Rabbi Prof. Daniel Sperber’s book, On Changes in Jewish Liturgy: Options and Limitations (Urim Publications, 2010) is a thought-provoking work on the history and development of the text of Jewish liturgy.  Prof. Sperber’s basic thesis is that a careful examination of tefilla reveals that the prayer text has evolved greatly over the centuries (including the post-Talmudic era), and that we therefore should be open to changes within our current text. (His specific agenda relates to feminist sensitivities, although his general analysis is interesting for other reasons as well).  Sperber writes as an erudite scholar, with detailed footnotes, which are very stimulating, although at times the text becomes a little convoluted, with footnotes extending for many pages, and detailed bibliographical material sometimes included in the body of the text.  I also found that on a few occasions, the sources cited did not necessarily lead to the broader conclusion that Rabbi Sperber wanted to draw from that given text.  Nonetheless, it remains an important work worthy of serious study, and warrants a response from those who are against such liturgical changes. 

Rabbi Dr. Barry Freundel has penned a unique book on the history of Jewish prayer which combines his considerable skills as both a scholar and a pulpit rabbi.  Why We Pray What We Pray (Urim Publications) is a scholarly historical analysis of six prayers (Shema, Nishmat, Birkat HaHodesh, Anim Zemirot, Aleinu and Kaddish) that is presented in an accessible manner to a lay audience.  All major texts are provided with line-by-line English translations, and are presented in a clear format to allow for detailed, systematic analysis.  Two important unique contributions are a) his use of the Heikhalot literature in analyzing the development of these prayers, and b) his ability to make this development interesting and significant to the average reader.  The chapters are lengthy, and would have benefited from sub-section headings that would make the flow and thesis clearer.  Yet the work remains accessible, and will help people better appreciate the meaning of these fascinating prayers.  

Rabbi Prof. Michael Broyde’s Innovation in Jewish Law (Urim) is a monograph on the history of the prayer Havineinu, an abridged version of the daily prayer used in pressing situations.  While the prayer itself is an interesting topic, Rabbi Broyde uses this study as a larger reflection on the power of chiddush (innovative textual interpretations) to cause changes in Jewish law, especially in the wake of technological and social changes.  The analysis is sharp and clear, and provides a good example of a non-controversial topic which highlights a significant way in which Jewish law evolves. 

Rabbi David Brofsky’s Hilchot Tefilla – A Guide to Daily Prayer (Ktav/OU Press) is a welcome addition to the library of English book on practical halakha.  Originally composed as a series for the Virtual Beit Midrash website, Brofsky has crafted these short essays into a comprehensive book on daily prayer, covering everything from handwashing in the morning to Kriyat Shema before bed.  His analysis, which begins with Talmudic texts and ultimately concludes with contemporary rulings, remains sufficiently comprehensive without becoming overly detailed or dense.  I hope that Rabbi Brofsky will followup with a 2^nd book detailing prayer laws relating to Shabbat and the festivals.

Readers will also be interested in a recent Hebrew work on Hilchot Tefilla (Bet El Library) by Rabbis Eli Taragin and Michael Rubinstein.  Following the style of their teacher, Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon, the two authors provide a detailed presentation of the laws of tefilla.  Yet unlike Brofsky’s work, which follows the order of the day, Rabbis Taragin and Rubinstein structure their work around a philosophical presentation of various concepts of tefilla.  Volume 1 is intended for the lay reader, while volume 2 is written for those looking for more detailed scholarly analysis.  An impressive work by two young rabbinic scholars.    

-          Shlomo Brody

This is an impressive first work on the story of Yaakov, focusing on the life and development of Yaakov and the central characters in his life.  Drawing upon a range of commentators – old and modern alike – as well as contemporary methods of literary analysis, Dishi attempts to provide deep emotional insight into the story of this central forefather.  As with all modern psychological interpretations, I found some of the insights to be more conceptually compelling and well-grounded in the text, and others to be decidedly less so.  This, however, is to be expected from any such undertaking, and those looking for a probing analysis of Yaakov’s psychological and spiritual development will certainly enjoy this work.

Recently Received:  Reasonable Doubts  by Cheryl Berman

- Shlomo Brody

The first, Takanat Ha-Shavim (2007) by Prof. Nahum Rakover, discusses all aspects relating to the rehabilitation of criminals in halakha.  He discusses when and how we limit the reinstatement of offenders (especially if they had a public position) as well as the debates regarding how to demonstrate true penitence.  The apendices also include tremendously learned discusses about whether teshuva is a mitzvah, the realtionship between teshuva and kappara, and the famous statement that ba’alei teshuva stand at a higher place/level than tzadikim.  Prof. Rakover’s range of sources is mind-boggling, to the point where some of the arguments get redundant at times.  Yet it contains a treasure-trove of material on key topics that are both timely and timeless.  I have no doubt that it will be a significant resource for many years to come. 

