Customer Reviews

The Midrash on Proverbs (Yale Judaica Series)

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Dr. Visotzky's translation on the Midrash of Proverbs is first rate, as one expects from the Yale Judaica Series. The book is more than a straight translation of _Midrash Mishle_ (_The Midrash on Proverbs_). It is an English translation of Visotzky's carefully prepared critical edition of Midrash Mishle (originally published in Hebrew). _Midrash on Proverbs_ is accessible to both serious scholars and informed enthusiasts. Visotzky's clear translations are sensitive to the original Hebrew, his short commentary is succinct and helpful, and the layout of the book itself is extremely lucid and straightforward. If you do not have the Hebrew skills to study this midrash in the original, this is the book for you! It is a pleasure to own and read.

I studied Midrash Mishle with Burt Visotzky in a class at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Visotzky has dedicated his life to this text and it shows in this translation, which makes this particular midrash accessible to the English speaking audience. The stories in this midrash are superb and Dr. Visotzky footnotes all known manuscripts and their variations.

If you liked the Book of Proverbs, you're sure to enjoy the Midrash on Proverbs!

Two other reviewers have attested to the excellence of the translation. 'The Midrash on Proverbs' is an especially important transitional one between two different periods of Midrashic development, between one which primarily relies on mythic and legendary material and one which provides a more line- to - line straightforward commentary.