• Abravanel’s World of Torah

    Abravanel’s World of Torah

    is an enticingly innovative yet thoroughly loyal rendition of a major fifteenth-century Hebrew classic.
    For the first time, Don Yitzchak Abravanel’s Bible commentary has become accessible IN ENGLISH.
      
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Abravanel’s World of Torah: Series

Abravanel

  • Parshat Terumah: The Tabernacle

    Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
    commentator. In Exodus chapter 25, parshat Terumah, we read about the divine commandment to build for God a
    sanctuary in the tabernacle. We also learn how this sacred structure was to be financed.

    “And God spoke unto Moses saying: Speak to the Children of Israel, that
    they take for Me an offering. Of every man whose heart makes him
    willing, you shall take My offering….And let them make Me a sanctuary,
    that I may dwell among them.”

    Abravanel gets right to the point: Why did God command the Jews to build a sanctuary for Him? Is the
    Creator a physical being, in need of shelter? Of course, any physicality attributed to the Maker ranks
    preposterous, let alone despicable and untruthful. Wise Solomon, who built Jerusalem’s Holy Temple,
    stated the thorny problem: “But will God in very truth dwell on earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven
    of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this house that I have built?”

    Here is a synopsis of Abravanel’s approach. “God forbid,” Abravanel categorically states, “that the
    Creator is needful of a house with all its appurtenances.” Bible students, instead, should understand
    this commandment as follows. The Tabernacle is an object lesson, a concrete reminder that God dwells
    amidst the Hebrew encampment.

    Each Jew must process and internalize that lofty message, so it becomes etched in his soul and fiber.
    Song of songs alluded to God’s proximity this way: “He stands behind our wall. He looks through the
    windows. He peers through the lattice.”The Creator watches every move, hears every thought.

    The prophet Isaiah confirms this theological paradox of God’s infinitude and nearness. “Thus says God:
    The heaven is My throne, and the earth My footstool. Where is the house that you may build unto Me?
    And where is the place that may be My resting place? For all these things has My hand made…”

    Abravanel puts his finger on the significance inherent in the Tabernacle. The divine edifice is designed in
    order for Jews to know in their heart of hearts that the Creator’s providence cuddles the Chosen People.
    Abravanel returns to Isaiah: “But on this man will I look, even on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
    and trembles at My word.”

    “And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” See Abravanel’s World for the full
    impact of this divine directive.

  • Parshat Yitro: The Ten Commandments

    Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
    commentator. We read in Exodus chapter 20, parshat Yitro, that the Ten Commandments were transmitted to the
    Hebrews on Mount Sinai.

    “And God spoke all these words saying: I am God, Who brought you out
    of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no
    other gods before Me…”

    Abravanel discusses exactly what makes the Ten Commandments stand out from the rest of the Bible. It
    is, not surprisingly, an elaborate discourse. See Abravanel’s World for the entirety of it. Here, we will
    share with Bible students Abravanel’s three, salient observations.

    One has to do with the Speaker – God. In contrast to all of the other divine commandments, only the
    Decalogue was from Heaven, sans an intermediary. That is, when it came to the other commandments,
    Moses delivered them to the Hebrews, at God’s behest. Not so with the Ten Commandments. Neither
    angel or seraph or prophet uttered them; they came directly from Above. On that historic day, the
    Creator of heaven and earth descended, as it were, and addressed His nation. Understand, therefore,
    the Decalogues’ intrinsic prominence.

    Two stresses the audience, the Chosen People. With the other commandments, God transmitted them
    to a single person, Moses, albeit His specially-designated messenger who had shown himself worthy.
    Moses’ brethren were not privy to hear what Moses heard, nor see what he had seen. How different
    were the Ten Commandments! Every person, young and old, heard and understood God’s words. The
    myriads of Jews were an integral part of the conversation with the Divine. The fire at Sinai they beheld;
    the audible voice they heard.

