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70 Faces: Torah Poems
Each of the poems in Seventy Faces arose in conversation with the Five Books of Moses. These poems interrogate, explore, and lovingly respond to Torah texts—the uplifting parts alongside the passages which may challenge contemporary liberal theology. Here are responses to the familiar tales of Genesis, the liberation story of Exodus, the priestly details of Leviticus, the desert wisdom of Numbers, and the anticipation of Deuteronomy. These poems balance feminism with respect for classical traditions of interpretation. They enrich any (re)reading of the Bible, and will inspire readers to their own new responses to these familiar texts.
100 pages, Paperback
First published January 9, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 15, 2016
Arranged to match the Torah portions (weekly readings) of the Jewish year. Each poem goes to the author's reaction to that week's chosen text. A central part of the Jewish tradition is reading through the entire Torah annually. By reading the same text, year after year, new insights arise as our life changes, year by year. Rabbi Berenblat captures her reactions to these texts in poems. Some were very moving, some I found too disjointed.
We read one poem a week, on Shabbat evening, to go with the portion of the week. It was a nice tradition while it lasted.
We did the same thing with Pam Greenberg's Translations of the Psalms.
We read one poem a week, on Shabbat evening, to go with the portion of the week. It was a nice tradition while it lasted.
We did the same thing with Pam Greenberg's Translations of the Psalms.
February 9, 2020
I really, really love Barenblat's poetry, but this collection, for the most part, did not touch me. There were a few poems that I found moving and memorable but not as many as I had expected.
March 10, 2011
The Genesis of my childhood was a book filled with confusing stories about men and their actions, women barely a footnote, contradiction at every turn. There seemed so little there I could relate to, and the things I was told to relate to were abstract and improbable and tried my logic, even as a child. (Every animal on earth in one boat? Two by two? Really?)
Which is one of the reasons why I love these poems so much - that they seize upon the abstract and the contradictions and the loopholes; that Barenblat plays out all the 'what if?' questions and pulls forward the lives of the women sidelined in more conventional texts. That there's a name for this - midrash; stories that attempt to explain the confusing, complicated portions of the Bible - delights me; that there's a tradition of wrestling with inconsistencies rather than asking blind faith leaves me almost shaking with gratitude.
Of all the poems, those in the Akedah cycle are my favorite - the stories of Sarah and Hagar so dramatically reimagined, so full of life and pain and joy; God not really knowing what to do with humans, learning as he goes; the possibility that Abraham failed when he agreed to sacrifice Isaac. All of this contained in lyrical poetry, beautiful cadences of words and breath - what a truly beautiful book.
Which is one of the reasons why I love these poems so much - that they seize upon the abstract and the contradictions and the loopholes; that Barenblat plays out all the 'what if?' questions and pulls forward the lives of the women sidelined in more conventional texts. That there's a name for this - midrash; stories that attempt to explain the confusing, complicated portions of the Bible - delights me; that there's a tradition of wrestling with inconsistencies rather than asking blind faith leaves me almost shaking with gratitude.
Of all the poems, those in the Akedah cycle are my favorite - the stories of Sarah and Hagar so dramatically reimagined, so full of life and pain and joy; God not really knowing what to do with humans, learning as he goes; the possibility that Abraham failed when he agreed to sacrifice Isaac. All of this contained in lyrical poetry, beautiful cadences of words and breath - what a truly beautiful book.
October 10, 2011
Rachel Barenblat and the Torah have written these poems together. The Torah contributed a wealth of provocative material, organized into portions that Jews read one by one each week as the weeks tell the story of a full year. Something in each portion touched Barenblat. It might have been the central narrative or theme that week, but (in good rabbinic fashion) she might also have been struck by the tag-end of the story, or a peculiar phrase, or the surprising way old texts seem to new, feminist eyes.
I am reading these poems one by one, as a way of living in the cycle of the weekly reading. Many of them would stand on their own, however. I would suggest that a general reader take a quick look at the biblical text (if Barenblat doesn't actually cite it at the beginning of the poem) just to see what flinty sentence struck a spark with her. Then, read the poem for its own sake. Enjoy!
I am reading these poems one by one, as a way of living in the cycle of the weekly reading. Many of them would stand on their own, however. I would suggest that a general reader take a quick look at the biblical text (if Barenblat doesn't actually cite it at the beginning of the poem) just to see what flinty sentence struck a spark with her. Then, read the poem for its own sake. Enjoy!
June 7, 2017
(disclaimer: the author is a friend of mine.)
I loved this! Torah (/old testament) poems that talk about Moses and Abraham...and the Internet and Birkenstocks...and all the emotions that tie us to the people who lived and struggled and made mistakes and loved God and feared him across millennia.
I loved this! Torah (/old testament) poems that talk about Moses and Abraham...and the Internet and Birkenstocks...and all the emotions that tie us to the people who lived and struggled and made mistakes and loved God and feared him across millennia.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews