Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text Leviticus [Hardcover]

Israel Drazin (Author), Stanley M. Wagner (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2008

Onkelos On the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text is a unique and remarkable translation and English commentary of the Targum Onkelos, the first and only rabbinically authorized translation of the Torah. The Book of Leviticus, the first of this five-volume set to be published, is a deluxe edition, which contains the Hebrew Massoretic text, a vocalized text of Onkelos and Rashi, Haphtarot in Hebrew with an English translation from the Aramaic Targumim, a scholarly appendix, and a Beyond the Text” exploration of biblical themes.

Editorial Reviews

Review

An enormous labor, presenting vast quantities of information, handsomely designed, user friendly and an important reference for years to come. --Intermountain Jewish News, June 2006

The Gefen edition is very clearly printed and notated in both Hebrew and English, making it very easy to find a particular reference. On the upper right-hand page is the vocalized Hebrew text, which is printed across the full page width. Below the Biblical text is a vocalized text of the commentary by Rashi. On the left hand page, is the vocalized text of Onkelos, occupying about a third of the page's width. The volume also contains the haphtorot associated with each chapter, thus making the book ideal for use in synagogue on Shabbat. In the English translation of Onkelos the authors have printed in bold type, words, phrases or sentences that they wish to comment or elucidate. In addition, at the end of each chapter the authors have added additional notes. Yet further explanations can also be found in the appendix and these explanations are referenced in the general running commentary. --Edgar Asher, Isranet Book Review

Unfortunately, Onkelos is not always appreciated as the great interpreter he was; Indeed, every translator is also an interpreter, but no translation of the Bible has the depth and authority that comes with the interpretation of Onkelos. We are all greatly indebted to Rabbi Wagner and Rabbi Drazin for having opened up Onkelos to the English reading public. --Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, Chief Rabbi of Efrat, Israel

About the Author

Israel Drazin is the author of seven books, five of which are on Targum Onkelos. He was the first scholar to recognize that the Targum took hundreds of items from the Tannaitic Midrashim- those that were edited around 400 C.E.- and even incorporated many words found in these Midrashim in his translation. He was able, therefore, to date the Targum Onkelos around 400 C.E., a period much later than is widely accepted, because of the TargumÂ’s reliance upon these Midrashim. Stanley M. Wagner is Rabbi Emeritus of The Beth HaMedrosh HaGadol-Beth Joseph Congregation in Denver, Colorado; Professor Emeritus at the University of Denver and Founding Director and Director Emeritus of its Center for Judaic Studies; and Founding Director and Director Emeritus of the Mizel Museum in Denver. He wrote, edited, or co-edited four volumes, A Piece of My Mind, Traditions of the American Jew, Great Confrontations in Jewish History and Great Schisms in Jewish History and was General Editor of a six volume series entitled Christian and Jewish Traditions in the 20th Century.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: Gefen Publishing House; Bilingual edition (March 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 965229425X
• ISBN-13: 978-9652294258
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #664,954 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #55 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Movements > Orthodox

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Magisterial Work, June 12, 2008

By 

Ethan R. Longhenry "ELDV" (Culver City, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text Leviticus (Hardcover)

This book represents the third in a five-part series rendering the Targum Onkelos in English. The book is designed both to fulfill the rabbinic requirement to read a the weekly Torah section in the Targum and to provide scholars with an accessible work that explains much of the complexity of Leviticus and the Targum Onkelos of Leviticus.

To this end, the work provides the Hebrew text of Leviticus with the commentary of Rashi underneath (both vocalized), along with both the Aramaic of Targum Onkelos (vocalized) and an English translation. The haphtarah readings in the prophets are also provided, both for each section of Leviticus and for special days. These haphtarah readings are based on the Aramaic, not the Hebrew, and the authors provide introductions to each that explain both the text and the various changes the translator made.

The running commentary on the text is quite helpful, providing both linguistic information about the Hebrew original and the Aramaic translation along with the various ways in which the text was understood in rabbinic and scholarly schools from the halakhic Sifra all the way through modern times. The authors are not afraid to point out times when the rabbinic interpretations seem to deviate from the basic meaning of the text.

The work is designed to be accessible to more than just scholars; introductions are provided explaining the purposes of the authors, the relationship of Saadiah Gaon to the Targum Onkelos, the disputation within Judaism regarding the need for sacrifices, and the main differences between Targum Onkelos and the original Hebrew text. The commentary also attempts to provide similar explanations so that a person who has no knowledge of Aramaic can still see many of the differences between the Targum and the original Hebrew. The authors make the argument that the translator of the Targum Onkelos does his work around 400 CE, and that he strives to provide an accurate rendering of the text, and is not prone to inserting halakhic understandings or expansions within the text. Comparisons are often made to the two other Targums-- Neophyti and Pseudo-Jonathan-- and how they differ.

Each chapter concludes with a "Onkelos highlights" section that emphasizes a certain point made previously in the commentary. Many chapters are followed with "Beyond the Text" questions that are purely directed for a Jewish audience, and which are a bit alienating to a non-Jewish reader.

The work is quite magisterial, and the expertise of the authors is evident throughout. I would have liked for more of the introductory material that is alluded to from the previous two volumes (Genesis and Exodus) to be present in this volume, and some of the arguments that the authors seek to make could have been made without dominating the material at times. Nevertheless, this handsome edition will benefit both layman and scholar alike who seek to better understand the Targum Onkelos and the history of interpretation of the book of Leviticus.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars important work, May 2, 2009

By 

Paul Kahn (Jerusalem, Israel) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text Leviticus (Hardcover)

Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Kahn
Haim Bajayo St. 10/1
Jerusalem 93145, ISRAEL

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ONKELOS
On the Torah
Understanding the Bible Text

By
Israel Drazin and Stanley M. Wagner

Customer Comments

From the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile, for perhaps one thousand years, the language of the Jews was Aramaic. It soon became evident that a translation of the Bible into Aramaic for a non Hebrew speaking population was necessary. Approximately 1600 years ago, such a translation known as Targum Onkelos was written. It became to be recognized as the prime literal translation of the scriptural text, par excellence. Moreover, its philosophically based opposition to corporal description of the deity was noted and approved by Maimonides.

Drazin & Wagner have done us a great favor by writing an English translation of Onkelos, scholarly yet very readable. The first four volumes-- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers--have been published by Gefen Publishing House, and the fifth, and final volume, Deuteronomy, is scheduled for publication in 2010. Not stopping at just translating this eminent work, they have added a running explanation of what Onkelos has done, and then expanded it to include a broader view for bible study. They then proceed to present a discussion of significant issues, offering a meaningful "Understanding of the Bible Text". All this, in a beautifully bound set, provides a proud acquisition for any library.

Submitted:

Rabbi Dr. Pinchas Kahn

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a classic, May 3, 2010

By 

Curt (Wakefield, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Onkelos on the Torah: Understanding the Bible Text Leviticus (Hardcover)

This translation will help you appreciated the Scriptures like never before. The commentary is indeed rich and valuable. Highly recommended.