Rabbi Sacks’s Chumash: A Must for the Jewish Home

Sep 16, 2025 by Susan Rosenbluth

Reviewed by Dr. Richard J. Rosenbluth

Before he died, five years ago, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, z”tl, the former Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, took as his ultimate mission to publish a complete volume of the Torah, with his translation and commentary. Unfortunately, his final illness prevented him from accomplishing this goal, but, to the benefit of us all, a team of scholars from Koren Publishers in partnership with the Rabbi Sacks Legacy, combed through his voluminous notes and meticulously crafted the Koren Shalem Humash, making the esteemed Jewish leader’s teachings more accessible than ever.

Not just a book, this translation and commentary on the Five Books of the Torah, with its elegant, easily readable fonts, is a gateway to Rabbi Sacks’s enduring vision of Judaism. Rooted in tradition and speaking powerfully to the challenges of today, it ensures his voice will continue to guide future generations.

This is so important because, with his passing, the Jewish world lost one of its most eloquent and beloved figures. Before assuming the position of Chief Rabbi, he served as the pulpit leader of the famed Marble Arch Synagogue, and, for years, presented the face of Orthodox Judaism to the wider world. His many lectures, interviews, and podcasts are still viewed extensively on the Internet, and his weekly commentaries on the Torah portion are available in Jewish newspapers throughout the Anglosphere as well as in Israel. His works have been translated into 15 languages, and in Israel, he has become both a bestselling rabbinic author and a household name.

What We Expect of Him

And now we have his truly beautiful Chumash, which includes his own translation of the text alongside Rashi and Onkelos. Beneath the text is Rabbi Sacks’ discourse, a synthesis of traditional commentators and modern Biblical scholars and intellectual thinkers, making it the kind of treatise we have come to expect of him. The volume also includes, of course, the weekly Haftorah, or selections from the Prophets, also with Rabbi Sacks’s unique translation and explication.

Small wonder Joanna Benarroch, president of The Rabbi Sacks Legacy, called this Chumash “the fulfillment of one of Rabbi Sacks’ lifelong dreams and the culmination of his life’s work.”

“It brings together his translation and commentary in a way that makes his thought accessible to every reader, and we are proud to see it now in the hands of communities around the world,” she said.

Widely Available

According to Matthew Miller, publisher at Koren Jerusalem, thousands of copies of the Koren Shalem Humash have already been pre-ordered and donated to synagogues worldwide to enhance Torah readings, while its extensive bibliography supports serious, long-term study.

While it is impossible to choose just one extract of Rabbi Sacks’ analysis for this review, suffice it to say he tackles contemporary problems and issues that face the Jewish community, including the primacy of Jewish education, the service of G-d, as well as the difficult question of theodicy. He offers commentary that offers timeless wisdom to the questions of modern life—family, ethics, purpose, and meaning.

This wonderful and handsome volume is a must for any traditional Jewish home. Rabbi Sacks was a treasure we sorely miss. His Koren Shalem Humash is a joy to read and a fitting testament to the great Jewish thinker he was.