Torah a Modern Commentary/Hebrew Opening

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Summary: A simple must for every contemporary Jew
Review: Plaut combines ingeniously modern biblical scholarship with a deep insight into theJewish tradition. Anybody interested in a non-fundamentalist Jewish Bible commentary: this is it - the state-of-the-art volume

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Summary: Fantastic, provides the historically correct view of the OT
Review: The TORAH Hebrew/english interlinear translation provides the best interpolation, commentary and insite into the first five books of the OT. The Christian reader will learn how and why the TORAH provides the orginal intent into the OT without the bias of 2000 years of traditional interpolation by our Christian brethren. This is a MUST have book for a lifetime of research and understanding

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Summary: Good history, but a religious disappointment
Review: The translation is good, based on the latest scholarship. The commentary is extensive, and from a historical point of view, illuminating. But from a religious point of view this book is, in most places, a deep disappointment. While Plaut offers this as a book for religiousReform Jews, it spends most of its time disparaging the laws in the Torah as outdated anachonisims that have no place in the lives of Jews today. Those Jews on the more traditional side of the Reform movement - or anyone at all in Conservative Judaism - will be disappointed to learn that the introduction spends a great deal of time trying to show how God has little or nothing to do with the Bible, nor for that matter does Moses. While I aprreciate the editor's correct impulse in comabtting the extreme claims from religious fundamentalism, I do not understand why the response was go totally in the other direction (religious abandonment), I do not find the Ultra-Orthodox Torah commentaries (The Artscroll Torah, by Mesorah) to be any better. While Plaut's Reform commentary commits the sin of abandoning Judaism by worshipping archaeology, the Artscroll books committ the sin of intellectual dishonesty by abandoning - and denigrating - all archaeology, history and linguistics. If I had to make a choice, I'd say that Plaut's book is better than Artscroll books So where can one go for an authentic Torah commentary that is deeply religious, yet non-fundamentalist; one based on adherence to the latest scholarship, as well as traditional Jewish commentary? I would suggest the five volume JPS Torah Commentray series, published by the Jewish Publication Society. (2 Volumes by Nahum Sarna, 1 by Jeffrey Tigay, 1 by Baruch Levine and 1 by Jacob Milgrom). Used by Modern Orthodox, Reform and Conservative Jews, this is the set for a serious student of Torah to have. If one wanted a one volume Torah /Pentateuch commentary, I would get "The Pentateuch and Haftorahs" by Dr. Joseph H. Hertz or "The Chumash" by A. Cohen. (Also note that an affordabel, one volume edition of the 5 vol. JPS set is due to be published by the Conservative movement in about 2 years)

Rating:
Summary: Just Buy It
Review: This is an essential book on the shelf of every Jew. It is the most modern rendition, in Hebrew, of the Torah, with a side-by-side English translation. (For the record, the Torah is the first five books of the Bible, or the five books of Moses). It is the definitive text of the Union of Reform Judaism (formerly the Union of American Hebrew Congregations), the umbrella organization of Reform Jewish Congregations. Also included are notes on Hebrew interpetations and 'gleanings' or spiritual comments on the text. Further, detailed commentaries on such topics as geography are included at crucial points in the text.
I cannot emphasize enough how much pleasure you will derive from having this book in your home. No modern person can achieve an understanding of the Bible without having this book with which to refer. Treat yourself and buy this book. You will never regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Just Buy It
Review: This is an essential book on the shelf of every Jew. It is the most modern rendition, in Hebrew of the Torah with a side-by-side English translation. (For the record, the Torah is the first five books of the Bible, or the five books of Moses.) It is the definitive text of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the umbrella organization of Reform Jewish Congregations. Also included are notes on Hebrew interpetations and 'gleanings' or spiritual comments on the text. Further, detailed commentaries on such topics as geography are included at crucial points in the text.
I cannot emphasize enough how much pleasure you will derive from having this book in your home. No modern person can achieve an understanding of the Bible without having this book with which to refer. Treat yourself and buy this book. You will never regret it.

Rating:
Summary: The best Torah & Commentary for Reform Jews
Review: This is the best Reform Torah commentary I have seen. Great insights into the history and language of the Torah. Very readable - even for beginners. Contains both Hebrew and English, with notes about the English translation, and insights into the history and meaning of the text. The book is divided into the weekly Torah portions. Plaut does take a liberal viewpoint, which will not appeal those who accept the Torah as the literal word of God passed on to Moses at Sinai.

Rating:
Summary: The best Torah & Commentary for Reform Jews
Review: This is the best Reform Torah commentary I have seen. Great insights into the history and language of the Torah. Very readable - even for beginners. Contains both Hebrew and English, with notes about the English translation, and insights into the history and meaning of the text. The book is divided into the weekly Torah portions. Plaut does take a liberal viewpoint, which will not appeal those who accept the Torah as the literal word of God passed on to Moses at Sinai.