Providence and Power - by Meir Y Soloveichik (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Ever since Plato's Republic, the study of statecraft has been a staple of Western discourse, and so has the study of particular leaders. Although Jewish scholars, thinkers, and popularizers have contributed notably to this genre, strikingly few have turned their attention to the history of Jewish leaders-that is, leaders specifically of the Jewish people-in particular. And yet there has been no lack of such outstanding figures, from the biblical period of Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land and once again in present-day Israel or during the millennia of exile and formal Jewish statelessness in the Diaspora. This book, devoted to ten of the most colorful, fascinating, and consequential Jewish political leaders over the past three millennia, fills the gap. Among the ten, men and women alike, some were firmly bound to Judaic religious teachings and others less so, but guiding all of them was the fixed lodestar of their own Jewish identity. By the mid-20th century, the legacy of past generations would inspire modern successors bent on the re-founding of the sovereign Jewish state, one of the greatest political feats in human history. In delving into the unique circumstances and predicaments faced by these ten, and into the characteristics that mark them and their statesmanship as specifically Jewish, readers will also become familiar with what Jewish tradition has to say about the demands of statesmanship and, by inference, with the qualities needed by successful Jewish political leaders encountering the challenges of today and tomorrow"--

Book Synopsis

Ever since Plato's Republic, the study of statecraft has been a staple of Western discourse, and so has the study of particular leaders. Although Jewish scholars, thinkers, and popularizers have contributed notably to this genre, strikingly few have turned their attention to the history of Jewish leaders--that is, leaders specifically of the Jewish people--in particular.

And yet there has been no lack of such outstanding figures, from the biblical period of Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land and once again in present-day Israel or during the millennia of exile and formal Jewish statelessness in the Diaspora. This book, devoted to ten of the most colorful, fascinating, and consequential Jewish political leaders over the past three millennia, fills the gap.

Among the ten, men and women alike, some were firmly bound to Judaic religious teachings and others less so, but guiding all of them was the fixed lodestar of their own Jewish identity. By the mid-20th century, the legacy of past generations would inspire modern successors bent on the re-founding of the sovereign Jewish state, one of the greatest political feats in human history.

In delving into the unique circumstances and predicaments faced by these ten, and into the characteristics that mark them and their statesmanship as specifically Jewish, readers will also become familiar with what Jewish tradition has to say about the demands of statesmanship and, by inference, with the qualities needed by successful Jewish political leaders encountering the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Review Quotes

"Drawing upon a mastery of Jewish diplomatic history from King David to David Ben Gurion, an equally astounding familiarity with American culture, and a literary gift that would be the envy of many novelists, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik has produced a book that is a pleasure to read and a delight to the mind."

--Norman Podhoretz, Former editor-in-chief of Commentary magazine and author of Why Are Jews Liberals?

"Meir Soloveichik has given us a fascinating read. Providence and Power is more than engaging, however. It's also an important contribution to the ongoing reflection by multiple parties on the relationship of religious conviction to statecraft-and it will thus reward close reading by political thinkers, lawmakers, people of biblical faith, and interested citizens everywhere."

--George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow and William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies, Ethics and Public Policy Center

"Winston Churchill once told a young American to study history 'as therein lies all the secrets of statecraft.' Rabbi Soloveichik has taken this advice to heart, revealing the secrets of Jewish statesmanship over the millennia with a historian's scholarship but also with a novelist's eye for anecdote and a pleasing wit. By drawing out common themes, this is also an important handbook for leadership in our own times."=

--Andrew Roberts, author: 'Churchill: Walking with Destiny'

How did the Jewish people continue to govern itself through the hard millennia of separation from its land? This exciting book locates a key to the mystery in the overlooked area of Jewish statecraft, and in men and women--monarchs, scholar-rabbis, self-appointed leaders--who negotiated successfully between divine providence and earthly power. Rabbi Soloveichik's uniquely personal engagement with the whole sweep of Jewish experience makes his telling of their stories every bit as inspiring as its subjects.

--Ruth Wisse, Professor Emerita, Harvard University, author: Free As A Jew