Kehot Publishes New English Translation of Torah
The idea of the new Chumash would be to make the Torah reading
and weekly parsha study experience far more meaningful to those
unfamiliar with Hebrew text. "So many Jews coming to shul these
days-especially in our Chabad Houses-are new to Hebrew and to the
Torah readings," explained Rabbi Shlomo Cunin, director of
Chabad-Lubavitch on the West Coast, who initiated this project.
The new Chumash features a translation of the Biblical text
interpolated with Rashi, the classic Torah commentary, but as it is
distilled in the interpretations of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's
analytical Rashi studies. An overview summarizes the parsha's place
in the overall scheme of the Torah, based on the Rebbe's teachings
regarding the main "point" each parshah is making. "This enables
the reader to see the Torah as a unified entity that forms a true
book of "instruction" (the literal translation of "Torah") relevant
to our lives and times," says Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky, who headed the
team of editors and translators.
Many features of the new Chumash, such as maps, chronological
charts, tables, and illustrations to aid the learning process were
included to facilitate a deeper engagement with the text. Set
beneath the text and running commentary is "Chasidic Insights,"
that reflect the lessons illuminated by the Rebbe (and occasionally
his predecessors going back as far as the Baal Shem Tov) from the
text. Some of the more esoteric points of this material, aimed for
the reader who has already familiarized himself with the basics of
Jewish mysticism, are separated into a third commentary, "Inner
Dimensions."
In addition to these English elements, this edition includes the
full Hebrew text of the Torah, the Aramaic translation of Onkelos,
and Rashi's original commentary (vocalized for easy reading).
The text is cross-referenced in the footnotes for easy
navigation throughout the text. The various texts are laid-out such
that the verses do not break across pages, sparing the reader the
need to flip back and forth constantly as he studies the material.
Other design elements have been employed to make this edition
especially "user-friendly."
"This is a momentous project," says Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman of
Kehot. "This Chumash will go a long way in giving non-Hebrew
readers a new Torah-learning experience."
The decision to begin with Numbers, he said, was because this is
the section of the Torah that is read at this time of year on
Shabbat. "We wanted people to begin to benefit from this new work
immediately."