{"title":"Bible Commentary - Literary Approach","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"within-the-song-to-live","title":"Within the Song to Live","description":"\u003cp\u003eOn March 12, 2004, at the age of eighty, the beloved poet Natan Yonatan passed away. One of the most exclusive and most significant voices of modern Hebrew poetry died out. Before his death, Natan Yonatan started working on his book Within The Song To Live, a bi-lingual, Hebrew- English edition, which Gefen Publishing House is proud to publish. The book is a representative selection of poems chosen by the poet in order to introduce his poetry to English speaking readers. The poetry is read, sung and quoted in Israel at times of celebrations and memorials and it enjoys an incomparable popularity. The poet opted for a bilingual edition of his work for the sake of speakers and lovers of Hebrew who live in English speaking countries. He entrusted the work of translating his poetry to Ms. Janice Rebibo, who began this task as far back as 1997. The book includes a CD with a selection of Natan Yonatan's composed poems that have been turned into popular folk songs. The songs are performed by The Brothers and The Sisters, one of Israel's top folk groups. The CD includes eleven songs, three of which are performed both in English and in Hebrew.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Natan Yonatan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336240189750,"sku":null,"price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i27330.10627.jpg?v=1785305508"},{"product_id":"the-song-of-songs-a-woman-in-love","title":"The Song of Songs: A Woman in Love","description":"\u003cp\u003eA love poem as old as the Bible, as contemporary as today… One love poem–the Bible’s Song of Songs – continues to be read and to inspire after thousands of years. Using the best of biblical scholarship and sharp literary analysis, Benjamin Segal’s new translation and commentary reveal a picture of ideal love so appealing that it became for centuries the monotheistic model of human-divine attachment. Here one also finds a rare ancient effort to capture the female voice. Segal’s literary analysis captures the pulsating rhythm of the poem,and allows the reader to confront its ever-contemporary and challenging view of love. Reviews: “A delight for laymen and scholars alike. The Song of Songs sings again, as the ancient biblical voice - possibly that of a woman - is rediscovered in a unified reading of the poem. By creating a literal translation that reflects word and root repetition, the author opens up the Song of Songs to today's readers. Tracing the interplay of form and content, Benjamin Segal reveals a complex and delightful love poem, allowing readers to enjoy both an earlier esthetic and ever-contemporary challenges. Well based in modern scholarship, this is a wonderful new commentary, a valuable addition to our understanding of this Poem of Poems.” – Professor Bezalel Porten , Hebrew University of Jerusalem “I love this book! Segal’s translation and commentary is right on the mark. He skillfully makes the book's Hebrew poetry accessible to english readers...;this translation is authentic in ways that many others are not. Segal's commentary and essays on the book are truly masterful, illustrating aspects of the book that readers not attuned to biblical poetry might otherwise miss and making a strong case for his claim that this book's voluptuous depiction of love and physical ractions, albeit within bounds, fits nicely into how the rest of the Bible understands these themes. A true triumph of scholarship and love.” – Rabbi Elliot Dorff, PhD , American Jewish University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benjamin Segal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336497353014,"sku":"g445n \/ 445-6","price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i63797.56301.jpg?v=1785307671"},{"product_id":"double-take","title":"Double Take","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jesse Horn","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336719683894,"sku":null,"price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i224347.14304.jpg?v=1785311493"},{"product_id":"song-of-riddles","title":"Song of Riddles","description":"\u003cp\u003eSong of Riddles is an inquiry into the meaning behind the metaphors that animate the Song of Songs, based on a wide range of source materials and scholarship. The core question prompting this inquiry into the Song of Songs is whether, given the opaque literary confines of the text, it is possible to access the Song’s intended subtext, using the text itself as a guide in uncovering its underlying theological message. The nexus between metaphor and meaning in the Song lies at the point at which the three planes of dream-fantasies, riddles, and love wisdom intersect. Understanding how the Song functions simultaneously on these independent trajectories is the first step toward arriving at the concealed meaning of the Song’s seemingly impenetrable metaphors. The research presented in this book demonstrates the Song to be part of the rare literary genre of riddles and points to the two lovers in the Song as hinting to the Temple keruvim. These angelic figurines were the sequestered keepers of the Holy Ark and the Divine law, as well as the representatives of the nation of Israel before the Divine presence. The approach to understanding the Song presented in Song of Riddles seamlessly and authentically merges the traditional rabbinic allegorical approach to the Song with the plain sense of the text. Newcomers to the Song will gain a thorough understanding of the book, and veteran readers will benefit from her novel suggestions and interpretations. Twersky’s book is a wonderful read for all those looking to carve out space for an adult reading of the Bible. TAMMY JACOBOWITZ timesofisrael.com, February 26, 2020 To see the entire review click here.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Geula Twersky","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336754581814,"sku":"g908 \/ 908-6","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i229655.87745.jpg?v=1785311875"},{"product_id":"rooted-in-torah","title":"Rooted in Torah","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe brilliance of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's Torah commentary is now available in brief, accessible essays, conveniently organized around the weekly Torah portion, the Torah readings for each festival, and other special Torah readings. All of R. Hirsch’s depth, his understanding of human nature and relationships, his inspired analysis of Hebrew language, shines from every page. Whether you are looking for an idea about the weekly parasha or a topic to discuss at the table on Shabbat or yom tov, this volume is an essential resource. Those who are interested in the Hebrew words that underlie each essay will especially enjoy R. Hirsch’s analysis of the key words from the Torah verses discussed. This is in keeping with R. Hirsch’s conviction that learning Torah cannot be separated from an understanding of the words of Torah. These grammatical explanations are found in the shaded area of the text. The essays in this volume are drawn from Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's Torah commentary and other writings. The topics were carefully selected by Rabbi Matityahu Clark, a longtime devotee of R. Hirsch and author of The Etymological Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew, a comprehensive guide to the roots of Hebrew words in Tanach, based entirely on the methodology of R. Hirsch.