The second, Iyyunei Teshuva by Dr. Adiel Kadari (Ben Gurion University Press, 5770), is a running commentary to Rambam’s Hilchot Teshuva.  Following the approach of his distinguished teacher, Prof. Yaakov Blidstein, Kadari analyzes each halakha and parces out its sources, its nuances, and its disagreements with earlier and later opinions.  The book is both thorough yet comprehendible, and contains many stimulating insights.  This is a tremendous resource on Maimonidean thought and especially the concept of teshuva and its various related topics. 

The increasingly popular machzor in Israel is Mimcha Eilecha, edited by Yonadav Kaploun.  In addition to its clear and well organized text, the machzor also includes footnotes with ruminations on the given prayer.  These include classic halakhic or midrashic sources, philosophical reflections, poetry, and stories or personal vignettes.    They don’t really constitute a commentary, but rather collect various ruminations relating to the High Holidays and its themes.  Highly recommended for Hebrew readers.  Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it is only available in Nusach Sefard.

Other Books Received:

Reasonable Doubts by Cheryl Berman (Urim)

Samchut Ruchanit ed. H. Kreisel, Boaz Huss, and Uri Ehrlich (A number of interesting articles on the topic of spiritual authority and leadership).

- Shlomo Brody

Moshe Halbertal’s Hebrew biography of the Rambam (Merkaz Zalman Shazar) is characteristically brilliant.  Although the first and longest chapter, nearly 70 pages, chronicles the Rambam’s life and his role as a communal leader, the book is primarily an intellectual biography, based on Rambam’s major works.  Each chapter is sharp and probing, providing thoughtful insights into the Rambam’s ideas, goals, and accomplishments.  I would hesitate, however, to recommend this book as an introduction to Rambam’s thought, as it strikes me as too sophisticated for the lay reader.  Those with a basic appreciation for the Rambam’s writings and ideas, however, will certainl enjoy this compelling biography.

Menachem Kellner’s Science in the Bet Midrash:  Studies in Maimonides (Academic Studies Press) is a collection of previously published English essays, organized around 4 major themes:  Approaches to the Study of Maimonides; Religious Faith and Dogma; Science and Torah; and Universalism.  Fans of Kellner’s writings, including myself, will surely recognize that these themes (particulary dogma and universalism) were also the subject of some of his acclaimed (and sometimes controversial) books.  Those who have read those books may find some of the articles superfluous (sometimes they reflect earlier drafts, other times slight amendments or clarifications), but they remain probing and stimulating.  The articles are intended for the scholarly or sophisticated lay reader.

The Jewish Publication Society has republished two important works by David Hartman on Rambam:  Torah and Philsophical Quest and Epistles of Maimonides: Crisis and Leadership (with Abraham Halkin).   They remain important works, and the former remains a classic work regarding how Rambam reconciled his philosophical and halakhic commitments.

Prof. Yaakov (Gerald) Blidstein, Israel Prize laureate and member of Tradition’s editorial board, published a collection of his Hebrew articles, Studies in Halakhic and Aggadic Thought (Mossad Bialik), which include many imporant studies on Rambam.  Blidstein, who might be the most important scholar on Mishneh Torah in his generation, includes several seminal studies, including the Rambam’s eschatolgoical vision of universal political dominion, his understanding of the Oral Law, the status of Islam, living in Eretz Yisrael, and many other important topics.  The collection, however, also highlights his expertise in other areas of rabbinic literature, including articles on rabbinic autonomy and collective punishment.

More recently, Blidstein’s students, colleagues, and admirers published a festchrift in his honor, By the Well: Studies in Jewish Philosophy and Halakhic Thought Presented to Gerald J. Blidstein, ed. Uri Ehrlich, Howard Kreisel, and Daniel J. Lasker, (Mossad Bialik), including over 30 Hebrew studies related to his broad interests.  Highlight  articles include:

Alon Goshen-Gottstein: Other Gods in Ramban’s Thought (including implications for contemporary interfaith dialogue); David Henschke:  Rambam’s Sefer Ha-Mitzvot and its role in Rambam’s legal thought; Daniel Lasker:  Ahavat Hashem and Kiddush Hashem according to R’ Yehuda Halevi and Rambam; Enat Navot: Rav Herzog’s Perspective on Testimony by Sabbath desecrators; Menachem Kellner:  Rambam in the eyes of Rav Aharon Kotler; and many other interesting studies.  The work also includes a bibliography of Blidstein’s many publications, including a few in Tradition. The work is a fitting tribute to this important scholar.

