Slightly changing how I read
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ม.ค. 2024
- Not a major change, but I have started a new project where I interrupt whatever I am currently reading each week to read some commentary on the weekly portion of the Torah. I started with Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg for the book of Genesis and I'm planning to move forwards with the series of books and essays by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. I'll let you know how it goes.
@saintdonoghue's 100 nonfiction recommendations - • 100 Nonfiction Recomme...
how lovely to open the book and read that dedication...sure looks like right book at right time..i always combine reading fiction and non-fiction..they feed me so differently.
I think I will still switch off between fiction and non-fiction for my main read, but I am enjoying this once a week interruption for a change of pace.
I just bought the Beginnings of Desire based on Steve’s recommendation - had it on my TBR since his recommendation but was waiting for it to go down on Kindle. It did a small amount so went ahead and got it. I plan to start at some point this year. Sounds like a dense read, but I tend to “enjoy” that kind of thing. Will see how I get on with it.
I think the issues were all mine. She's clearly a brilliant writer and scholar.
Good to hear you found some comfort in reading during these last few months.
It remains a constant and a valuable one.
I'm a Zornberg fan--and I learned a lot from her series of Torah books. Her analysis in the latter books seemed more accessible to me than the first two--or maybe that was just the practice I got from the first ones. Marilynne Robinson has a new book on Genesis coming out this year, and I am curious how her different background will shape her perspective. I haven't read Sacks and I'm eager to hear what you think.
Still early days, but the Sacks book I'm reading is designed to be dipped into for a few pages at a time. It's very accessible and almost easy reading.
This portioning idea would probably work well for any hefty nonfiction. Hmm ... I may try something similar
I'm still experimenting with it, but these books which play out over time certainly lend themselves to being read this way.
Really interested to hear about this . I read The Hebrew Bible last year and the Robert Alter Translation three years ago as part of a three yearly daily read of The Bible . I agree The Torah is magnificent and , like you , want to go deeper , so am now committing to The Great Courses / Audible / Amy Hill Levine to get more context and to understand the many different interpretations . . She is pretty blunt and funny which I enjoy ....I'm tempted by Rabbi Sacks which I'm sure will go much deeper ...maybe next year !
I started with Rabbi Sacks's book this weekend. For each weekly portion he offers 3-4 short essays picking up different threads from the text. It is definitely meant to be dipped into on a weekly basis perhaps over a number of years and I'm sure these essays will be worth revisiting.
I've been wanting to start reading Robert Alter's translation of (and commentary on) the Hebrew bible. The box set of the three hard cover tomes is probably too big of a commitment, but have been tempted by some of the standalones books (one on Genesis, one on Psalms, one on the "David story", etc.).
Those Alter works look gorgeous. One day that collection will be mine!
Thanks for the upload, I feel I know the answer to this question, are the Rabbi Sacks studies speaking only to the Jewish mind or as well to a non Jewish mind? They sound very interesting and a read I may enjoy,...Have an awesome day!
Hard to tell. I just started reading with this first portion of Exodus. So much of the text is familiar to me - the names of Moses's parents, the names of the the handmaidens who bring the baby Moses to Pharoah's daughter - so I have been able so far to focus on the points Rabbi Sacks is making. I think this was certainly written with a Jewish audience in mind, but there is no reason why anyone with some familiarity with the bible shouldn't get a lot out of these essays as well.
perhaps I will wait until you update us, so hard to tell with the samples provided...though not a scholar, I have studied much of the bible particularly the Pentateuch (which I find interesting and speaks to my soul more than the rest of the Christian bible) (though not a devout Christian)...anyhoo, thanks for the reply...peace to you and your family.