Volume 42, Number 3 (1995) Bible

December 1995/Kislew 5756
Bible
The
Interviews:
Renée Néher about André Néher
William H. Shea
The Event:
Mourning Yitzhak Rabin
The purpose of this journal is “to promote a climate of respect,
understanding and sharing between Jewish and Christian communities;
not only for the exercise of love and appreciation of the other, but also for
the discovery of truths and values which surpass the genius of both
traditions.”
This is the hope dreamed in the name of our journal, SHABBAT

SHALOM: hope of reconciliation, hope of SHALOM, inspired and
nurtured through a common reflection anchored in the experience of the
SHABBAT.
Contents Shabbat Shalom
Editorial 3 Editor Jacques B. Doukhan
Layout & Design Jerry Hill

Interviews
Dr. Renée Néher 4 Vice President for Marketing Douglas Sayles
Dr. William H. Shea 8
Subscriber Services Steve Hanson
Hebrew Scriptures 15
The Bible, Book of Books
Consulting Editors Gordon Engen
By Jacques Doukhan
Manuel Vasquez
Roots 18 Clifford Goldstein
The Christians’ First Bible
By W. Larry Richards Editorial Secretary Dorothy Show
SHABBAT SHALOM is published three times per year by
the North American Division of the General Conference of Sev-
enth-day Adventists. Yearly subscriptions are $6.00 in the U.S.A.,
Jewish Festivals 20 $8.00 overseas. Mail check or money order to: Subscriptions,
Simhat Torah: The Joy of the Bible SHABBAT SHALOM, 55 West Oak Ridge Drive, Hagerstown,
MD 21740. Address editorial correspondence to: Editor,
By Richard M. Davidson SHABBAT SHALOM, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI
49104-1535. ©1995 SHABBAT SHALOM. All rights reserved.
If you have received SHABBAT SHALOM without subscrib-

The Event 24 ing, you will not be billed later. Someone, thinking you would
Yitzhak Rabin like the magazine, has sent you a gift. Enjoy!
By Hernan DePaiva Photo credits: All photographs unless otherwise noted are by Antonio Bueno
and J. Bjørnar Storfjell. The cover items, cuneiform tablet, and Gutenberg
Bible are located in the Adventist Heritage Center, James White Library, An-
drews University. The oil lamp is part of the Siegfried H. Horn Archaeological
Recent Books 26 Museum, Andrews University, collection.
2 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Editorial
“The Bullet of the Bible”
Jacques B. Doukhan, D.H.L., Th.D.
“T ranslated
into more
than a thou-
sand lan-
guages, the Bible is probably the
book that is the most read, and
paradoxically the least under-
stood and the least followed. In-
awareness. Everyone now can
read the Bible, and everyone can
verify in Israel the historical truth
of the biblical words. The study
of the Bible has been elevated to
the highest scholarly levels. In
Europe, in Israel, and in the
United States personalities such
nesses to this confusion.
The lesson has hit us like a
bullet. It is not enough to study
the Bible, to know all about it;
not only our mind but also our
heart, our life, should be inhab-
ited by the dynamics of the holy
words. Simhat Torah, the Jewish
deed, if its word is the most as the Jewish philosopher André festival which celebrates the gift
spread out, it is also the one Néher and the Christian biblical of the Torah, has retained this tra-
which has most divided. Jews scholar William Shea have illu- dition and this requirement. The
and Christians have found there minated the Bible and brought it Bible is not just an occasion for
all the reasons to justify their ha- closer and deeper into the hearts studying the law and its wisdom
tred for each other; and the ha- and the minds of its readers. and the past history of Israel; it
tred also takes place among Jews Yet the Bible has not changed is also a reason for joy, a part of
and among Christians. the human person. The Bible our happiness and of our daily
The Bible has never been as which was supposed to bring life. “I learned all the Torah,”
read as nowadays. The creation peace, love, and hope has on the boasted the proud student of the
of the State of Israel, the discov- contrary carried a reference to Bible. “Good,” the Master an-
eries of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and rejections, to wars, and to mur- swered, “but what did you learn
the profusion of biblical transla- ders. The assassination of from the Torah?” (Mendel de
tions have contributed to this Yitzhak Rabin tragically wit- Kotzk).
3
December 1995 / SHABBAT SHALOM
Interview
Faithfulness to the Text:
Renée Néher about André Néher
Faithfulness to the biblical text, to its integrality, to

its integrity—a new-old reading of the Hebrew
Scriptures.
Born in 1914 at Obernai (Alsace in France) and died in

Jerusalem in 1986, André Néher is considered as one of the most
important Jewish thinkers of contemporary Judaism. A Rabbi and a
professor of Hebrew language and literature, André Néher taught at
the University of Strasbourg and in Israel (mainly at the University of
Tel Aviv in Jerusalem). Among his many awards, he was named “Sage
S habbat Shalom * :
The memor y of
André Néher is asso-
ciated with faithful-
ness to the biblical text. His
departure has left a void in the
intellectual and spiritual world
which is difficult to evoke with-
of Israel” by Prime Minister Ben Gurion in 1957, received the out pain for you. However, who
“Remembrance Award” from the World Federation of Bergen-Belsen better than you, his wife, could
Association in 1975, and the Zalman Shazar prize from the President say what kind of personality
of the State of Israel in 1973. His numerous books in English, French, André Néher was—his philoso-
Hebrew, etc., include Moses and the Vocation of the Jewish People phy, his life, his passion, and his
(1959), The Prophetic Existence (1969), The Exile of the Word: method of penetrating into the
soul of the Hebrew Bible?
From the Silence of the Bible to the Silence of Auschwitz (1981),
Jewish Thought and the Scientific Revolution of the Sixteenth Renée Néher: It is difficult for
Century: David Gans (1541-1613) and His Times (1986). me to speak about it in a few
His wife Renée Néher-Bernheim (1922- ) is a historian and words. My husband’s field of ac-
lecturer in Jewish history at the School for Overseas Students of the tivities was very broad-ranging,
Hebrew University, Jerusalem. She has written Le Judaïsme dans le from rabbinic tasks to the aca-
monde romain: textes latins commentés (1959), Histoire Juive de demic life of the university. He
la Renaissance à nos jous (2 vols.; 1963-1965), and La Déclaration taught the Torah and Hebrew lit-
Balfour, 1917: Création d’un foyer national juif en Palestine erature and philosophy at the
(1969). University of Strasbourg
(France); after our aliyah, he also

taught in Israel numerous saves us from racist or anti- in his heart this definition of
courses, meetings, and collo- Semitic prejudice, or even from what it means to be a Jew; he has
quiums, Jewish as well as the confusion where politics and also deeply lived it. This was not
interconfessional. He wrote religion are mixed in a for him just words, but some-
many articles and a great num- noncommendable manner. My thing extremely profound
ber of books, most of which have husband has felt very deeply this enrooted in his life, his prayers,
been translated into several lan- Jewishness in a direct relationship his daily existence, always full of
guages. with God who is the only One brachot (blessings), praises, and
I would like to underline two who can judge who is Jewish or thanks to God for everything, his
essential points concerning the who is not. I am not a Jew as the mitzvot towards God and his
work and the per-
sonality of André
Néher. In regard to
his work, my hus-
band was particu-
larly concerned
with providing a
better understand-
ing of Judaism. He
helped especially to
integrate Judaism
Photo: Barazani, Jérusalem

on the various lev-
els of philosophy,
literature, sociol-
ogy, and history. In
regard to his per-
sonality, I should
say that he was an
intellectual Jew, or
rather more simply,
André and Renée Néher
a Jew in its fullest
sense on every level: human, others look at me (this is Sartre’s neighbor. He was very sensitive
spiritual and intellectual. He definition), but it is my relation- to this principle and applied it
deeply felt and lived his Jewish ship with God, which means that with spontaneousness and a very
identity, or rather, as he would it is God who decides. It is in profound conviction.
say, his “Jewish being”; this “be-
ing” which only God could grant “I am not a Jew as I Shabbat Shalom: How did
and sound and which brings God your husband consider the cov-
and the Jew into a special rela- look at myself; I am enant that God made with the
tionship. As he put it, “I am not Hebrew people on Sinai, and
a Jew as I look at myself; I am not a Jew as others how did he apply it to our secu-
not a Jew as others look at me; I look at me; I am a larized world?
am a Jew as God looks at me. It
is God’s look at me which pro- Jew as God looks at Renée Néher: My husband
vides me with this unsoundable emphasized the notion of the
identity.”1 me. It is God’s look covenant, the Berit in Hebrew:
the covenant between God and
Shabbat Shalom: This is very at me which provides mankind with Noah, which is
far from stereotypical defini- me with this called the Noachide covenant;
tions. the covenant between God and
unsoundable Abraham and his descendants
Renée Néher: This is, indeed, through Isaac and Jacob. The
a very important point which has identity.” covenant with Noah, the father
often been read and discussed of all the families of the earth,
and which has impressed those this vertical relationship in which was a general covenant with man-
who read it, precisely because it my genuine being is located. My kind in which God promised that
is not a banal definition. Also it husband has not only felt deeply he would not destroy the earth
5
by another flood. This covenant tween the biblical Israel and the thus give several meanings to the
implies that those who enter it Israel of today. Thus the Bible same word. Traditional interpre-
keep a number of rules (seven, remains the reference book in the tations play precisely on the mul-
absolute sense of the history of tiplicity of meanings of the He-
Israel. As far as continuity is con- brew term and help, thereby, to
This was not for him cerned, there is, of course, an find the right word in the trans-
just words, but evolution. We are no more liv-
ing in the times of Moses or
lation. The first principle in
something extremely Jeremiah, there is a chronologi-

