Buried Treasure: Hidden Wisdom from the Hebrew Language

Buried Treasure adds a deeply human and Godly element to the kinds of work I do with Hebrew words at [...]. Whereas Edenics is the science of Hebrew, Rabbi Lapin's unearthed golden dubloons reflect The Sacred Tongue's ethical and social wisdom. Sure, there are occasional treatments of Hebrew where there might be technical weaknesses. For exaple, why compare HoRiM (parents) to distantly related words for "early rains" or "shooting a bow?" It is HaRim (mountains -- which we look up to, get refuge and revelation from) that is the better fit with HoRiM (parents), and with the Hey-Resh of pregnancy (when a woman HILLS up with child). But Rabbi Lapin smoothly and profoundly makes his insightful points with these Hebraicisms. We are pointed towards tradition and away from harmful contemporary trends in a most natural, positive and loving way. It is impossible to read Buried Treasure and not wish that we had Rabbi Lapin and family as our lifelong neighbors. --Isaac Mozeson

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, known for his penetrating insights into the country's political clashes (see ``America's Real War''), gets back to more traditional rabbinic fare in ``Buried Treasure,'' an examination of key words in the Hebrew language. Rabbi Lapin informs us that Hebrew is more like mathematics (perhaps that's why I'm lousy at math and also break my teeth on Hebrew) than it is like another language. Thus the Torah (the Jewish Bible) is a complex data stream, a long computer program that explains all of reality, the rabbi says. Delving deeply into a Hebrew word yields important lessons that if incorporated into the way one lives makes the person and the world a better place. Reading a word backwards is another way to derive meaning, Rabbi Lapin says. Also, numerical analysis using the ancient Jewish numbering system known as gemetria (in which attached to consonants are fixed numerical values) is helpful. Vowels are of secondary importance, Rabbi Lapin says. In fact, Hebrew roots can be vowelized in different ways to derive additional meanings, he says. The chapter on the verb Paleil, which approximately means ``I pray'' in English, should be reviewed periodically by those desiring to keep their prayers from becoming a rote mechanical exercise. Orthodox Jewish sensibilities might be slightly offended by the book's cover which features a Siddur (Jewish prayer book) in dirt as well as by the fact that the Orthodox Rabbi Lapin admits to having a video player in his home so that his family can occasionally - gasp! - watch movies. But, make no mistake, ``Buried Treasure'' is a kosher book and a refreshing book. The work is very approachable and readable. No previous experience with Hebrew is required. The chapters are short which is surprising considering the depth of the material. Rabbi Lapin is internationally known for his ability to give over Jewish wisdom in practical, useful ways. Some rabbis might imagine the height of spirituality is prattling in Yiddish about what some commentator said 1,000 years ago about an arcane aspect of Jewish law. It is pleasing to see a rav leave the ivory tower to teach important life lessons from the Holy Torah that benefit all people. Such a man is practicing true Chesed (kindness).

The title for this book is perfect. Rabbi Lapin uses details about the Hebrew language as a springboard to wisdom. I first learned about Rabbi Lapin when he filled in for a local talkshow host. This book is not about politics as you would expect. Instead it is a collection of essays about relationships, parenting, and business.Some of his explanations of Hebrew grammar are flaky as are his flights of gematria (studies using the numeric values of the Hebrew letters). But they are not the point. The point of the book is to teach life lessons based on Hebrew words - that the Torah is a guidebook for successful living.

This book is so enjoyable to read that you may be surprised how much you are learning and gleaning from its insights. This book has great examples of how to apply lessons to your day-to-day life. I loved Rabbi's other book, but this is great in a totally different way. It is non-political but still has a lot to say on th best way for us to organize our relationships, relate to our Maker, and become successful in our professional lives. This book made me want to meet the author and ask his advice on everything- which most 'self help' books do not usually do. I heartily recommend it.

I went to Hebrew school in the 1970s for my bar mitzvah and "learned Hebrew" -- meaning, learned how to pronounce the letters, while having absolute no idea what the words meant. This is about all the Hebrew education Reform and Conservative Jews tend to get from their temples. Later I learned to understand Hebrew well enough to read the Pentateuch. As a longtime resident of the Upper West Side, Manhattan, I heard all kinds of rabbis talk about all kinds of Jewish subjects. But I didn't REALLY begin to comprehend this amazing language till I started reading Rabbi Lapin's writings about the insights that are coded in the very structure of Hebrew grammar, spelling, etc. So when I heard he'd written a whole book about Hebrew, I was very excited. I'm a little disappointed that the book isn't more comprehensive; it's fairly short. Hopefully there'll be a second volume. But what's here is great: a variety of Hebrew words analyzed in detail, in a very accessible, charming way, that yield lots of sometimes-counterintuitive "life lessons" about everything from sex to work to deepening your relationship with God. There's no heavy grammar or vocabulary. You won't come away from the book being able to speak or read Hebrew. That's not the point. It's more like a series of fun, elegant essays about life that unfold from Lapin's incomparable command of this ancient tongue. I've read all about those "Bible code" books, that are supposed to show how information is coded in the text of the Hebrew Bible. I'm not sure about that. But the way Hebrew works -- almost like mathematics -- is enough to make you wonder if there's something supernatural going on with this language. I mean, I don't think Enlish works that way. "Buried Treasure" is a pretty accurate title for this book.