Looking for a good English Torah commentary or a book on the weekly parasha? For a clear, discussion-friendly study of every parasha, start with Rabbi Shmuel Goldin's Unlocking the Torah Text. For short, warm weekly essays to read at the Shabbat table, try Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz's Torah From Zion. For serious text study, Onkelos on the Torah and The Book of Genesis with Insights and Commentary from 500 Sages and Mystics open up the classic commentators in English.
This guide sorts the Torah and Tanach books we carry by how you like to learn, whether that's a few pages before Shabbat, preparing a shiur, or working through Rashi line by line.
Quick picks
- For the Shabbat table: Torah From Zion by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz
- For leading a discussion or preparing a dvar Torah: Unlocking the Torah Text by Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
- For serious study of the classic commentators: Onkelos on the Torah by Israel Drazin and Stanley M. Wagner
- For learning how Rashi works: Rashi: The Magic and the Mystery by Avigdor Bonchek
- As a gift: The Book of Genesis with Insights and Commentary from 500 Sages and Mystics
- For Prophets and Writings in English: The Living Nach
1. The commentators on Genesis, gathered in one volume
The Book of Genesis with Insights and Commentary from 500 Sages and Mystics
Published by Gefen Publishing House
An exquisitely designed edition of Bereishit with a new foundational English translation and an anthology of commentaries spanning 33 centuries of Jewish learning, moral, legal, philosophical, mystical and psychological. It's full of illustrations, maps and infographics. It suits the English reader who wants direct access to the breadth of the commentators without needing the Hebrew, and its design makes it a natural gift.
2. Weekly parasha books: one portion at a time
Unlocking the Torah Text (five-volume boxed set)
By Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
A series of studies on each parsha. Every study opens with a brief summary of the narrative, then poses probing questions and works through them using traditional commentaries across the ages alongside original approaches. Rabbi Goldin draws a clear line between pshat (the straightforward meaning) and Midrash, and closes with connections to issues of our time. Because each study is built to spark further discussion, this is one of the most practical books for anyone giving a dvar Torah, leading a parsha class, or wanting a real conversation at the Shabbat table. Individual volumes, like Shmot and Vayikra, are also sold separately.
Torah From Zion
By Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz
Rabbi Rabinowitz has served as Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel since 1995, and these are his essays on the weekly parashah. Each one starts from something in the text that doesn't sit right, such as a strange juxtaposition or a law without an obvious reason, turns to the Talmud and midrash for an answer, and lands on everyday life: raising children, marriage, gratitude, responsibility for one another. The writing is warm and free of jargon, a few pages a week, which makes it an easy choice for beginners and for reading aloud at the Shabbat table.
Siman Labanim (two-volume set)
By Rabbi Eliezer Kashtiel
An English translation of Rav Kashtiel's popular shiurim on the weekly parasha. Rav Kashtiel is Rosh Yeshivah of the post-army program at Bnei David in Eli and a prominent religious Zionist voice in Israel. It's a good fit for readers who want parasha Torah in the style of an Israeli yeshiva, now available in English.
Torah Through a Zionist Vision (two volumes)
By Rabbi Avraham H. Feder
Rabbi Feder draws on halakhic and aggadic midrashim, medieval, modern and contemporary commentators, and contemporary authors to offer fresh insights on biblical figures and on themes like moral responsibility, Jewish peoplehood, the synagogue and humility. Its question is how to hear the Torah in the era of Israel's national renewal, for readers both in Israel and in the Diaspora. Volume one covers Bereishit and Shemot; volume two covers Vayikra, Bamidbar and Devarim.
Torat Ahava: Loving Torah (five-volume boxed set)
By Rabbi Avi Weiss
A thematic commentary built on one idea: that at its core, the Torah is a book of love. Rabbi Weiss, the founding rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, examines each Torah portion, exploring its people, stories and moral challenges and drawing on classical Jewish sources and his decades of teaching. There is one volume for each of the Five Books of Moses, so it works well as a companion to the weekly parasha, for lifelong learners, educators and rabbis alike.
3. Classic commentators made accessible: Onkelos, Rashi and close reading
Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text (boxed set)
By Israel Drazin and Stanley M. Wagner
Targum Onkelos, the Aramaic translation printed in every traditional Chumash, is often skipped by English readers. This five-volume set gives an English translation of the Targum with an English commentary that explains where and why Onkelos departs from a literal rendering. The edition also includes the Hebrew Masoretic text, vocalized Onkelos and Rashi, the haftarot with an English translation from the Aramaic Targumim, a scholarly appendix and "Beyond the Text" essays on biblical themes. It's best for intermediate and advanced learners, and its full text and haftarot make it usable in shul as well. Individual volumes, such as Deuteronomy, are also available.
Rashi: The Magic and the Mystery
By Avigdor Bonchek
From the author of What's Bothering Rashi?, this book sets out clear methodological principles for understanding Rashi's Torah commentary. Why does Rashi define simple words? Why does he change the wording of the midrashim he quotes? How do his goals differ from the Midrash's, and why does he sometimes disagree with his grandson Rashbam? With many examples and a brief biography of Rashi, it's ideal for students, teachers and anyone who reads Rashi every week and wants to understand what he's doing.
In the Beginnings
By David Harbater
A close reading of the first eleven chapters of Genesis arguing that beneath the surface there are two beginnings: two accounts of creation followed by two parallel narratives, each with its own view of God, humanity, and the relationship between man and woman. The book is written for readers whether they hold a traditional or a critical view of the Torah's origins. It's best for experienced readers who enjoy literary analysis and a fresh look at familiar text.
4. Beyond the Torah: Prophets and Writings in English
The Living Nach (three volumes)
By Yaakov Elman
A clear, modern English translation of Nach based on traditional Jewish sources, continuing the approach of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's The Living Torah, with explanatory notes, maps, a bibliography and an index. Volume 1 covers the Early Prophets (Joshua through Kings), Volume 2 the Later Prophets, and Volume 3 the Writings, including Tehillim, Mishlei, Iyov and the Five Megillot. It's a readable starting point for the haftarah, the Megillot, or a first pass through Tanach.
Da'ath Sofrim: Joshua–Judges
By Rabbi Chaim Dov Rabinowitz
Rabbi Rabinowitz's comprehensive commentary on the books of Joshua and Judges, part of his Da'ath Sofrim commentary on the Hebrew Bible. This volume combines a complete English translation of each verse with detailed, phrase-by-phrase commentary, drawing on traditional Jewish interpretation and rooted in the classical commentators, to give context for the events, personalities and teachings of these two books of the Prophets. Choose it when you want depth on Joshua and Judges, for individual study or the classroom.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good English Torah commentary for beginners?
Torah From Zion is the gentlest place to start: short, jargon-free essays, one per parashah. If you'd like more structure, Unlocking the Torah Text summarizes each portion before asking its questions, so you don't need to know the text well in advance.
What's the best book for discussing the parasha at the Shabbat table?
Unlocking the Torah Text is built around questions meant to encourage discussion, and Torah From Zion is short enough to read aloud.
How can I study Rashi and Onkelos in English?
For Onkelos, Onkelos on the Torah gives an English translation and commentary alongside the Hebrew text and Rashi. For Rashi, Rashi: The Magic and the Mystery teaches the principles behind his comments.
What's a good Torah gift for a bar mitzvah, wedding or new home?
A beautifully designed volume or a boxed set makes a lasting gift. The illustrated Book of Genesis, the Unlocking the Torah Text boxed set, and the five-volume Onkelos on the Torah set are all good options.
Want to browse more? See our full Torah & Tanach collection.