By Sheila Orysiek
SAN DIEGO–There are entire libraries containing books written as commentaries on the Torah (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible). Many are difficult for the lay reader to access. Some are densely written in very small font, heavily notated and footnoted. Layout can be problematic; Bible verse and relevant commentary intersecting or far apart.
Often the writer assumes a fairly high degree of scholarship on the part of the reader and the text seems to be written from a mountain top and aimed at those inhabiting a similar mountain top. For those of us well down in the valley, like me, it makes for sore eyes, confusing connection between verse and commentary but even more important: difficult to apply to everyday life.
Rabbi Pruzansky has written a very attractive commentary The Jewish Ethic of Personal Responsibility, Vol. 1,” (Gefen Publishing, 2014), covering the first two books of the Hebrew Bible: Breisheet (Genesis) and Shemot (Exodus). Each biblical book is divided into the sections – “portions” – as they are studied week by week through the Hebrew year. The specific verses are enumerated and highlighted in bold lettering. The font as a whole is clean and clear and while there are a few footnotes, the text is not cluttered nor dense. It is easy on the eyes and inviting to the reader.
Better yet, the commentary is easily understood. The Rabbi looks at each verse through the lens of how that verse might affect the “ordinary” human being in daily life. He presents not only various ways of interpreting the verse, but how in actually going about our activities and interacting with one another, we can enhance our lives and our connection to our family and the larger communities within which we live. This makes the commentary not only interesting – but useful. However, there might be a fly in this jar of honey.
After reading a book for which I will be writing a review, I like to do a bit of research on the author; it often adds to my appreciation of the book I have just finished. A quick Google search brought up an interview given by Rabbi Pruzansky at the Jewish Daily Foreward in November, 2014. In this interview the Rabbi presented his views in regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as Arab-Muslim violence both in Israel and around the world. These views included imposing responsibility upon a large community for the actions of some groups within that community. Horrific though those actions are, would indicting an entire community be the correct response considering the Rabbi’s title of his book?
It is not my intent here – in this review of his very worthy book – to judge the views he voiced in the interview. However, since the title and intent of his book is about the Jewish Ethic of personal responsibility, the reader might want to read the interview. I think that each of us would not want to be known and/or be judged by our parts – but by our whole. We might also find problematic being held personally responsible for group action in which we took no part.
Whether this affects the reader’s response to the book is the reader’s decision.
http://forward.com/articles/209763/new-jersey-rabbi-steven-pruzansky-spews-savage-hat/
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Orysiek is a freelance writer who specializes in arts and literature. Comments may be made in the space provided below this article or sent to the author at sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com