Since we are discussing Mossad Bialik, we should note that they have been publishing a series of medieval works of Jewish philosophy, prepared and edited by members of the Jewish philosophy department at Ben-Gurion University. Two recent works include:  Levi Ben Avraham’s Livyat Hen: The Quality Prophecy and the Secrets of the Torah, ed. Howard Kreisel, and The Writings of R. Moshe Ibn Tibbon, ed. Howard Kreisel, Colette Sirat, and Avraham Israel.

The Eight Chapters of the Rambam is an English translation by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman of Shemoneh Perakim.  Additionally, the footnotes include reflections on how the Rambam’s teachings can improve our own behavior.

Books Received:   The Temple of Jerusalem,  Tractate Middot  Part 2 (II) by Asher Kaufman.

- Shlomo Brody

The hottest new publication in the Orthodox book world (I admit we’re not exactly talking about a NYTimes best seller, but nonetheless…) is clearly the Koren Mesorat Ha-Rav Kinot published by Koren and OU Press and edited by Rabbi Simon Posner.  It features a running commentary of the kinot based on the teachings of Rav Soloveitchik zt”l, as well as a new English translation by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Weinreb and a basic halakha section prepared by Rabbi Gil Student.  It is also includes the English translation of the siddur by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, and the English translation of Eikha found in the Koren Bible.  

The commentary from Rabbi Soloveitchik is largely based on material previously published in The Lord is Righteous in All His Ways: Reflections on the Tish’ah be-Av Kinot (2006), edited by Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter, where it was presented thematically and conceptually.  The challenge (and novelty) of this work was to find a way to present the insights in a consise and simple enough manner to make it user-friendly for siddur readers, without diluting the sophisticated material.  To make this work, the page must be aesthetically pleasing without the commentary cluttering the flow of the texts, especially if one wants to preserve the poetic nature of the text in both the original and the translation.  (After all, not everyone is going to read the Rav’s comments everytime, especially as they recite the kinot in shul).  However, the commentary cannot be so detached from the kinah that one cannot match the text with the comments.   

To a certain extent, the editors of this work were stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Nonethless, the final result is rather impressive, even as a preference was given to making this a user-friendly kinah for the casual user.  Each kinah is presented without commentary, giving the page a clean feel that makes it easy to follow the translation on the opposite side (as with the Koren Siddur, the Hebrew page is on the left side) as well as to recite the prayer.  At the end of each kinah, the reader is then directed to the page number of the next kinah, as the Rav’s commentary (which can include several pages) is included after each kinah.  I found it occasionally difficult to find the text to which the commentary was referring (and then of course one has to flip back and forth between the text and the commentary), but overall I prefered having the material remain substantive and coherent.  

The kinot also feature a Reshimot section which includes halakhic and philosophical insights related to Tisha Be’Av that are not directly connected to the kinot.  This section is a very successful consise presentation of some of the Rav’s central themes about the day and its meaning, even as I miss the drama, eloquence, and development of the oral shiurim that have been transcribed in Rabbi Schacter’s volume and elsewhere. 

The volume was dedicated in honor of Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, who included an interesting introductory essay that recalled a 1968 shiur by the Rav explaining why we still commemorate this day after the Six-Day War. 

I like the fact that they included kinot related to the Holocaust, even as the Rav objected to them (as noted in the introduction), as their recitation has become standard in most shuls.  In addition to the kinot composed by Rabbi Shimon Schwab and the Bobover Rebbe (known from their inclusion in the Artscroll kinot), the editors also included “Eli, Eli” by Yehuda Leib Bailer and a kinah written by Rabbi Abraham Rosenfeld (whose own kinot are distributed by Soncino Press). 

I did not have the opporuntity to thoroughly examine the accuracy of Rabbi Weinreb’s translation (nor do I see myself as qualified to pass judgment).  I will note, however, that whatever its accuracy (which is incredibly difficult, given the poetic nature of the original), the text flows and reads nicely, and will be enjoyed by those who read the text primarily in English.

Overall, this work is a significant accomplishment, and the editors and publishers should be saluted for this contribution to our community and the legacy of the Rav. 

Other books of interest about prayer:    By now, most people have seen the Koren Siddur with the translation and commentary by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.  Since I reviewed the contribution of Rabbi Sacks when the British version of the siddur was published, I won’t repeat what I said there, except to reitterate that the introduction to the siddur remains, in my mind, the best (concise) introduction to Jewish prayer currently available. 

