crt_ewc_title_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER