After decades of Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz being a huge presence in the field of translating and annotating the Talmud in both Hebrew and English, he started to publish in a wide variety of other areas.
This month, for the first time, a five volume set, the Erez series, covering everything from Jewish philosophy to a focus on the literary portions of the Talmud which expound the sages’ Jewish wisdom, is being put out all at once.
Though Steinsaltz himself grew sick in 2016 and passed away in 2020, his son, Rabbi Menachem Even-Israel, has continued to lead the Steinsaltz Center in order to put out works which his father had worked on, but had not quite completed.
The book on Jewish philosophy addresses a broad range of spiritual matters from mystical Kabbalah, philosophy, the ethical Musar tradition and hassidic writings.
It translates both well-known and more esoteric sources into English which until now could only be accessed in Hebrew by the initiated.
One not only finds a highlight reel of powerful selected interpretations from more known figures like Maimonides, Nachmanides, Rabbi Abraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook and Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik.
Rather, the book also has lesser known but equally preeminent thinkers like Rabbi Hayyim ben Atar, Rabbi Menahem di Lonzano and Rabbi Yitzhak Arama.
For anyone who is less familiar with some of these important figures, Steinsaltz has comprehensive detailed biographies for each one at the back of the book.
The book addresses fundamental philosophical questions about the human condition and men/women’s relationship with God, including defining the soul, miracles and prophecy.
But it also digs deep into the spiritual underpinnings of the Jewish year, life cycle, parenthood, marriage and death.
Steinsaltz himself provides introductions and context to new topics as he brings them into the book.
Those who enjoy Kabbalah and hassidic teachings may be more at home with this volume, but Steinsaltz does cover the full gamut of rationalists as well.
For example, regarding the land of Israel, he cites Rabbi Nahman of Breslov saying, “No matter where I go, I am always headed for the Land of Israel,” while Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi’s Kuzari is cited for the idea that Abraham only moved from a high level of spirituality to being truly close to perfection once he moved to the Holy Land.
In another section, he notes Rabbi Yitzhak Luria (the Ari)’s statement that parents receive unnoticed divine inspiration and blessing when they name a child.
ANOTHER BOOK in the series, about the Talmudic sages’ wisdom, goes through each weekly Torah portion from Genesis all the way to the end of Deuteronomy, offering several literary Talmudic or Midrashic passages to find inspiration.
Most of the sources, once again translated into English to make them accessible to the broader Jewish public, range from 300 BCE until 700-800 CE.
There are useful cross-references between the book on Jewish Philosophy and the one on the Sages.
Regarding Numbers, Steinsaltz quotes Midrash Tanhuma showing that Miriam and her well were a case of being able to produce water by talking to a rock even as Moses himself was punished for striking a rock to bring water from it instead of speaking to the rock as commanded by god.
This week by week section will probably be the most popular since it easily allows virtually any grown-up to spend 10 minutes reading a selection of interesting Talmudic era sources in order to give a short, but interesting, summary of the weekly Torah portion.
After that main section, the book turns to Talmudic and midrashic literary chapters about the Jewish holidays.
Next, the book gives a mix of biographies and Talmudic stories about a range of the top sages from Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus’ reproach of the Heavens to Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa’s hands-on miracles.
Next, the book goes on to confront many of the same major philosophical issues addressed in the Jewish philosophy book and with which humans must cope.
However, this time it is the Talmudic and midrashic passages providing guidance, solace and comfort instead of medieval and modern commentators.
Here, the book also digresses into less standard issues like kindness to animals, constellations and determining the composition of a court.
Steinsaltz cites numerous sources about how one should interpret dreams, including a passage that is repeated at three points in the Talmud about 24 different interpreters whose interpretations were all “realized in” him.
For those who followed Rabbi Steinsaltz’s career over decades into his 90s, there will always be a missing piece now that he is gone.
But his latest works can bring hope, catharsis and greater understanding and meaning for generations to come beyond his long-standing translation of the Talmud.
The Erez series also includes books on the Torah and on Halacha, which are reviewed on the page adjacent to this one. The fifth book in the series is the long famous Reference Guide to the Talmud.
CONCISE GUIDE TO JEWISH PHILOSOPHY, THE SAGES (2 books)By Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz Steinsaltz Center/Maggid