The Five Megilloth consists of the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther. The Song of Songs is King Solomon's poem of love between G-d and the Jewish people, couched in the metaphor of love between a man and a woman. The Book of Ruth tells the tale of the conversion of Ruth, a Moabite woman who became the foremother of King David and ultimately, the Messiah. The Book of Lamentations, written by the prophet Jeremiah, describes the sorrow of the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the Jewish people. Ecclesiastes contains some of the wisdom of King Solomon. It focuses on the futility of pursuing worldly possessions, and emphasizes the importance of spiritual deeds. The Book of Esther tells the story of the holiday of Purim, and how the Jews were saved from annihilation at the hands of the wicked Haman by the heroic Esther and Mordechai. Ultimately it shows how G-d is always at work behind the scenes, even when His hand is not immediately apparent.
This book is part of the world-renowned Soncino Books of the Bible series, originally edited by Rabbi Abraham Cohen. Each volume in this series contains the complete Hebrew text and an elegant and clear verse-by-verse translation, as well as an illuminating commentary digest based on the works of classical scholars. Extensive introductions provide invaluable help in understanding each book's purpose. With its compact, practical size and distinctive format, this is a highly accessible text for all students of the Bible. Each volume also contains an index and a bibliography. |