    Three emphasizes the material upon which the Ten Commandments were written – all etched in stone.
    No other verse in the Torah, no other commandment had been so indelibly engraved. Rather, they were
    transcribed from God to Moses, who wrote them on parchment. As for the Ten Commandments,
    moreover, no engraver’s tool had been utilized. It was the Maker’s handiwork, His imprint upon rock.
    Moses hadn’t participated an iota in it.

    In brief, Bible students are hereby apprised of the Ten Commandment’s uniqueness, their
    otherworldliness. The Almighty alone put His imprimatur on them, in a manner of speaking, as
    evidenced by the three reasons stated above.

  • Prophets and Prophecy

     

    “And I appeared unto Avraham, unto Yitzchak, and unto Yaakov, as God

    Almighty, but by My name [Hashem] I made Me not known to them.”  Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah

    Classic commentators struggled to make sense of our verse. Some hold that it means that God had not
    revealed Himself to them via the Ineffable name. Others posit that Hashem made promises to them, but
    did not fulfil them. Both positions are weak, as we shall now demonstrate.
     
    The first school missed the mark because the Torah writes that God, in His Ineffable name, did
    communicate with Avraham. In one instance, the Ineffable name entered into a covenant with Avraham
    (in Hebrew the brit bein ha’betarim). On a separate occasion, the Ineffable name commanded Avraham
    to undergo circumcision or brit milah. Both verses are explicit.
    There are more: “And He said unto him: I am God…”, “And Avram called there on the name of God”, and
    “And, behold, God stood beside him and said: I am God…” Here we have proof that the Maker revealed
    Himself to the patriarchs by way of the Ineffable name.

     

    The second school falls short, for God fulfilled His promises to the patriarchs. It presupposed that He
    conveyed an oath that they would inherit the Holy Land in their lifetimes. That is a blatant misstatement.
    God never uttered such a thing. He did foretell, though, that the fourth generation of Hebrews
    sojourning in a foreign land would emerge to liberate, and take possession of, Israel.
    Other divine promises were made for the patriarchs’ lifetimes, and kept. To Avraham, He foretold that
    he would father children. And he did. Similarly, to Yitzchak and Yaakov, God extended promises.
    Promises were kept, as we read in those parshiyot pertaining to Yitzchak and Yaakov.
     
    One last clarification for the classic Biblical commentators. They argued that God had not performed
    miracles for the patriarchs along the lines that He had done for Moshe. For their proof, they bring the
    example of turning Moshe’s staff into a snake. Or another example of something supernatural that the
    Creator did for Moshe was the wonder of the prophet’s hand becoming leprous, and then hale again.
    We beg to differ. Actually, God generously dispensed miracles to the patriarchs. To begin with, Avraham
    was saved from Ur Kasdim’s clutches. Being rescued, unscathed, from Pharoah’s lusty play for Sarai also
    ranks as major. Later, the first patriarch experienced supernatural assistance from the Holy One with
    Sedom and Gemorrah, culminating in a successful mission to rescue Lot, against all odds. Or what about
    Lot’s wife’s punishment? She morphed into a pillar of salt. Given this raft of believe-it-or-not wonders,
    who can put forth that God had not performed prodigiously for the patriarchs, as He had with Moshe at
    this early stage in his career as a seer?

     

    We now turn and suggest what amounts to a truer read of our verse. Backdrop is essential. At the time
    when God reached out to Moshe, both he and nation had grown disillusioned over the prospect of ever
    gaining freedom from Egyptian taskmasters. Centuries of exile stripped slaves of their faith, relegating
    redemption or geulah to no more than a quixotic pipe dream of yesteryear. “For since I came to Pharoah
    to speak in Your name…”
     
    The Maker disabused the prophet of a mindset maligned by despair. Geulah, the prophet heard at
    present, was a foregone conclusion. It would absolutely come to fruition for multiple reasons. For
    brevity, we bring only the first rationale.