In case you missed it, Koren/OU also published a Hebrew-only siddur (“Talpiot“) with English instructions and halakha section.  I enjoy using it on a daily basis – the print is clean and sharp, it is light and compact, and the halakha section is done well.

Coming Soon:  The Koren Mesorat HaRav Siddur and the Revised RCA Artscroll Siddur (no, it will not say Sefer Zichron Ploni on it!).  Once these two volumes are published, the current revolution of modern Orthodox Hebrew-English siddurim will be complete.  I hope that this will begin a new stage in modern Orthodox,  My suggestion for the next project:  A new Chumash for shul use. 

Also of Interest:  Siddur ha-Tefillah:  Philosophy, Poetry, and Mystery [Hebrew] (Yediot Sefarim).  Prof. Eliezer Schweid, an Israel Prize Laureate and long-time professor of Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University, has written a commentary to the siddur, with additional thoughts on prayer as a whole.   

Yud Gimel Midot Shel Rachamim by Rabbi Ezra Bick.  A thorough analysis and interpretation of each midat rachamim.  I hope to discuss this book further in Elul, but you should order ahead in time for Selichot. 

A Time To Speak:  Controversial Essays that Can Change Your Life by Martin Stern (Devorah Publishing).  (Despite its subtitle, the bulk of the book is a commentary to the siddur and synagogue life).

- Shlomo Brody

Turim:  Studies in Jewish History and Literature Presented to Dr. Bernard Lander, ed. Michael A. Shmidman, Touro College Press / Ktav, 2008 (2 volumes).

Two recent two-volume festchrifts were recently released in honor of two important Jewish communal leaders, Rabbi Dr. Haskel Lookstein and Rabbi Dr. Bernard Lander z”l (the latter unfortunately passed away a couple of months ago).

The volumes have a very different tenor to them.  Turim, in honor of Dr. Lander, is a collection of scholarly articles on a range of topics with a definitively academic tone to them (appropriate for a university president, even as his life accomplishments extended beyond the university).  Rav Chesed, on the other hand, includes a variety of different types of articles, reflecting the different realms of activism and activities in which Rabbi Lookstein has engaged in over 50 years of rabbinic service.

Highlight Articles:

Turim:

Judith Bleich, “The Circumcision Controversy in Classical Reform in Historical Context”

Ephraim Kanarfogel, “Returning to the Jewish Community in Medieval Ashkenaz:  History and Halakhah”

David Shatz, “A Framework for Reading Ish ha-Halakhah”

Moshe Miller, “R. Jacob Emden’s Attitude Toward Christianity”

Rav Chesed

Aharon Lichtenstein, “Talmud and Ma’aseh in Pirkei Avot”

Adam Mintz, “Is Coca-Cola Kosher? Rabbi Tobias Geffen and the History of American Orthodoxy”

Jacob J. Schacter, “Tikkun Olam: Defining the Jewish Obligation”

Avivah Zornberg, “Law and Narrative in the Book of Ruth”

Mark Dratch, “I Do?  Consent and Coercion in Sexual Relations”

and a 150-page biography of Rabbi Lookstein written by the book’s editor, Rafael Medoff

- Shlomo Brody

Rav Safra and the Second Festival Day: Lessons About the Evolution of the Jewish Calendar by J. Jean Ajdler (38:4, Winter 2004)

The Odd and Instructive Habits of Non-Observant Jews: A Look at Berit Milah and Pesah by Emanuel Feldman (41:2, Summer 2008)

Review Essay: Digesting the Exodus Narrative - Rav Soloveitchik’s Approach to the Seder Eve by Daniel Wolf (41:4, Winter 2008)

Chag Kasher Ve-Sameach,

Shlomo Brody

The Commentators’ Bible:  The JPS Miqra’ot Gedolot (Exodus and Leviticus), ed. Michael Carasik, Jewish Publication Society, 2009.

Kenneth Chelst, Exodus and Emancipation:  Biblical and African-American Slavery, Urim Publications, 2009. 

Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, אחריך נרוצה, Yediot Aharonot Press [Hebrew].

OU Press has released an enjoyable haggadah culled from the writings of Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, long-time leader of Yeshiva University and founding editor of Tradition.  Yeshiva University recently created a website dedicated to Rabbi Lamm’s heritage, including the compilation of many years of drashot given as the rabbi of the Jewish Center.  Based on these drashot, Dr. Joel Wolowelsky (associate editor of Tradition) pieced together, in a fully coherent fashion, a running commentary to the haggadah.  Since the original remarks were delivered for a popular audience, the comments are extremely accessible, running for a few paragraphs, and giving enough space to deliver a clear message without getting lost in overly technical or scholarly discussion. 

