When a Lie Is Not a Sin: The Hebrew Bible's Framework for Deciding

Unlike the classic book of ethics that inspired Rabbi Ross (Sissela Bok's Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life), this volume does not do justice to a complex subject. Instead of insightful and cogent analysis of how and why biblical figures lied and whether their prevarications can be justified on an ethical basis, Ross offers a meandering look at serious questions, with diversions and asides that come across as part of a Sabbath sermon aimed at maintaining the attention of a congregation. Colloquial (and not always logical) lines such as "I don't think it is at all disrespectful to say that ancient Torah study was the late-night entertainment of its day" will turn off some readers. The Hebrew Bible offers a wealth of opportunities to examine untruths%E2%80%94from Cain claiming not to know his brother's whereabouts to Jacob's deception of his father%E2%80%94but those opportunities are largely unrealized. Given the book's brevity, the pages of scientific explanations for the 10 plagues feel excessive, and Ross never makes the case for his position that "the Hebrew Bible is true%E2%80%94there's truth in each and every word." (June)