     

    What is the simple reading or pshat on our verse? Let us focus on divine communication, from the
    perspective of Hashem. He had not revealed Himself to the patriarchs in a manner by which they could
    know Him. God’s messages had come via an intermediary, and not directly or panim el panim.
    While it is true that those non-physical intermediators received their dispatches from Above, still and all,
    an intimate peek into God remained blocked. A barrier held the patriarchs at bay. When we review the
    verse, inserting the Hebrew names for God, we gain clarity: “And I appeared…as Kel Shakai, but by My
    name [Hashem], I made Me not known to them.”
    The verse informs us of a distance or gap separating the patriarchs and Hashem. Divine communication
    had been carried out via Kel Shakai’s angelic messengers. And yes, even on occasion, the
    communication had come about through His name – Hashem. Crucial is this. Intimacy or panim el panim
    had never been granted to the patriarchs.
    This was about to change. Geulah absolutely had to transpire (That was God’s solemn oath.). While in
    the desert, redemption would enable Moshe and every single Hebrew access or entrée to God – directly
    – each according to their spiritual preparedness and piety. Read: panim el panim (face to face). Said intimacy opens up
    avenues to know God’s glory and exaltedness. The patriarchs never attained panim el panim, their
    prophecies a notch below. In sum, a sea-change was in the offing, since God sought to upgrade His
    relationship with the Jews. For that to happen, geulah became more than an expedient; it became a

    must.

  • Red Cow Ashes According to the Abarbanel

    “And God spoke to Moshe and to Aharon, saying: This is the governing
    law that God commands, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel that they
    should take for you a red cow, hardy [and] blemish free, which has never
    borne upon it a yoke.”

    Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) observes: One important question concerning the red
    cow commandment is its placement or position among the 613 Torah commandments.
    According to the Talmudic sages, the red cow commandment belongs to the body of priestly
    commandments. They learn that it forms part of those commandments whose focus is the
    Tabernacle service. As for the date, the sages peg the red cow mitzvah to the first of Nisan. On
    that most auspicious day, ten crowns descended from Heaven. Apropos, the rabbis explained,
    the red cow was ceremoniously burned. Its ashes would become a key element for the
    cleansing mixture, ashes that served to rehabilitate and spiritually cleanse the Jewish nation.
    Said cleansing prepared and allowed Hebrews to enter the Holy Tabernacle with proper
    readiness.

    However, this opinion of the placement of the red cow commandment is problematic. If
    the red cow commandment occurred simultaneous with the building of the Tabernacle, why
    wasn’t it written in Leviticus (and not here in Numbers), where the body of Temple and priestly
    commandments are provided? Second, why do we find the red cow commandment set here
    among the two highly perturbing narratives covering the Korach rebels and camp complainers
    or maylinim, both events taking a heavy toll on the wrongdoers.

    Abravanel answers as follows. The ancient sages put forth that Moshe performed the
    rites associated with the first red cow. He occupied himself with it when he served as the High
    Priest in the Tabernacle. On the first day of Nisan, the Tabernacle was erected in the desert. On
    that day, a red cow was ceremoniously burned, this for purposes of spiritually cleansing those
    men and women who wanted to visit the holy place. Had visitors to the Tabernacle not been
    ritually cleansed, they would have defiled it and profaned its sanctity.

    The admixture featuring the red cow’s ashes that Moshe prepared went a long way.
    Forty years. For forty years, while the Jews wandered in the desert, the prophet’s signature
    batch served its purpose admirably. Temple goers took of the red cow’s ashes and purified
    themselves before visiting the Tabernacle.

    At the conclusion of the forty years, the Chosen People were slated to liberate Canaan.
    God foresaw the Holy Land engulfed in bloody wars. Hebrew soldiers would come in close
    contact with the dead, triggering their ritual defilement. Some campaigns would take place in
    cities; some in open fields. Regardless of the battle’s location, the result would be the same.
    Jewish warriors would be needful of red cow ashes to help them restore their ritual status.

    Moshe’s batch would not suffice. For that reason, the Almighty guided and directed
    Moshe and Aharon in the minutiae of the red cow commandment. As for Korach’s gang and
    camp complainers, many of their followers had perished during the two respective rebellions.
    Moshe’s original quantity of red cow ashes were, perforce, depleted by the loyalists handling
    the corpses.

