'Founding God’s Nation': Unexpected power in understanding the Exodus - review

Founding God’s Nation by Leon R. Kass captures the reader with sudden, unexpected power. 

I must admit that I entered the book skeptically. On the one hand, Kass’s credentials are exceptional: As a physician, educator, philosopher, and author of countless volumes and articles. Kass’s breadth of contribution to the sciences and humanities is exemplary. On the other hand, I wondered: What can this great man teach me about the Book of Exodus? Over the course of my over 40 years in the Rabbinate and beyond, I have read this volume countless times. I continue to study it regularly. In what way will Kass’s book contribute to my understanding of the text?

And yet, as I opened his book and the author took me by the hand, leading me through the biblical Book of Exodus, my eyes were opened to a multitude of possibilities that I never considered before.

In order to understand the contribution of this volume, a few basic points must be made concerning Kass’s approach to the text:

• The author allows Exodus to speak for itself.

Those accustomed to midrashic interpretation of the Torah may find this approach somewhat jarring. Rabbinic exegesis and explication are largely absent from this book. 

Those, however (and I count myself in their number), who prefer the approach of pshat; the straightforward reading of the biblical text; will find Kass’s approach refreshing.

We may, at times, disagree with a particular detail of his textual interpretation. Such disagreements, however, are minor and in no way detract from the overall power of the book.

• Kass forces the reader to view events from the perspective of the protagonists, in real time, as the events unfold. He insists that we set aside information to which we are privy from any previous reading of the text. 

He reminds us, for example, that Moses and the Israelites are unaware of how the plagues will unfold until they rain down upon Egypt; of what awaits them when they arrive at Sinai; of the detailed sanctuary to be built in the desert. 

Kass stipulates that we must also try to see these events anew, ignoring any prior knowledge that we may have of future outcomes.

• Finally, and most importantly, although Kass simply reads the text with us, he does so with a particular agenda. 

The author maintains that the Book of Exodus should be read as a blueprint for the creation of a unique nation.

Every event, every conversation presented in the text, Kass maintains, is to be seen from that perspective. The case he makes for this approach is extremely persuasive as he grants us new, powerful perspective on this second book of the Torah.

At first glance, this last, and most important, point might seem superfluous. Obviously, the Book of Exodus is the volume of the Torah that speaks of the birth of the Jewish nation. 

Kass’s contribution, however, is in the details. Through his reading, we become convinced that each nuance of: Moses’ encounter at the Burning Bush; the events leading to the Exodus; the ritual of the Paschal lamb; the setting at Sinai; the wilderness Sanctuary; and so much more; is carefully crafted by God as He shapes the character of his “chosen nation.” 

Through Kass’s eyes, we recognize anew that nothing is left to chance. Each and every conversation, each and every event, is part of a divine plan. God is carefully laying the foundation for a unique nation that will transcend human shortcomings and contribute immeasurably to the world.

Founding God’s Nation: Reading Exodus is a book that should be carefully “read.” The reader will be gifted with new, enriching insight into God’s plan for the Jewish people.  ■

• Founding God’s Nation: Reading Exodus
• Leon R. Kass 
• Yale University Press, 2023
• 752 pages; $45.50