Rabbi Shlomo Levinstein is an Israeli Torah teacher and preacher known for UMatok HaOr, “Sweet Is the Light.” The series draws on his lectures and written materials about the weekly Torah portions, festivals and Jewish spiritual life. His presentation brings explanations of sources together with parables and stories.
From lecture to book
The National Library of Israel describes the Torah volumes as material collected from his sermons and writings and prepared by Yaakov Yisrael Posen. This is an important bibliographical distinction: the books offer an edited presentation of teaching, rather than unmediated transcripts.
The series covers the Five Books of Moses, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim and Passover. There are also volumes on Shabbat, King David and other biblical subjects. Readers can therefore approach his teaching either through the weekly reading cycle or through a particular topic.
Story and ethical reflection
Parables make an idea understandable and connect it with human behavior. Explanations of verses are consequently accompanied by stories about sages, observations and questions of inner work.
Part of the series is available in French, including Oumatok Ha’or on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. When reading or retelling it, preserving the names of original sources and distinguishing the teacher, the sage quoted and the editor helps retain accuracy without losing the liveliness of the presentation.