Commentary on the Torah

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Summary: Commentary on the Torah by Richard E. Friedman
Review: Commentary on the Torah by Richard E. Friedman has a number of very insightful observations. His insights and the accolades by those who endorse this work are discolored by the sliding scale of political correctness rather than the absolute righteousness and Holiness of the God of the text. Because of this the text of the commentary is suspect and difficult to receive at face value.

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Summary: When You Wonder What The Bible Really Says, Start Here
Review: Having been brought up on a number of Christian translations of the Bible, and being frequently frustrated by the inherent biases, the composite nature, and the weight of the King James Bible that hangs over every subsequent English version, I turned to Richard Elliot Friedman to get a better idea of what the Hebrew text says. I had been particularly struck by the straightforwardness of his "Hidden Book in the Bible", and the virtues of this approach are apparent in this Torah.

The commentary is interesting and insightful, although it frequently only whets my appetite for more. And the mere presence of the Hebrew text has caused me to start learning Hebrew to experience the sound relations among the words. It has rapidly become clear, even in my limited state of comprehension, that the text is composed like music, and much more is going on there than merely telling stories and listing regulations.

I'm sure there can be no definitive translation or commentary on this, the most heavily worked over text in history, but this is a fine place to start.

Rating:
Summary: insightful but not as comprehensive as some
Review: I agree with both the positive and negative reviewers of this book.

On the positive side: Friedman is often more original, more insightful, and more interesting than the "Chumashes by committee" that most congregations use (by which I mean the Orthodox Artscroll, the Conservative Etz Chaim, as well as Plaut's Reform Chumash). On the average, IFriedman made one or two points per Torah portion that made me say "Wow!" to myself.

On the negative side: this book is simply not comprehensive enough to substitute for the committee Chumashes. The committee Chumashes tend to be almost line-by-line (at least compared to Friedman's book). Friedman's depth is gained at the sacrifice of breadth: he covers only the topics that really interest him.
And of course, he doesn't cover Haftorot at all.

This book is a fine supplement to the committee Chumashes (or to Hertz, who is also more comprehensive than Friedman) - but not a substitute.


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Summary: Is this Humash really necessary?
Review: I generally admire Richard Friedman's work, but I don't think he has performed a useful service in publishing this volume. His translation is interesting, but the Hebrew font is difficult to read. Furthermore, his comments on the text can be found in other volumes. The a big lack is the omission of Haftarot. Finally, for my specific needs, I found that teenagers could not relate to either the translation or the commentary. There are plenty of good Humashim on the market; another is coming out during the summer. This one isn't a valuable addition to my library.

Rating:
Summary: A sparkling collection of Insights
Review: In days of yore, Bible commentary was not done by the person who did the translation. Thus, both the Hertz and Plaut commentaries used the translation of another. Recently, some scholars have done both, and Commentary on the Torah (Richard Elliot Friedman, HarperCollins, 2000) is a splendid example. It covers the entire Humash (5 Books of Moses).
Those of you familiar with him as the author of Who Wrote the Bible? may be surprised that, with rare exceptions, the question of the origins of the Bible does not arise. He is solely concerned with what the text means. Indeed, he repeatedly views the Humash as a unified whole, tracing the development of themes across books, and emphasizing how language in one book is meant to reflect language used in another. His gaze is so fixed on the text itself that midrashic elaboration (seen frequently in Plaut) and defenses of the text (seen so much in Hertz) are largely absent. He wants the text understood in its own terms, as seen, for example, by his repeated efforts to show how the Bible distinguishes between offenses in the sacred and non-sacred zones.
This is in one sense a personal commentary. While his views are informed by much scholarship, he clearly speaks in his own voice; you seldom see "Tradition says..." or "Rashi explains ... " (and even then, it's done generally to distinguish his views from earlier ones). Indeed, sometimes he uses the first person "I", which is uncommon in serious Torah commentary. This is also reflected in what he chooses to write about. Not as full a commentary as Hertz; sometimes dozens of verses can go by without comment. But when he has points to make, (e.g. in the first three verses of Deuteronomy) then he takes the space needed.
This commentary isn't really designed for beginners; the short introductions and scene-setting remarks that Hertz does so well are largely absent. And it doesn't have the depth that some scholars would want. But in the midrange --- where so many of us are --- this book really sparkles. Again and again there are remarkable insights, often drawn from literary analysis, close attention to detail, points raised of the I-never-noticed-that-before type. There's a fine theory about why Moses was not allowed into the promised land, a startling and comprehensive explanation of Sotah, a good discussion of "impure" and "pure", a convincing critique of some proposed explanations of the dietary laws, a careful explanation of his translation choices for Genesis 1: 1-2, an intriguing explanation as to why the ban on homosexual conduct is written just for males (including a rare bit of editorializing), and many more gems. Further, his writing is marked by a combination of clarity and precision that is a pleasure to read and adds to its engaging character.
The book has a few essays, my favorites being a vigorous defense of the unity of Numbers (as opposed to the standard view of it being a "hodgepodge") and a discussion of the decisions that a translator must make. Alas: no index. For example, there's an informative discussion of the evolution of the control of miracles at Numbers 20:11, but how would you ever find this? The Hebrew text seems easier to read than the Plaut or Hertz.
This book is essential to anyone who seeks new insights into the meaning of the 5 Books of Moses.