The first principle in
cal unfolding; the word must be
profound enrooted in actualized. Yet the Bible remains translation is,
the backbone of the life of the
his life, his prayers, his Jewish people. If the Bible is therefore, the
daily existence, always taken way from her, then there
is no more Jewish people. The faithfulness to the text
full of brachot state of Israel is like a chapter of
and to the Massora,
the Bible. It is this strong conti-
(blessings), praises, nuity which has marked all the that is to the oldest
thought and the historical and
and thanks to God for religious vision of my husband. tradition of biblical
everything, his Shabbat Shalom: Although commentaries.
mitzvot towards God André Néher has translated
large sections of the Bible, he translation is, therefore, the faith-
and his neighbor. did not translate the whole fulness to the text and to the
Bible. We know, however, how Massora, that is to the oldest tra-
which are mostly moral com- much the Bible translations of dition of biblical commentaries.
mandments). Then within this the Old Testament owe to him; The second principle has been
general covenant, God has cho- even Christian translations such the faithfulness to the integrality
sen a particular people who are as the ecumenical translation of of the biblical text. My husband
the people of Abraham and of his the Bible (TOB) have been in- was a staunch opponent to the
descendants Isaac and Jacob-Is- spired by his work and his in- historical-critical method. When
rael. These people have received sights. What is his contribution he defended his dissertation, a
the mission to proclaim the word to biblical exegesis? professor from the Catholic Uni-
of God to the world: the word of versity told him: “You are a dan-
a unique God, of a Creator, of a gerous opponent to Biblical criti-
Saviour, the word of God Who
Faith is not cism.” He has always been faith-
comes into history. The Jewish
people will continue to bring this
something which is ful to this principle: the integral-
ity of the text, not to cut the text
message to the world until the given once for all. in pieces. He did not want a
whole earth recognizes this God polychronic Bible, a rainbow
of the covenant and of the word, We must conquer it Bible. For him there was never a
until the whole earth is, as the first, second, or third Isaiah. He
prophet Isaiah says, “covered
every day. did not accept the Documentary
with the knowledge of God.” Hypothesis which taught that
Then the role of the Jews will be Renée Néher: There is one pri- some texts might have been writ-
finished. The Jewish people has mary essential rule: the faithful- ten by E (Elohist), J (Yahwist),
not been discharged, and has ness to the Hebrew text taking or P (Priestly). He strongly be-
never discharged herself from this into consideration its interpreta- lieved in the fundamental unity
responsibility. It is enough to re- tions in the Massora and in Jew- of the biblical text; and in that
view the four thousand years of ish tradition. It is, indeed, diffi- also, he relied on tradition. More
her history to realize it. This is cult to render in other languages than a translator, my husband
what my husband has taught, un- the richness of the Hebrew text, was an interpreter of the Bible.
derstood, and lived. One of the because of the triconsonantal He thus set up a series of very
basic ideas that my husband and roots of the Hebrew words which important rules for the under-
I have cherished and explained is have no vowels. It is possible to standing of the biblical text; for
that there is no discontinuity be- construct several meanings and instance, the chronological no-

tion that we must respect. This over again that “God needed need to emend, to correct, to im-
means that the Torah comes be- men” . . . prove the world, and in that men
fore the prophets and that the and women must do their part
prophets have not opened the Renée Néher: Yes . . . He and God His. This is what my
way to Deuteronomy, but it is the meant by these words that not husband meant to say when he
reverse. The prophets were Jews
who observed the totality of the
Torah of Moses.
Shabbat Shalom: After the

Second World War, André Néher
greatly contributed to the revival
of biblical studies. One of his
contributions was the stress that
besides the teaching by the word
there is a teaching by silence. He
has expressed this thought in his
book The Exile of the Word. Is
it true that among the twenty
books he wrote, he considered
that one as his most important
work?
Renée Néher: Yes, indeed, he

FPO
said it and wrote that The Exile
of the Word was “drawn from his
guts.” This was for him his most
important book, because the
whole problem of the Shoa is
underlaid. The subtitle “From
the Silence of the Bible to the
Silence of Auschwitz” is signifi-
cant. It means that the silence
of Auschwitz, as striking or
anguishing as it may be, already
originates in the Bible. In the
Bible, God speaks not only This Hebrew Scroll (a portion of Exodus 24) handwritten on
through His word, but also animal skin is thought to be approximately 250 years old.
through His silence; He is the only the world was entitled to de- stated “God needs men.” Jewish
spring from which wells up the mand from God, but that God thought, but also I believe Chris-
silence of the Bible. For André also was demanding from the tian thought, makes room for this
Néher, it was important to say world. We are responsible; we principle. André Néher has un-
that not everything is expressed have also our part to do. Faith is derlined the fact that in whatever
and not everything is expressible. not something which is given once domain it may be, if we look at
for all. We must conquer it every the ideal and compare it to the re-
Shabbat Shalom: Silence is day. Even the most religious be- ality, we are discouraged. We
therefore not absence . . . liever has moments when he/she should not look at the gap that
wonders. One must sometimes separates the ideal and the reality.
Renée Néher: No, silence is struggle and strive to come back We rather must look at the daily
the other side of the word. But to one’s feet. One must renounce effort to go one step further.
God, as far as we can speak in the the pride of reason. One must ac-
name of God, waited for the hu- cept a certain humility in one’s
man reaction, but this human knowledge. One stumbles on this *
This interview was conducted by
reaction has not come . . . problem every day. There are Mr. Ermanno Garbi, pastor and presi-
dent of the Seventh-day Adventist com-
many things in the world that we munity in Jerusalem.
Shabbat Shalom: Your hus- do not understand. But there is a 1
band used to say over and Sens, 12 (1989): 460.
7
Dr. William H. Shea
A close and respectful reading of the biblical
text bound up with immense information
about its historical background.
S habbat Shalom*: As a
medical doctor, what
influenced you to
abandon that career,
which was your first choice, to
concentrate on Bible studies?
Could you tell the readers of
Shea: As a child, I grew up
with almost no religious influ-
ence at all. Finally, during my
last year in high school or second-
ary school, I came to believe in
the divine inspiration of the
Bible. When I went to college, I
make medicine my vocation and
religious studies my avocation.
When I finished my medical
studies, I went to two different
countries outside of the United
States to practice my profession
because I felt that I might be able
Shabbat Shalom the journey studied both courses in religion to do more good in areas where
which brought you to this inter- and science since I had an inter- medical care was not so readily
est? est in both. I finally decided to available. Those two countries
were Nicaragua and Trinidad.
During my work in Trinidad in
the West Indies, there was a Sev-
Medical doctor and surgeon, biblical scholar graduate from enth-day Adventist denomina-
Harvard University and the University of Michigan, Dr. William tional junior college a half an
Shea brings to the world of biblical studies the acute intelligence of hour drive from the hospital in
the diagnostician in the emergency room and the broad information which I worked. They were short
of the historian and of the linguist proficient in several Semitic of teachers in the religion depart-
languages. Dr. Shea has published hundreds of articles and several ment so I volunteered. My par-
books dealing with various topics, ranging from ancient inscriptions ticular interest was history dur-
to the meaning of biblical prophecy. Presently, Dr. Shea is a ing the period of the Hebrew
member of the Biblical Research Institute, an international organi- Bible and the light that archae-
ology can shine upon it. I taught
zation located in Washington, DC, dealing with biblical and
at that junior college for over two
theological issues pertaining to Seventh-day Adventist doctrine. years.
Among his numerous works we count Famines in the Early History While I was doing this teach-
of Egypt and Syro-Palestine (1976), Daniel and the Judgment ing stint, I decided that if I was
(1980), and Selected Studies on Prophetic Interpretation (1982). to do more of this I would need
to become better qualified in the

field, so I spent three years at the munions too, write us with ques- to read the Bible. One is the
Harvard Divinity School study- tions about the meaning of pas- scholarly intensive way. For that
ing Hebrew Bible, language, and sages in the Bible or teachings of approach, I use what has been
related subjects. While I was the church. We probably receive called the historical-grammatical
there, I received an invitation to nearly 3,000 letters of inquiry per method. This means that the
join the faculty of the Seventh- year, and we have a full-time staff reader must pay close attention
day Adventist Theological Semi- of four scholars and two secretar- to the analysis of the words
nary. I taught there for a total of ies to handle this flow of inquir- present in the original language.
fourteen years before I accepted ies. The historical setting and the lit-
my present post, which is a kind We also receive manuscripts to
of combination between research evaluate. Some of these have
and administration. My “pil- been requested and some of these
Another approach is
grimage” into biblical studies was
a slow and gradual one to finally
have just been volunteered. On
any given day, I might receive as
to look for repeated
come to the place where I am to- many as three manuscripts on themes as one reads
day. various subjects that I am sup-
posed to evaluate. through a passage or
Shabbat Shalom: You are a In addition, we have our own
member of the Biblical Research publishing projects here. We
biblical book. It is
Institute. What is it? What is
your contribution as a biblical
have published a series on proph-
ecy. We are currently working on
not just a question of
scholar? a systematic theology, and we words being repeated
have completed and are editing
One way in which to two other projects, one on the over again, but also
nature of the church, and another
read the Bible is to on the subject of human sexual-
of their being used
read the passage or
ity. We have many writers who
contribute to these projects; we
successively in
book that one is do not write them all ourselves. different passages.
Finally, we also run a study
delving into several center in Jerusalem, Israel. It One can take
operates from March to October.
times. Each time it is During this season, we have one
important words like
read, more will
quarter of study for seminary stu-
dents (ten weeks), and several
“salvation,
appear of meaning to shorter groups that come for two redemption,
or three weeks at a time. These
the reader. In shorter term groups may come covenant,” etc., and
from different parts of the world.
addition, as one reads Some are from North American
follow them all the
one should look for
and the next largest number of
them come from South America.
way through a
key words. These are Several groups have come from biblical book.
Pacific countries like the Philip-
the words that are pines. These are study and tour erary structure of the text must
groups. They have the opportu- also be taken into account. Of
used more frequently nity of studying Bible lands as course, there are many scholarly
they tour through it. tools that can be used for such a
in the passage. purpose. These include concor-
Shabbat Shalom: What is your dances, dictionaries, commentar-
Shea: The Biblical Research method, or for you the best ies, and encyclopedias.
Institute is an information re- method to read the Bible? The average reader may not
source department located at the Could you give the reader a few wish to go into such depth. In
headquarters of the Seventh-day recommendations on how to that case, one can read simply for
Adventist Church near Washing- read the Bible? personal devotional or spiritual
ton, DC. Many members of this benefit. One way in which to
denomination, and of other com- Shea: There are two main ways read the Bible for this purpose is
9
to read the passage or book that of Jeremiah. The chapter at the astray. In Hebrew, this is called
one is delving into several times. apex of this idea is chapter 31, a rib, “a covenant lawsuit.” A
Each time it is read, more will but one might also look to see good idea of this can be found
appear of meaning to the reader.
In addition, as one reads one
should look for key words. These
are the words that are used more
frequently in the passage. The
To me it is the Word
of God, God’s
FPO
thought made
audible—or
legible—to me
individually.
Bible writer has used these words
over and over again because he
wishes to emphasize them. One
can take each of these occur-
rences and see just how the word
is used in each case. That will
give the reader an idea of the
range of meaning in these words.
All of these different avenues lead
up to the idea that this is God’s
Word and through it He is speak-
ing to us.
Shabbat Shalom: The Bible is

far from us, enshrined in a re-
This cuneiform tablet dated to 2050/2049 B.C.E. comes from Ur,
mote past and a foreign culture; known as Ur of the Chaldeans in the Bible. This is the town which
what would be your guidelines Abram left when God called him for the first time (Genesis 11:31).
to help the reader and the stu-
dent to understand its message? where covenant ideas are found in Micah 6.
elsewhere in Jeremiah, both be- The Psalter is another good
Shea: Some of the methods fore and after that climatic pas- place to take up this kind of
just described above may be sage. One could also look for study. There are many different
helpful here. Another approach covenant ideas, not just the word types of psalms, and one needs
is to look for repeated themes as covenant. It is often said that to think about what each one is
one reads through a passage or dealing with. The subject is
biblical book. It is not just a There is no greater or complicated when treated in
question of words being re- depth; but to make it simple,
peated over again, but also of lesser in God’s Word one might think of psalms that
their being used successively in come out of one person’s expe-
different passages. One can take
to me. It is all rience, like the Davidic Psalms,
important words like “salvation, inspired, or it is not and also those psalms that come
redemption, covenant,” etc., and out of a corporate or congrega-
follow them all the way through inspired. tional experience, like the
a biblical book. An example Psalms of Korah and Asaph, the
would be to study the theme of the prophets served as God’s at- temple singers during the time
the covenant, the agreement be- torneys to bring God’s case to of the first or Solomonic temple.
tween God and man, in the book the people when they had gone Then too there are Psalms of joy,

praise, and gladness, and other long biblical books, they can be It should be remembered that
Psalms that are more mournful quite short so the reader can the Hebrew Bible or Old Testa-
and of a lament nature. These grasp the thought in a brief time. ment was the Bible of the Chris-
stem from the experience of the tian church for a least three cen-
people. When some sort of af- Shabbat Shalom: What is the turies of this era. First, it took
fliction had overtaken the whole Bible for you as a person, as a almost a century for the letters
nation of Judah, the people com- Christian? of the New Testament to be writ-
posed, sang, or chanted these ten. Then it took the church a
congregational laments. Then Shea: To me it is the Word of
too there are Psalms that were God, God’s thought made au- Seventh-day
composed for special occasions. dible—or legible—to me indi-
Frequently the titles on the vidually. It also tells me where I Adventists share
Psalms give an idea of what those as an individual and we as a
people, as biblical Israel or the similar views about
church, have been and are going.
The Bible is Thus the Bible is multifaceted in the Bible with those
consistent from its application to our lives. It
tells us about our past, present,
believers, both Jewish
beginning to end in and future. Since so much of the and Christian, who
Bible is history, it has been said
terms of the themes that the Bible is the record of take the Bible very,
God’s Mighty Acts. Since He
that it develops. acted on behalf of His people very seriously. . . .
Could this really have like that in the past, we can rest
assured that He can also act that
Nevertheless, they
happened with 20, way in our own personal lives. believe that the
In that way, He can show us the
30, or 40 ordinary road to salvation. human agent played
human writers who Shabbat Shalom: For some- a part in the
worked and wrote one who accepts the authority
of the New Testament, what
transmission of God’s
over a thousand does it imply in regards to the word to the people.
Old Testament? Is the Old Tes-
years? I don’t think tament somewhat inferior or He was not just a
less relevant than the New Tes-
so. I believe in the tament? typewriter upon
property of predictive Shea: There is no greater or
which God typed.
prophecy, and I lesser in God’s Word to me. It He shared in the
is all inspired, or it is not in-
believe that it is spired. There is no halfway process, he expressed
about it. There may be some
manifested in the portions that are particularly the thoughts that God
Bible. precious to each of us personally
because of the part it may have
gave in his own way
occasions were. played in our lives. But I hap- and words.
The reader should also re- pen to believe that the Bible is
member that commentaries can the objective revelation of God. couple more centuries to decide
be very helpful. The beginning This means that the Bible is true what books should belong in the
student of the Bible should whether I have an experience New Testament. All the time
avoid detailed commentaries like with it or not. We may believe that the church worked on this,
the International Critical Com- the Bible, or we may choose not intermittently, it continued to
mentary series. More appropri- to believe it; but from an objec- use the Hebrew Bible as its
ate for such uses are the simple tive point of view, it is still true Bible. As a reader of the Scrip-
short commentaries like the regardless of the attitude of the tures, I get benefit from all of
Tyndale commentary. Even for reader. its portions too.
11
Shabbat Shalom: In what way there is also their preservation of Shea: There are many answers
are Christians indebted to Jews the language in which it was to this question, but only one
in their understanding of the originally written. Among Chris- that will ultimately tell the tale
Bible, whether it is the Old Tes- tians, the study of Hebrew was to an individual, that of personal
tament or even the New Testa- only revived during the times of experience. The Bible is consis-
ment? What can we learn from the Renaissance and the Refor- tent from beginning to end in
the Jews to better understand mation. Jews, on the other hand, terms of the themes that it de-
the Bible? never lost the use of it. No won- velops. Could this really have
der we can turn to them for such happened with 20, 30, or 40 or-
Shea: There are many ways in rich insights into the meaning of dinar y human writers who
which we are indebted to the Jews the text. worked and wrote over a thou-
for their providing the Bible to sand years? I don’t think so. I
the world. In the very first place, Shabbat Shalom: You have
they preserved the Bible. We extensively written and lectured
have such beautiful examples of in the field of biblical studies;
I think that more
this in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Be-
fore the Dead Sea Scrolls were
in a few words, could you delin-
eate the nature of your contri-
and more today the
found in 1947, the oldest copy bution in that domain? Christian New
of the Hebrew Bible was the
Shea: My particular interest, as Testament is being
I mentioned above, has been in
One can learn from the area of history and archaeol-
studied from the
the Bible anyplace in ogy as it has related to the first
and second temple periods. I am
viewpoint of its
the world, but one interested in biblical history, and Jewish nature. From
I am interested in the history of
can learn the most the Ancient Near East, especially the Christian
in Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, and
from the Bible in the Canaan. I am especially inter-
viewpoint, the Old
place in which it was ested when these two main dis-
ciplines converge. To take but
Testament flows
created, Israel. one simple illustration, some- naturally and
thing like eight kings of Israel
Aleppo Codex, which was found and Judah are mentioned in logically into the New
in a synagogue in Aleppo, Syria. Assyrian inscriptions, and about
According to the scribal notation the same number of Assyrian
Testament; and they
found with it, it was copied by a
scribe in the year 895 C.E. It
kings are mentioned in the Bible.
It is not just that they are men-
should both be found
should also be remembered that tioned by name, but the text also together as
the Jews were the first ones to tells us what these individuals
make translations of the Bible were doing. Second Kings 18- complementary.
into other languages, principally 19, for example, tells us of an
Greek and Aramaic at first. The encounter of Hezekiah with the believe in the property of predic-
Septuagint was a product of Jew- Assyrian king Sennacherib. tive prophecy, and I believe that
ish scholarship in the third cen- Sennacherib’s inscriptions tell us it is manifested in the Bible.
tury B.C.E. The targums or about Hezekiah and what he did Why isn’t the Assyrian nation live
translations into Aramaic come a also. Thus these two pieces of among the nations of the world
little later. We have a translation evidence can be fitted together to at this time? If it were, it would
of portions of the book of Job fill out the whole picture. These prove the predictions about its
into Aramaic that comes from the are the kinds of things that I like final fall as wrong. Nevertheless,
second or first century B.C.E. It to study and write upon. the Bible is still true in what it
was found among the Dead Sea says about the absolute end of
Scrolls. Shabbat Shalom: What argu- Assyria. Assyria was so thor-
There is not only the matter ments would you like to share oughly destroyed that men of
of the writing, preservation, with our readers which “prove” modern times did not even know
transmission, and translation that for you that the Bible is, indeed, where its capital of Nineveh was
we must attribute to the Jews, but the word of God? located. It was completely lost

