Highlighting: “The Steinsaltz Tehillim” (Hebrew and English Edition) by Adin Steinsaltz. Koren Publishers Jerusalem. 2019. Hardcover. 624 pages. ISBN-13: 978-9653019690.

The Steinsaltz Center has announced the publication of “The Steinsaltz Tehillim,” a completely new English translation of Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz’s pioneering commentary on the Book of Psalms. This unique volume, which was released by the Steinsaltz Center and Koren Publishers Jerusalem at the beginning of February, seeks to assist the contemporary reader by bridging the gaps in language, outlook and culture between us and the world of Psalms, empowering each person to communicate with God with the confidence and understanding of the Psalmist himself.

Though lofty, this goal is achieved via the pairing of a multifaceted commentary and an aesthetically pleasing design. Problematic passages are elucidated, obstacles to understanding are removed and the language and context are concisely clarified at the most basic level to make the Book of Psalms accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

“Over the course of Jewish history, Psalms has been utilized more than any other book, not just by poets, but by all who seek to articulate the appropriate words and phrases with which to beseech, express gratitude to, pour out the sorrows of their soul to or simply have a conversation with God. While Psalms very much belongs to a specific place (the Land of Israel) and a specific period (the biblical era), it nonetheless transcends all boundaries of space and time,” explains Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz in the volume’s introduction.

“What emerges from most of the psalms is not the voice of a specific historical figure but rather that of Everyman. As the bounds of the personal are transcended, the psalms enter the realm of the universal.”

The commentary in “The Steinsaltz Tehillim” consists of several parts, which complement but are independent of one another. For example, the literal translation of the verses appears in boldface, while brief explanatory comments and elaborations are woven into the biblical text in non-bold typeface. Thanks to its aesthetically pleasing layout and design, Rabbi Steinsaltz’s commentary on the Book of Psalms is as convenient for the user to learn and internalize as possible.