After completing our examination of the book of Esther, we see that Esther is in no way similar to what people think the book contains. There is no mention of God in the book of Esther and no indication that the Judeans observed any biblical command. Even when the Judeans fasted because of Esther’s request, [...]
This is a draft of chapter 7 of Esther, part of the book I propose to publish in 2016 "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith." I will post chapters 8, 9, and 10 next week and then begin work on Judith. Chapter 7 Haman falls and is strung up [...]
Chapter 6 Many ironies Most readers of Esther read the story without catching the humor, irony, obscurities, and the skillful narrative skill of the book’s author. They are missing much. In chapter 6 Ahasuerus is unable to sleep. No reason is given for his insomnia.[1] He orders that “the [...]
Point to Ponder: Maimonides Think about this. I have been saying that there are many divergent interpretations of the Guide of the Perplexed by the great sage Moses Maimonides (1138-1204). Some scholars, such as Leo Strauss of the University of Chicago and I, are convinced that Maimonides wrote for two audiences, [...]
Four Views about Divine Revelation There is no single view about divine revelation of the Bible. The following are four of the many opinions that scholars have offered. Abraham Ibn Ezra Ibn Ezra (1089-c.1167) mentions what he calls his “secret of the twelve” in his commentary to Deuteronomy 1:2. [...]
This is a draft of Chapter 5 of Esther which I hope to publish in 2015 or 2016 as "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith." Chapter 5 Esther acts, but with hesitation After fasting for several days, Esther dons royal clothes, and on the third day she stands [...]
Would you like to review my book? If you are willing to read my latest book “Unusual Bible Interpretations: Five Books of Moses,” and agree to place your review on Amazon, I will send you a PDF of the book. Write to me at iddrazin@comcast.net and send me your email address and [...]
Does God Control and Manipulate Us? Since the beginning of time, since people believed that God exists, men and women of every religion asked whether God is involved in their lives and, if so, how? The Hebrew Bible does not answer this question. So individuals developed their own views. Those with a [...]
A very strange assessment of the Torah When Mordecai told Ether that Haman planned to murder all Judeans, Esther requested that Mordecai arrange that all Judeans fast for three days. The book of Esther does not reveal when the fast began. However there is an opinion in the Babylonian Talmud[1] that the [...]
Esther Chapter 4 Esther is persuaded to act Esther’s chapter 4[1] describe the Judean exiles’ reactions to Haman’s nefarious decree that allowed Persian citizens to murder every Judean, even women and children, on 13 Adar. According to Jewish tradition, which is not stated in the book of Esther, the decree [...]
Atheist Mind, Humanist Heart By Bayer and Figdor Rowman & Littlefield, 2014, 178 pages ISBN 978-1-4422-3679-0 Cost: $27.69 While the authors of this easy to read book on atheism reject the idea that there is a God and that the Ten Commandments were divinely revealed, they maintain that people can learn what is true [...]
This is a draft of my and others interpretation of Esther chapter 3 which I hope to publish in 2015 as "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith." Chapter 3 The first ant-Semite was a Semite Sometime between Ahasuerus’ seventh year as king, when he chose Esther as [...]
Almost nothing is clear in Esther chapter 2 After being introduced to Ahasuerus and his fool-hardy disastrous treatment of Vashti, the book of Esther notifies readers briefly about the Judean heroes of the tale, Mordecai and Esther. Ahasuerus carries out the suggestion of his servants[1] to seek a virgin to replace [...]
Clergy don’t understand the Bible I am convinced that most clergy of every faith who function in churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues don’t understand what the Bible is saying. Also, because of their job, even if they know better, they have become so accustomed to reading the Bible incorrectly that they are [...]
