Tanach Thoughts

Another paper recommendation, this time a recent one by Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, who reviewed a volume dealing with the question of why Hashem is described in Tanach as uniquely greater and more powerful (and singular) than other (false) pagan deities, if in extra-biblical sources those other deities are described much in the same way as Hashem. I concur with him that this is a thorny, or at least somewhat thorny issue. I am weary of the whole topic of parallelomania - how far do the parallels between the Tanach (as well as later Jewish sources) actually go? I.e., are Jewish sources entirely unoriginal and are built in their entirety, or largely built on older pagan/non-Jewish sources? A popular modern explanation is that Jewish texts, particularly the Tanach, is built upon previous sources as a polemic technique to move Am Yisrael away from idolatry. However, as I said, I am weary of accepting that pretty much all of Tanach is just a tactic to get Yisrael away from idolatry, and tha...

Note: I started writing this review shortly after the end of the third lockdown, but never got around to finishing it (translating the section below), so the result is that this is being published over a month after I first started writing this.  Yes! After five weeks (the duration of the third lockdown here in Israel) of chipping away at the book named in the title, I've finished it and can now share with the world all of my very important thoughts on a book that I'm not sure very many people in the world are even aware exists...but I take what I can find (and yes, I found it next to the neighborhood's genizah can)... Introduction To The Holy Scriptures is my translation of the title which is מבוא לכתבי הקודש - Mevo Lekitvei Hakodesh. It was originally written by Shmuel Shrira in Russian, according to Zalman Shazar , who wrote the introduction to the Hebrew edition. Apparently the two were among a group of scholars funded by Baron  Günzburg , which is how they met. My tho...

I thought I would do something a bit different this time, and perhaps I'll do this again from time to time, which is give my thoughts on a Tanach-related book I've read. Earlier this week, I finished chipping my way through Shaul and Binyamin by Ben Tzion Luria. I thought it was an interesting book, however, it's got one major downside that I'll address shortly. First of all, the upsides: Luria had a fascinating way of breaking down Tanach verses and reading between the lines. He has many fantastic chiddushim in the book and I think it's well-worth reading, even if one - such as myself - doesn't agree 100% with all of his ideas. One of the things I liked best is right in the first chapter: He explains why logically researchers should accept Chazalic traditions about Tanachic events and uses for evidence the Talmudic traditions of the genealogies of certain famous figures from the time. This was an issue that had bothered me since I read Malchut Beit David by Yaa...