72 Friday, November 27, 1981 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Plaut's 'The Torah: A Modern Commentary' Fills Reform Void By RICHARD C. HERTZ (Editor's note: Rabbi Hertz is senior rabbi at Temple Beth El and a member of the faculty at the University of Detroit.) "Monumental" is the only adjective to describe the new modern commentary of the Torah edited by Rabbi W. Gunther Plaut of To- ronto and published by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. The commentary has been a long time in coming. More than 17 years ago, Rabbi Plant and Rabbi Ber- nard J. Bamberger of New York embarked on the proj- ect. Bamberger died re- cently, being able to finish only one of the five commen- taries, his superb Commen- tary on Leviticus. What does this commen- tary do? Whom is it for? What is different about it? Why another commentary? These and a host of other questions came to mind in perusing for the first time this massive reference book, 1,787 pages long, printed very legibly on ultra-thin paper. This commentary on the Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses, covers the first five books of the Hebrew Bi- ble. Both the traditional and the modern point of view in biblical exegesis are noted, though as is obvious from the background of the editors, and where they are coming from, their enor- mous scholarship — ar- chelogical, linguistic, an- thropological. and other- wise — means that their in- terpretation of Scripture is from the liberal point of RABBI HERTZ view rather than the fun- damentalist. Without going into detail over the Graf and Wel- lhausen expositions, Plaut's modern commentary as- sumes that the Torah can be treated as one book, de- clared a sacred text by offi- cial canonization about the year 400 BCE. What Plant and his colleagues are in- terested in is what the Torah text meant origi- nally, what it has come to mean, and what can it mean to people today. W. Gunther Plant de- serves great credit for se- eing this project through many difficulties and post- ponements. He wrote the commentary to four of the five books. The translation used is the New Jewish Ver- sion published by the Jewish Publication Society in 1967. In addition, each individual book's commen- tary is introduced with an interesting, highly inform- ative essay by the distin- guished Yale professor, Dr. William W. -Hallo. Besides this introduction, Books from Bar-Ilan Press RAMAT GAN— Bar-Ilan University's publishing program has been stepped up with the appearance of several new titles. Among the new books in English are: "Hungary and the Jews, Policy and Legislation 1920-1943" by Prof. Nathaniel Katzburg. The book is concerned with Hungarian-Jewish rela- tions before and during World War II. Its center of focus is official Hungarian policy towards the Jews, and particularly anti- Jewish legislation. "Three Sulgi Hymns" by Dr. Jacob Klein. King Sulgi, the most outstanding ruler of the Sumerian Ur III Dynasty (ca. 2094-2047 BCE), is depicted by his court poets as a unique combination of military hero, charismatic political leader, sage and ardent patron of arts and science. The book contains English translations of the hymns and scholarly introductions. "Contemporary Israeli Music, Its Sources and Stylistic Development" by Prof. Zvi Keren. This book aims at explaining the workings of the major factors which have influ- enced contemporary Is- raeli music, such as the music of the Orient, 131- blical cantillation, West- ern music and Jewish folk tunes. Original material was obtained through interviews with composers, musical educators and musicologists in Israel. "Aesthetic Expericnce in Creative Process" by Prof. M. Alexenberg. Twenty of the most prominent artists and scientists in the U.S. were asked to describe in- tense esthetic experiences in their creative work. The transcriptions of these in- sightful interviews form the core of this book. the Hebrew text then fol- lows with the translation, together with textual notes appearing below and im- mediately following the text. These notes give the "p- lain meaning" of words and sentences without going into deeper interpretations, and give the reader some explanations about terms, names, references to other biblical books, and brief no- tations on linguistic diffi- culties. The Plaut Commentary then gives a brief essay ac- companying each unit to bring some relevancy to the theme of each section. The "Gleanings" ap- pended to each section culls from world literature var- ious selections that have a bearing on the text, includ- ing ancient Jewish texts, Midrash and even some Christian and Moslem sour- cebooks. A few maps help identify important geo- graphical places. One unique innovation to this commentary is the way the exposition is presented and grouped around ideas rather than verse by verse. For example, the commen- tary on Genesis begins with the prologue: the creation of man (Gen. 1:1 - 2:3). Man in Eden then continues 2:4-24. The expulsion from Eden is covered by 2:25 - 3:24. In other words, the Com- mentary does not end the story with the end of a chap- ter, for the Torah is not tra- ditionally broken up into chapters that begin and end an idea. Many times, a nar- rative will run over into the next chapter before begin- ning with a new idea. The Plaut Commentary, on the other hand, begins and