While this collection of Rabbi Weinblatt’s sermons deals mostly with topics of contemporary interest, he addresses timeless religious themes as well. For instance, in his sermon about God he establishes the rabbinic idea that each person perceives God differently and that we each have a personal relationship with God. In a sermon in the aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami, Weinblatt wrestles with Judaism’s effort to draw meaning from natural events, including disasters.
Rabbi Weinblatt teaches and occasionally chastises his congregation. Since his congregants are not generally familiar with Jewish texts his sermons tend to be “text lite” and often draw upon popular writers. His 2005 Rosh Hashanah sermon, however, The Blessing of a Blessing, is a masterpiece of rabbinic interpretation of the Priestly Blessing.
If I have one criticism, it is that Weinblatt uses too many quotations and stories, one after another, to make his points. However, all in all, this book represents a fine sampling of the modern sermon.