xviii AC KNOW LEDGMENTS
I wish to thank Fred Appel, the Se nior Editor in Religion and Anthro-
pology at Princeton University Press, for his gentle coaching and profes-
sional advice. I am grateful to Jon Munk, who copyedited the manuscript,
and to Heath Renfroe, the production editor, for their competent and
forthcoming help. The two anonymous readers have been extremely gen-
erous with their time and scholarship, and I am thankful for their metic-
ulous reading and detailed, penetrating comments.
The etiquette of ac know ledgments requires that family be relegated to
the end, so it is at the end that I put Guy fi rst: he was the fi rst to suggest
that I write this book, and as always, accompanied this book and me with
relentless criticism and boundless encouragement. His friendship surpasses
the one that the protagonist of the present book valued as perfect.^1
(^1) See Maimonides, Commentary on the Mishna,Neziqin, 411– 12 (commentary on Avot
1.6).