Articles

Hayyei Sarah:

Abraham’s Servant and the Art of Biblical Retelling

Due to the complexity of human nature, great individuals also struggle with character weaknesses. Straying from the facts robs Tanakh of some of its most powerful messages and leaves readers without authentic role models.

Abraham our father taught us “to keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice.” Generations later, Moses our rabbi taught us the Torah, expanding on the foundations set by Abraham. We are blessed to be heirs of spiritual greatness of the highest order.

Wondrous and heretofore unimaginable developments have
impacted the way that we view, study and teach Tanakh in at least three distinct yet interrelated
areas. One of the delightful ironies which these intersections share is their respective roles, in
earlier times, in effecting the opposite.

We are thrilled to report that Rabbi Hayyim Angel has published the third volume of his new commentary on Tanakh: The Heart of Judges. Along with The Heart of the Five Megillot and The Heart of Joshua, it is available at amazon.com in paperback and Kindle formats.

This part of a project that ultimately will cover the entire Tanakh. Upcoming volumes currently in preparation are:

1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

Da'at Press has published Rabbi Marc Angel's book, Jewish Minds for Humankind. The book is available through this link: https://www.daat.press/product-page/jewish-minds-for-humankind-rabbi-marc-angel The book is published in memory of Gilda Angel, a"h.

Judaism must not dissipate into just another culture of the past, but it also cannot shrink into a small group of intentionally pious figures and their followers. Judaism must retain its national character, and its leaders and sages must look toward addressing the needs of not just those who choose to scrupulously fulfill the law, but also to those who do no such thing.

While these three pillars represent an ideal rather than a claim of personal achievement, they are perhaps parts of a vision to which an Inclusive Orthodox Rabbi can aspire and strive. They are a route to combining openness with integrity.

Ben Rothke published an excellent review of Rabbi Hayyim Angel's book, The Heart of the Five Megillot.

Jewish Press, September 24, 2026

https://jewishpress.com/the-five-megillot-beyond-easy-answers/