Egeress is a Hebrew word meaning letter or correspondence. Althought it may refer to any kind of letter, the word has been associated over the ages with some of the most important Jewish legal, philosophical and ethical writings. The Egeress HaRamban, for example, is an ethical will written by the thirteenth century Torah commentator, Moshe Ben Nachman, to his son, offering detailed instruction in how to live the life of the righteous. In it, he counsels his son to avoid anger and arrogance in order to develop within himself humility, “the finest of all character traits.” The reward for such efforts, he writes, will be that “the Divine Presence will reside with you in the radiance of its glory, and [you will merit] eternal life.” The letter has been so widely revered that it’s a standard feature in many Jewish prayer books.

The Egeress HaShmad (Letter on Apostasy), written by Maimonides in 1161, is another classic of Jewish literature. In it, Maimonides brings his great genius to bear on the question of the plight of the Jews of Spain and Morocco, who at that time were suffering persecution at the hands of the Muslim authorities. At once scholarly and compassionate, his counsel on how one should conduct oneself under such difficult circumstances was a profound consolation to his fellow Jews, as well as a guide for future generations.

In our small way, we at Egeress seek to emulate the noble example of Ramban and Maimonides. Just as they took pen in hand to write letters of guidance for the Jewish people, we are utilizing the Internet to reach out to our contemporaries, to inform and to inspire our fellow Jews to learn more about what it means to be Jewish. We hope that in these brief essays we will be able to offer our readers a glimpse of the wisdom and beauty that is the heritage of every Jew; and that, thereby, they will be drawn closer to the Torah and the G-d of Israel.

About Us

The Publisher: After graduating from the University of Liverpool, Rabbi Yechezkel Fox turned down a promising business career to delve into his Jewish roots, and has not looked back since. He teaches Judaic Studies in Zichron Yaackov, Israel, where he lives with his wife and children. The idea for Egeress grew out of conversations he had about Judaism with friends and relatives on a recent trip to America. He envisions it as a way of continuing and broadening those discussions, while letting the rest of the world in on it as well.

The Editor:Yisrael Rutman was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from the City University of New York, where he served as an editor of the weekly student newspaper on the Lehman College campus. After some years of wandering, he took an interest in Judaism and received rabbinical ordination in Israel. Nowadays, he does his wandering in one place—Zichron Yaakov.