Praise
“This sefer has been written with wisdom and understanding and presented in a clear and pleasant style. I am certain that it will be well-received and that many will benefit from its light.”
–Rav Asher Weiss
“Rabbi Reichman is an insightful scholar who seeks to explore and formulate core Torah principles in a sophisticated and rigorous fashion, and in a manner that is also accessible to a broader public… The melding of style and substance and the passion for talmud Torah that is implicit throughout the work is impressive.”
–Rav Michael Rosensweig
“A thought-provoking commentary on Torah ideas. Those who think deeply about these issues will certainly expand their intellectual and spiritual horizons.”
–Rabbi Akiva Tatz
“If you are a deep thinker, this book is for you.
If you see Hashem as infused in every part of Creation, this book will speak to you.
If you love life and its endless insights, this book will open your eyes still wider.
If you love Hashem and His perfect Torah, you will love seeing His signature all over this book.”
– Rabbi Jonathan Rietti
Book Reviews
Jewish Press
While we’ve just barely started the summer, it’s not too early to start thinking about a new sefer on the weekly Torah portion for the next year.
So much of our day is spent involved in mundane activities – running to the grocery store, driving carpool, putting dinner on the table, working long hours… the list goes on. It’s easy to put personal and spiritual growth at the bottom of our to-do list. The Journey to Your Ultimate Self by Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is the perfect volume for anyone who wants to bring personal and spiritual growth higher up on the list.
In The Journey to Your Ultimate Self, each section opens with a story or metaphor to help the reader better relate to the main points of the parsha, which sets the framework for the many ideas that follow. As the Torah is our guidebook, helping one reach his/her full potential, every section contains divrei Torah, discussion questions and action points. The discussion questions can also be used as journal prompts. Examples of discussion questions include: How do you find your unique purpose? Is it more important to be skilled in an area or to enjoy it? Action points include: Pick an area in your life where you tend to stay in your comfort zone, make a plan for steps to take to go beyond it, identify three ways in which you tend to compare yourself to others, and work on focusing inward in those areas.
The main points of each Torah portion are bulleted at the end of each section. This sefer can be used at the Shabbos table for parsha review and discussion question prompts, even if not everyone sitting down at the meal has read the book.
Many of the ideas build upon each other from one week to the next. For example, much of the material in the first few sections centers on how we spend our lives re-learning the Torah taught to us in the womb by a malach, how our journey of self-discovery is actually a journey of self-re-discovery, reconnecting with our G-d-given mission in this world. One does not need to read these in sequence in order to understand the material. However, the more one reviews these concepts, the more one will internalize them.
In essence, this sefer focuses on helping the reader fill his/her toolbox, bringing Torah wisdom from the head to the heart. The reader will maximize his/her experience with this sefer by completing the weekly exercises by discussion at the Shabbos table, with a chavrusa or chabura, and/or completing them as journal prompts.
Dr. Marc Berkson (verified owner) –
Amazing! You must purchase this book. It will change your life
David Baturo (verified owner) –
This was a fantastic read with a unique approach on character development. I liked how it was broken up by parsha to keep Sefer relevant all year round!
Heliana CD –
Pure wisdom in a book. Rabbi Reichman has been a great teacher for me and when I knew he was publishing a book I knew it’d be a fantastic reference to keep and to gift. You’ll definitely go on a journey exploring so many aspects to make your life so much better.
Howard Meyer (verified owner) –
This helped me on my life journey. I like the advice to document the goings on on my life. In this way I cumulatively see the good in all that G-d does.
Shmuel (verified owner) –
This book is a true pleasure to read.
Read it straight cover to cover, or pick it up on the Parsha, there’s something for everyone.
It’s the type of book that makes you stop, think, read some more, stop, and think again… growing every step along the way. Highly recommended.
Yona Kaufman (verified owner) –
I love this book! I have been enjoying it so much, it’s a little hard for me to understand all in one sitting so I have designated it for Shabbos and I read it over Friday night and all Shabbos day. I try and think about each paragraph after I read it to make sure I understood it and I will sometimes go back and read it again after. I really like the summary points and the points to ponder. I really like how the book is divided into the parsha so you have something to connect the points to but then also can think about deep concepts on Shabbos. I think everyone should definitely read this book and I have recommended this book to a few friends. I have also used some of these parsha’s for speeches in school events.
This book is truly something that can help everyone grow and can really help us all find our true self.
Yosef I (verified owner) –
This is really an unbelievable sefer! It gets the mind to think into things you never would have thought of on your own. The depth of the ideas within are amazing. I gain tremendously from each weekly article I read.
Thank you Rabbi Reichman for this gem!