{"title":"Ecclesiastes and the Book of Esther","description":null,"products":[{"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":"kohelets-pursuit-of-truth","title":"Kohelet's Pursuit of Truth","description":"\u003cp\u003eEcclesiastes is “the greatest single piece of literature I have known,” wrote Thomas Wolfe. So controversial that it was almost withdrawn from circulation, the book’s depth won out, and it continues to engage readers to this day as its narrator moves from the anguish of an unrequited search for truth to a recommendation of joy. Perhaps more than any ancient work, Ecclesiastes is designed to empower the reader, emphasizing challenges rather than answers. Benjamin Segal's translation and literary commentary is arrestingly new. Its most striking innovations include the tracing of change within the book, an exploration of the character of the main speaker, an appreciation of the literary structure, and a sensitivity to the varied voices of the main speaker in this retrospective novelette.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benjamin Segal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336742555958,"sku":"892-8 \/ g892","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i225564.4623.jpg?v=1785311579"},{"product_id":"the-book-of-ruth","title":"The Book of Ruth","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Book of Ruth is one of the most appealing to modern biblical interpreters, touching as it does on so many subjects of current concern: the emergence of female equality, the significance of legal evolvement, the acceptance of the “outsider,” to name a few.. Benjamin Segal, author of earlier biblical commentaries (on the Song of Songs, Psalms, and Ecclesiastes,) here undertakes the difficult and controversial task of deciphering the original literary import of this exciting engaging book. Following a verse- by- verse commentary, this volume offers a new overview of the Book of Ruth, framed as: a series of revolutionary changes described via a once-upon-a-time ideal:, a former time when all seemed perfect, if only for a moment. At that time and place, women assumed an equal role in societal leadership, foreigners were to be accepted and welcomed. Historical precedents represented faults to be overcome (rather than permanent stains), the law bent yielded to humane societal concerns , kindness was rewarded, and God'’s will was carried out by men and women. Rabbi Segal suggests that in each case the book text itself indicates that change did not endure. As is true in idealistic literatures of other societies, Every two steps forward brought one step back (as is the case in idealistic literatures of other societies). However, biblical tradition would never be the same, as a glimpse of the ideal moment became a permanent cultural inheritance. Historical idyll became ongoing challenge. This commentary is an invitation to the reader to reenter the dialogue between modernity and ideals.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benjamin Segal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337039040822,"sku":"7023-27 g7327","price":12.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i287514.95173.jpg?v=1785315530"},{"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":"lamentations-doorway-to-darkness","title":"Lamentations Doorway to Darkness","description":"\u003cp\u003eLamentations – a Book Born, Written, and Preserved in Pain The biblical Book of Lamentations, a historical reflection of Israel's first loss of national independence, uniquely confronts despondency, anger, suffering, belief, and disconsolation. These eternal challenges made it a book for all generations, occupying a unique niche in the evolution of Jewish thought, and seen as a foretelling of all future difficulties. This literary commentary explores the tensions and dynamics of this masterpiece, poetry of the highest order. Comments on Rabbi Segal’s previous commentaries: On Ecclesiastes – I’ve read every commentary on Kohelet I could find. Segal’s is the most insightful, most lucid, most persuasive one I have ever read. Rabbi Harold Kushner , author On Psalms A new and refreshing look at this wonderful treasure…brings the psalms’ beauty, joy, ethos, and pathos to the modern reading public. Wallace Greene , for Jewish Book Council On Song of Songs – A delight for laymen and scholars alike. The Song of Songs sings again. Professor Bezalel Porten, Hebrew University Engagingly written, lucid, fresh and judicious.… An excellent combination of biblical scholarship and sensitivity to the moral issues of our day. Professor Shalom Paul, Hebrew University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Benjamin Segal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337327989046,"sku":"780158","price":16.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i339453.99522.jpg?v=1785319000"},{"product_id":"a-guide-for-life-through-the-eyes-of-the-book-of-esther","title":"A Guide For Life Through the Eyes of the Book of Esther","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Torah connects the upper and lower worlds, linking the people of Israel below with the heavenly realms above. The Torah is clothed in narratives that allow its holiness to be revealed in this world. The Book of Esther (Megillat Esther) is a prophetic text, written with divine inspiration, containing both revealed and hidden wisdom. All its narratives—like Ahasuerus’s feast and Haman’s downfall—are not mere stories but are garments concealing profound lessons that magnify the miracle of Purim and serve as examples for transformation and personal growth in our lives. Rabbi Moshe Isserles (the Rema), renowned for his commentaryon Jewish law, systematically analyzed Megillat Esther in his work Mechir Yayin, uncovering treasures of allegories and hidden meanings.This book, built on his insights, is divided into two sections: teachings based on the Rema’s work and a detailed sentence-by-sentence analysis of the text. The latter also serves as a study guide for a deeper understanding of the Megillah and can be used to follow along with the public reading on the holiday. About the Author Mordechai Hasofer was born and raised in Australia. He has a diverse educational background, having studied at the Rabbinical College of Australia and New Zealand in Melbourne, Australia, as well as completing studies in mechanical engineering and chemistry at NSW Technical College. He was among the pioneers of HACCP food quality consulting in Australia and subsequently served as the manager of ingredients and food production for Harav Moshe Yehudah Leib Landa, ztz”l, the chief rabbi of Bnei Brak, for 25 years. In this capacity, he oversaw the setup and approval of production facilities and food ingredients for some of the largest food companies in Israel and internationally, including Coca-Cola and Strauss Ice Cream. This role required extensive collaboration with leading international kosher certification bodies. In addition to his professional responsibilities, he is regularly invited to deliver lectures on kosher food production, both in Israel and internationally. He also provides consulting services to various kosher certification and information bodies, specializing in ingredient analysis and the establishment of kosher production facilities.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mordechai Hasofer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337342898486,"sku":"7801-82","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i347242.10361.jpg?v=1785319419"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.gefenpublishing.com\/collections\/ecclesiastes-and-the-book-of-esther.oembed","provider":"Gefen Publishing House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}