Last
month we took a look at The Koren Tanakh of the Land of Israel: Samuel
and before that Exodus, both published by Koren Publishers
Jerusalem, who kindly sent me copies of those exquisitely produced, tabletop
editions to review. This time, however, we have the entire first edition of The
Koren Tanakh – a well-researched translation of the Torah, the Prophets,
and the Writings.
Beginning
back to front, the opening pages provide this clarifying statement:
“The
Torah is eternal.
Humanity
is ephemeral and dynamic.”
As God’s
people on earth, our transient lives interact with God and one another while we
await the Messiah. Meanwhile, we look to the Torah (first five books of the
Hebrew Bible) to become better acquainted with our rich heritage and better
understand God’s will for all peoples. But why do we need a new Hebrew-English translation?
The opening
text explains:
“The
Torah is the cornerstone of the world, of our People, and it forms the baseline
of the Tanakh, the holy writings of God and His prophets. The changing nature
of human society demands a fresh Tanakh translation which speaks to each and
every one of us while remaining rooted in the eternal essence of the Torah. The
Tanakh is a living script, the screenplay of the history of humanity from
Creation to the present.”
God’s
Word is living, and while spiritual truths do not change, our understanding
does.
The
contents and layout of this edition will help. For starters, we might begin by familiarizing
ourselves with the timelines, charts, and maps placed in the front and back
matter of the book to aid our study. Then, depending on the present time of
year, we might proceed with the “Torah Readings For Special Days,” such as
Numbers 28:1-15, p. 389 for Rosh Hodesh. Or the “Blessings Before and After
Reading the Torah.”
As we
continue into the actual scriptures, the index tabs on the outer edge of this
thick volume enable us to flip from book to book or section to section. Unless,
however, we can read Hebrew, we won’t necessarily know what we’ll find! Although
my own language studies are sadly lacking, I suspect that rabbis, pastors, students,
and biblical scholars will be delighted to see the contemporary English
translation on the right side of each page aligned with the Hebrew text on the
left.
With
the name of each book presented in both the English and Hebrew version, we begin
with “Bereshit/Genesis,” which translates the opening text of the Torah as:
“When
God began creating heaven and earth, the earth was void and desolate, there was
darkness on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved over the waters. God
said, ‘Let there be light.’ And there was light. God saw the light: it was
good; and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light ‘day,’
and the darkness He called ‘night.’ There was evening, and there was morning –
one day.”
Midway
in the Nevi’im/ Prophets, we find Yeshaya/ Isaiah with these opening verses
from Chapter 55:
“You
who are thirsty, all, come to water; you who have no silver, come, take food
and eat; come and take food without silver, wine and milk without cost, for why
should you weigh out your silver for no bread, your labor bringing you no
fullness? Listen – listen to Me: let goodness nourish you, and let your souls
delight in plenty. Turn your ear to Me and come; listen, that your souls may
live; let Me forge an everlasting covenant with you, like David’s faithful
promises, for I make him a witness to the nations, a leader, a ruler of
nations; for you shall call out, call, to a people you know not, and a people
who know you not will come running out to you for the sake of the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your glory. Seek
out the Lord while He is to be found; call to Him – now, when He is close.”
The
more we read God’s Word, the more apt we are to feel that closeness. Regardless
of our feelings, though, we know God is with us because the Bible consistently
says so! Therefore, no matter the circumstances, we, as Psalm 100 exhorts us,
can choose to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with
praise… for the Lord is good; His loving-kindness is forever, His faithfulness
for all generations.”
©2021,
Mary Sayler, poet-writer, reviewer, and life-long student of God’s Word
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