The Hidden Order of Intimacy: Reflections on the Book of Leviticus

by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg

A masterly analysis of the Book of Leviticus, the newest volume in the award-winning series of commentaries on the Hebrew Bible by “a celebrated biblical scholar, keen on weaving together traditional Jewish exegesis, psychoanalysis, and postmodern criticism” (The New York Times Book Review)The image of the Golden Calf haunts the commentaries that thread through Leviticus. This catastrophic episode, in which the Israelites (freed from Egyptian slavery and forty days after their momentous encounter with God at Mount Sinai) worship a pagan idol while Moses is receiving the Torah from God on the mountaintop, gives the mostly legalistic text a unique depth and resonance. According to midrashic tradition, the post-traumatic effects of the sin of the Golden Calf linger through the generations, the sin to be “paid off” in small increments through time. Post-biblical perspectives view this as the diffusion of punishment, as well as a way of addressing the on-going phenomenon of idolatry itself. These after-effects of the Golden Calf incident are imaginatively explored in Avivah Zornberg’s magnificent textual analysis. She brings the rabbis of the Talmud, medieval commentators, Hasidic scholars, philosophers, psychoanalysts, and literary masters—from Aristotle and Rashi to the Baal Shem Tov, Franz Rosenzweig, Sigmund Freud, and George Eliot—into her pathbreaking discussion of the nature of reward and punishment, good and evil, Eros and Thanatos, and humankind’s intricate and ever-fascinating encounter with the divine.

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Judaica

483 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 29, 2022

Reviews

[Eric]

Amazing book. This one took a while because I was reading and re-reading Torah portions to follow along with what the author was saying. The intellectual arguments the author made brought me closer to Torah. The author has written other books about other books of Torah and intend to visit those. This and her other books could be intimidating to those who are delving into Torah or it could be exciting to take on the challenge. I’m more of the latter. I highly recommend not only this book but taking your time with this one.

[Lisa Feld]

I’m generally a fan of Zornberg’s psychological approach to biblical criticism, but Leviticus poses a challenge for that approach because it’s so thin on narrative. Her strengths shine when talking about the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, and about the relationship between Israel and God, the ways in which sacrifice resembles the idiosyncratic intimacies of a marriage. But I felt like the book lost steam in certain chapters, trying to turn law codes into something more personal and less generic/societal. But the first half of the book was insightful, and it ended on a strong note.

[Josh Fisher]

A bit more accessible (and shorter, thank god) than her previous work, though some essays still went clear over my head. Still, I love the level of attention, creativity, and research she puts into these readings

[Michael Lewyn]

This commentary is dominated by midrash and psychology, with the insights of a few premodern commentators mixed in. Although Zornberg is very erudite, her work is not for everyone; it is usually a bit too abstract for my personal taste.

Nevertheless, I was occasionally fascinated by her ability to tie the Torah's various strands together. For example, she compares the story of the Golden Calf to the story of the spies who refuse to take over Israel; she notes that the Hebrews refused to enter Israel because they felt "God hates us" (Deut. 1:27) and ties this to their shame over the Calf. If I am reading her work correctly, I think she is implying that when the Talmud mentions that the sin of the Calf will create trouble throughout the generations, perhaps this shame is part of that stain.

[Darlene]

A very deep dive into Leviticus, revolving almost completely around the episode of the Golden Calf. This is not light reading, but I loved the places it took me to, focusing on philosophy and discussions that go far below the surface text.

Of course, that's what one would expect from a teacher like Dr. Zornberg. Each discussion follows the parshiyot, the weekly Torah readings, and I know I'll be coming back to this text when the cycle comes around again next year.

[Jason]

I always love Zornberg, and this book has so much I enjoyed, thrilling insights into scripture and theology and midrash and life. The ending felt somehow abrupt, but the book is still a splendid addition to her magnificent oeuvre.

[K C]

As usual, insightful commentary bringing a whole new perspective to Torah. I expect nothing less from Zornberg.

[Bill Dauster]

An overly dense literary and psychological commentary on Leviticus, occasionally insightful

[Madeline]

Very insightful. This changed my entire perspective on Leviticus and the Old Testament. Exactly what I was looking for when I chose to read this book.

[Dan]

I’ll have to read it again in the future to really have an opinion.