Beyond the Instant: Jewish Wisdom for Lasting Happiness in a Fast-Paced, Social Media World

Learn how to use Jewish tradition and wisdom to enrich your different facets of your life, including friendships, family, career, and dating. More than ever, young people today are searching for a sense of purpose and direction. Advances in science and technology have given our generation opportunities our grandparents could only dream of, yet our need for meaning and values is more unfulfilled than ever. Growing addiction to instant gratification and attachment to circumstantial highs leave us lacking when it comes to long-term contentment. Beyond the Instant shows young adults how to enrich their lives through faith. It examines ten different areas of contemporary life, including friendship, family, dating, money, and career, to demonstrate how a return to spirituality can help people find happiness and satisfaction. It addresses many important questions along the way: What is the true role of sex in relationships? What is the significance of failure? How can people really make a difference in the world? In the book, Rabbi Mark Wildes draws upon Jewish tradition and wisdom to bring a sense of balance, stability, and purpose to the often frenzied and occasionally directionless twenty-first-century way of life. Each chapter examines what the Torah has to say about a particular concern of modern life and then shows how thousands of years of rabbinical teachings can be applied to the contemporary situation. Written in a relatable and engaging style, it shows how faith and religion can provide a practical guide to finding happiness that goes beyond the instant. “A fine and timely read! Written with passion and empathy, Rabbi Wildes’ important book urges young Jews around the world not just to treasure their heritage and history but to recognize why Judaism’s timeless values have much to say in today’s complex world.” —Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, former Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth “Wildes has demonstrated a unique ability to reach out to Jews of all backgrounds and help them find the beauty and relevance of Judaism to their lives. He is a kind of Pied Piper to scores of millennials who gravitate to him on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This book reflects his wisdom and his kindness. It demonstrates why so many Jews look to him as their “rabbi.””—Deborah E. Lipstadt, Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish and Holocaust Studies, Emory University “A highly readable book with practical advice rooted in the wisdom of religion and ancient writings. . . . I strongly recommend this book to anybody who is interested in achieving a fresh perspective grounded in the deep knowledge that Judaism has imparted to the world over the millennia.—Dr. David Pelcovitz, Straus Chair in Psychology and Education, Azrieli Graduate School, Yeshiva University