naphtalia's Full Review: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism and Rabbi...
I attended a conservative Jewish synagogue growing up. We used the same siddur (prayer book) and chumash (Five books of Moses, commentaries and selections from the prophets) for as long as I anyone can remember. I was told, in fact, that for about the past 70 years the "Hertz" Chumash has been the standard in most conservative and masorti synagogues. I especially liked the Hertz Chumash. It gave me a chance to read the parshat (weekly portion) in English or in Hebrew and then to skim through the commentaries while services progressed. It was a bit of a surprise, therefore, to come back to my old synagogue and find a new chumash in use.
The new chumash is titled Etz Hayim which means Tree of Life in Hebrew. Surprise gave way to delight as I began to explore this book over the past few months. I've finally invested in a copy for own home.
Etz Hayim was created over ten years and reflects today's modern conservative movement. The Hertz Chumash was written and translated by a British Rabbi in pre-World War II England. It reflected a time when Jews were apologetic for the practices of animal sacrifices and such in the past. It also expressed a lack of assurance about our place in the world. Not so, Etz Hayim. It is not apologetic in tone. The commentaries don't try to gloss over, hide, or sugar-coat the actions of early Hebrews.
The stilted language full of thou, thee, thy has been clarified. Poetic passages are still poetic, but no longer is the language difficult to understand. Having grown up on Shakespeare, this was never as great a difficulty for me as for others. However, I watched many a person put the old translation aside in exasperation at too many "Thou"s and "Thee"s and "begat"s and "behold"s. The begats and beholds are still here, but handled in a more approachable manner than the Hertz did.
Etz Hayim is arranged to be read as a Hebrew book, from, right to left, though it includes side by side English and Hebrew translations. The fonts for both English and Hebrew are very clear. I especially like the Hebrew font because of the clarity of the vowels. My Hebrew is not good enough to do away with vowels when reading. Here, they really pop.
In addition to each parashat (weekly portion), the book includes both the Ashkenazi and Sefardi Haftorah selections (portions from the prophets or writings which elucidate the parashat). The book also includes Haftorah portions for special days such as the first day of Passover, or for the New Moon. Also included are commentaries beneath the main text. These are based on the five-volume commentary put out by JPS and edited by Rabbis Lieber and Chaim Potok (author of the Chosen). Another section of commentary follows each page of text. This section is edited by Rabbi Harold Kushner (author of Living a Life that Matters) and provides a deeper moral exploration and explanation of the passage. There are also shaded sections which give explanation of how various biblical verses and passages served as the foundation to many Jewish traditions. The commentaries on the Haftorah portions are edited by Rabbi Michael Fishbane who has authored several books of Biblical commentary.
The book has a great index with references to pages containing discussions, explanations, and explorations of people, places, objects and ideas of interest.
The book includes 41 essays written by various scholars and rabbis. These are divided into sections on Biblical life and perspectives; Biblical religion and law; Worship, religion and halakah (tradition); and Text and context. The book ends with a section including blessings for reading the Torah (5 books of Moses) and Haftorahs, reading the trope (musical notation), glossaries, maps, transliterations, time lines for the Hebrew Bible, and an artist's rendition of the Tabernacle and its furnishings.
Etz Hayim meets the reader wherever the reader is. If all one wants to do is read the Biblical text, that is there. If one wants to explore Jewish tradition, that is there. If one wants to delve into arguements of interpretation, that is there, too.
The people involved in this masterwork are among the leading Jewish thinkers of our day. They include men and women; liberal and conservative thinkers. The commentaries are a true reflection of modern conservative Judaism today. At the same time, with all the extra material, the emphasis stays where it belongs - on the original Torah, on the Tree of Life, the Etz Hayim.
Special features make Etz Hayim meaningful for lay and clergy alike: - Essays on key themes by prominent Conservative movement rabbis and scholars- Se...More at Buy.com
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