As drashot, the remarks frequently include some form of homiletical message.  Some include familiar themes from Rabbi Lamm’s other writings, now applied to the haggadah.  Others include novel insights into the story or message of Passover, which readers will enjoy transmitting as divrei torah at their own seder.  The volume also concludes with a few lengthy drashot delivered on themes in Shir Ha-Shirim.  All in all, this is an enjoyable commentary and is a welcome contribution to library of haggadot and modern Orthodoxy.

Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Chelst has written a book of great interest comparing the story of the Exodus with African-American slavery.  As is well know, abolitionists and civil rights advocates regularly recalled the Bible in their struggle  for equality.  Chelst, however, tries to show that our understanding of the Biblical story is greatly enhanced if we compare to the more recent (and better documented) story of black slavery.  The book is very well researched, and offers numerous examples of fascinating comparisons.

There have been many versions of Mikra’ot Gedolot (books including multiple Biblical commentators) created, and multiple translations written of the famous Biblical commentators.  Prof. Michael Carasik, however, has attempted to make available, for the first time, the Mikra’ot Gedolot experience in English.  I admit that I was quite skeptical at first when I opened the book; however,  I was pleasantly surprised at how well Carasik has edited the relevant commentaries to make them accessible yet substantive to the English reader. 

Carasik appropriately focuses on 4 major medieval commentators – Rashi, Ramban, Ibn Ezra, and Rashbam – as these four probably represent the commentaries that have had the greatest long-term impact.  To make the work accessible to English readers, he has omitted extended discussions regarding grammar (if people can’t learn the original Hebrew, the detailed grammatical notes will not excite them) as well as positions already stated by other figures.  Additionally, he tries to relate the interpretations of these commentators to the two provided English translations of the Biblical text, the New JPS translation (1985) and the Old JPS translation (1917).   He also provides additional notes where he sprinkles in comments from other important medieval commentators, including Seforno, Radak, Ralbag, and others.  [See here for a sample page, and here for his FAQ regarding his methodology.]  I used the Vayikra volume this past shabbat, and found that the anthology successfully trasmitted the major points of the commentaries.  While any abridged version can never fully re-create the richness of the original text, this work will certainly make possible a meaningful learning experience for the English reader, and those looking to explore the Exodus story in-depth will find the Shemot volume as a valuable resource. 

Also of Interest:  Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, Rosh Yeshivat Hesder in Petah Tikvah, has penned a commentary to Shir Ha-Shirim, relating to both pshat and drash interpretations, as well as contemporary implications of its message. 

- Shlomo Brody

 From the Books of Interest Archives:

Joseph Tabory, JPS Commentary on the Haggadah: Historical Introduction, Translation, and Commentary, Jewish Publication Society, 2008. 154 pages.

Rabbi Prof. Joseph Tabory of Bar Ilan University has written a number of significant essays and books on Passover rituals, including his Pesach Le-Dorot (1996) on the history of the Paschal sacrifice. JPS thus wisely chose him to compose this scholarly yet accessible haggadah, which will surely be enjoyed by both laymen and scholars alike.

Over the past several years, several historical-critical analyses of the Haggadah have been written, the most significant of which is the Haggadah of the Sages (Hebrew, 1998) by Shmuel and Ze’ev Safrai (which has now been translated into English). Tabory has taken this reserach, added his own insights and opinions, and penned a consise yet thorough 69-page historical introduction to the Haggadah. While Tabory is historically thorough, he does not elaborate with textual proofs and argumentation. This makes his text more understandable and enjoyable to read, although those looking for textual discussion would best look elsewhere.

As a seder night haggadah, the layout is crisp and the translation is sharp. The actual commentary to the Haggadah is consise but at times sparse, making it less thorough, yet at the same time, more usable for quick Seder night reading.
As with most historical-critical commentaries, there is very little homiletical or philosophical reflection, but for those looking for a great explanation of the history of the Haggadah, this is a wonderful choice.

- Shlomo Brody

Rabbi Nachum Eliezer Rabinovitch, Shu”t Siach Nachum, Maaleh Adumim:  Machon Ma’aliyot, 2008.  405 pages + index.  [Hebrew]

Jeffrey I. Roth, Inheriting the Crown in Jewish Law:  The Struggle for Rabbinic Compensation, Tenure, and Inheritance Rights, University of South Carolina Press, 2006.  154 pages + index and bibliography.

Rabbi Shlomo Goren, Responsa Releasing the Agunot of ‘Dakar’ Submarine, annotated by David Brukner, Reuben Mass Publishers, 2008.  112 pages.  [Hebrew]

Rabbi Menachem Kasdan, Yesodei Ha-Tzedakah, 5769.  595 pages + indices.  [Hebrew]

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin, Understanding Tzniut:  Modern Controversies in the Jewish Community, Urim Publications, 2008.  141 pages.

