Prof. Harry Orlinsky s 'The Rage to Translate' Essay Defines
Approach to Bible Translation in Torah Torchbook Paperback

The revised translation of the
Torah, the great project of the
Jewish Publication Society of
America, has so deeply impressed
laymen as well as scholars through -
out the world, and has so en-
thused Bible readers, that the ac-
complished work, already assured
best-selle• status, is now being of-
fered in paperbacks.
Harper & Row has just issued
•

DR. HARRY ORLINSKY

as a Harper Torchbook paperback
the first of the Torah books,
"Genesis — The N.J.V. (New Jew-
' ish Version Translation)," with an
introduction by Prof. Harry M.
Orlinsky, who was the chairman of
the JPS translation committee for
the Torah English revised text.
Reproducing the preface to the
JPS Torah edition dated Sept. 28,
1962, there is a March 1966 pre-
face to the Torchbook edition
which indicates: "The version of
the translation included in this
book is practically the same as that
of the 1962 edition. The principles
and procedures outlined in the
original preface have not been
changed. A number of passages,
however, have been modified for
the sake of uniformity of style or
in order to bring the English clos-
er to the Hebrew."

Major significance attaches in
the Torchbook edition to the
scholarly new introduction by
Dr. Orlinsky. The title of his es-
say, "The Rage to Translate—
The New Age of Bible Transla-
tions," immediately suggests a
fascinating subject in relation to
Bible translations. The author,
professor of Bible at Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of

Religion, New York, delves so
thoroughly into the subject that
his essay will serve well to en-
lighten Bible students, and to
become valuable material for
Bible students in their research
into biblical scholarship.

