By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

Ever really look forward to a book and have a mixed reaction after finishing it? That’s what occurred while reading “Smashing the Tablets: Radical Retelling of the Hebrew Bible” edited by Sara Lippmann and Seth Rogoff (Excelsior Editions). I find different interpretations of the biblical stories fascinating and the work’s title suggested that its stories would be challenging and controversial, something that did prove to be true. The list of authors included was impressive because it featured many authors whose works I’ve enjoyed and reviewed in this column. 
Its forward offers Shalom Auslander’s very funny commentary on the Hebrew Bible. Auslander believes the Bible’s true title should be “The Very Good God.” However, he notes that the story goes “awry” when humans entered the picture. For him, the text portrays how this very good God must deal with a group of awful, stubborn, ungrateful humans, something Auslander thinks is not only an inaccurate portrait of the world, but one that needs to changed. He sees “Smashing the Tablets” as offering a new and improved version of the work. 
The editors agree that writers and readers need to push back against traditional interpretations of the text. This means recreating the stories in ways that are very different from traditional commentary. Their purpose is to make the text relevant to contemporary times and to include those whom the traditional readings overlooked. They believe the many gaps in the biblical narrative allow for this creative activity. While readers might say that is also true for some traditional interpretations and rabbinic midrash (stories), the works included here often stray even further from the text. 
As with almost any collection, readers will have mixed feelings about the selections. If I had not known, I would not have guessed that the first few were supposed to be based or connected to the biblical text. Some offerings are short stories that transport the story into contemporary times (and often change them into almost unrecognizable versions of the original text), while others are essays in which the author writes personal reflections on how the text affected them. An excellent example of the former is Aaron Hamburger’s “Mount Sinai and Me,” in which he discusses his difficulties adjusting to the U.S. as an awkward day school student after his parents moved to the U.S. from Russia. He loves his studies, unlike most of his fellow students, and decides he wants to be a prophet. Hamburger writes of how that desire related not only to his schooling, but to decisions he’s made through the decades about his religious practice and attachment. 
Erika Dreifus’ wonderful short story “Upon the Hills with Jephthah’s Daughter” tells how, in the book of Judges, Jephthah promised to sacrifice his daughter to fulfil a promise he made to God. Her version is told in the voices of Jephthah’s unnamed daughter’s friends. The daughter heads to the hills with her friends to come to terms with the fact her father will kill her even though there is so much of life she has yet to experience. The twists in the story are well done and will leave readers with a sense of satisfaction not experienced when reading the original text. 
Another short story that rewrites the biblical one is Steve Almond’s “The Job Book.” However, Almond moves his tale into contemporary times with a female substitute, Dina, for Job. The narrator is a longtime friend of Dina’s who admits to not understanding why so many terrible things now affect the once blessed Dina. She does finally compare Dina’s life to the book of Job and notes that as far as she is concerned God has acted like a sadist in both instances. 
Other stories that stood out were Ilana Masad’s lovely retelling of the book of Ruth in “Root”; a contemporary variation on the book of Esther in “Haman” by Max Gross, which features a surprise villain; and Michael David Lukas’ beautifully written “Scroll of Stars,” which offers a surprise, so it would be unfair to spoil it by giving away any details.
Some selections were less successful, but that doesn’t mean they won’t resonate with other readers. Reading them with more traditional commentary or midrash could make for some interesting discussions. While not everyone will appreciate the direction “Smashing the Tablets” takes, the work does show just how relevant the Bible still is in contemporary times, even if the reaction is to rebel against the teachings of the traditional text.