Rabbi Danny Wolf, Minhah Tehora and Minhah Le-Aharon, Yeshivat Har Etzion.  [Hebrew]

Kuntress Ha-Teshuvot He-Hadash: A Bibliographic Thesaurus of Responsa Literature published from ca. 1470-2000, ed. Shmuel Glick, Vol. 3 (Resh – Tav), Bar Ilan University and Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, 2009.

Rabbi Elyashiv Knohl’s The Marriage Covenant represents a milestone in books on Hilchot Niddah and the Jewish view of marriage.  The first 60 page section, “Beloved Friends,” includes both religious perspectives on marriage and sounds practical advice toward building a successful relationship.  Section two, which represents the bulk of the book, is a thorough yet accessible presentation of Hilchot Niddah.  The text, lightly but sufficiently footnoted for further reference, is both clear and accurate, giving the range of acceptable halakhic practice that is normally observed within our communities.  Rav Knohl is not afraid of presenting more mekil positions to be used in times of need, but does so in a cautious and responsible manner. (The halakhic sections were reviewed by Rav Yaakov Ariel and Rav Zalman Nehemiah Goldberg, amongst others). Since this book is also partly written as a guidebook for newly-engaged couples, it includes a 3^rd section that explains the laws and customs of weddings and sheva brachot.

The separate pamphlet includes a frank discussion about sexuality, discussing not only the various halakhot relating to sexual relations, but also hashkafic, psychological, and physiological perspectives on marital intimacy as a whole.  Written in consultation with experts like Dr Anna C. Woloski-Wruble, Rav Menachem Borstein, and Dr. David Ribner, it remains both explicit and tasteful, and will surely be appreciated by newlywed couples. 

The book includes the haskamot of Rabbis Yaakov Ariel, Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, and Aharon Lichtenstein.

This is a phenomenal contribution, and should become the standard reference book for all engaged couples. 

Rabbi Rabinovitch, well-known as Rosh Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Ma’aleh Adumim and author of a commentary to the Rambam’s Mishne Torah, has now published what appears to be the first of a series of volumes of responsa.  The 117 responsa, of various lengths, reflect Rav Rabinovitch’s great erudition, as well as deep sensitivity to modern life.  The topics cover a full range of topics, and include important statements regarding the use electricity on Shabbat, organ donation (in favor), and women’s issues.  This work will certainly be appreciated by the community of Talmudic scholars and modern Orthodox society as a whole.  Interested readers will also enjoy Rav Rabinovitch’s important work on contemporary hashkafa, Darkah Shel Torah. 

As the subtitle indicates, Jeffrey Roth’s work details the historical development of rabbinic compensation, tenure, and succession as reflected in halakhic sources.  Prof. Roth, a law professor at Touro College’s law school in Huntington, NY, successfully collects the major texts on these topics.  The writing in this short monograph is lucid and clear, and I found it to be an insightful, resourceful work.  For a brief discussion of some of the relevant sources discussed in this book, see my Ask the Rabbi column on rabbinic compensation.

In 1968, the Israeli Navy submarine “Dakar,” sailing from England to Israel, vanished at sea, with its wreckage only to be found in 1999.  Rabbi Shlomo Goren was asked to rule on the halakhic status of missing soldiers and their wives, who remained potential agunot.  His lengthy responsum on the topic, published in Meshiv Davar volume 3, has been slightly abridged and annotated by David Brukner, making this seminal teshuva accessible to a wider audience.  Brukner’s historical and halakhic introduction is particularly helpful.  This volume is a part of a larger series called ReShu”t that seeks to publish and explicate classic responsa related to modern questions.  Additional volumes include Rav Moshe Feinstein’s responsum on Chalav Aku’m and Rav Yitzchak Herzog’s writings on the treatment of minorities in the State of Israel.

Rabbi Menachem Kasdan’s Yesodei Tzedakah is a combination of parshanut, lomdanut, philosophy, and halakhic analysis related to the mitzvah of tzedakah.  Rabbi Kasdan explores a range of questions trying to understand the nature of the mitzvah, discussing both the obligation to raise the person’s spirits and also to give him physical support.  Scholars will particularly appreciate the excursuses at the end of the book, including topics such as, “A Poor Person’s Obligation to Work as a Condition for Receiving Charity” (#1); “Should A Person Give Tzedakah Out of A Sense of Compassion or Entirely From Devotion to God’s Commandment?” (#4); and Takanat Usha”(#16). 