tern which authorized Protestant italicized the English correspond-
and Catholic translations of the ents (Gen. 1:2 ff.): . . . and
future will tend to follow."
darkness was upon the face of the
Detailed explanations of the deep .. And God saw the light,
Bible translators approaches to that it was God . . . And God
new 'trends, to a changing of made the firmament, and divided
terming to make the new version the waters which were above . .
Prof. Orlinsky traces "the philo- more- understandable, mark the
and let the dry land appear . .
sophy of translation" to the Septua- scholarly Orlinsky essay. Point-
as though God's Hebrew lacked
gint, declaring: "It is generally ing out the reason for commenc- `was .. . it was .. were .. were'
agreed that the Jewish philosopher ing the Book of Genesis with and as though Hebrew vabbashah
Philo, 1900 years ago, laid the
"When God began to create," means dry rather than 'dry land:'
ideological foundation of Christian- contrasting the new terms with It is precisely this philosophy of
ity; and H. A. Wolfson has argued those in. Protestant and and translation that the new Jewish
that it was another Jewish philoso-
Catholic versions; giving the rea- version has set out to discard."
pher, Baruch - Spinoza (1632-1677), sons for the use of the "wind--
So clearly does Prof. Orlinsky
some 1600 years later, who was S/spirit" for the He b r e w explain the new approach that his
mainly responsible for destroying "ruakh." indicating that "'Spirit' new essay is another notable con-
Philonism and for giving Christ- is really a Christian interpreta- tribution to biblical scholarship.
ianity new direction. In Bible tion that originated in the post- Thus, the new Harper Torchbook
translation, it was the Jewish Sep-
biblical period.," Dr. Orlinsky edition of Genesis makes it pos-
tuagint version, some 2200 years draWs upon history and philology . sible for the revised JPS transla-
ago, that set the norm for word- to clarify the revolutionary tion to get into many more homes
for-word reproduction of the He-
trends in the New Revised Ver- —even if piecemeal, Book by
brew."
sion.
Book. And the Orlinsky com-
Dr. Orlinsky adds: "The (Jew-
Indeed, Dr. Orlinsky draws upon mentary enlightens and enriches
ish Publication Society) transla- history, reviews the role of Philo, biblical literature.
tion committee of the New Jew- explains "literalness" in "the phi-
ish Version, reflecting the verve, losophy of Bible translation," in
growing maturity and optimism of his evaluative article that intro- Hebrew Corner
today's great American Jewish duces Genesis in the Harper paper-
community, would like to believe back. He points out: "Word-for-
that its new version of the Torah, word procedure was reinforced
in its internal and external break considerably—as if reinforcement
with the past, has set a new pat- was needed—in the 16th and 17th
Recently the Chief Military Rabbinate
a TZAHAL Bible School
centuries, when the rise of Prot- established
(Bible School of the Israel Defense
estantism gave impetus to new Force).
Many years ago, the initiator of the
Bible translations in the vernacu-
idea, the Chief Chaplain of TZAHAL,
lars'of Western Europe. For now, General Shlomo Goren, came to the
more than for over a thousand conclusion that the routine activities
of the Army Rabbinate were not
Peace is not made at Peace Con- preceding years, the Bible as the enough, and that the soldier must be
removed
from the routine of daily life.
literal Word of God once again be-
ferences alone.
Soldiers, religious and non-religious,
—Sydney S. Silverman. came pre-eminent. Not indirectly, from all the TZAHAL units will come
through the intervention of an of- to the Bible School for specialized
Jews must fight for their rights, ficial of the Church, but directly, courses
in various Judaic subjects. Of-
ficers up to the highest ranks will
otherwise they do not deserve to
from the Hebrew text itself, was attend the courses. Two courses are
obtain them. —Schalom Asch.
God's message to be comprehended. conducted every week, about one hun-
When a Jew gives up the fight (After all, was not Hebrew the dred soldiers participating in each.
During his term of service in
against the enemy in his heart, language that God Himself em- TZAHAL,
every religious soldier will
just then has he betrayed *us.
be entitled to twenty-five days of study
ployed in conversing with His an- in
the Bible School. Thus the religious
—Berl Locker. gels?).
soldier will spend almost one month
his military term of service in a
"To such an extent was each of
If the Jew goes down in this
special religious atmosphere.
The curriculum of the School em-
struggle then woe to the freedom word, even each letter in the He-
the following subjects: Halachah
of the world. —M. L. Perlzweig. brew Bible considered sacred, as braces
(traditional religious law), Jewish His-
Emigration is a vital matter for God's own word, that in the King tory, Jewish Thought, Jewish Folklore.
In time, the School is destined to
James version the words for which change
Jewry. —Jakob Lestschinsky.
the spiritual character of
The Jewish people regards Con- a direct equivalent was lacking in TZAHAL to a great degree. It may be
that the School is a kind of Rab-
gress as its legitimate representa- the Hebrew were italicized. Thus, said
binical School for all Israeli youth.
while the predicate is verbally ab-
(Published by the Brit Ivrit Olamit,
tive. —Joseph Kastein.
with the assistance of the Memorial
Unfortunately the struggle far sent in the Hebrew but neverthe- Foundation
for Jewish Culture.)
Material is vowelized. Easy Hebrew
the rights of man consists of a less clearly undersood, the version
be obtained by writing Brit Ivrit
struggle between the rights of man. of King James, as is well known, can
Olamit, P.O. Box 7111, Jerusalem, Israel.
—F. R. Bienenfeld
`Genocide' means the death of a
T
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41,
race and 'homicide' the death of
individuals. —Nehemiah Robinson.
5";11. I7V
Our task will end with the last
few to be saved from anti-Semitic
barbarity. —Leon Kubowizki.
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Politically, I am a Liberal, but
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Jewish affairs I regard only from
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a Jewish point of view.
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—Eva Reading.
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Apart from the Zionist Con-
gresses no Jewish assembly has
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so important a mission to fulfill
as the World Jewish Congress.
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—Leon Feuchtwanger.
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And in spite of everything — nrxtg, n4711
we shall be victorious.
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—Ignatz Schwarzbart.
We have learned in past cen-
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turies to survive hard times. Now
we must learn the more difficult
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art of surviving easy times while
still remaining Jel,Vs.
—Nahum Goldmann.
It is in the unity of world Jewry
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that we shall find the strength
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both to defend our right in the
Diaspora, and to shape a free and
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worthWhile state in Israel.
—Israel M. Sieff. :n ,kt;ri
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We in the dispersion have two
courses of action: to make Israel
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the center of our interest and
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Jewish education the center of our
activities. —S. J. Roth.
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Persecution is far from being
only a Jewish problem — it is a
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fundamental threat to human jus-
tice and decency.
—Arieh Tartakower.
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No great thing in history would nint7iv
have been created if anybody
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could have foreseen the difficulties
which the creation of that thing
might entail. —Nahum Goldmann. 48—Friday, July 29, 1966
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