ends each specific story or theme in logical units. The traditional Massoretic chapter separations done in the Middle Ages were an of- ficial device that made it convenient to identify specific chapters and verses by number. • Plaut's is-a much more pragmatic approach. When a story ends, another then begins, whether it is the first verse of a chapter or in the middle of a chapter. These subdivisions give recognition to the content of Scripture, dividing it ac- cording to the narrative theme that makes the break up of chapters and verses easier for the reader to ap- preciate. Since each book is divided into several major parts, the number of traditional chap- ter divisions is exceeded. But this only makes for more interesting study than the way Medieval Christian scholars separated the text into chapter and verse. What is different about the Plant Commentary' than the others which have appeared in English? The two other one-volume English commentaries are the so-called "Soncino Humash," which appeared in 1947 under the editorship of the Rev. Dr. A. Cohen, and the "Pentateuch and Haftorahs" edited in 1936 by the late Chief Rabbi of the British Empire, Dr. Joseph H. Hertz. Both vol- RABBI PLAUT umes were published by the ments based on the classical Soncino Press. The Hertz Commentary is Jewish commentaries, but a monumental piece of work without the exegetical notes drawing upon the tradi- or the illustrations and tional commentaries but sermonic comments supplied verse-by-verse in adding Hertz's own holileti- cal and illustrative mate- the Hertz commentary. Many of the commen- rials to the comments verse-by-verse as well as taries cited by A. Cohen are brief essays at the end of the traditional medieval each book of the Pen- commentaries, such as the tateuch. His view of higher "Mikrot Gedolot" which, of criticism of Scripture asso- course, have a medieval ciated with Wellhausen's flavor. Rashi, Ibn Ezra, Biblical Criticism is what Rashbam, Nachmonides, Kimchi and other ex- Dr. Hertz himself called "a perversion of history and a positors are the ones most desecration of religion." frequently quoted by Co- hen. Obviously, then, his grand The need, therefore, for a one-volume commentary re- flects a point of view not ac- modern commentary that would appeal to modern Re- ceptable to liberal Reform form Jews has been appar- Jews. ent for a long time. The Cohen "Soncino Orthodoxy believes that Humash" is even more the Torah literally was limited than Hertz's com- given to Moses on Sinai, as mentary. It contains the was the Oral Law and its Hebrew text and English interpretation of Torah. Re- translations, with com- form Judaism views the Isaiah is the foremost name among the prophers..4 member of the royal household tn Jerusalem, he preached for some forts wars in the latter part of the eighth century B.C.E.. warning king and people to trust God rather than the nught of their armies. Though Ismah's name is attached to the whole book, chapters 40 to 66 sternfrom an unknown later prophet of exilic times. The opening of the Book of Deuteronomy shows Moses placing the story of his people into the context of God's providence. The leader reproves Israel time and again and so does Isaiah in his sermons. The haftarah is always read on the Sabbath before the ninth day of A , (Tishah 6' /Iv) which ts known as Shabbat Cha:on. after the first word of the text. Torah not unlike the other books of Scripture, as writ- ten by man searching for God, striving to know God and about God . . . not a, book written by God for man, but written by man about God. This fundamental dis- tinction between Orthodoxy and Reform is basic to understanding how to_ inter-pret Scripture. Fun- dainentalists, whether they be Christian or Jewish, be- lieve the Bible is the actual word of God, spoken by God to man and to be observed literally just as it is written. Liberals, whether they be Christian or Jewish, believe the Bible was written by man about God, in search for God, and in the process touched by God's spirit. The new commentary edited by W. Gunther Plaut fills the need for a liberal interpretation of what the Torah means to moderns. Its scholarship, its monu- mental insights into the To- rah, are to be understood as being a major contribution to modern Jewish life. It's a big book for everyone, a reference book, an encyclopedia of the Torah to study over and over again. Reform Jews, Conservative Jews and even Orthodox Jews will find much in 'the Plaut Commentary to make it in- valuable for understanding what the Torah means to modern Jews. HAFTARAH 'Devarirn Isaiah 1 : 17 27 Chapter 1 I] The prophecies of Isaiah son of Amoz, who prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the reigns of Czziah. Jotham. Ahaz. and Heze- kiah, kings of Judah. give ear, 0 earth, For the LORD has spoken: "I reared children and brought them up— And they have rebelled against Me! 2] Hear. 0 heavens: and 3] An or knows its owner, An ass its master's crib: Israel does not know, 1 ■ 1) people takes no thought." • 4] Ah, sinful nation! People laden with iniquity! Brood of evildoers! Depraved children! They have forsaken the Loan, Spurned the Holy One of Israel, Turned their backs [on Him]. Why do you seek further beatings, That 3 ou continue to offend? 51 A page from the Plaut Commentary (smaller than actual size).