50 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Outstanding Jewish Bible (Humash), October 29, 2002
HaRav Aryeh Kaplan Z"L developed this humash (5 books of the Torah with commentary) for all Jews. The book is in English and Hebrew, and is filled with footnotes clarifying and developing the text, maps and an occasional illustration. Kaplan quotes from several sources such as Rashi, the Alfasi, RaMBaM, and also from the Me'am Lo'ez, the fabulous Sephardic Torah commentary from Constantinople. If you are looking for an alternative to the Artscroll Stone Edition Humash, this is it! A masterpiece, by one of the greatest rabbanim of the last century. This massive 647 page book is a treasure to be passed down to your children, and their children.
Comments by:
S. Alfassa
Foundation for the Advancement of
Sephardic Studies and Culture
"Founded 1965"
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40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, December 16, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The Living Nach: Early Prophets (Hardcover)
This is perhaps the best single volume English translation of the Torah, i.e. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. I can only think of one exception to this, which is Everett Fox's "The Five Books of Moses, Schocken Bible, volume 1." However I still much prefer Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation to Everett Fox's for various reasons.
One of these reasons is the extensive footnotes at the bottom of each page of the text. Rabbi Kaplan has included invaluable information which will no doubt fascinate every student of the Bible. His knowledge of Torah is deep and the student will find his notes and research of tremendous importance.
The more expensive edition includes the original Hebrew text on the right side of the book (Hebrew is read right to left). The cheaper one, of course, does not.
Rabbi Kaplan was also a translator of the "Torah Anthology" (which is also highly recommended), and his notes reflect this knowledge. Additionally Rabbi Kaplan is an apt translator and I believe the student of the Bible will find his translation to be superior to any of the (modern) versions available. These translations include-- from Protestant, Catholic, and other Jewish or independent sources-- the KJV/AV, NKJV, RV, ARV, NASV, NIV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, JB, The Living Bible (Catholic edition), New Living Bible, NEB, REB, even William Tyndale's Penteteuch, JPS 1917 Tanakh edition, JPS Tanakh (modern version), et al. I even understand this is better than the Soncino translations, as well as the translation by Prof. Robert Alter of Genesis, but I have not personally compared the latter translations.
You will not find a better translation from the Hebrew into the English, nor will you find a more detailed study with notes and other relevant materials than Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's work.
To my knowledge, there is also a "Living Nach" available by the same publisher. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to obtain this item.
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