Rabbi Ari Kahn, has written a dazzling and enlightening book on Sefer Bereishit that throws new light on parshiot that we thought we thoroughly know. The book is a compilation of short essays on each parsha, which began as lectures that are meant to be read independently. The essays do not rely one on another in terms of content but share methodological and structural themes.
There are primarily four characteristics that Rabbi Kahn’s essays share. Firstly, they are marked by sensitivity to the nuances and barely perceptible hints of the text from which he mines significant and sweeping meaning. Further, he interprets difficult, bizarre Midrashim, and places them into a broad conceptual context. Additionally he uses the entire corpus of Biblical commentary to help demonstrate and elaborate his points. Lastly, he develops his themes far and wide, persuasively weaving together disparate threads into a coherent and meaningful narrative.
For example, Rabbi Kahn focuses on the significance of the raven being sent forth from the ark after the flood. Reading the text carefully, he notes that the Torah, gives no explanation as to why the raven was sent forth, as opposed to the explanation given for the sending forth of the Dove. The Ohr Hachayim suggests that the raven was sent because Noah wanted to expel him. The Talmud recounts a conversation between Noah and the raven where the raven accuses G-d and Noah of hating him. The Talmud further describes that the raven was expelled because he was one of three (the dog, the raven and Ham) who broke protocol on the ark and engaged in sexual relations. The agadda further describes that the raven refused to leave the ark and accused Noah of lusting for the raven’s spouse. A different Midrash cites G-d arguing with Noah and telling him to accept the raven back because the Raven will be useful in the future. In the time of Eliyahu, the raven provides food for Eliyahu during the drought.
Rabbi Kahn masterfully explains the deeper significance of these strange and outlandish Midrashim. He explains that the raven symbolized for Noah antediluvian immorality, and that Noah felt that in the post flood world G-d decided to deal with the world using strict justice. Noah therefore responded to his world with strict justice. He reacted to the Raven’s licentiousness, by demanding expulsion, even at the potential risk of his extinction. Kahn explains that the Raven argued with Noah, projecting onto him his own immorality but also highlighting the immorality of Noah’s son Ham. Rabbi Kahn notes that there are other parallels between the raven who is black and the children of Ham – Kush who are also black. This is in direct contrast to the dove that is white and whose name reflects the divine name. Noah initially saw the world as black and white, good or evil. Noah wanted to associate himself with the dove that represented purity, and not the depraved raven. However, the world is more complex. G-d’s kindness extends even to those who have some evil. The raven, Rabbi Kahn says, is “far more complex- reflecting the mixture of good and bad, a representation of Post Eden reality. … He (Noah) sees his own survival meant the eradication of evil and the triumph of good. God sees things differently.” Rabbi Kahn then links this theme to the story of Ninveh – who were also descendants of Ham. Yonah also refused to recognize the good in Ninveh and G-d’s mercy to the people of Nineveh. So the peculiar conversations and accusations between the raven and Noah, reflect a philosophical discussion on the nature of good and evil in the world, and on the virtue of mercy. Rabbi Kahn deciphers weird Midrashim into significant leitmotifs that are applied in multiple contexts.
Rabbi Kahn cites the entire range of Jewish commentaries from the Talmud and Midrash, Rashi and other Medieval commentaries, Zohar and other esoteric commentaries, and Hassidic and modern commentaries. In the example just cited he quotes from three books in Tanach (Breishit, Melachim, Yonah), Sefer Beer Mayim Chayim, Chizkuni, Haamek Davar, Ohr Hachaiym, Ben Yehoyada, Talmud, Midrash, Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, Rav Tzadok Hacohen, Sefer Kometz Mincha, Zohar Hachadash, and Noam Elimelech in a mere 10 pages. These sources are only a selection of the wide array of sources he mentions. The added benefit of the Book, is the acquaintance with a wide range of traditional commentaries, that one would not normally be exposed too, in a readily accessible way. Future editions would be enhanced by an index and brief biographies of each commentator. Translations of all the commentaries would be useful for those people who will have difficulty with the original.
Rabbi Kahn takes different strands and interlaces them into a magnificent, evocative and meaningful tale. An example is his development of the significance of clothing in the Yosef story. Rabbi Kahn points out that the leitmotif of clothing is intertwined into many different stories: Yosef and his brothers, Tamar and Yehuda, Yosef and Potiphar’s wife, Amnon and Tamar, Adam and Chava, the priestly worship, and the prohibition of shatnez. He notes that the origin of clothes is a result of shame for the sin of Adam and Chava. Many Hebrew words for clothes are related to words of betrayal such as Meil – meila and begged- begida. He further explains that the proscription of Shatnez is linked to the sin of Kayin and Hevel that was rooted in jealousy and divisiveness. Priests were allowed to wear Shatnez because they were atoning for divisiveness and jealousy. Yaakov gave Yosef the Ketonot Pasim in order to defuse the jealousy of his brothers. The story of Amnon and Tamar, Yosef and Potiphar’s wife and Yehuda and Tamar all reflect the themes of jealousy and divisiveness. Rabbi Kahn extends his interpretation to relevant and significant themes for our daily lives. In this case he describes our need to fortify ourselves and wear clothes representing divinity rather than those of shame and jealousy.
Rabbi Kahn utilizes a number of different modalities, extending the methodologies of earlier commentators, in his commentaries. In following the footsteps of Rav Soloveitchik he employs a sharp sensitivity to intimations in the text and he translates those hints to a modern idiom that is meaningful to our lives. He internalizes the tools of Midrash, and uses them to clarify and elaborate earlier Midrashim and commentators. He knits together disparate texts in the tradition of Modern Hassidic commentators such as Rav Zadok Hacohen and the Shem Meshmuel and produces a wide-ranging colorful and synthetic tapestry. He successfully extends their methodology by explaining a broad range of seemingly unrelated phenomena with one broad idea. He is also influenced by the Kabbalah, interpreting texts in an expansive symbolic way.
Rav Kahn describes the interpretive abilities of Joseph, who reads a spiritual meaning into what seems to be a material dream. In a similar fashion, Rabbi Kahn interprets texts and successfully reads a deeper meaning into them that greatly enriches our understanding. He enables us to see the words of Torah in a new light. Anyone who wants to enrich his understanding of the weekly Parsha should read this book.