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Overcast The Kosher Bookworm Reality Genesis as seen in pictures
Rabbi Michael Hattin, the gifted commentator and master teacher of Bible at Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, perhaps expressed this sentiment best when he wrote recently that, “The Torah is the most studied book in human history. It has been intensively studied and commented upon for thousands of years. It seems doubtful at this point that anything new could be added to the accumulated material.” Well, aside from his new commentary on the Chumash, “Passages: Text and Transformation in the Parasha” [Urim Publications, 2012], a work that deserves your immediate attention, another new work of a differing literary genre, was recently brought to my attention that will serve as the prime focus of this week’s essay.
In, “Parashah Series: Sefer Bereishis” [The Living Torah Museum, 2012], Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch presents a detailed 148 page photo essay of each sedra in the Book of Genesis, featuring many colored pictures of artifacts together with a very informative narrative related to the Biblical texts as housed and displayed in the The Living Torah Museum.
As an introduction to what motivated Rabbi Deutsch to found this project, he states that, “…the more we understand about the ancient world, the more we will understand what the Torah, Chazal, and the commentators are referring to. To this end, I have spent years studying ancient languages and the history of many of the cultures that existed in Biblical times.”
This motivating factor serves not only to help develop a unique field of study through the use of pictures and archeology, but the very establishment of a museum, a special cultural and educational facility that gives our sacred writ a sophisticated treatment that was long overdue in our community.
The Living Torah Museum, pointed out Rabbi Deutsch, has two branches, each with a distinct focus; one in Boro Park which features items mentioned in the Bible, and one in the Catskills featuring items cited in the Mishnah.
A planned third branch in Lakewood will feature items that appear in the Talmud.