from the collective memory of those who take the Bible very se- still believe that the Sabbath is of
mankind until it was found again riously, and there are those that a binding obligation even to
in 1840. take it less seriously. Seventh-day modern man.
There is also the historical ac- Adventists share similar views
curacy of the Bible. All of the about the Bible with those believ- Shabbat Shalom: What are the
wonderful inscriptions and reliefs ers, both Jewish and Christian, great truths that the Bible has
and statuary that have been who take the Bible very, very se- taught you?
turned up from the ancient na- riously. They take it as the Word
tions have contributed to tell us of God communicated to us. Shea: Well, it has taught me
more about the world in which Nevertheless, they believe that many things and none of them
the people of the Bible lived. the human agent played a part in should be minimized. But I sup-
Sometimes they tell us directly the transmission of God’s word pose that two elements that I
about specific events in the Bible. to the people. He was not just a would pick out to emphasize here
Nebuchadnezzar’s Chronicle, for typewriter upon which God are that God is our Creator and
instance, tells us that he con- typed. He shared in the process, that He is our Redeemer. Just as
quered Jerusalem in the year that he expressed the thoughts that God created the world at the be-
we call 597 B.C.E. It even tells God gave in his own way and ginning so He has created us
us the date upon which that event words. As an interesting illustra- through the processes that He set
happened, 2 Adar in the tion of this, there is the fact that in motion at that time. The Bible
Babylonian calendar or 16 March also tells us that mankind is lost.
in our calendar. It is lost through the fall. There-
But the most important evi-
The Bible gives the fore, we need to be redeemed
dence for the Bible is the changes greatest meaning to back from evil. All of this we can
that it makes in the lives of find in God. Also the Bible
people. Recently I visited in the life. In addition, it teaches us how to live.
home of a friend of mine who is
working on the island of Truk. can provide internal Shabbat Shalom: What atti-
The fact that he is even there is a tude toward the Jews did the
virtual miracle. This young man
spiritual peace. Bible inspire in you?
went through a period of about
four years when he doubted the dialect shows up in different Shea: The Bible has taught me
Bible. Eventually, especially books of the Bible. Hosea, for to have great appreciation for the
through the witness of his family example, wrote in a northern dia- culture and life of Jewry. They
and his believing wife, he came lect of Hebrew while Amos, even are the preservers of this great tra-
back to faith. Not only did the though a prophet sent from dition found in the Bible. They
Bible do this in his life, but he Judah to Israel, wrote in a south- have preserved and revived the
can see the same changes taking ern or Judahite dialect of Hebrew. language in which those truths
place upon the island of Truk This would not have been the were preserved. They have also
where he currently works. I think case if the prophets had merely preserved the land which was the
that it was the philosopher Pas- been taking dictation from God. cradle in which the Bible arose.
cal who said, “the miracle of God Seventh-day Adventists differ One can learn from the Bible
is every believer.” from conser vative Jews and anyplace in the world, but one
Christians not so much in their can learn the most from the Bible
Shabbat Shalom: What is the general attitude towards the Bible in the place in which it was cre-
Bible for Seventh-day Adventists? as they do in terms of the por- ated, Israel. The Jew or Chris-
In what way does this approach tions of the Bible that they em- tian who goes to the Bible lands
to the Bible differ from other phasize. They believe that cer- to see how it all happened there
Christians and from Jews? tain portions of the Bible, espe- will come back a much better Jew
cially apocalyptic prophecy, are or Christian, with a greater and
Shea: Seventh-day Adventists especially geared for or aimed at deeper appreciation for the Bible.
are firmly Bible-believing Chris- these times in which we live. It is a sad thing to see in some of
tians. There are those Christians They are especially relevant now the countries of the Middle East
who take a more sociological view and should thus be emphasized that this heritage is not preserved
of the Bible. There are also dif- now. When speaking to Chris- as well as it is in Israel. One
ferences in attitudes about the tian groups, Seventh-day could only wish that this view-
Bible in Judaism. Thus in both Adventists commonly emphasize point would spread among all of
of these great faiths there are the Sabbath. That is because they the peoples of the Middle East
13
Shabbat Shalom: What could questions of life: Where did we the colony of Georgia, he was re-
Jews learn from Christians to come from, what are we doing turning to England by ship.
better understand the Bible? here, and where are we going? Somewhere out in the Atlantic
What that means is that the Bible Ocean, a tremendous storm came
Shea: I have spoken above on gives the greatest meaning to life. up, so much so that everyone on
several occasions about prophecy In addition, it can provide inter- board the ship feared for their
in the Bible. Jewish scholars nal spiritual peace. The poet lives. John Wesley was a clergy-
whom I know have done a great speaks about a time when, “all man, but he still did not have
deal to provide the background about you are losing their heads that peace with God that could
for these prophecies so that we bring him through such an expe-
can understand them better. I rience. Then he noticed a group
wish that they would take more
The Jew or Christian of Moravian Christians kneeling
into account the genuinely pre-
dictive nature of those prophe-
who goes to the Bible calmly in prayer. He said to him-
self, “that is the kind of faith that
cies. I think that more and more lands to see how it all I would like to have.” He even-
today the Christian New Testa- tually found that peace with God
ment is being studied from the happened there will through the study of the Bible in
viewpoint of its Jewish nature. a little chapel in London. That
From the Christian viewpoint,
come back a much same peace through a personal
the Old Testament flows natu-
rally and logically into the New
better Jew or relationship is available to every-
one who reads and studies their
Testament; and they should both Christian Bible in faith. I too have found
be found together as complemen- that peace through faith in God’s
tary. and blaming it on you.” Even in Word.
such times, the Bible believer can
Shabbat Shalom: What does have peace. And it seems with
*
the Bible bring to you in your the hurried pace of today’s soci- This interview was conducted by
daily life? ety that there are more and more Dr. Angel Manuel Rodriguez, an asso-
ciate director of the Biblical Research
such times. Institute.
Shea: To start with, it provides John Wesley was a member of
the answers, as no other human the clergy of the Church of En-
document does, to the three great gland. After he had come to visit
The Bible on Broadway

From Wednesday, June 21, 1995, through 2:00 a.m. on Sunday,
June 25, 1995, a reading of the Bible took place in a biblical scene on
Broadway in New York City.
Three hundred and sixty readers including actors and political lead-
ers from a broad range of churches and denominations participated. The
occasion celebrated the American Bible Society’s ten-year translation
project of the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible and
the completion of the so-called Old Testament (the New Testament was
published in 1931). From Broadway, it remains that the words of the
Bible should go into human hearts, for more love and also more hope in
this disturbed world.

Hebrew Scriptures
The Bible, Book of Books

Jacques B. Doukhan, D.H.L., Th.D.
Why has the Bible survived centuries and crossed all the borders?
What makes this Book so powerful?
T he word “Bible”
says it already. De-
rived form the Greek
word biblia which
means “books,” the word Bible
suggests its essence and its role.
This is the book for it contains all
the books. It is the witness par
years before Christ used to cause
people to smile, simply because it
had been believed that writing was
still unknown at that time. The
discoveries of the Proto-Sinaitic
alphabet, the ancestor of all other
alphabets (sixteenth century
into sin; Abraham, the patriarch,
lies; Jacob deceives his brother and
hurls doubts at God; the great
King David murders and commits
adultery. The Bible has not tried
The universal
B.C.E.), and of the Ras Shamra
excellence. texts (fifteenth century B.C.E.) application of the
have confirmed, however, the
History claims of the Bible against the at-
biblical laws and
After all the sophisticated and
elegant doubts cast on the accu-
tacks of critics and rationalists
who said no one wrote back then.
even their actuality
racy of the Bible in the nineteenth The story of the Flood was also suggest that they have
century, increasing historical and given a cold shoulder, until simi-
archaeological discoveries have lar stories started to crop up from an origin that
continually verified the accuracy various traditions, from South
America to India, from the Ameri-
transcends human
The Bible has many can Indians to the Eskimos. societies. Even
Archaeological digs have
authors, from brought to light ancient biblical atheists claim these
sites: Ai, Megiddo, Jericho, Hazor,
different periods, Shiloh, Beth-shemesh, Lachish, laws when they
backgrounds, and from these sites some of the
most incredible stories of the Bible
preach nonviolence,
cultures, yet it is still have been confirmed. honesty, or the respect
Also, the way the history is re-
one book, a ported in the Bible increases one’s of human rights.
faith. Contrary to the historiog-
remarkable raphers of long ago, the Hebrew to revise history; therefore, its tes-
phenomenon. does not care to exalt the exploits
of the hero. The unrighteous as
timony of history is untainted.
of the Bible in an extraordinary well as the righteous are depicted. Unity

