Customer Reviews

Metsudah Chumash/Rashi, Vols. 1-5: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy [Bereishis, Shemos, Vayikro, Bamidbar, Devarim] (English and Hebrew Edition)

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This Chumash (5 Books of Moses) is an absolutely wonderful learning tool. It has the English and the Hebrew in linear form so it is very easy to use. The translation is not one of those "thy" and "thou" translations, but rather is real, understandable English. I also like that the names are transliterations of the real Hebrew names and not the Anglicized names so often encountered. In short, this is a genuine Jewish Bible (Five Books of Moses) and is great for anyone who is looking for that. As if this is not enough, it iscludes the commentary of Rashi, in the same great linear format. Rashi (he lived in 11th Century France) is one of the greatest of all Torah commentaries and explains things according to the Oral Tradition. All together, this is a great edition and I unhesitatingly recommend it for use in study of Chumash and learning Hebrew or for simply reading the Torah.

This has proved to be an absolutely phenominal resource in my study of Rashi.

Firstly, the translation is simple, clean, and generally accurate. Metsudah wisely chose to be truer to the exact translation than to the "spirit." For the purpose of a linear translation, this is a tremendous benefit.

Secondly, the layout of the text is very easy to read. The top of the page has two columns of Torah: vocalized Hebrew on the right side, its translation on the left. The bottom of the page is Rashi: vocalized (and non-Rashi-scripted) Hebrew and its translation alongside. There are a number of linear translations out there, but this is by far the easiest to read.

Thirdly, Metsudah provides helpful footnotes which help clarify some of Rashi's more ambiguous statements.

Any serious student of Rashi will find this text invaluable.

(P.S. Metsudah also publishes linear translations of, among other things, the siddur, tehillim and megillot. All are worth having.)

While I am not Jewish, I have gleaned a lot from this resource. The interlinear translation style is extremely wonderful resource, esp. for people trying to pick up the language or to see the underlying Hebrew. The Rashi commentary is easy to follow. All the texts are well laid-out and extremely readable. I find the resource valuable for helping someone pick up Hebrew. The translation is more word for word than thought for thought, but that is appropriate in this context, given that it is an interlinear translation. Rashi adds valuable insights. His text being there in Hebrew and English is done just as well as the Torah text. The use of a the more readable font for the Hebrew is easier for people like me who are still picking up Hebrew. The only thing, as a Gentile, I have a struggle with in the English translation is the transliterated words as opposed to the Anglinized words. Not a big deal, just takes some getting used to. This is well worth the price, esp. for the serious student or scholar.

It is arguably the best traditional edition of Rashi's commentary on Chumash (Pentateuch, Torah), due to a graphical clarity and simplicity, but it lacks the literality of translation and the distinction of Rashi's text from the text by others (explaining Rashi) using a bold typeface, like the Sapirstein Edition (Artscroll) has. There are two sizes. Full Size editions have plain looking covers with a linear sketch of a building corner, and each volume sized 7.4 x 10.2 inches weighs in at ~2.5 lbs. Student Size editions have richly ornamented covers, and each volume sized 6 x 8.25 inches weighs in 1/3 less at only ~1.75 lbs. The full set of 5 volumes weighs in at 8.8 lbs - Student Size, and - 13.2 lbs - Full Size. Student Size is ~25 % cheaper than Full Size.

Not being familiar with other Rashi translations, I can't write with authority about technical issues, such as how this compares with the Artscroll Rashi. I am writing as someone much less knowlegeable, who has been using a different Chumash (i.e. Pentateuch) every year and decided to graduate to Rashi this year after using Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Chumashes.

Of the most tradition-minded one-volume Chumashes I've used (Artscroll, Hertz and Samson Raphael Hirsch) Rashi is most similar to Artscroll- not surprisingly, since Artscroll relies heavily on Rashi. Rashi, like Artscroll relies heavily on Midrashim, no matter how fantastic. I think this is less true for Hirsch and Hertz.

Nevertheless, Rashi is quite a bit different from Artscroll. My sense is to a greater extent than Artscroll, Rashi was writing for scholars rather than for a popular audience. Even though Rashi certainly is interested in broad moral issues, he is also highly interested in grammatical issues. To a greater extent than Artscroll, he writes to elucidate the meaning of verses even if they don't tell a story or have an obvious broader meaning.

It is arguably the best traditional edition of Rashi's commentary on Chumash (Pentateuch, Torah), due to a graphical clarity and simplicity, but it lacks the literality of translation and the distinction of Rashi's text from the text by others (explaining Rashi) using a bold typeface, like the Sapirstein Edition (Artscroll) has. There are two sizes. Full Size editions have plain looking covers with a linear sketch of a building corner, and each volume sized 7.4 x 10.2 inches weighs in at ~2.5 lbs. Student Size editions have richly ornamented covers, and each volume sized 6 x 8.25 inches weighs in 1/3 less at only ~1.75 lbs. The full set of 5 volumes weighs in at 8.8 lbs - Student Size, and - 13.2 lbs - Full Size. Student Size is ~25 % cheaper than Full Size.

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki is known by his acronym "Rashi" and was an eleventh century commentator. His commentaries are comprehensive, covering the entire Tanakh and Talmud, but concise, usually no more than a few lines or a few words. He draws upon various Jewish traditions, and clarifies the simple meaning of the text.
Rashi can be understood by children, but can also fascinate sages. The commentary is ingenious and profound, and has been the subject of many commentaries in turn. Rashi is indispensible for understanding many subsequent Hebrew commentators.
The Metsudah Chumash includes the text of the Torah, Rashi's commentary, an English translation and notes. The Hebrew text is pointed and clear, and the translation is original and uses simple, contemporary English. It is very well organized, and the layout is user-friendly.
The Torah is presented at the top of the page, and beneath this is the commentary. The translation is linear, with each line facing a translation. Brief notes include sources, explanations, and identify some of the problems addressed. The synagogue portions are also identified, and the Haftarot are included at the end of the volume, without translation.
Each volume covers a different book of the Torah. They can be purchased separately or in a complete box set of five volumes. The volumes also come in two sizes.
This is an excellent edition of Rashi. Another excellent edition is Artscroll's "Sapirstein Edition". Whether the Metsudah or Artscroll edition will be preferred may depend on the reader's taste. I recommend comparing sample pages online.