    For these two reasons, God provided an expedient in our Torah section when He
    commanded Moshe and Aharon to record this red cow mitzvah. Note, however, although we
    read of the red cow’s particulars at this juncture, it would only become operational on the eve
    of the Hebrews marching into Canaan.

    From the forthcoming Abravanel’s World, Bamidbar Vol. II
    Parashat Chukat, First Aliyah Zot Chukat (Numbers 19:1-2)    .

  • Religious Faith and Fundamentals 101

    “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle
    that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the
    earth, and the waters assuaged.”

    Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
    commentator. In Genesis chapter 8, the Bible chronicles the conclusion of the great flood, replete with
    an exact timeline of events. When the earth dried, the Noah’s ark came to a rest. He opened the ark’s
    door in efforts to assess damage. Bleakly, devastation glared back at the ancient mariner.

    Abravanel provides Bible students with four key takeaways from the Biblical blow that bashed the
    world. They offer readers insights in religious creed, underscoring God’s hands-on interface with His
    universe.

    •  God rewards and He punishes. The Almighty pays attention to His creations, and compensates
      accordingly. God’s ways are trusted and perfect. Further, He communicates with man, informing
      them of the future.
    •  God created a world from nothing, and if He so desires, He returns it back to nothingness. The
      deluge proved how existence is putty in His hands. For Abravanel, the heavens and earth are
      transitory, a subject he develops throughout his Bible commentaries.
    •  The propagation of any given species follows natural means – requiring a male and female.
      Apropos, God commanded Noah to bring males and females into the ark for “the day after.”
    •  When God created the world, one of His creations was time. Time was, and always will be,
      measured in terms of a solar calendar, consisting of 365 days a year, subdivided into twelve
      lunar months, and further subdivided into thirty days per month. Noah’s ark floated, in cadence
      with time as we know it. Noah’s sea sojourn lasted a year (plus ten days).

    We have briefly summarized Abravanel’s four lessons in faith, a short primer in belief. It is one that he
    derives from the denouement of the great flood’s account. For the fuller discussion, see Abravanel’s
    World of Torah.

     

  • The Bible is Not Mythology

    “And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the
    earth…that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that were fair.
    And they took them wives…The Nephilim were in the earth in those
    days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the
    daughters of men. And they bore children to them. The same were the
    mighty that were of old, the men of renown.”

    Bible studies with Don Isaac Abravanel’s commentary (also spelled Abarbanel) has withstood the test of
    time. For over five centuries, Abravanel has delighted – and enlightened – clergy and layman alike,
    offering enduring interpretations of the Bible.

    In Genesis chapter 6, the Bible brings a narrative that reads more like Greek or Roman
    mythology than Holy Writ.

    Abravanel launches an investigation: Who were these “sons of God?” And who were the fair maidens
    who captivated them with bewitching appeal?

    Some commentators suggested that the “sons of God” were princes and of blue blood. Others posited
    that these men were clairvoyants or astrologists. They charted the zodiac, peeked into the future, and
    ascertained which women would give birth to children who would, in time, become worthy men.

    Finally, some sages put forth that the “sons of God” were angels. They write that the angels were the
    “Nephilim”, referred to in our verses above. “Nephilim”, they claim, carries an immoral or unethical
    connotation. The Hebrew term “Nephilim” is closely related to another Hebrew word, “noflim”, which
    means “fallers” or “falling.” These rabbis borrow “noflim,” per se, and turn it into “the fallen”, as in to
    fall from grace.

    Asserting that the “sons of God” means angels, for a simple reason, does not meet Abravanel’s criterion
    for a straightforward interpretation of the Bible. Angels are wholly intelligent and incorporeal beings.
    Moreover, according to Abravanel, angels have no physical impulses with zero inclination to sin. Thus,
    wrongdoing for these heavenly facilitators is a non-starter.

    As to the identity of these “sons of God”, Abravanel offers two responses. We offer one below, though
    in shorthand.

