Joel M. Hoffman - And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning

AND GOD SAID

ALSO BY DR. JOEL M. HOFFMAN

AUTHOR OF:
In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language

CHIEF TRANSLATOR OF:

My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume I: The Shma and Its Blessings
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume II: The Amidah
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume III: Psukei Dzimrah
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume IV: Seder Kriat Hatorah
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume V: Birkhot Hashachar
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume VI: Tachanun and Concluding Prayers
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume VII: Shabbat at Home
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume VIII: Kabbalat Shabbat
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume IX: Welcoming the Night
My Peoples Prayer Book, Volume X: Shabbat Morning
My Peoples Passover Haggadah, Volumes I II

AND GOD SAID

HOW TRANSLATIONS

CONCEAL

THE BIBLES

ORIGINAL MEANING

Dr. Joel M. Hoffman

THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS
ST. MARTINS PRESS NEW YORK

THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS .
An imprint of St. Martins Press.

AND GOD SAID . Copyright 2010 by Joel M. Hoffman. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. For information, address St. Martins Press, 175 Fifth Avenue,

New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.thomasdunnebooks.com
www.stmartins.com
www.AndGodSaid.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hoffman, Joel M., 1968

And God said : how translations conceal the Bibles original meaning / Joel M.

Hoffman. 1st ed.

p. cm.

Thomas Dunne books.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-312-56558-9

1. Bible. O.T. EnglishVersions. 2. Bible. O.T.Translating. I. Title.

BS1133.H64 2010

First Edition: February 2010

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Jonah Maccabee Dreskin had a contagious curiosity about the world, a devious sense of humor, and an intolerance for mediocrity that helped bring out the best in those who knew him. Id like to believe that he would have enjoyed this bookI know I would have had fun discussing it with himbut Ill never know, because his life came to a sudden, tragic end while I was finishing up the manuscript. This book is dedicated to Jonahs memory.

This book began, though we did not know it at the time, during a class I taught on translation some years ago at HUC-JIR in New York City. One of my students, Marci Bellows, graduated and became Rabbi Marci Bellows. Then Irene Goodman, now my agent, spoke to Rabbi Bellows about a book on Bible translation, and Rabbi Bellows gave Irene my name. Thank you, Marci, for putting us in touch with each other.

Once we started working together, Irene Goodman stubbornly insisted that I do things her way. Without exception she has been right and this book is much the better for it. Irene has taught me an enormous amount about how to write and about now to navigate the world of publishing. Irene is also a fun person to work with and a kind soul. Ive been lucky. Thank you, Irene.

Irene put me in touch with Peter Joseph, at Thomas Dunne Books, and working with Peter and his team has been a sheer delight. The folks at Thomas Dunne Books, and Peter in particular, have helped make the writing and publishing of this book a pleasure. I have also learned more from Peter than I would have thought possible. Im glad my next book will benefit from his wisdom, and I cant help but wish I had met him earlier. Thank you, Peter.

Also in terms of putting this book together, thank you to Elizabeth Curione, for overseeing production; to Cheryl Krementz, copyeditor, and Julie Gutin, proofreader, for their attention to detail in their work on my manuscript; and to Robert Grom, for the beautiful cover that so wonderfully captures the spirit of this book.

I am grateful to Father Dennis McManus, who took the time to read a draft of this book and offered invaluable detailed suggestions.

This book took me five months and fifteen years to write: five months of actual writing, and fifteen years of exploration, discovery, learning, teaching, and grappling with the holy text of the Bible. Irene and Peter were my primary partners during the five months. Ive been fortunate to have wonderful friends, teachers, and students during the fifteen years. I cant possibly single out everyone who has been helpful along the way, but I must start by mentioning my father, Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, Ph.D., who in addition to everything else has been my study partner for as long as I can remember.

Rare are the environments that truly value learning and creativity while also recognizing the inherent worth of each individual. Ive been lucky enough to spend time at three such places, and Im grateful to the people who helped each one thrive.

From Kutz Camp in Warwick, New York, thank you in particular to Rabbi Allen Smitty Smith, whose vision it was to build the place; to Rabbi Stuart Geller, a master teacher and now dear friend; and to the literally thousands of students and fellow teachers whom I met along the way.

From HUC-JIR in New York City, I must single out Rabbi Dr. Eugene Borowitz and Rabbi Dr. Leonard Kravitz. I can hardly believe my good fortune at having been able to sit at a table with them.

And from SWFS, also in New York City, I am most grateful to Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor and Rabbi Manny Gold, who created one of my favorite places in the world. I am equally indebted to my many students thereI wish I had space to list them allwho, like the other members of the faculty, have become my teachers. Also from SWFS, I am particularly grateful to Rabbi Ammi Hirsch and Cantor Dan Singer. Thank you for the happiness and celebration.

In addition, my thanks go to Rabbi Billy and Cantor Ellen Dreskin, for their support, honesty, and wisdom; Danny Maseng, for expanding my horizons; David and Karen Frank, for their kindness and thoughtfulness, and for opening so many doors; Douglas Hofstadter (though Ive never met him), for introducing me to the challenge of translation; Rabbi Jaimee Shalhevet, for her insight; Janet Walton, for being on clear on what matters; Jennifer Hammer at New York University Press, for publishing my first book in a way that made me want to continue; Lauren Rose, for her support and enthusiasm; Marc Brettler, for his compassion and knowledge; Stuart Matlins at JLP, for bringing so many of my translations into print; and Tal Varon, who by personal example reminds me to walk humbly.

Finally and mostly, my thanks go to my parents, Sally and Larry, who gave me everything.

The Biblical book Songs of Songs, frequently quoted at weddings, is about romantic love. Yet most translations speak of my sister, my spouse or my sister, my bride, practices that are not only unromantic but quite illegal in most places.

How did this happen? How did well-meaning translators throughout history so distort the original meaning of the Bible that, in this case, courtship ended up as a felony?

Song of Songs is but one example of a common pattern of mistranslation that prompted me to write this book, even knowing that passions run high when it comes to Bible translation.