Rating:
Summary: A sparkling collection of Insights
Review: In days of yore, Bible commentary was not done by the person who did the translation. Thus, both the Hertz and Plaut commentaries used the translation of another. Recently, some scholars have done both, and Commentary on the Torah (Richard Elliot Friedman, HarperCollins, 2000) is a splendid example. It covers the entire Humash (5 Books of Moses).
Those of you familiar with him as the author of Who Wrote the Bible? may be surprised that, with rare exceptions, the question of the origins of the Bible does not arise. He is solely concerned with what the text means. Indeed, he repeatedly views the Humash as a unified whole, tracing the development of themes across books, and emphasizing how language in one book is meant to reflect language used in another. His gaze is so fixed on the text itself that midrashic elaboration (seen frequently in Plaut) and defenses of the text (seen so much in Hertz) are largely absent. He wants the text understood in its own terms, as seen, for example, by his repeated efforts to show how the Bible distinguishes between offenses in the sacred and non-sacred zones.
This is in one sense a personal commentary. While his views are informed by much scholarship, he clearly speaks in his own voice; you seldom see "Tradition says..." or "Rashi explains ... " (and even then, it's done generally to distinguish his views from earlier ones). Indeed, sometimes he uses the first person "I", which is uncommon in serious Torah commentary. This is also reflected in what he chooses to write about. Not as full a commentary as Hertz; sometimes dozens of verses can go by without comment. But when he has points to make, (e.g. in the first three verses of Deuteronomy) then he takes the space needed.
This commentary isn't really designed for beginners; the short introductions and scene-setting remarks that Hertz does so well are largely absent. And it doesn't have the depth that some scholars would want. But in the midrange --- where so many of us are --- this book really sparkles. Again and again there are remarkable insights, often drawn from literary analysis, close attention to detail, points raised of the I-never-noticed-that-before type. There's a fine theory about why Moses was not allowed into the promised land, a startling and comprehensive explanation of Sotah, a good discussion of "impure" and "pure", a convincing critique of some proposed explanations of the dietary laws, a careful explanation of his translation choices for Genesis 1: 1-2, an intriguing explanation as to why the ban on homosexual conduct is written just for males (including a rare bit of editorializing), and many more gems. Further, his writing is marked by a combination of clarity and precision that is a pleasure to read and adds to its engaging character.
The book has a few essays, my favorites being a vigorous defense of the unity of Numbers (as opposed to the standard view of it being a "hodgepodge") and a discussion of the decisions that a translator must make. Alas: no index. For example, there's an informative discussion of the evolution of the control of miracles at Numbers 20:11, but how would you ever find this? The Hebrew text seems easier to read than the Plaut or Hertz.
This book is essential to anyone who seeks new insights into the meaning of the 5 Books of Moses.