    “Sons of God” may have been descendants of Seth, the third son of Adam and Eve. The reason why the
    Bible characterizes Seth’s seed as “sons of God” is because they were, well, godly and pious. Insofar as
    they were pure in character and deed, the Bible lauds them as “sons of God.”

    Who, then, were the “daughters of men?” Abravanel answers that they hailed from Cain, the first born
    of Adam and Eve, born of dubious circumstances, as an earlier blog has ascertained. Since Cain tilled the
    soil, the Bible refers to the women as daughters of man, as in farmer. In Hebrew the generic term for
    “man” (adam) shares its root with “land” (adamah).

    In sum, we have established that the “sons of God” could not possibly have been angels. But now that
    Abravanel identified the suitors and the bevy of beauties, there still remain questions: Why does the
    Bible seem to disparage their marriages, putting the matchmaking in a negative and lopsided light?

    Further, what shall we say about the “Nephilim?” If they weren’t crestfallen, heavenly angels, then who
    were they?

    For the fuller discussion on both of these topics, see Abravanel’s World of Torah. There, Bible students
    will learn why Heaven frowned on Seth’s descendants marrying the descendants of Cain. They will also
    read why certain people were designated or labeled “Nephilim.”

  • The Neglected Prophet

    Parashat Va’era, First Aliyah

     

    “And Moshe spoke thusly to the Children of Israel but they did not heed Moshe on account of
    exasperation and overexertion.” Work rendered the Hebrews emotionally drained and physically
    overtaxed. They had neither patience nor time for Moshe’s assurances. His words fell on deaf ears.
    Yes, they believed in the shepherd from Midian’s clarion call for deliverance, but these wearied
    workers were essentially oblivious to Moshe’s rousing seminars…”

     

    Page 103 Shemot vol. I, Sinai Rules

  • The Neglected Prophet: Moses

    "“And Moshe (Moses) spoke thusly to the Children of Israel but they did not heed Moshe on account of
    exasperation and overexertion.” Work rendered the Hebrews emotionally drained and physically
    overtaxed. They had neither patience nor time for Moshe’s assurances. His words fell on deaf ears.
    Yes, they believed in the shepherd from Midian’s clarion call for deliverance, but these wearied

    workers were essentially oblivious to Moshe’s rousing seminars…”

    Page 103 Shemot vol. I, Sinai Rules

  • The Pharoah's Ministers

    Bible studies with Don Isaac Abravanel’s commentary (also spelled Abarbanel) has withstood the test of
    time. For over five centuries, Abravanel has delighted – and enlightened – clergy and layman alike,
    offering enduring interpretations of the Bible. Don Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was a preeminent Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblicalcommentator. Chapter 40 pertains to Joseph’s interactions with Pharaoh’s staff members, while in prison. But who were Joseph’s fellow inmates?

    “And it came to pass after these things, that the Egyptian king’s wine
    steward and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt. And
    Pharoah was wroth at his two courtiers, against the chief steward, and
    against the chief baker.”

    Abravanel, who served as the treasurer to the kings of Portugal and Spain, understood palace protocol.
    He draws upon personal experience in order to make sense of the verses quoted above.

    The first verse brought above speaks about the king’s wine steward and baker. Yet, the next verse
    describes two men as officers, before calling them chiefs. Abravanel seeks to clarify for Bible students
    the cast of characters. Who exactly ran afoul Egypt’s king?

    Abravanel posits that Pharaoh’s palace’s cuisine attendants – food and beverage personnel – likely
    resembled palace staff hierarchy in his own time (15 th century). Thus, the first verse does not refer to the
    chief wine steward or chief baker. Abravanel assumes this because the title “chief” or “minister” does
    not appear there. Instead, the Bible merely mentions stewards or attendants. In contrast, the second
    verse does talk about the food and drink officers, also known as ministers.

