Book Review: Jewish biblical exegesis

Jewish biblical exegesis

Author: Louis Jacobs

Publisher: Behrman House, Inc., hardcover, 196 pages, including Introduction

Reviewed by Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

The Author

Louis Jacobs (17 July 1920 – 1 July 2006), was the Rabbi of New London Synagogue, in the United Kingdom, an author of several books, and a leading Jewish theologian. Rabbi Dr Jacobs’ books are on all aspects of Judaism, everything from mainstream theology, to mysticism, to Chassidism, to the Talmud. Jewish biblical exegesis is volume four of a seven volume “The Chain Of Tradition Series.”

Contents

The volume includes an Introduction, and 19 chapters. The chapters highlight excerpts from significant scholars and rabbis of the 11^th century through to the 20^th century. 

Brief Observations

Rabbi Dr Jacobs explains two terms Rabbis employ regarding Scripture and interpretation—Midrash or Derash, which means “to inquire,” and Peshat, which means “plain meaning.” Midrash or Derash involves reading something into a text, and can be creatively far-fetched. Commentators who favoured Peshat are referred to as Pashtanim. Commentators who favoured Derash are referred to as Darshanim. In some instances however, commentators may have employed both methods. Rabbi Dr Jacobs provides brief biographical notes and explanations for each of the commentators.

Here are four Rabbinic examples of how they interpreted Scripture.

Rabbi Dr Jacobs provides this introductory comment on one of the most familiar scholars: “Moses ben Nahman (Nahmanides) was born in Gerona, Spain in 1195 and died at Acre in Palestine around the year 1270. He is known as Ramban, after the initial letters of his name (Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman). Nahmanides’ Commentary to the Pentateuch...was also the first...to use the teachings of the Kabbalah” (p. 46). 

Nahmanides provides this answer to the question: What is the image of God? “The word “image” means “form”....And the word “likeness” means a resemblance in character and deed since of things close to one another in idea it can be said that they resemble one another” (p. 47). 

Rabbi Dr Jacobs explains Nahmanides’ comment on the command to be holy in Leviticus 19:2 and 11:44 as follows: “over and above the detailed rules and regulations there is a general command to be holy, that is, for Nahmanides, to keep oneself apart from too much indulgence even in permitted things” (p. 59). One example Nahmanides refers to is moderation in drinking wine: “He (or she) should sanctify himself (herself) in the matter of wine, only drinking a little....” (p. 58). 

“Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (died in Toledo, Spain, before 1340) was the author of a great and authoritative Code of Jewish law...known as the Tur (“Row”), but more specifically as the Turim....” (p. 100). 

“There is a Midrash which says that the reason the Torah begins with the letter bet and not with the letter alef is that bet stands for berachah (“blessing”), whereas alef stands for arirah (“curse”)” (p. 101). 

“The numerical value of bereshit bara (“In the beginning He created,” the first two words of the Pentateuch) is the same as that of be-rosh ha-shana nivra (“On Rosh Ha-Shanah it was created”)” (p. 103).

Hayim ben Moses ibn Attar was born in Morocco in 1696, and died in Jerusalem in 1743. In his answer to the question: Why should one help the poor? He states: “Whoever gives alms to the poor (person) and supports (them), thereby causes that poor (person’s) quarrel with Heaven to cease” (p. 164). Rabbi Dr Jacobs, commenting on this, suggests that: “It is sometimes claimed that religion, by turning (people’s) minds away from the sufferings of this world, fails to encourage (people) to alleviate that suffering” (p. 164). Hence, in this sense, religion contributes to the injustices in the world.

Rabbi Baruch Epstein was born in 1860, and murdered by the Nazis in 1942. He cites several Rabbinic interpretations of Leviticus 19:14: “Thou shalt not...put a stumbling-block before the blind....” For example, the verse may refer to: the blind as one who is in the dark on a particular matter; or not giving a cup of wine to a blind Nazirite; or a hint of the necessity of marking graves; or not striking a grown-up son, who might retaliate and strike their parent and thereby violate the fifth commandment; or a prohibition of selling wood/trees to fire-worshippers; or a prohibition to lenders and borrowers of money regarding interest; or a prohibition to lend money without witnesses—to list some of the Rabbinic interpretations. Rabbi Epstein suggests that the verse could refer to both a figurative and a literal-physical stumbling-block and blindness. 