Rabbi Yehuda Henkin’s Understanding Tzniut is contains a series of insightful essays regarding the laws of tznuit and their application in contemporary times.  A selection of these essays were originally published in Tradition, including the article, “Contemporary Tzniut” (37:3), which includes serious criticisms of some of the rulings found in contemporary halakha handbooks on tzniut.  While not everyone will agree with his positions, they are cogently argued, and represent an important contribution to the literature on this significant topic.  Recommended for both scholarly and lay readers alike. 

Rabbi Danny Wolf, longtime Ram in Yeshivat Har Etzion, has done the world of talmidei chachamim a great service in producing two works of both depth and clarity.  Minhah Tehora introduces readers into the world of Taharot, giving iyyun analysis into central concepts such as avot ha-tumah, tumat ohel, etc…  He also provides two interesting le-ma’aseh essays, one relating to the controversy of airplanes flying over cemeteries, and the other discussing Kohanim visiting concentration camps and mass graves in Poland (with detailed psakim regarding central sites).  This book makes accessible the world of tahorot in a way not previously available.  The 2^nd book, Minhah Le-Aharon (dedicated to the memory of his father) focuses on central topics in Nashim.  While this area of study is more accessible from other works, the essays remain elucidating and clear, and will certainly be enjoyed by those looking to study central sugyot in this realm. 

Prof. Shmuel Glick has published the third volume of his important series.  As I wrote last year regarding the first two volumes, “This new set is an incredibly valuable resource that thoroughly documents extant responsa literature published from 1470 to modern times. Each entry includes the responsa’s name, author, list of editions, sources of information about the book, and perhaps most importantly, bibliographical comments describing the content of the book. As such, the reader gets a good sense of the topics covered within the responsa. The entries also frequently provide a bibliography of relevant articles on the authors or topics covered within the collection.  The entries also include material from the original Kuntress Ha-Teshuvot, written by Boaz Cohen in 1930.”

- Shlomo Brody

Joshua A. Berman, Created Equal:  How the Bible Broke with Ancient Political Thought, Oxford University Press, 2008. 222 pages + bibliography & indeces.

Yitzchak B. Gottlieb, Order in the Bible (Yesh Seder La-Mikra): The Arrangement of the Torah in Rabbinic and Medieval Jewish Commentary,  Bar Ilan University Press & Magnes Press, 2009.  423 pages + biblioraphy and indeces.  [Hebrew]

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Covenant & Conversation:  Genesis – The Book of Beginnings, Magid Press & The Orthodox Union, 2009.  356 pages.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Torah Lights:  Bereshit – Confronting Life, Love, & Family, Magid Press, 2009.  327 pages.

JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible, retold by Ellen Frankel, Illustrated by Avi Katz.  Jewish Publication Society, 2009.  240 pages.

JPS Hebrew-English Tanakh:  Pocket Edition

Created Equal, a 2008 National Book Award finalist, presents a fascinating read of the social and political consequences of Biblical theology.  Rabbi Berman’s fundamental thesis claims that the theological and economic structure of the Torah presented a radically different socio-political understanding of man that offered equality to greater numbers of people.  The book proves this historical point by detailing the economic and political structures of other societies in antiquity and the theological frameworks that justified these systems.  Berman, a professor at Bar Ilan university and fellow at the Shalem Center, employs socio-critical theories which are somewhat complex, but his lucid and well-structured writing make this insightful and thought-provoking work accessible to scholars and lay readers alike.  This is a welcome addition to the growing literature of Biblical scholarship that addresses the  socio-political implications of the Bible’s teachings. ¹

Yitzchak Gottlieb’s book is a very impressive systematic presentation of the concept of ein mukdam u-meuchar ba-torah as found in Chazal, Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and Ramban.  Gottlieb analyzes each figure on their own terms, explaining their perspectives on the schematic order and conjunction of the Torah’s laws and narrative.  Additionally, Gottlieb separately lists and briefly explains each time these figures employ this concept.  This book is a valuable resource toward helping us understand this central question of Biblical interpretation.

In recent years, there has been a growing number of divrei Torah on the Torah portion written for newspapers or email distribution.  Two of modern Orthodoxy’s finest writers have now collected their respective essays into books.

Covenant & Conversation is a compilation of 4 short essays on each parasha from Chief Rabbi Sacks.  Frquently philosophical, yet almost ending with a  homiletical message, the essays draw on classical Jewish sources as well as contemporary religious thinking.  As with all literature of this nature, I found some essays more insightful than others, but overall the work is deep and inspiring.  Concise yet profound, these frequently poetic ruminations make for perfect reading for the lay person or scholar who wants something deeper out of his weekly supplemental parasha reading.

