The Chumash -- in any language -- remains, not only the
best selling, but also the most influential book of all
times. Plus, it's been translated into more languages, more
often, than any other book in the world.
With over 50 English translations currently available, the
question is: Why have hundreds of translators over thousands
of years repeatedly translated this sacred text? The question
recently surfaced with the publication of the Margolin
Edition of the Torah, a new Chumash translation from
Feldheim Publishers, by Rabbi Binyamin S. Moore.
This is Feldheim's first original translation of the
Chumash -- and quite an undertaking it was. The project
took almost 7 years to complete!
What is an "Integrated" Translation?
Mr. Yaakov Feldheim approached Rabbi Binyamin Moore, a
rabbinic scholar from London now living in Jerusalem, with
the idea of translating the Chumash in the early 1990s. "We
discussed the project at great length, and I began full time
work in April, 1993," Rabbi Moore recalls.
Rabbi Moore explains that any translation of Torah must
explain and express the meaning of the Torah in a foreign
language. A purely literal translation not only fails in this
regard, but may even misrepresent the Torah's meaning. On the
other hand, a translation that lays claim to innovative, new
meanings also distorts the true meaning of the Torah.
Therefore, Rabbi Moore spent the better part of this decade
poring over each and every word to compose a translation that
would be truly unique.
In the end, to describe Rabbi Moore's work, Yaakov Feldheim
coined the phrase "an integrated translation" because it
integrates both the explanation of the verse as well as the
translation of the verse -- into the text itself. "However,"
Rabbi Moore adds in his Preface, "to differentiate between
which words of the verse were translated literally and which
words were added or changed for explanation, the added or
changed words were put into brackets." Rabbi Moore invariably
followed the explanation of Rashi. As the Rambam notes,
Rashi's commentary takes precedence over all others.
The best way to understand this is by way of example, so
let's take a brief look at the very first verse in sefer
Devorim.
Most conventional, literal translations go something like
this: "These are the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel
beyond the Jordan; in the wilderness, in the Arabah, over
against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and
Hazeroth and Di-zahab."
At first glance, this verse seems to list a number of places
where the Jewish people camped in their journey through the
desert. Rashi, however, informs us that these are really
veiled references to important events that took place in the
nation's 40-year journey. In fact, each place name represents
a confrontation between the Jewish people and G-d. That's the
true import of this particular verse, especially in light of
Rashi's comments.
Now let's look this verse in the new Feldheim translation:
"These are the words that Moshe spoke to all Yisrael on the
opposite side of the Yarden: about (what they did at) Paran,
and (their) slander of the white (manna); and (what occurred
at) Chatzeros; and (what happened through their)
overabundance of gold."
This shows how the new version integrates both translation
and explanation into the text itself.
The overall effect is that of a fuller, more meaningful
Chumash translation. Like a braid, Rabbi Moore's words
form a astonishing weave of Biblical Hebrew and modern
English, of translation and explanation -- and it all comes
together to create one seamless narrative flow. For many --
especially those accustomed to the more standard translations
-- the effect is like hearing, reading, and learning the text
for the very first time.
In addition to his translation of Chumash, Rabbi Moore
employed the same approach to the Five Megillos, as well as
all the yearly haftoras: with each haftorah
appearing after every Torah reading, and the Megillos
appearing at the end of the volume.
This bilingual edition of the Torah concludes with a
complete Shabbos prayer service -- making it a most
convenient and ideal volume for learning, for prayer, and for
a careful rendering of each week's Torah reading.
With so many translations available it's hard to imagine that
a new translation could have so much to offer -- but his one
does! This remarkable and authoritative translation makes it
possible for us to pick up a volume of Chumash once
again, and see its sacred words in an entirely new light.