Reading this volume reminded me of the Rabbinic view of Shiv’im Panim La-Torah –each verse of Torah has 70 different faces/i.e., interpretations. Those who are interested in learning more about the wide range of Rabbinic interpretations will likely appreciate this volume. 

Read the Bible in a Year

Beginning in January 2021, I've been following the Good News Translation's "Read the Bible in a Year" schedule. This Bible is published by the Canadian Bible Society.

It has been a number of years since I've read the Bible in one year-so I thought it would be an edifying discipline to do so again this year. If you haven't done so before; or if it's been some time since you've done so; I encourage you to undertake this commitment. 

So far, I've read through the Book of Genesis, and the first eleven chapters of Exodus. When one reads larger portions of the Bible in one sitting, one discovers a greater appreciation for the context of events in many of the stories that one might miss or forget in a briefer reading. Since the Bible is a Living Word of God, one notices certain things that were perhaps overlooked in previous readings of the text. Here are a few notes from my reading so far.

In the first creation story, human beings are created as male and female in God's image, which implies God is both male and female, and, of course, more than the two genders as well. At the end of the the sixth day: "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31)

Even after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit (nowhere does it identify the fruit as an apple or any other fruit) God, in an act of grace, made clothes for them. 

In the story of Cain's and Abel's offerings, no reason is explicitly given for God favouring Abel's offering and not Cain's. However, in observing Cain's anger, God warns him to "master it," or it will lead him into sin. (Genesis 4:1-7) Another mystery with regards to Cain is his wife: we are not told where she came from, and she remains nameless in the story. (Genesis 4:17)

Throughout the Book of Genesis the names of far too many wives and daughters are rarely given--reflecting the patriarchal society out of which Genesis originated. For example, in Genesis 5:4, the writer mentions Adam (not Eve) having a son named Seth and other sons and daughters who are not named. The same is true of Seth, 5:6, he had a son named Enosh, his wife remains nameless, and he had other sons and daughters who remain nameless. 

In Genesis 19:30-38, an account is provided of the incestuous origins of the Moabites and Ammonites. Lot, after drinking wine, had sexual intercourse with his two daughters, who are also nameless. Centuries later, God chose Ruth, a Moabite, to be the ancestor of David and Jesus. Although there are certainly good reasons to avoid incestuous sexual relations, (it is not promoted in the Bible as being a normal sexual practice) perhaps one of the lessons from this story is that God's ways are not our ways.  

Sarah, Rebekah and Rachel are all barren and eventually able to give birth with implicit or explicit divine intervention. For example: "Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived." (Genesis 25:21) Indeed, the main purpose of women in the Book of Genesis is giving birth to children. There is little or no room in Genesis for women to choose occupations beyond domestic ones. Most of the stories in Genesis focus on the patriarchs rather than the matriarchs.

In the Book of Exodus, the political, economic and social status of the Israelites has changed radically--they are now reduced to slaves in Egypt. 

The story of Moses reveals how God is at work through Pharaoh's daughter to save Moses. She has compassion on him, spares his life as an act of disobeying her Pharaoh-dad, and with the help of Moses' sister and mother, he is cared for until Pharaoh's daughter adopts him and raises him. 

Moses' humanity is revealed when he is hesitant to accept God's call to him to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. I hazard to guess that many a pastor down through the ages have identified with Moses' hesitation to accept God's call-I know I have! 

The divine drama in Exodus is portrayed by God hardening Pharaoh's heart, and Moses and Aaron confronting him to release the Israelites. As God's servants and spokespersons, Moses and Aaron are given the capacity to assist the LORD by announcing divinely orchestrated events that threaten Pharaoh and the Egyptians, causing hardships and suffering. The plagues serve to heighten the drama; revealing God's power over Pharaoh and his unsuccessful resistance.