Thoughtful reflections on the meanings of the Torah.
Solovy, an American Israeli liturgist and poet, offers a collection of poetic midrashim.
Whatever may bring a reader to this compendium of reflections on the Torah, the overwhelming sense they will depart with is that of a deep care for words and their textures. As the author writes in the introduction, “we are a people of stories. We tell them. Then we tell stories about them. Then we tell stories about the stories of the stories. We call that midrash.” The cyclical return to language and its multiple meanings is at the core of midrash, making poetry a particularly apt vehicle for its scriptural interpretations and reinterpretations. In this collection, 70 Hebrew words of Torah are grouped into 10 sections, with categories ranging from “God” and “Mitzvot” to “Journeys” and “Love.” The entry for each word includes a prose reflection, or d’var Torah, followed by a short poem; chapter introductions offer connections between the chosen terms. These prose exegeses are concise and accessible, prompting scholarly inquiry into the origins of words and rabbinic arguments about their meanings while also offering context for those unfamiliar with the terms and their significance. The poems themselves are simple, often reading as prose sentences broken into shorter lines. Their spare rhythms can be soothing, if repetitive at times—further explorations into formal and syntactical variation (or even experiments with greater abstraction) would offer welcome nuance. Still, each of the poems is compellingly sincere. Reflecting on T’ruah (“Loud Blast”) the author writes, “Holiness has a sound. / Part swoosh of blood in the veins, / Part hum from the edge of the universe, / Part stillness, part vibration, / …A sound that can only be heard / With the heart.” Whether reflecting on Afar (“Dust”) or Tzedek (“Justice”), these are indeed offerings from the heart.
Thoughtful reflections on the meanings of the Torah.Pub Date: Feb. 2, 2023
ISBN: 9780881236156
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Central Conference of American Rabbis Press
Review Posted Online: March 10, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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