Unlocking the Torah Text, An In-Depth Journey Into The Weekly Torah Portion: Devarim by Samuel Goldin, Gefen Publishing House, Jerusalem; ISBN 978-965-229-526-2 ©2014, $29.95, p. 382, plus sources and index
By Fred Reiss, Ed.D.
WINCHESTER, California–The fifth of the Five Books of Moses, called in Hebrew Devarim and in English the Book of Deuteronomy, is Moses’ farewell address to the Israelites, whom he has been leading since the Exodus. As such, Deuteronomy primarily recapitulates the events of the previous four decades, together with additional laws and admonishments, perhaps something akin to a combination family history and ethical will.
The Book of Deuteronomy is a curious book in that many of the stories that Moses tells in this book differ in notable ways from the stories narrated in the Books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers. Now, if you or I were to repeat a story and details here or there changed from the first time we told it, some might attribute the reason to selective memory, or even creative embellishment. Here, however, we are talking about Moses, the man who wrote the Books of Moses, according to traditional Judaism, as God dictated it to him. So, how can there be discrepancies? In addition, Moses presents new laws to the Israelites, laws never before mentioned in his previous books. What’s going on here?
Samuel Goldin, an Orthodox trained rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation Ahavath Torah in Englewood, New Jersey, scrutinizes the peshat, the literal meaning, of the Book of Deuteronomy one weekly portion at a time. Goldin does not attempt to sweep inconvenient variations in the narratives under the proverbial rug. Indeed, Goldin begins Unlocking the Torah Text with the question, “Who is the author of the book of Devarim, God or Moshe?” To answer this and other questions, Goldin calls on traditional Jewish sources, such as the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds, as well as both ancient and modern Jewish rabbis and scholars. To broaden his readers’ perspectives, Goldin uses sources that disagree with each other as much as they agree.
His clear and straightforward answers also lead to engaging tangents and digressions, which further instruct and enlighten the reader. For example, in Parsha Ekev (Deut. 7:12-11:25), Moses’ admonition to the Israelites that success in conquering and retaining the Land of Canaan depends on “their continued obedience to God’s law,” leads Goldin to examine the idea of making a blessing, and in a particularly instructive excursion, how Judaism copes with theodicy—the concept of why a benevolent God allows evil to flourish?
Each parsha, portion of the week, begins with a parsha summary, the context of the parsha, and a set of questions, followed by various approaches to answering them. For Goldin, some portions of the week contain so many conundrums that multiple chapters on the same portion are required. Many of the chapters end with a section entitled “Points to Ponder,” which gives Goldin an opportunity to raise personally troubling issues.
Goldin makes a significant contribution toward understanding a number of questions raised by literal readings in the Book of Deuteronomy. Unlocking the Torah Text is appropriate for lay readers and is a valuable source of material and thought starters for religious leaders of all stripes.
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Dr. Fred Reiss is a retired public and Hebrew school teacher and administrator. He is the author of The Standard Guide to the Jewish and Civil Calendars; Ancient Secrets of Creation: Sepher Yetzira, the Book that Started Kabbalah, Revealed; and a fiction book, Reclaiming the Messiah. The author can be reached via fred.reiss@sdjewishworld.com.