    Untangling matters, Abravanel clarifies. Pharaoh had higher ups or ministers in charge of cuisine (wine
    and baker). In their respective duties and areas of expertise, no attendant ranked higher than them.
    These ministers personally served Pharaoh rarely, the exception being the most special of occasions
    (Pharaoh’s birthday or major festival). Their presence at those celebrations showed the king respect,
    and enhancing the event.

    However, every other day, the ministers remained behind the scenes, supervising their sizable staff.
    Clearly, the officers’ employees were reliable, professionals whose trust was implicit. After all, one
    misstep on the employees part carried deadly ramifications for all concerned. Pharaoh, of course,
    expected dependable service from his ministers, those closest to the throne.

    Abravanel ties it all together. “And it came to pass after these things, that the Egyptian king’s wine
    steward and baker offended their master, the king of Egypt.”These were the men who attended to the
    king day in day out. As to their offense, it is not explicit. Perhaps they plotted to poison Pharaoh, or some other dastardly deed against the monarchy. Be that as it may, the king did not expend an ounce of energy on them after they were apprehended. He summarily chopped off their heads. 

    “And Pharaoh was wroth at his two courtiers….” The regent fumed at his two ministers, under whose
    supervision was an army of workers. “And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of the guard,
    into prison, the place where Joseph was bound.” A white-collar lockup fit the two officers’ station, and
    not a prison reserved for the rank and file.

    At the end of our chapter, we will read about the circumstances surrounding the serendipitous meeting
    between Joseph and the two senior ministers, one that will change the course of history.

  • The Ten Plagues of Egypt

    Parshot Bo:“And Moshe and Aharon went in unto Pharoah, and said…let My people
    go, that they may serve Me….Else, if you refuse to let My people go,
    behold, tomorrow will I bring locusts unto your border…”

     

    We ask: Why did the Torah’s arranger of the parshiyot begin this parashah with the plague of locusts?
    After all, it is not the Torah’s launch into what would eventually stretch out to ten plagues or makkot.
    Locusts rank eighth out of ten. Even if we look to the Passover Haggadah for a clue, we come up empty.
    In it, Rabbi Yehudah provides a mnemonic device to memorize all ten plagues, grouping them into three
    sub-units (group 1 is blood, frogs, and lice; group 2 is wild beasts, pestilence, and boils; group 3 is hail,
    locusts, darkness, and firstborn). Our parashah beginning with the third group’s second plague appears
    arbitrary, and requires explanation.

     

    To answer, it seems that the Torah’s arranger was anything but desultory. Here are two reasons that
    explain why our parashah leads with locusts. From the eighth plague (locusts) onward, Pharoah and his
    advisors began to fear God and His plagues before they struck. Until this juncture, dread registered after
    they landed. However, from locusts until the tenth plague, Pharoah shook in his boots at the mere
    mention of an imminent plague. Thus, when Moshe uttered a warning about locusts, Pharoah and his
    council shuddered. Consequently, for plagues eight, nine, and ten, the moment Moshe spoke of trouble,
    Egyptians sought to appease the prophet, singing a different tune.
    Since locusts mark Pharoah’s new mindset, one that warmed up the monarch to the idea of Hebrews
    leaving, our parashah leads with them. Parashat Bo, then, segues into the Hebrews’ exodus and
    redemption.

     

    Here is the second reason that our parashah commences with locusts. It has to do with the root cause or
    composition of locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn. Each shares a common, essential element:
    air. Additionally, all three blackened the land. A verse concerning locusts says: “For they covered the
    face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened.” A similar drabby description is documented for
    the ninth plague of darkness: “And God said to Moshe, stretch out your hand…that there may be
    darkness over the land of Egypt….” Finally, with the death of the firstborn, we learn of the H-hour. It was
    midnight, per: “And it came to pass at midnight, that God smote all the firstborn…” Because of the
    commonality of each of these three plagues, the Torah’s arranger saw fit to place them together as a

    cohesive unit in our parashah.

    Parashat Bo, First Aliyah, based on Abravanel’s World of Torah

  • The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy

    “And God descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and
    proclaimed the name of God. And God passed by before him and
    proclaimed: God, the Lord, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering,
    and abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy unto the thousandth
    generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. And will by no
    means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
    children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and unto the
    fourth generation.”

