Book Review - Roots and Rituals: Insights into Hebrew Holidays and Rituals
I have been fortunate to have reviewed Mitchell First’s previous work from Kodesh Press, Esther Unmasked. There I pointed out how compelling the author’s writing was and how much it made me think. Since that time I have continued to follow Mr. First’s writings online at the seforim blog as well as his columns in the Jewish Link of New Jersey. I was also inspired to delve more deeply into the world of words.
I was amazed to find sites like Balashon, Facebook groups, and even (gasp!) yeshivish writers who are doing exceedingly interesting work in this genre. (I also learned of the secular “word watcher” Lewis Thomas whose writing is captivating as well.) However, from my perspective, none hold a candle to the sheer breadth of Mr. First. His new work runs the gamut from tefillah, to Jewish history, the chagim and interesting common Hebrew words.
These 62(!) essays are culled from Mr. First’s aforementioned writings, as well as some other previously published material, and presented by Kodesh Press in a well categorized fashion. There is even a guide for how to read the book on a parsha by parsha basis. The author’s sense of wit comes through both in the conversational tone, and at the close of each essay.
As a reader I felt that each essay was akin to receiving a starter-kit on a particular topic. The author deftly introduces the reader to the topic, asking the most salient and important questions and providing answers that are both substantive but also encourage further exploration. For example, after reading that archaeology has identified at least 53 figures mentioned in Tanach, and consulting the site Mr. First sources, I began my own exploration into Biblical archaeology in earnest. (A good recap of discoveries from 2018 can be found here, be careful, there is a lot of pseudo-science that masquerades as real work on the internet).
Another example was especially timely. My daughter is studying the first parshiot of Sefer Shemot in school and was consulting Sefaria when she came across a translation of arov (commonly translated as wild animals) that left her confused. “Insects?! I don’t get it. Daddy there’s something wrong with the website.” Gleefully I flipped to page 132 and together we poured through the essay on this word so that what once seemed foreign and mistaken was now seen as a fair and well-substantiated alternative. (I will confess, once ingrained, especially in younger children, old translations die hard).
Another boon to the reader are the many scholarly sources the author shares. Not (yet!) having an advanced degree in Jewish studies myself, I believe this is the first work I’ve read that has helped me understand not just the material presented but how the author went about investigating the matter at hand. Furthermore I can provide first-hand testimony to the value of several of these sources. I am currently giving a weekly shiur on Megillat Esther and was able to obtain two of the works Mr. First recommended Persia and the Bible as well as Purim and the Persian Empire both of which were instrumental in my teaching and were mightily enjoyed by the chaburah who were able for the first time to see actual artifacts dated from the time of Khshāyarsha (that’s Achashveirosh to you and me).
With rare exceptions, I believe it is true that no work is perfect. I was surprised to read that “[Dr. Sid Z. Leiman] investigated the issue [of why the 9th of Tevet was designated as a fast day] thoroughly and concluded that we still do not know what event this fast day was mean to commemorate.” (p. 80). However, in his recorded remarks Dr. Leiman seems to indicate that the fast was to commemorate the death of Simeon Kepha (perhaps Shimon HaPakuli?). I might also quibble with the citation from R’ Hirsch’s translation of Yovel as a leader of the flock (p. 111), from what I read R’ Hirsch views the term as a “return to home” which I believe has implications for the role of Lemech’s children (cf Midrashei Philo, Belkin, 1989 p. 110 fn 339).
What is paramount, however, is that whatever middling issues I may have found, I would never have been exposed to had I not been so motivated and intrigued by First’s choices of topics and masterful treatments thereon. Readers are in for a tremendous treat with this work. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Moshe Isaacson is m’vakesh Hashem who earns a parnassa through marketing. He is now constantly on the lookout for missing nuns (the letter kind, not the flying kind) and has asked 4 people to explain the joke on page 77 to him but to no avail.