Title: Unlocking the Torah Text Bereishit: An In-depth Journey into the Weekly Parsha,Moshe Aumann

Title: Unlocking the Torah Text Bereishit: An In-depth Journey into the Weekly Parsha

Author: Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Publisher: Gefen Publishing House

In essence, this book is a compilation of the writings of our classic Torah commentators of various periods, together with the author's own thoughts, in a systematic and well-structured - and, at the same time, highly readable - effort to come to grips with the many difficulties and puzzlements that present themselves as we study text.

The words "systematic" and "structured" are used advisedly. As a glance at the book's Table of Contents will reveal, in each parshah of Bereishit, Rabbi Goldin opens with a brief summary of the parshah, followed by a discussion of four or five selected themes of particular interest. Each opens with a few words giving the context of the theme, followed by a series of searching and often challenging questions that are then dealt with by the presentation of various approaches as suggested by our sages and Bible commentators.

Rabbi Goldin performs his task with consummate skill and in a style of writing that will appeal both to the scholar and to the ordinary reader interested in gaining an insight into the Torah text. The result is a grand tapestry of pshat and drash, classic exegesis and original thought, biblical narrative and issues facing our own society today.

The author's accent on the self-characterization of Avraham Avinu as "a stranger and a citizen" (ger v'toshav), with all that this dichotomy implies in terms of Avraham's own circumstances and ours today - a theme to which Goldin returns again and again - will not easily be forgotten by this reader. Likewise, his designation of Yitzchak as "the first 'survivor' in Jewish history" and "a paradigm of Jewish martyrdom across the ages" . . . and of Yosef as the first of our biblical role models in relation to whom "God is silent" are memorable. And yet, "Yosef sees God's hidden hand in all that transpires as he struggles to define his divinely ordained role in a turbulent and frightening world."

Equally unforgettable is this ringing statement on the power of words (as part of the discussion on Yitzchak's controversial paternal blessings): ". . . there is strength in every spoken word. Words make a difference, affecting the people and the world around us for better or for worse . . . God created the world with His word, and we were created in His image, with the power to build or destroy with our words."

If it's humor you want, you'll find some of that too. Here, for example, is how he neatly sums up the difference between Yaakov's dream at the start of his exile and the dream he has at the end: "When you stop dreaming of angels and start dreaming of sheep, it's time to go home."

While we're on the credit side of the ledger, mention should be made of an excellent introduction, which (for once) should be looked at by the reader, because it does a good job of setting the stage for what follows. The author is also to be commended for his 14-gage alphabetical survey of Sources at the end of the book, containing thumbnail word-sketches of the rabbis and commentators cited in the book - an education in itself! The liberal use of cross-references within the text of the book is also helpful. It is good to have an index - though this one is far from complete. For example, two figures cited quite prominently in the book - the Netziv and Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz - fail to turn up in the index.

On the subject of style, one could question Rabbi Goldin's repeated use of the term pashut pshat - a kind of Yiddishism (poshuter pshat) that would probably be better rendered as pshat pashut, or simply pshat.

The truth is, however, that these are minor faults, and, viewing the book as a whole, they are few and far between. In any case, they pale in comparison to the powerful messages that emanate from the sacred Torah text - with the inspired and inspiring analysis and interpretation that has been performed in this volume.

This reviewer set out on his task with the clear intention of composing his critique on the basis of a partial perusal of Goldin's 300-pager - and wound up reading the book from cover to cover! That's one down, and four to go. And, if Volume I is any indication, the sequels that await us should prove a genuine treat.

Moshe Aumann is a former Israeli Minister-Counselor for Relations with the Christian Churches, Washington, D.C.

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