    Don Isaac Abravanel, sometimes spelled Abarbanel (1437-1508) was a seminal Jewish thinker, scholar, and prolific Biblical
    commentator. In Exodus 34, the Torah affords what is arguably the closest peek into God’s elusive
    nature, including a guide into how He relates to man. Gorgeous eloquence transcribes God’s thirteen
    attributes of mercy. Abravanel’s discourse on the subject provides Bible students with a memorable
    interpretation of the Creator’s divine traits. See Abravanel’s World for the essay in its entirety.

    Abravanel asks: What underlies the terse descriptions of the divine? Additionally, how are readers to
    understand the grammatical style of this passage, one that appears choppy and disjointed? Note, for
    example, how the thirteen attributes commence with God’s name, and repeats that name, before
    providing adjectives which depict, per se, the Maker’s defining characteristics (“merciful”, “’gracious”
    etc.). Finally, the paragraph switches gears into verbal or predicate phrases that portray God’s conduct
    (“keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation”, “visiting the iniquity” etc.).

    In fantastic shorthand, here is how Abravanel approaches these all-important theological lessons. God’s
    (Hashem) name – repeated – establishes His credentials as the Creator of existence; His will perpetuates
    life (“God, the Lord”). The next mention of the One Above (El) features His role as the Main Mover or
    Lever of the heavens. The divine crank, for lack of a better word or image, churns lower celestial beings
    into motion. Three appellations of God begin the first three of the thirteen attributes count (“God, the
    Lord, God”).

    Traits four, five, and six bespeak God’s relationship with man, at his embryonic and early development
    stages. We refer to “merciful”, “gracious”, and “long-suffering.”

    Next come seven, eight, and nine. These are the Creator’s benevolence with the righteous and pious –
    “abundant in goodness and truth; keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation.” God reserves and
    applies the final four, which brings the attribute count to ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen to evildoers –
    “forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. And will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of
    the fathers upon the children….”

     