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Matityahu Clark","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337064993078,"sku":"7023-17 \/ g7317","price":32.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i293568.69808.jpg?v=1785315933"},{"product_id":"through-the-prism","title":"Through the Prism","description":"\u003cp\u003eSefer Bereishit — the Book of Genesis—relates the stories of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. So little is known about their struggles and achievements, and their spiritual stature is beyond our comprehension. Nonetheless, the Torah invites each reader to attempt to understand – inasmuch as the text allows – the motivations and emotions of these great men and women so we may come to understand ourselves and strive to emulate them. Learning Torah must, first and foremost, begin with careful and close reading. Here to aid the English-speaker with such study, Through the Prism is an original inquiry framed by observations from the great classic commentators as well as more recent scholars. This book is aimed at the intelligent English-speaking adult who has some functional Hebrew skills. Transliterations and translations facilitate understanding of the issues at hand in the original biblical Hebrew text. No translation can capture the full range of nuance and meaning of the original, yet this book attempts to transmit some of the richness of the language of the Torah – its allusions as well as its wordplay – so that the reader can begin to appreciate the unplumbed depths of its messages.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Esther Shkop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337105461558,"sku":"7023-59","price":19.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i298258.10863.jpg?v=1785316256"},{"product_id":"double-take-2","title":"DOUBLE TAKE 2","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe primary goal in publishing this work is to teach Torah and further Yiras Shamayim, both to educate and inspire.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jesse Horn","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337123975478,"sku":"98-802271 \/ d802271","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i304986.83157.jpg?v=1785316694"},{"product_id":"the-book-of-esther","title":"The Book of Esther","description":"\u003cp\u003eFew volumes reflect understandings as varied as that of the Book of Esther. Embraced by many but disliked by others, it has constantly engaged its readers in new dialogue. On each reading, one is again drawn to the issues it confronts: family dynamics intergroup relations celebration armed resistance heroism sexual politics the nature of historical truth and much more. This commentary is framed by the equally fascinating story of the book’s changing interpretations.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benjamin Segal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337182236982,"sku":"7801-09","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i317089.26064.jpg?v=1785317490"},{"product_id":"in-the-beginnings","title":"In the Beginnings","description":"\u003cp\u003eJust when it seemed that nothing substantially new can be said or written about the first part of Genesis, In the Beginnings presents it in a dramatic new light. Through a close and careful reading of the first eleven chapters of Genesis, this book shows convincingly that hidden beneath the surface of the text, there is not one beginning, but rather two beginnings. Two accounts of creation are followed by two parallel narratives that reflect two distinct and at times competing worldviews regarding the nature of God, of human beings, of our role in the world, of the relationship between the man and the woman, and much more. Whether one accepts the traditional or the critical view of the Torah’s origins, In the Beginnings is a vivid and powerful testimony to the Torah’s depth, richness, and multivocality, with profound implications for the ways it is to be understood and lived in our day. Reviews David Harbater has written an astounding book; in many ways, it is one of a kind.… He dissolves the binary absolute clash between the religious Jewish Bible reader and the non-religious reader. I urge all readers to suspend their standard assumptions and convictions, to ignore standing party lines, and open up to learn Genesis 1–11 with a master teacher, one who is an inspired reader with a thousand theological insights. You will be rewarded with new insight after new insight that will inspire and dazzle and drive you to read the Torah with fresh eyes. Yitz Greenberg Leading American theologian and rabbi; author of The Jewish Way, For the Sake of Heaven and Earth, and Th e Triumph of Life (Jewish Publication Society, 2024) You may have studied the first chapters of Genesis many times before, but once you have read David Harbater’s groundbreaking and captivating book In the Beginnings, it will seem as though you are studying them for the very first time. Micah Goodman Best-selling author of Catch-67 and The Wondering Jew Whether you come to this book from a traditional view of the Bible’s origins or a more critical one, you will emerge enriched by Harbater’s central argument of a multifaceted text and often delighted by his abundant insight into the text’s nuances and its complex messages. Ultimately, In the Beginnings is a work of faith – in the depth and sophistication of the biblical word and in the Torah’s timeless relevance. Judy Klitsner International lecturer, author of the National Jewish Book Award–winning Subversive Sequels in the Bible With surgical precision, Harbater splits the integrated story into its two component parts, which are now vividly presented to us as they stand juxtaposed with one another. Th is intriguing disentanglement of the text will enrich the spiritual world of the readers and their appreciation that “these and those are the words of the living God.” Avigdor Shinan Professor emeritus of Hebrew literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; author of over twenty books on the Bible and ancient Judaism\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"David Harbater","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337309344054,"sku":"7801-20","price":26.1,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i332531.57912.jpg?v=1785318543"},{"product_id":"torat-ahava-loving-torah","title":"Torat Ahava Loving Torah (Boxed Set)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe title of this thematic commentary on the Torah, Torat Ahavah: Loving Torah, has a twofold message. First, “loving” can be read as a verb, reflecting my passion for Torah. In the words of the Psalmist, “How I love Your Torah, I meditate on it all day long” (Psalms 119:97). Second, “loving” can be seen as an adjective, reflecting what, for me, is the foundation of Torah. At its core, Torah is a book of love. Each letter expresses God’s infinite love for His people and for humankind.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Avi Weiss","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337317962038,"sku":"7023-57","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i335531.37821.jpg?v=1785318735"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.gefenpublishing.com\/collections\/bible-commentary-literary-approach.oembed","provider":"Gefen Publishing House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}