About the Book

In 1962, the Jewish Publication Society published The Torah, a new English translation of the Five Books of Moses. It was a history-making event. It was with pride that the Society published in 1970 this companion volume of Notes to that translation. The purpose of this volume of Notes is to account for the significant or interesting departures in the New Jewish Version (NJV) of The Torah fro...

About the Author

Harry M.  Orlinsky ---

Chief editor

Contents

Introduction

Abbreviations and Terms Employed in Footnotes to the Torah

The English Transliteration of the Hebrew Employed in the Notes

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Bibliography

Index of Authors, Subjects, and Words

Index of biblical and other passages (apart from those found in their natural chapter-verse sequence in the Notes)

An Excerpt from the Book

Leviticus Chapter 1 2. an offering of cattle (. . . offering from the herd . . .). So Ibn Ezra, Sforno, Snaith (Leviticus and Numbers). Trad, attempts this construction—hardly successfully—by adding “(your offering of the cattle,) even (of the herd . . .).” 3. for acceptance in his behalf. (Also v. 4 and frequently.) Understanding lirsono to denote acceptance of the sacrifice in behalf of the worshipper; so Targum, Rashbam, Luzzatto, Ehrlich (Mikra). Trad, “that he may be accepted” is...

Reviews

This book is described on the cover as "a systematic account of the labors and reasoning of the committee that translated the Torah" (i.e., the New Jewish Version (NJV), Jewish Publication Society, 1962.) Its author, Harry M. Olinsky, was Professor of Bible at Hebrew Union College (Reform) at the time it was first published in 1969.

The book is a set of detailed footnotes explaining some of the more tricky and/or controversial translation choices. It opens with a 40-page introduction tracing the history of Bible translations and a discussion of Jewish translations in particular, then goes on to give a verse-by-verse commentary on the sources used for the NJV translation of the Torah (which, for non-Jews reading this, is the same thing as the first five books of the Bible.)

Definitely a scholarly work, this would be of help to anyone interested in Bible translations. Non-Jews should be aware, however, that the Hebrew language authorities cited here are primarily Jewish commentators, and the book assumes you already know who scholars like Rashi, Rambam, and Ibn Ezra are. It also assumes you know some Hebrew (the terms discussed are transliterated into the Roman alphabet.) But even if you don't have that background, you will probably find the discussions themselves to be of considerable interest.

- Rabbi Yonassan Gershom, Author of Jewish Tales of Reincarnation

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