Essential Torah: A Complete Guide to the Five Books of Moses Review

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Essential Torah: A Complete Guide to the Five Books of Moses ReviewDoubtless, there are countless books about the Torah: from scholarly diatribes, with a flood of footnotes on every page, to introductory texts that end up as Bar Mitzvah gifts for beginners. Robinson's wonderful _Essential Torah_ is unlike either of these extremes, which is what makes it such an utterly fascinating read.
Robinson eschews the normal historical survey one might expect of a work on this subject. Rather than emulating a seminary study on the Hebrew Bible ("in approximately 5000 BC . . ."), Robinson begins with a deeply personal, yet far reaching, question: What is the Torah, and why is it the centre of Jewish belief?
Answering this question leads to a beautiful sequence of observations, vignettes, and breathtakingly fresh information. Chapter One, rather than being a litany of names and dates, describes a day in the life of a Torah scribe . . . Robinson, from the start, instills an atmosphere of awe and reverence for the audience that no footnote could manage. By first showing the *life* of the Torah, Robinson can more effectively trace back the raw data of histiographic methodology.
I am not suggesting this book is lacking in useful historical information. On the contrary, it provides ample documentation on the social and cultural reception of Torah as speech and text. Although writing from a clearly pronounced Reform theology, Robinson does an excellent job at providing the viewpoints of all, from the most liberal to the most conservative. Uber-specialists will probably not be satisfied with either the digressive, friendly tone of this work, but then again they are not Robinson's intended audience. By writing an a thoroughly informative work, that remains readable and accessible to a wide audience, Robinson has done much to bring a love of Torah to a much broader community. I truly feel that, even the most cynical and secular of lapsed Jewry, will find much to cherish and adore in the beauties of Torah through Robinson's writing.
As a very mild suggestive criticism, Robison's introduction seems to suggest that this book is intended to provide non-Jews with a basic entrance to understanding the Torah. While I would certainly not hesitate to suggest this book to interested friends, of any religious persuasion, the book is clearly intended for a Jewish audience: although Robinson provides translations of more arcane Hebrew terms, there are many assumptions made throughout as to prior understanding. For example, how many Buddhists do you know can explain the differences between a Sephardic and Ashkenazic liturgy? For that matter, give the decreasing level of observance for many American Jewish communities, how many non-practising Jews do you know who can identify what a 'bimah' is? Robinson assumes familiarity with these terms and notions. This is reasonable enough, I suppose, but might intimidate a reader who knows nothing of Torah, and genuinely wants to learn.
As I said, this is a mild criticism. Overall, the book absolutely throbs with incredibly informative tidbits and details. Even the most well-versed scholar is sure to find some new facts and trivia throughout. I was absolutely hooked by the tenth page, which describes the evolution of ink making methods. Robison has given us a book of true depth and perception, worthy of its hallowed subject.Essential Torah: A Complete Guide to the Five Books of Moses Overview

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