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PRAISE FOR THE WORK

An outstanding translation of the fascinating commentary by the last of the Spanish greats.
Rabbi Berel Wein
A major contribution to Torah literature.
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, MD
An interpretive reading in crisp, contemporary English.... [An] important contribution.
Yitzchok Adlerstein
Rabbi; cofounder, Cross Currents
Rabbi Zev Bar Eitan has embarked on a very ambitious project to make Abarbanel accessible to all Jews regardless of background. Baruch Hashem, he has succeeded admirably.
Rav Yitzchak Breitowitz
Rav, Kehillat Ohr Somayach
In clear, straightforward language…Bar Eitan opens the Abravanel’s world of complex ideas to the layman in a way that it has not been opened before. Highly recommended.
Rabbi Shmuel Goldin
Past President, Rabbinical Council of America; author, Unlocking the Torah Text and Unlocking the Haggada
Rabbi Zev Bar-Eitan…has achieved a rendition of the Abravanel which will enable all English readers to comprehend the depths and innovativeness of the original Hebrew text.
Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff
Professor of Rabbinic Literature, Caroline and Joseph S. Gruss Institute, Yeshiva University
In an accessible and flowing language accompanied by a variety of visual aids, Abravanel is presented to the English reader in all his glory. [An] illuminative commentary.
Rachelle Fraenkel
Torah educator, Midrashot Nishmat and Matan
A masterful rendition…lucid, free-flowing and interesting.
Rabbi Zev Leff
Rabbi, Moshav Matityahu; Rosh Hayeshiva, Yeshiva Gedola Matityahu
I am perusing Vayikra, Vol. I: The Meat of the Matter, which looks very good and interesting.
Rabbi Emanuel Feldman
Rabbi Emeritus, Congregation Beth Jacob, Atlanta
Riveting and flowing elucidation of the text simplifies complex ideas leaving the reader readily able to grasp the Abravanel’s inner meaning and purposeful explanation.
Rabbi Meyer H. May
Executive Director, Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museums of Tolerance
Open[s] our eyes and minds to the fascinating world of the Abravanel and his unique way of analyzing the Torah...in a user-friendly commentary.
Rabbi Steven Weil
Senior Managing Director, OU
Zev eminently succeeds in making the awesome wisdom of Don Isaac available to the English-speaking public. We are in Bar Eitan’s debt.
Rabbi Sholom Gold
Founding Rabbi, Kehillat Zichron Yosef, Har Nof
The translation is as beautiful as the original Hebrew and the English reader loses nothing in this excellent rendition.
Rabbi Allen Schwartz
Congregation Ohab Zedek, Yeshiva University
Abravanel needs a redeemer…Bar Eitan takes on this complex task.
Rabbi Gil Student
Student Action
At once a work of scholarship and a treat for the imagination.… Bar Eitan’s Abravanel presents Exodus as great literature, as exciting and gripping as any great Russian novel.
Rabbi Daniel Landes
Rosh Hayeshivah, Machon Pardes
Zev Bar Eitan has an intimate understanding of two characters: Abravanel and the modern reader. He traverses great distance to bring these two together masterfully.
Avraham Steinberg
Rabbi, Young Israel of the Main Line; Rosh Mesivta, Mesivta High School of Greater Philadelphia
An uncommon treat.… Rabbi Bar Eitan is to be commended for providing an accessible entree to this timeless masterpiece.
Rabbi N. Daniel Korobkin
Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto Congregation
Relevant and accessible.… Ideal for teachers as well as Yeshiva High School, Ulpana, Yeshiva and Seminary students alike...a wonderful translation... enjoyable reading....
Rachel Weinstein
Tanach Department, Ramaz Upper School, NY
The clear, easy-to-read language and appended notes and illustrations bring the Abravanel to life, for scholars and laymen alike. A great addition to per¬sonal and shul libraries.
Rabbi Yehoshua Weber
Rabbi, Clanton Park Synagogue, Toronto
Of great value to those who have hesitated to tackle this dense, complex work.… Render[s] the Abravanel’s commentary accessible to the modern reader.
Simi Peters
author, Learning to Read Midrash
A gift to the English-speaking audience.… An important “must have” addition to the English Torah library.
Chana Tannenbaum
EdD, lecturer, Bar-Ilan University
The thoughts of a Torah giant over 500 years ago in terminology understand¬able to the modern reader.
Deena Zimmerman
MD, MPH, IBCLC,author; lecturer
Allows the reader the opportunity to see firsthand the brilliance, creativity, and genius of this 15th-century Spanish biblical commentator.
Rabbi Elazar Muskin
Young Israel of Century City, Los Angeles
An excellent job bringing to life the profound ideas of one of the most original thinkers in Judaism and making them relevant and interesting 500 years later.
Rabbi Dr. Alan Kimche
Ner Yisrael Community, London
I really enjoyed the volume on Bereishis. It opened my eyes to the profundity of the Abravanel's commentary and for that I am ever grateful to you. I recommend it to all my students here at the University of Arizona who are searching for an in-depth understanding of the Chumash. Thank you very much for all your efforts. I am excited to read the next volumes on Shemos and Vayikra!
Rabbi Moshe Schonbrun
Senior educator, JAC University of Arizona
I’ve really enjoyed reading Abravanel's World of Torah. Abravanel was a great and original thinker whose perspective has broadened my understanding of Torah. Rabbi Bar Eitan presents Abravanel’s thought clearly and lucidly. I highly recommend his work. I’ve also really benefitted from being able to email Rabbi Bar Eitan regarding points where I needed further clarity.
Alistair Halpern
London
I want to tell you how much I'm absolutely enjoying Abravanel's World: Bereshit. I'm not much of a Torah scholar, but this is wonderful and terrific due to the seamless integration of Abravanel's thought and Bar Eitan's explication. All the kudos in the world. I'm looking forward to you completing the set.
Michael
New Jersey