and unexpected way. And even the righteous are pre- The Greek word biblia, the ori-
For example, the idea that sented with their worst character- gin of the word “Bible,” is in the
Moses was able to write 1500 istics. The first man, Adam, falls plural. The word translates the
15
ancient Hebrew designation that supernatural inspiration. It cieties. Even atheists claim these
hasefarim (“the books”), as seen in testifies to the existence of Some- laws when they preach nonvio-
the book of Daniel (Daniel 9:25) one who survives the ages, who lence, honesty, or the respect of
and especially in the tannaitic lit- was present with Moses, with human rights.
erature (Meg 1:8; Git 4:6; Kelim David, and with Ezra, who was in On the other hand, the values
15:6). Yet “the books” are, in fact, Jerusalem as well as in Nineveh, of dietetic and health laws, which
one book. The Bible has many on the mountain as well as in the the Bible promotes, are the same
authors, from different periods, belly of a fish. ones promoted today. It is now
backgrounds, cultures, yet it is still acknowledged that pork is not
one book, a remarkable phenom- Truth healthy, and doctors are increas-
enon. The variety of the writings No wonder that the truths of ingly recommending a vegetarian
diet, similar to the one in
the Bible (see Genesis
1:29), as the ideal. Re-
search in psychosomatic
medicine has confirmed
many assertions of the
Bible underlining the rela-
tionship between the spirit
FPO and the body, biblical

truth, moral or scientific.
Prophecy
Biblical truth tran-
scends time and circum-
stances. It even makes
predictions. Today, at the
end of the twentieth cen-
tury, we are able to look
back and confirm the ac-
curacy of Bible prophecy.
There was the fall of pow-
erful cities like Babylon
(poetry, prose, genealogy, oracles, the Bible are held in so high an ( Jeremiah 51:8), Nineveh
laws, etc.) and the authors, over a esteem, both by the moral that (Nahum 3:1-7), and Tyre (Isaiah
period of 2,000 years, is traversed governs the relations among 23), which nothing at that time
by their deep unity. people, and by the ideal and hope could foresee. At the same time,
In almost all the books of the that press them forward far be- the Bible predicted the successive
Bible, the prophets stand yond themselves. The ethics of rise of Babylon, Persia, Greece,
untiringly in the way of the kings, Israel are so different from the and Rome (Daniel 2 and 7). All
to remind them of love and jus- cultures around it that it cannot these events had been predicted
tice, but at the same time always help causing astonishment. The centuries in advance of their oc-
echoing the same hope. The rea- rationalists were so stricken by the currence. Prophecy even as-
son behind this literary unity is ethics that they opted for a later sumed the risk of appearing in
found in the faithfulness of its date (people back then weren’t numbers to date upcoming
heralds. Progress in the Bible is supposed to have such exalted eth- events with accuracy. Already in
sung in terms of a return to the ics). But it has been recently ob- the Bible, the ancient Hebrew is
past, a “Teshuva.” But beyond the served that the language and the familiar with this prophetic word
stubbornness to root down in the structure of the biblical legal texts that always rings true at the turns
sacred text only, the unity of the were of the same type as the alli- of history. The patriarchs hear it
biblical text explains itself by the ance treaties of the second millen- as a promise that would be ful-
fact that it is inspired by the same nium before Christ. The superi- filled during the Exodus. The
Spirit. Only an author able to ority of these laws should be ex- exiled from Babylon take comfort
travel through time and space plained differently. Their univer- in the prediction of Jeremiah
would be successful in achieving sal application and even their ac- about the return from exile. Saul,
this unity. Thus, the unity of tuality suggest that they have an the king, cries out while envision-
these writings gives testimony of origin that transcends human so- ing his downfall. King Hezekiah

learns of his death and its post- fourth century C.E., when confirmation by archaeology and
ponement by healing. Births are Eusebius of Caesarea utilized the history, the miracle of its unity, its
announced well before time. So expression “Old Testament” for high ethical and spiritual ideal, its
the biblical word not only is wit- the first time to designate the fulfilled prophecies, its actuality.
ness to past events; it also shows Hebrew Bible, it was with a clear Indeed, the proof is found essen-
itself as unexpected and sudden anti-Semitic attitude to diminish tially at the level of each one of
witness to the present as well as what had been until then com- us, Jew or Christian, believer or
the future. monly called the Scriptures and nonbeliever, in the measure that
exalt the “New Testament.” In
fact, nothing in the New Testa-
The biblical word ment foresaw such an opposition.
The proof is found
not only is witness to The authors are Jews as are the essentially at the level
ones in the Old Testament; the
past events; it also events are situated in the exten- of each one of us, Jew
sion of the history of Israel and
shows itself as are interpreted in reference to an- or Christian, believer
cient prophets. In addition, the
unexpected and Law is always observed. A pious
or nonbeliever, in the
sudden witness to the Jew could also consider these writ- measure that one
ings as those of the prophets of
present as well as the old and equally venerate them. would accept to bet
What has been called the New
future. Testament bears all the qualities on that Word and
met in the Hebrew Bible: the ethi-
cal ideal that pierces a tortuous
accept it.
Old and New heart, the victories over disease
Testaments and death, the fulfilled prophe- one would accept to bet on that
For these reasons the Bible will cies, and also the extraordinary Word and accept it. For if we
always remain relevant, always a preservation of the documents. open this old Book and we ven-
novelty for all. To qualify its na- All these characteristics are as ture our eyes and our soul into the
ture as “old” or “new” is nonsense. many arguments in favor of inspi- course of its pages, we will then
The Bible, if it is inspired from ration from above. be able to discover right here
the Almighty, cannot be “Old Tes- But whether it means the He- within ourselves in the throbbing
tament” or “New Testament,” be- brew Bible, or Tanakh, or the warmth of our daily life, more
cause God, the Eternal remains Gospels, the proof would never be convincing than ever, its power
always the same. During the found in the arguments alone: its and its truth.
The Torah on One Foot

A pagan goes to see Shammai and says: “I am willing to convert, but on
condition that you succeed in teaching me all the Torah during the time that I can
stand on one foot.” Shammai chased him away with a mason’s rule that he had in
his hand.
The man went to see Hillel, who converted him: “Do to others as you
would they do to you,” he said. “That’s the Torah. The rest is simply com-
mentaries. Go and study them.”
Shabbat 43
17
Roots
The Christians’ First Bible

W. Larry Richards, Ph.D.
Professor of New Testament Exegesis
When Christians realize that their forefathers

relied only on the Jewish Bible.
W hen Chris-
tians speak of
the Bible, they
refer to a book
that contains 39 Old
Testament books and 27 New
Testament books. But these 66
books did not always make up the
four Gospels with the same au-
thority that they gave to the He-
brew Scriptures and that Paul’s
writings began to have special
The Bible for the

early Christians was
The Bible, then, that our early
Christian preachers and mission-
aries used, was none other than
the so-called Old Testament. It
was a precious collection of sa-
cred literature for them. It often
afforded them the very proofs
they wanted in order to establish
Bible for Christians. Many the legitimacy of their existence
Christians today think of the 27 only the Hebrew as the new Israel and also as a
New Testament books as being a valid extension of Judaism, from
part of the Christian’s Bible from Scriptures, the which, of course, they had
the very beginning of the church, sprung.
that is, from the first century. Of
Tanakh, and that In a number of ways, we see
course, that simply was not the
case. The Bible for the early
remained so for evidence of the value and appre-
ciation given to the Tanakh. One
Christians was only the Hebrew many, many decades. of the most obvious ways is the
Scriptures, the Tanakh, and that frequency of times New Testa-
remained so for many, many de- authority shortly thereafter, ment authors used the Tanakh.
cades. Christians did not have a New The New Testament contains
Although we know that by the Testament as we know it today portions of the Tanakh content
middle to the late second century, until the fourth century of the in hundreds of places. One
the church essentially treated the Christian Era. readily recalls Matthew’s use of

