Four years ago I began to read the Torah in English translation. My intent was to read both the Torah and the Christian Bible in an effort to possess a base understanding of texts that so many people in our country and our world hold sacred. For reasons I’ve forgotten, I did not get much past Noah.
Beginning today, I will be restarting that project, posting my initial yellow pad notes, thoughts, and questions here at the readjack.com blog. I will start with just the transcribed notes from my handwritten responses, and will proceed to fuller essays and commentaries as appropriate.
My main source for the Torah was published in 1936 and reprinted in 1951. It is titled:
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Revised In Accordance With Jewish Tradition And Modern Biblical Scholarship
By Alexander Harkavy
Aiding me is a commentaried copy. It is titled:
THE TORAH
A Modern Commentary
Edited by W. Gunther Plaut
Commentaries by
W. Gunther Plaut (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
Bernard J. Bamberger (Leviticus)
NOTE TO READERS: As I copy down my yellow pad notes, thoughts, and questions, I hope that you will share your responses and knowledge with me. Direct me to other useful texts, contribute your views and opinions, ask more questions…everything is welcome!
AND FINALLY, AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT: For the purposes of this project, I am studying the Bible as a literary text. As such, I will refer to God in the masculine, because the book appears to have a masculine slant/P.O.V. This has nothing to do with my own views towards a higher power…I am only discussing God as a literary character.
I look forward to exploring these texts and conversing with like-minded others. My best for a fun and productive week.
PEACE
sincerely, Jack M Silverstein
ReadJack.com 