The Bible School
of Tzahal, Israel

Ideology of World Jewish Congress

(Continued from Page 1)
Representatives are expected
here from Hungary, Czechoslo-
vakia, Poland, Yugoslavia and Ro-
mania, making this the best repre-
sented world Jewish gathering
from the point of participation of
leaders from Iron Curtain coun-
tries. There will be delegates from
Tunisia whose attendance was ap-
proved by President Habib Bour-
guiba and from Algeria. Eli Weisel
and other noted writers will be
at the sessions.
A symposium on Jews and Ar-
abs will have as participants the
publisher of an Arab paper in
Tunisia and a non-Israeli Jew-
ish spokesman, in order to un-
derline that the Arab-Jewish
question is a world, not a strictly
Israeli, affair.
The Belgian section of the
World Jewish Congress is arrang-
ing hospitality and the Brussels
municipality and the Belgian gov-
ernment will be represented.
Communities to be represented
include the Congo, Rhodesia,
China, Japan, Ceylon, New Zea-
land, Iran, Hong Kong.

Quotations Ab out The
Idea and Idelogy of the
World Jewish Congress

Compiled by JOSEF FRAENKEL
I
Throughout the 2,000 years of
our dispersion our policy has been
without unified leadership. This is
in my belief our greatest misfor-
tune. —Theodor Herzl.
There is no policy more difficult
to shape than Jewish national
policy. —Max Nordau.
We must create a powerful in-
ternational organization embracing
all Jewish minorities throughout
the world. —Simon Dubnow.
We must have an organization
which will represent the Jewish
masses of the world and will not
be dominated by "notables."
—Leo Motzkin.
Like many other diseases anti-
Semitism is epidemic. It flies —
and with no fear of quarantine —
from one country to another.
Israel Zangwill.
Theoretically we are not iso-
lated, but in our suffering we
stand alone. —Nahum Sokolow.
We must do it by ourselves. By
ourselves — that means — Jews
for Jews and not Christians for
Jews. —Emil Ludwig.
Jews must present one face,
speak with one voice and possess
a common address. .
—Lion Feuchtwanger,

Full and real equality for Jews
in all countries • is an inalienable
right which the Jewish people will
not resign. —Stephen. S. Wise.
A forum must be created where
everyone can be called to account
for what he is or is not doing about
the Jewish question.
—Theodor Herzl.
The question of a national Jew-
ish policy in the Diaspora was dis-
cussed in Austria and Russia long
before Zionism became a political
movement. —Adolf Boehm.
The 19th Zionist Congress re-
gards the combining of all sections
of the Jewish people for the de-
fense of its rights . .. as urgently
necessary and sees in the World
Jewish Congress the most suitable
form for such representation.
(Unanimous resolution in Lucerne,
August 1935.)
II
The World Jewish CongreSs is
an organ of protection for the most
unprotected nation in the world.
—Simon Dubnow.
The Congress is not an end in
itself. —Louis D. Brandeis.
The Congress will unite all Jews
and all Jewries. —Julian W. Mack.
Jews are attacked as Jews, not
as French or British or American
Jews. —Stephen S. Wise.
The Jewish situation is, first
and foremost, a result of the gen-
eral world situation.
—Nahum Goldmann.
I -predict that we are approach-
ing an epoch of new crusades and
all kinds of mediaeval horror.
—Simon Dubnow.
The tragedy of Eastern Europe
is today the drama of Central
Europe. Tomorrow it might be-
come the fateful tragedy of West-
ern Europe. —Stephen S. Wise.
The Jewish people are indivis-
ible in Jewish matters.
—A. L. Easterman.
The Jewish people is one indis-
soluble whole, not only in space
but also in time.
—Aron Steinberg.
Only a strong central Jewish or-
ganization sponsored by the will of
the whole of Jewry, can master
the new problems of today and
tomorrow. —Gerhart M. Riegner.
For Jewish politicians know-
ledge of the Constitution itself is
not sufficient. One must also have
"sechel." —N. Baron.
The sincere Jew cannot make
peace with a reactionary govern-
ment. He must always side with
right and justice.
—Robert Stricken

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