Commentary on the Song of Songs of Levi ben Gershom (Gersonides) (review)

Hebrew Studies 40 (1999) 339 Reviews Estes' equation of the notion of righteousness expressed in Proverbs 1-9 with Deuteronomy's representation of covenant obedience is also problematic . It is true that one can argue the two books are describing a virtually identical ethical system, and Moshe Weinfeld (in Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972) has ably laid the groundwork for anyone who wishes to hold such a position. But there is no scholarly consensus in support of this position. Yet Estes represents the two corpora as describing identical notions of moral righteousness (pp. 51ff.) without establishing a connection between the two or citing the previous scholarship on this subject. An especially interesting part of this book, from an academic perspective , is the author's careful categorization of the rhetorical techniques used by the "teacher," a conglomeration of all the figures who instruct in the way of righteousness in Proverbs 1-9. In "Chapter Five: Process of instruction," Estes describes the rhetorical strategies used by this "teacher" in clear, user-friendly terms and focuses on these addresses strictly as rhetoric in the classical sense. A number of years ago, Roland Murphy (The Wisdom Literature, Forms of Old Testament Literature Series, Vol. XIll. R. Knierim & G. Tucker, eds. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1981) provided many of the same names for these forms of address, and it is troublesome that Estes does not mention the Murphy book in this chapter on rhetorical form as engagement with the earlier work would have provided additional benefit. In sum, although this study was not meant to further the work of sociological , literary, or rhetorical criticism, it represents an attempt to synthesize a pedagogical theory underlying Proverbs 1-9. As such it is valuable as an articulate presentation of that pedagogical theory. M. Beth Szlos Union Theological Seminary New York, NY 10027 mbs12@columbia.edu COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS OF LEVI BEN GERSHOM (GERSONIDES). Trans. from the Hebrew with an introduction and annotations by Menachem Kellner. Yale ludaica Series XXIX. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998. Pp. xxxi + 161. Cloth, $16.00. Song of Songs attracted wide attention among premodern scriptural commentators. Indeed, to such exegetes, few other canonical books could have seemed so in need of interpretation. A rabbinic dictum warned of dire Hebrew Studies 40 (1999) 340 Reviews consequences should the book's erotic imagery be mishandled: "he who recites a verse from Song of Songs in the manner of a secular air...brings evil into the world" (Sanh. lOla). Little wonder, then, that ancient and medieval Song of Songs commentaries, whether produced within the precincts of synagogue or church, strove towards a common end: disclosure of the "religious" meaning presumed to inhere in a biblical book composed wholly of passionate and earthy love poems. The common way to uncover such meaning was through transposition of this "symphony of love" (Phyllis Trible's characterization) into an allegorical register. For Jews, such transposition yielded a representation of the reciprocal love of God and Israel. For Christians, the book, modulated allegorically, typically spoke of Christ's love for the Church. In light of Song of Songs' long history of allegorization and the strong imprint made by Greco-Arabic philosophy on Jewish scholars residing in southern Europe in the high and late Middle Ages, it occasions little surprise that some medieval Jewish savants came to view Song of Songs as a specifically philosophical allegory. The book's traditional ascription to King Solomon, "wisest of all men"-depicted by no less an authority than Maimonides as a philosopher par excellence--clinched the case. The commentary on Song of Songs by the leading medieval Hebrew philosophic writer of the post-Maimonidean era, Levi ben Gershom (1288-1344), is an outstanding example of interpretation of "the Song of Songs that is Solomon's" in a philosophic-allegorical key. To students of medieval Judaism, Levi-known also as Gersonides and by his Hebrew acronym Ralbag-needs no introduction. Beyond his philosophic prowess, he is renowned for world-class contributions to the astronomy and mathematics of his day. He was also a prolific biblical commentator, but this side of his literary activity has elicited scant interest among his...