Jeremiah and Hosea to prove the “Scripture says to Pharaoh . . .” about the place of the Old Tes-
Messiahship of Jesus; of Paul’s In Exodus 9:16 we read that God tament. Paul wrote to young
frequent references to support his spoke the words to Pharaoh Timothy that “All scripture is in-
theological positions; and of the through Moses. spired by God . . .” (2 Timothy
estimated 600 quotations or al- 3:16). Although Christians to-
lusions in the book of Revelation.
The Tanakh was considered to
The New Testament day apply that statement to both
the Old and New Testaments, as
be an irrefutable source of au- writers held the we noted above, the designation
thority. Jesus himself, referring “Scripture” for the New Testa-
to the Tanakh, stated that “Scrip- Tanakh in such high ment writers was solely applied
ture cannot be broken” (John to the Hebrew Scriptures. And
10:35). Jesus cited the Tanakh reverence that it was finally, it was Peter who wrote
to deal authoritatively with his
temptation experience by prefac-
not uncommon for that men moved by the Holy
Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter
ing his quotations with a phrase them to use 1:21).
that demonstrated his high re- Another indication of the early
gard: “It is written, . . .” “Scripture” and church’s appreciation for its first
The New Testament writers Bible was the fact that in the
used the word “Scripture” itself “God” middle of the second century the
51 times. In all of them except
one (2 Peter 3:16), the term re-
interchangeably. church declared that a man
(Marcion) who wanted to deny
fers to the Tanakh or a part of it. This sort of testimony show- the authority of the Hebrew
The New Testament writers held ing the lofty worth of the He- Scriptures was a heretic!
the Tanakh in such high reverence brew Scriptures for the New Tes- How grateful Christians can
that it was not uncommon for tament writers could be demon- be for that part of our Bibles to-
them to use “Scripture” and strated many times. We find in day that was the Bible for the
“God” interchangeably. We read 2 Timothy and 2 Peter the most early Christians, the Bible we call
in Romans 9:17, for example, meaningful and lucid statements the Old Testament!
Parallel Order of the Books of the

Old Testament (Tanakh) and the New Testament
Tanakh New Testament
I. Five Books of the Torah I. Five historical books
II. Prophets II. Epistles

Early Prophets Pauline Epistles
Latter Prophets Catholic Epistles
III. Writings III. Apocalypse

(Daniel)
19
Jewish Festivals
Simhat Torah:
The Joy of the Bible
Richard M. Davidson, Ph.D.
J. N. Andrews Professor of Old Testament Interpretation
When the Bible is danced and sung and rejoiced upon . . .
T he park was jammed

with thousands of Jew-
ish celebrants—young
and old, men and
women, rabbis and city dignitar-
ies, representatives of the many
different Jewish communities—
all dancing together in giant
I was savoring Simhat Torah,
“The Rejoicing of the Torah”!
Though the seven days of the
Feast of Sukkot (Tishri 15-21)
were over, I had arrived in Israel
in time to witness the final cli-
matic celebration of the eighth
day. (In modern Jewry this day
the end of the Israeli one-day
combined celebration of Shemini
Atzeret and Simhat Torah; in the
late afternoon and evening Israe-
lis have a final public “Rejoicing
of the Torah” celebration to co-
incide with the beginning of
Simhat Torah outside of Israel.)
circles with ecstatic joy, accom- is technically regarded as a festi- ....
panied by exuberant singing and val independent of Sukkot, and Since that scene of ecstatic
instrumental bands. Dotting the called Shemini Atzeret “Eighth Bible revelry indelibly imprinted
throngs of dancers there were day of Solemn Assembly” [cf. my memory a decade and a half
scores of individuals hugging To- Numbers 29:35]. In the ago, I have been back to Israel a
rah scrolls as they danced, enthu- Diaspora—outside Israel— number of times, with visits
siastically lifting them aloft at Shemini Atzeret lasts two days spanning the different seasons of
musical crescendos and then hug- [Tishri 22-23], and the second the year. The dream I had
ging them once more. day is called Simhat Torah, while thought was dashed forever—to
I was experiencing what I later in Israel Shemini Atzeret lasts only be able to observe and celebrate
learned is generally regarded as one day and thus also includes the whole annual round of Jew-
the crowning festival celebration Simhat Torah. What I was view- ish festivals in the Holy Land—
of all the year. For the first time ing at the park actually came at has now become a reality. I have

also been able to research more
deeply the significance of these
The park was jammed with thousands of
sacred times for both Jews and
Christians.
Jewish celebrants—young and old, men and
All of the Jewish festivals have women, rabbis and city dignitaries,
grown precious to me, but none
has superseded the “Rejoicing in representatives of the many different Jewish
the Torah,” Simhat Torah. Rabbi
Hayim Halevy Donin has rightly
communities—all dancing together in giant
called Simhat Torah “probably the
most joyously celebrated festival
circles with ecstatic joy, accompanied by
day of the year.”1 I can testify exuberant singing and instrumental bands.
that he is also right when he says,
“To see a Simhat Torah celebra- Dotting the throngs of dancers there were scores
tion in Jerusalem is to witness the
heights to which religious ecstasy
of individuals hugging Torah scrolls as they
can rise.”2
The major rituals of Simhat
danced, enthusiastically lifting them aloft at
Torah revolve around the comple- musical crescendos and then hugging
tion of the annual cycle of Torah
readings and the beginning again them once more.
of the new annual cycle. It is
preeminently a time of rejoicing in Judaism till the late 16th cen- iature scroll or a decorative flag
in and honoring the Torah— tury C.E., it is similar to the (reminiscent of the tribal banners
God’s foundational revelation “circlings” of the second Temple of ancient Israel in the wilder-
contained in the Five Books of altar with the palm and willow ness) topped with an apple hol-
Moses. branches at Sukkot as described lowed out to hold a lighted
Certainly the most impressive in the Mishnah, and ultimately candle (evoking the image of To-
tradition and the one most inti- reminiscent of the seven circuits rah as light.) As the Torah scrolls
mately identified with Simhat To- around Jericho by Joshua and the pass by the celebrants, it is cus-
rah is the ceremonial processional army of Israel (Joshua 6). tomary to kiss the scroll, or rather
“circlings” (hakkafot) by worship- The “circlings” in honor of (out of respect for the holiness of
ers carrying the Torah scrolls the Torah are popular especially the Torah) touch scarves or prayer
amid chanting and singing and because they involve everyone— shawls to the scroll and kiss them.
dancing. Seven “circlings” including the women and chil- Between each of the seven cir-
around the bimah (the raised dren. During the hakkafot is the cuits the leader breaks out in joy-
“pulpit” where the Torah is pub- only time in the year when the ous song and dance, and the en-
licly read) in the synagogue take women are allowed to join the tire congregation forms circles
place in the evening service and men on the main level of the dancing around the Torah scrolls
another seven in the morning ser- synagogue. The small children in the center. The ecstatic fervor
vice. Although this practice on also follow the Torah scrolls in the honoring the Torah often rises in
Simhat Torah was not introduced procession, each carrying a min- intensity to a frenzy of enthusi-
asm, and singing and dancing can
go on for hours.
Although this practice on Simhat Torah was The celebration is even some-
not introduced in Judaism till the late 16th times carried outdoors. In Israel
the morning hakkafot includes a
century C.E., it is similar to the “circlings” of mass procession through the
streets of Jerusalem as thousands
the second Temple altar with the palm and of celebrants dance and sing their
way 8-10 abreast to the Western
willow branches at Sukkot as described in the Wall, led by Torah scrolls carried
Mishnah, and ultimately reminiscent of the under protective canopies. The
jubilant procession stretches as
seven circuits around Jericho by Joshua and the far as the eye can see!
The next most distinctive fea-
army of Israel (Joshua 6). ture of Simhat Torah after the
21
hakkafot is the aliyot—the “go-
ings up” to the bimah (“pulpit”)
to read the Torah. Simhat Torah
is the time for every adult male
worshiper to be able to publicly
read the Torah. Some synagogues
have aliyot to read portions of the
Torah in the evening service
(which makes this the only time
in the year when the Torah is read
in the synagogue at night), but
FPO
the main part of the aliyot ritual
occurs in the service the next
morning. After the seventh “cir-
cling” of the morning service, all
the Torah scrolls are returned to
the Ark except three. From the
It is not without
significance that the
two major Jewish
pilgrim festivals—
Pesah (Passover) and
Sukkot
(Tabernacles)—both
Facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible (1453-1455)
end in holidays This printing in Mainz, Germany, is the first and most signifi-
celebrating Torah. cant effort of using modern techniques.
Hebrew), “Be strong, be strong, to be read from the last panel of
first scroll every adult Jewish and let us be strengthened!” the parchment and then the first,
male has an opportunity in turn The first scroll is dressed and while the whole congregation is
to “go up” to read the Scripture returned to the Ark, and the sec- literally encircled by the Torah.
portion found near the close of ond scroll is opened to the book The final reading, from the
the Torah (i.e., Deuteronomy of Genesis. The honored “Bride- third scroll, is Numbers 29:35 -
33:1-26). Even the young chil- groom of Genesis” (Hatan 30:1, which describes the instruc-
dren come up for a special col- Bereshit) is invited “by permission tions for sacrifices on this eighth
lective aliyah with a prayer shawl of One on High” to read from the day of solemn assembly. This is
canopy over their heads, and re- beginning portion of the Torah: accompanied with the Haftorah
ceive a special blessing (from the Creation account of Genesis reading from the first part of
Genesis 48:16). 1:1 - 2:31. The new cycle of To- Joshua, which records the conti-
Then the “Bridegroom of the rah readings has commenced. nuity of God’s people and lead-
Torah” (Hatan Torah), a revered The move from the end of the To- ership under Joshua after the
person in the community se- rah to the beginning, from the completion of the Torah and the
lected for this particular honor, death of Moses to the Creation death of Moses, and the begin-
is ceremoniously called up “by account, embodies the truth that ning of the fulfillment of the To-
permission of the Great God” to out of seeming death comes forth rah promise to enter the Land.
read the final verses of the Torah, profound new life. Thus is embodied historically
the description of the death of In some congregations, the what is symbolized in the re-
Moses in Deuteronomy 33:27 - entire Torah scroll is unrolled and newed cycle of Torah reading—
34:12. The annual reading cycle held in a huge circle around the from the death of Moses comes
of the Torah is ended. The con- synagogue, with the end and be- life in the land of Promise.
gregation rises and calls out (in ginning next to each other, ready After the aliyot the worshipers