Torah Lights is a collection of Rabbi Riskin’s weekly parasha columns that have regularly appeared in The  Jerusalem Post and other Jewish newspapers.  Rabbi Riskin employs a number of different interpretative strategies, yet always finds a way to deliver a timely message that appeals to a broad audience.

Also of Interest:  The JPS Illustrated Children’s Bible is a noble attempt to summarize for children major Biblical stories, from creation until Daniel.  Frankel includes an interesting short essay discussing the difficulties of “translating” Biblical stories for children.

JPS has also recently reissued their beautfiully designed Hebrew-English Tanakh, the most frequently cited English translation in academic literature, in a “pocket edition” convenient to carry in a backpack or briefcase, with a series of options for cover colors.

Here is last year’s books of interest on Sefer Bereishit:

Oct 25, 2008 New Books on Sefer Breishit Chaim Navon, Genesis and Jewish Thought, Ktav Publishers, 2008. 379 pages.The gem of the new books on Breishit is Rabbi Chaim Navon’s series of profound yet accessible philosophical reflections on Sefer Breishit. Navon, who serves as a rabbi in Modi’in and teaches at a number of yeshivot in Israel, uses Breishit as a springboard for philosophical discussions on major topics such as Man’s place in the world, Guilt and Shame, The Road to Faith, and The Image of God. Navon uses the full range of Jewish and secular sources, ranging from midrashim to Rav Soloveitchik, Plato to Spinoza. The essays, originally published for a series in the Virtual Beit Midrash, are long enough to provide nuance and profundity, yet are quick reads and remain comprehensible to scholars and laypeople alike. This is a highly recommended work which will be enjoyed as both a reading companion to Breishit and an accessible entry into the world of Jewish thought. Yitzchak Etshalom, Between the Lines of the Bible, Yashar Books, 2006. 288 pages. Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom’s first book is a very effective English introduction into the world of peshat-oriented Biblical interpretation that has emerged within the last 20-30 years in the religious-Zionist community. Organized by theme and method, rather than by parasha, Etshalom seeks to delineate central tools that contemporary writers use to explain Sefer Breishit, such as chiastic structures, intra-Biblical parshanut, and historical background. Etshalom also dedicates a number of chapters to showing how literary readings of the Torah can create effective responses to Bible critics. The chapters are clear and informative, and while more advanced scholars might find some of the chapters rudimentary, the book serves as an excellent introduction to modern literary Biblical interpretation and a stimulating companion to Sefer Breishit. Rabbi Francis Nataf, Redeeming Relevance in the Book of Genesis, Urim Publications, 2006. 125 pages. As the title indicates, Rabbi Francis Nataf’s Redeeming Relevance seeks to provide meaningful new interpretations relevant to the contemporary cultural context. Nataf believes that recent generations have become fearful of new interpretations to the Torah, abandoning a long tradition of Torah commentary that addresses, explicitly or implicitly, current issues. The 6 essays in this work use a combination of traditional commentaries and literary awareness to give a reverential yet human depiction of the Biblical characters, and then conclude with a homiletical lesson. These are serious yet accessible essays with thoughtful and timely messages. The book includes a short yet telling introductory letter from Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, praising Nataf for avoiding the excesses of “eye-level Tanakh study” and “fus[ing] reverence for our greatest with awareness of their humanity.” Shmuel Klitsner, Wrestling Jacob: Deception, Identity, and Freudian Slips in Genesis, Urim Publications, 2006. 182 pages. A work that utilizes more nuanced and sophisticated literary technique to explore character development is Shmuel Klitsner’s Wrestling Jacob. Longtime teacher of Tanach at Jerusalem’s Midreshet Lindenbaum, Klitsner focuses on the 2nd half of Sefer Breishit and the story of Jacob. Klitsner uses unique word choices and parallels to argue that difficult literary passages should not be “resolved,” but should rather be understood as delivering a deeper subtext or meaning. Klitsner’s uses these literary nuances to analyze Jacob’s moral development and his struggle with his family relationships and his own role within the divine covenant. As he writes, “It would seem that the real drama of the biblical text lay precisely in the thorny complexity of intensely human (and at times tragically faulted) heroes functioning in the arena of morally ambiguous interaction with friends, family, and foes and simultaneously in the orbit of divine covenant.” This is an innovative and scholarly work that deserves careful study. Also new from Urim: Moshe Sokolow, Studies in the Weekly Parashah, Based on the Lessons of Nehama Leibowitz, Urim Publications, 2008. 285 pages

- Shlomo Brody

1. We hope to have a guest post next week from Rabbi Berman, based on this book, about Parshat Breishit and the story of creation.