Tzvi Adams sent me the following in response to my last posting. You may want to read these two writings. R. Avraham HaNassi of 11th century Spain wrote same: http://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=9428&st=&pgnum=127 A great paper on this by Natan Slifkin: http://www.zootorah.com/RationalistJudaism/What%20Can%20One%20Do%20For%20Someone%20Who%20Has%20Passed%20Away.pdf
Is this fraud, criminal behavior, or piety? When I returned a week ago from a two month stay in Israel over the Jewish High Holidays, I found dozens of messages left on my telephone answering machine. Three of them made me wonder whether the callers were committing fraud, a criminal act, [...]
This is a draft of chapter two of the Esther section of the book I am writing tentatively called "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith" that may be published in 2015. Chapter two Esther in the Legends We have seen some imaginative interpretations of the book of Esther, [...]
I published "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Five Books of Moses" last week, my 26th book, the first of a series of "Unusual" books. One on Joshua and another on Judges are finished and should be published next year. I am currently working on "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith." The following is a draft of [...]
I have begun to work on my book tentatively called "Unusual Bible Interpretations: Ruth, Esther, and Judith." Here is the draft of my introduction to Esther. I will continue with chapter one in a few days, with subsequent chapters every week. Introduction Esther is not as simple as people think [...]
The patriarchs were humans The first book in my new series “Unusual Bile Interpretations,” on the “Five Books of Moses,” was published in Israel last week. I finished the next two, on the biblical books Joshua and Judges, and they will be published in upcoming months. I am currently working on a [...]
Was there really a flood? The biblical story about Noah and the flood is not as simple as some people want to think. The story raises interesting and to some people disturbing questions about good and evil, divine intervention in this world, do miracles exist, should we take all the biblical stories literally, [...]
My 26th book has just been published Gefen Publishing House published my twenty-sixth book today, October 21, 2014, in Israel. The books should reach the US in a month or two. I point out in the book’s introduction that most people know little about the Hebrew Bible. What they do know they derive from [...]
A man dies. God summons him and the man appears glowing with pride, certain he had lived the life God wanted him to live. "Did you enjoy the many joyous things I placed on earth for you," God asks. "God forbid," answered the pious man. I made sure that I didn't partake of a [...]
Snakes eating dust My twenty-sixth book which will be published in a few weeks in Israel is called “Unusual Bible Interpretations: Five Books of Moses.” It is part of a series of four “Unusual” books. Two of the remaining three are finished and will be published by Gefen Publishing House shortly. They [...]
Sukkot: A Radical interpretation[1] People who pay attention to what they read realize that none of the Jewish holidays are practiced today as the Torah mandates. The rabbis made extensive changes in Torah laws because of changes in human circumstances. Scholars think that the holidays were originally folk harvest festivals that [...]
Was the great sage Rashbam Orthodox? I have been noting in many of my writings that Jews are not required to believe everything that the general population of Jews believe because, as in all cultures and religions, the general population is insufficiently educated, do not think for themselves, rely on superstitious teachings, [...]
Emerson: On Man and God And the concept of “majority rules” in Judaism Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) wrote in his introduction to his famed philosophical book “Guide of the Perplexed” that he, a Jew, will be citing, along with his own views, the opinions of the pagan Greek philosopher Aristotle and the [...]
Three rabbinical tales with profound rational lessons[1] Maimonides, in his Commentary on the Mishnah, Introduction to Perek Chelek, describes how one should understand rabbinical stories and declares that most people do not deal with rabbinic Midrashim[2] correctly. According to Maimonides, three clusters of people exist, each taking a radically different approach to [...]
Three shocking Maimonides lessons Maimonides reveals three significant secrets in his Guide of the Perplexed 3:28 that will surprise many people, many of whom will disagree with him. (1) The Torah does not teach everything that people should know, (2) some teachings in the Torah are not true, and (3) Torah laws are [...]
Ibn Ezra’s “Secret of the Twelve”[1] The Torah’s final chapter presents a serious theological dilemma. The following is a brief history of how some scholars handled this dilemma. Questions Did Moses write the entire Torah? Do traditional Jewish commentators differ on the subject? Who wrote the story of the death of [...]