proceed to the Kiddush (prayer of joicing that was to characterize panion” in daily Jewish life.
“sanctification” over the wine and the entire feast. Thus the under- Michael Strassfeld makes an apt
bread) and to refreshments cho- standing of Tishri 22 as the ulti- comparison to the joy and inti-
sen from a multitude of culinary mate day of “Rejoicing in the macy of a wedding couple: “As
delicacies. The remainder of the Torah”—Simhat Torah—is con- with a bride and a groom danc-
day is occupied in visiting each sistent with Scripture, and the ing with each other at their wed-
other’s homes, with more refresh- historical development of this ding, on Simhat Torah we desire
ments and merriment at each. festival and its liturgy serves to to hold the Torah in our arms and
Oh the joy of the Torah! highlight the importance of the dance the night away.” 4
Torah for ancient Israel. Strassfeld goes on to show how
.... at Simhat Torah Jews learn to
The attitude of reveling in the
Torah is a dominant theme in the
Thus Jewish tradition throw themselves completely into
rejoicing with the Torah, drop
Torah Psalms of the Bible.3 has underscored the their reserve and their defenses,
Although the festival of and let go in the fullness of an
Simhat Torah is not mentioned in value of the Bible by unmitigated love relationship to
the Bible by that name (the ori- a Torah of joy, a Torah without
gin and name of the festival may emphasizing the need sense of burden or restrictions.
be traced to the Middle Ages
when the annual cycle of Torah
of deep Torah study Thus Jewish tradition has un-
derscored the value of the Bible
reading became fixed throughout (the theme of by emphasizing the need of deep
Jewry), its essential features may Torah study (the theme of
be deduced from three biblical Shavuot) and the Shavuot) and the mood of rejoic-
passages connected with Sukkot. ing in the Torah (the theme of
First, Leviticus 23:34-36 pin- mood of rejoicing in Simhat Torah).
points the day and its general fes-
tal nature: “The fifteenth day of
the Torah (the theme Protestant Christianity, like
the Karaite Jews, emphasizes the
this seventh month shall be the of Simhat Torah). value of serious Bible study (the
Feast of Tabernacles [sukkot] for theme of Shavuot) with the dic-
seven days to the Lord. . . . On It is not without significance tum of sola Scriptura, the Bible
the eighth day you shall have a that the two major Jewish pilgrim and the Bible only, rejecting all
holy convocation. . . . It is a sa- festivals—Pesah (Passover) and external interpretive grids such as
cred assembly, and you shall do Sukkot (Tabernacles)—both end tradition or philosophy. But
no customary work on it.” Sec- in holidays celebrating Torah. Christianity has nothing com-
ond, Deuteronomy 31:10-11 This testifies to the high value pared to Simhat Torah to high-
implies a focus of activity for that Judaism places in the Bible. light the mood of delight in
Sukkot which presumably in- Pesah is a seven-day festival, Scripture, and thus Christians
cluded the eighth day: “At the which culminates (fifty days may well learn from the Jewish
end of every seven years, at the later) in a one-day festival— celebration of this feast how to
appointed time in the year of re- Shavuot (Weeks, or Pentecost); rejoice unabashedly in the Bible.
lease, at the Feast of Tabernacles, likewise Sukkot is a seven-day fes-
when all Israel comes to appear tival culminating in a one-day
before the Lord your God in the festival—Simhat Torah. Both of
1
place which He chooses, you shall these one-day festivals are lack- Hayim Donin, To Be A Jew; A Guide
read this Torah before all Israel in ing in specific biblical details for to Jewish Observance in Contemporary
Life (New York: Basic Books, 1972), p.
their hearing.” Third, Leviticus celebration. In Judaism Shavuot 257.
23:40 indicates the jubilant came to commemorate the divine 2
Ibid.
mood of Sukkot: “you shall re- revelation of Torah at Mt. Sinai, 3
Psalms 1:1-2; 19:7, 10 (8, 11 He-
joice before the Lord.” Putting and its mood became one of awe brew); 119:72, 77, 92, 97; cf. vss. 14,
together these three injunctions, and gratitude to God for giving 16, 24, 47, 103, 111, 127.
4
Michael Strassfeld, The Jewish Holi-
the eighth day would be the natu- the Torah, demonstrated by seri- days: A Guide and Commentary (New
ral climax to the special time of ous study—remaining awake all York: Harper & Row, 1985), p. 155.
reading of the Torah. The final night poring over the Torah.
portion of the Torah would pre- Simhat Torah, by contrast,
sumably be read at the last does not focus upon God’s rev-
(eighth) day of the Feast, and it elation of Torah, but upon the
would provide the climax of re- Torah itself as a “beloved com-
23
The Event
Mourning Yitzhak Rabin

Hernan DePaiva
A Saga of War and Peace
O ne of Israel’s
fiercest warriors
and most admired
heroes, and yet one
who became the
boldest advocate and builder of
peace for his country, has been
brutally cut from the land of the
for peace in the Near East would
have been incalculable and per-
haps even devastating.
From his early years, Yitzhak
Rabin had worked untiringly in
the pursuit of a dream in which
his people would find freedom
and regain their much yearned-for
freed 200 Jewish immigrants who
had not been granted asylum by
the presiding British Forces.2
The demand for his skills were
such that by 1964 he was named
army chief of staff. He led the
army brilliantly during the Six
Day War in 1967. This war had
living. homeland where they could live been triggered by a surprise of-
It was Saturday night, Novem- in security and peace. During fense mounted by the surround-
ber 4, when I received a phone call World War II, he joined the ing countries. He coordinated the
Shabbat Shalom mourns Yitzhak

Rabin, artisan and martyr of Shalom.
from a friend who also shared Haganah, the Jewish underground maneuvers that enabled the army
common interest in the well-be- army, and was readily invited to to gain the Sinai, the West Bank,
ing of Israel and its citizens. I was join the Palmach, an elite strike and the Golan Heights.3 A major
shocked upon hearing the words force. His performance was out- highlight in this operation was the
“Yitzhak Rabin has been mur- standing in numerous tasks as- liberation of Jerusalem, making its
dered!” My heart sank while my signed to him, to the point that holy sites available to all. After-
fears soared, and perplexity was senior officers regularly sought his wards, Rabin served a five-year
added on learning that Rabin had advice on matters of military strat- term as the Israeli embassador to
been killed by a fellow Jew. How egy.1 Rabin was then sent on a Washington, DC, through which
could this be? A Jew never kills mission to Syria, where his job was he greatly contributed to the mod-
another Jew, so says the unwrit- to climb up telephone poles and ernization of the Israeli armed
ten rule. However, I must con- cut the wires so that the pro-Nazi forces. In 1974 Rabin took over
fess that in spite of my shock and Vichy forces would not be able to the labor party and shortly after
perplexity, I breathed a sign of re- send for reinforcements. In 1945, he became Israel’s youngest and
lief, for had an Arab been involved just at the end of the war in Eu- first native-born prime minister.4
in the incident, the implications rope, Rabin led a daring raid that It was during this period that

To everything there is a season and a time, to every purpose under the
heaven. Yitzhak Rabin’s life seems to parallel this passage in Ecclesiastes
in his endeavor to secure freedom and peace for his people, while coming
to the realization that this was not possible at the expense of the freedom
of the Palestinians, their subjugated neighbors. There was a time of war,
but now it was time to make peace.
he authorized operation Entebbe, life seems to parallel this passage realistic warrior and leader of
a dramatic rescue mission in in Ecclesiastes in his endeavor to peace was cut off from the land of
Uganda that saved a number of secure freedom and peace for his the living. It is hard to conceive
Jewish hostages. In 1984, he was people, while coming to the real- other than that it was only the
appointed at the Knesset to be the ization that this was not possible man who took the land in the first
Defense Minister. During this at the expense of the freedom of place who could be trusted to
time the Palestinian uprising (the the Palestinians, their subjugated make the necessary concessions
Intifadeh) against Israeli rule while not compromising national
surged in the occupied territories “The time for peace security.
and Rabin came down with a To a great majority of Israelis,
heavy hand to suppress this rebel- has come; we the regardless of their orientation to-
lion. He was even known to have wards the peace process, Rabin
given instruction to break their soldiers who have was a national hero, and a man
bones. When the most harsh
methods implemented proved to
returned from battles who could be taken at his word.
In addition, for those in favor of
be ineffective, Rabin came to the stained with blood, the peace process, he was consid-
conclusion that the 1.7 million ered a man of integrity who was
subjugated people could not be we who have seen our always willing to tackle the harsh
ruled by force. He then realized realities of life in a realistic man-
that only negotiation through relatives and friends ner. For those who find hope in
open dialogue could bring peace
to this nation plagued with vio-
killed before our eyes, the words of Isaiah, and wish to
beat their swords into plowshares
lence.5 . . . we who have and their spears into pruning
Under this theme of negotiated hooks, for those who wish to see
peace, Yitzhak Rabin was reelected fought against you, the day in which nation shall not
as prime minister in 1992. He lift up sword against nation, for
declared: “The time for peace has the Palestinians—we those who do not wish to study
come; we the soldiers who have
returned from battles stained with
say today in a loud war anymore, Yitzhak Rabin’s life
and martyrdom will undoubtedly
blood, we who have seen our rela- and clear voice: be a guiding light for their path.
tives and friends killed before our
eyes, . . . we who have fought Enough of blood and
against you, the Palestinians—we
say today in a loud and clear voice: tears. Enough.” 1
Kevin Fedarko, “Man of Israel,”
Enough of blood and tears. neighbors. There was a time of Time, 13 November 1995, p. 3.
2
Marilyn Berger, “A Soldier, Politi-
Enough.” Thus he opened dia- war, but now it was time to make cian, Statesman and Peacemaker,” The
logue with the P.L.O. leader Yasser peace. War had ushered in a time Chicago Tribune, 5 November 1995, p.
Arafat and began making land to acquire, but it was now a time 19.
3
concessions for self-rule to the Pal- to give. And precisely in the time Fedarko, p. 70.
4
estinians in Gaza and the West to dance, a time which had gath- Peter McGrath, “An Indispensable
Man,” Newsweek, 13 November 1995.
Bank, and opening talks with ered the largest crowd ever to rally p. 48.
Syria on the Golan Heights as well for peace in Israel, the mortal blow 5
Fedarko, p. 71.
as achieving peace with Jordan.6 bitterly ushered in a time to 6
Berger, p. 19.
To everything there is a season mourn, from the gunpoint of the
and a time, to every purpose un- traitor, a fellow Jew. In this man-
der the heaven. Yitzhak Rabin’s ner the most admired, apt, and
25
Recent Books
never has been, a dialogue between the religions of Ju-
daism and Christianity.” The first part of the book
represents historical discourse through which Profes-
sor Neusner underscores that, from the very beginnings,
the Judaic and Christian religious worlds scarcely in-
FPO tersected (with the exception of the fourth century).