Rating:
Summary: Not impressed
Review: Mr. Friedman, an eminent biblical scholar whose works have helped 'unmask' god and explain the method by which the Torah was assembled has failed here in his commentary. The Torah, oft commented on but rarely successfully explained, is not illuminated here and in fact many of the 'asides' and 'comments' seem far to laid back and far to unprofessional to really meet the muster required of a biblical commentary carrying any weight. such lines as 'the holiest of holies' take away and transport the reader into popular history, from which the reader never emerges. A biblical commentary should be of the highest most professional nature and its points should be clear, but this edition skips over essential debates due to the authors disinterest or, perhaps, ill knowledge. For instance the 'Rape of Dina' is totally glossed over and none of its ramifications are illuminated. Why was Dina Raped and what was gods judgment on the vengeance? Did Dina love the prince of Shachem? This commentary does the bare minimum although it seems to spend more time on other items, for instance the Dietary Laws. This is by far one of the least impressive commentaries that can be found on the Torah, far better ones can be found, unless you value the laid back nature of it, then you will be happily pleased.

Rating:
Summary: Not impressed
Review: Mr. Friedman, an eminent biblical scholar whose works have helped 'unmask' god and explain the method by which the Torah was assembled has failed here in his commentary. The Torah, oft commented on but rarely successfully explained, is not illuminated here and in fact many of the 'asides' and 'comments' seem far to laid back and far to unprofessional to really meet the muster required of a biblical commentary carrying any weight. such lines as 'the holiest of holies' take away and transport the reader into popular history, from which the reader never emerges. A biblical commentary should be of the highest most professional nature and its points should be clear, but this edition skips over essential debates due to the authors disinterest or, perhaps, ill knowledge. For instance the 'Rape of Dina' is totally glossed over and none of its ramifications are illuminated. Why was Dina Raped and what was gods judgment on the vengeance? Did Dina love the prince of Shachem? This commentary does the bare minimum although it seems to spend more time on other items, for instance the Dietary Laws. This is by far one of the least impressive commentaries that can be found on the Torah, far better ones can be found, unless you value the laid back nature of it, then you will be happily pleased.

Rating:
Summary: Some interesting and original points of view, but.....
Review: The author has translated The Five Books of Moses and has added his own commentary, much of which is quite interesting, even if one does not agree with him. What to my mind is inexcusable is the lack of a table of contents showing which parshas are on which page. So, if you are looking for Devarim, you will never find it unless you happpen to know the English equivalent AND you happen to know which book it is in and WHERE! This is unacceptable! Also, I find the tinted paper quite distracting and unnecessary. For this, I blame the publisher, rather than the author. The absence of the haftorahs makes this book of very limited appeal. I have decided to return my copy and wait until later this year when the new, JTS edition will be available. Meanwhile, the Hertz edition published by Soncino Press, is certainly serviceable for those who don't want Stone.

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Summary: A Great Corrobation. . .
Review: This commentary on the Torah is provides the Bible student with the opportunity to see what certain verses really mean, according to Rabbinic traditional interpretations. The first book, Genesis, is a classic example because here, it goes into detail of most of the verses on what, for example, the word "firmament" in Genesis 1 really means. This book does the same throughout the rest of the books of the Torah. Some pages are filled with diagrams and illustrations, making it easier to understand and to visualize the ideas expressed within. The format of this book makes it easily accessible. You have the Hebrew text on the right with the English translation on the left and at the bottom contains the commentaries keyed to specific chapters and verses. For those thinking about purchasing this title, I would also recommend THE STONE EDITION OF THE TANACH by Mesorah publications. The Stone Edition is similar to this Torah Commentary but the Tanach has the Torah (first five books of the Bible), Nevim (early and later prophets) and Kethuvim, (the writings such as Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes etc.) all in one volume with commentary also. Keep in mind though, the Tanach is basically an anthology of commentaries by various Rabbi's throughout the century and doesn't go into as much detail as this Torah Commentary. All in all, both are awesome, indispensable tools for drawing closer to God and his word. Even as a devout and convinced Christian, this book has illuminated the meaning of the Torah, and now I can see how the New Testament makes even more sense!!! Afterall, the New Testament is also a Jewish work (well, maybe with the exception of Luke). Take care and God Bless and happy reading!!! I wholly recommend this to any avid student God's word.