In the second part, Neusner spells out theological rea-
sons underlying the “myth” of a Judeo-Christian tradi-
tion. He calls for an understanding of religions as sys-
tems so that each party can describe fully, honestly, and
accurately the religion it proposes to bring into dia-
logue with the other. Only when both parties grasp
what is meant in context can dialogue actually occur.
A Rivalry of Genius: Jewish and Christian Biblical Throughout this absorbing book, Professor Neusner
Interpretation in Late Antiquity, by Marc Hirshman, summons readers to make an effort to treat as legiti-
translated by Batya Stein (State University of New York mate and authentic religions other than their own, and
Press, 1996), pp. 179, $16.95. to value a religion’s account of itself. Then genuine
By comparing interpretations of the Hebrew Bible dialogue may be possible, and such dialogue is essen-
by Jews, Christians, and Gnostics in Late Antiquity, tial for world peace.
this book provides a unique perspective on these reli- Jacob Neusner is Graduate Research Professor of
gious movements in Palestine. Rival interpretations of Humanities and Religious Studies at the University of
the early Church and the Midrash are set against the South Florida, Tampa.
backdrop of the pagan critique of these religions and
the gnostic threat that grew within both Christianity
and Judaism. The comparison of the exegetical works
of Christianity and Judaism illuminates the later devel-
opment of the two religions and offers fresh insight into
the Bible itself.
Marc Hirshman teaches midrash, talmud, and Rab-
binic thought at the University of Haifa, the Hebrew
University, and Oranim. He is a fellow of the Shalom
Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
FPO
FPO Preaching Biblical Texts: Expositions by Jewish and

Christian Scholars, edited by Fredrick C. Holmgren
and Herman E. Schaalman, forewords by Elie Wiesel
and Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, introduction by David
Tracy (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1995), pp. 166, $13.99.
This unique volume collects expositions of biblical
texts from the Torah/Pentateuch by eminent Christian
and Jewish scholars. In addition to aiding readers in
understanding and appreciating the biblical passages
Jews and Christians: The Myth of a Common Tra- that are considered here, the major contribution of this
dition, by Jacob Neusner (SCM Press/Trinity Press In- volume is both the way it reveals the continuity that
ternational, 1991), pp. 158, $14.95. exists between the work of Jewish and Christian schol-
The author proposes that “there is not now, and there ars and the way it illustrates very clearly the different

approaches taken to these texts by representatives of Christian and in particular the Protestant way of study-
these two traditions. ing the Old Testament. . . . He asks questions that ur-
The scriptural texts included in Preaching Biblical gently need to be asked and whose answers can only be
Texts were selected for their significance to both Jews given with the cooperation of Jewish and Christian
and Christians, and each exposition has been sharply scholars who are willing to face the problems of inter-
focused to assist pastors, priests, and rabbis in inter- preting the common Jewish and Christian Bible in the
preting the texts for their congregations. religious and intellectual context of our world today”
Fredrick C. Holmgren is Professor of Biblical Lit- (Rolf F. Rendtorff, University of Heidelberg).
erature, North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Jon D. Levenson is Albert A. List Professor of Jew-
He is coeditor of the International Theological Com- ish Studies, The Divinity School and the Department
mentary series and the author of several books on Old of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard
Testament studies. University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Herman E. Schaalman is Rabbi Emeritus at Emanuel
Congregation of Chicago and holds the Jewish
Chautauqua Society resident lectureship at Garrett
Evangelical Seminary and Chicago Theological Semi-
nary.
FPO
FPO
This Is the Torah (Jonathan David Publishers, Inc.,
1988, 1994), by Alfred J. Kolatch, pp. 418, $15.00.
“Popular in its orientation, This Is the Torah uses a
question-and-answer format to address over 500 ques-
tions frequently asked about the most sacred Jewish
The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Histori- text . . . Authoritative . . . excellent” (Library Journal).
cal Criticism: Jews and Christians in Biblical Studies “A learned but popular introduction to virtually ev-
(Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993), by Jon D. erything worth knowing about the reading and writ-
Levenson, pp. 192, $14.99. ing of a Torah scroll . . . Enjoy an exhilarating experi-
“This powerful Jewish voice may, in the end, serve ence of Torah study in the comfort of your own home.
as a major force in calling Christianity back to Scrip- You could scarcely do better than to read Rabbi
tural roots” (Brevard S. Childs, Sterling Professor of Kolatch’s masterful book” (Rabbi Robert Pilavin, Spring
Divinity, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut). Valley, New York).
“In this provocative set of essays, Levenson takes aim Alfred J. Kolatch, a graduate of the Teachers’ Insti-
at the orthodoxy of historical critical method, its as- tute of Yeshiva University and its College of Liberal
sumptions, misplaced optimism, and institutional sup- Arts, was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary
port systems. Timely, accessible, thought-provoking” of America, which subsequently awarded him the Doc-
(Christopher Seitz, Associate Professor of Old Testa- tor of Divinity degree, honoris causa. From 1941 to
ment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut). 1948 he served as rabbi of congregations in Columbia,
Writing from a Jewish perspective, Jon Levenson South Carolina, and Kew Gardens, New York, and as a
reviews many oft-neglected theoretical questions. He chaplain in the United States Army. In 1948 he
focuses on the relationship between two interpretive founded Jonathan David Publishers, of which he has
communities—scholars who are committed to the his- been president and editor-in-chief since its inception.
torical critical method of biblical interpretation, and Rabbi Kolatch has authored more than a dozen
those responsible for the canonization and preserva- books which include: Jewish Book of Why, its sequel The
tion of the Bible. Second Jewish Book of Why, Our Religion: The Torah,
“This is an important book that opens a new era of Jewish Information Quiz Book, Who’s Who in Talmud,
mutual interreligious study of the Hebrew Bible or Old and The Family Seder.
Testament. Jon D. Levenson challenges the traditional
27
“Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105, NKJV

Volume 42, Number 3 (1995) Bible

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Volume 42, Number 3 (1995) Bible

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Volume 42, Number 3 (1995) Bible

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

December 1995/Kislew 5756

This is the hope dreamed in the name of our journal, SHABBAT

Contents Shabbat Shalom

Editorial 3 Editor Jacques B. Doukhan

Layout & Design Jerry Hill

If you have received SHABBAT SHALOM without subscrib-

2 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Faithfulness to the biblical text, to its integrality, to

Born in 1914 at Obernai (Alsace in France) and died in

4 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Photo: Barazani, Jérusalem

something extremely Jeremiah, there is a chronologi-

6 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Shabbat Shalom: After the

Renée Néher: Yes, indeed, he

8 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Shabbat Shalom: The Bible is

10 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

12 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

The Bible on Broadway

14 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

The Bible, Book of Books

of the Bible in an extraordinary well as the righteous are depicted. Unity

FPO and the body, biblical

16 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

The Torah on One Foot

The Christians’ First Bible

When Christians realize that their forefathers

The Bible for the

18 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Parallel Order of the Books of the

Tanakh New Testament

I. Five Books of the Torah I. Five historical books

II. Prophets II. Epistles

III. Writings III. Apocalypse

When the Bible is danced and sung and rejoiced upon . . .

T he park was jammed

20 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

22 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

Mourning Yitzhak Rabin

Shabbat Shalom mourns Yitzhak

24 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

FPO tersected (with the exception of the fourth century).

FPO Preaching Biblical Texts: Expositions by Jewish and

26 SHABBAT SHALOM / December 1995

You might also like