IVP - Addenda & Errata - Let Your Bookshelves Be Your Gardens

Let Your Bookshelves Be Your Gardens

There is an interesting article in today’s New York Times on a collection of Hebrew texts on auction at Sotheby’s: thirteen thousand Hebrew books and manuscripts called the Valmadonna Trust Library and collected by one man, Jack V. Lunzer. It’s an interesting article with some good photos and comments on Lunzer’s perspective on his collection. In light of my earlier reflections on the announcement of Kindle 2, a couple of things in this article caught my fancy:

“Make books your companions” read the words of a 12th-century Spanish Jewish scholar, Judah Ibn Tibbon, translated on one gallery wall. “Let your bookshelves be your gardens.”

I can imagine the day: “Grandpa,” young Robert asked, looking up from his Kindle 20, “what are bookshelves?”

Another gallery is inscribed with a blessing written by a Jewish scholar from 16th-century Prague, David Gans, that may be unique in the world’s religions: “Blessed be He… Who has magnified His grace with a great invention, one that is useful for all inhabitants of the world, there is none beside it, and nothing can equal it among all wisdoms and inventions since God created man on the earth: The Printing Press.”

Don’t you love it? Will we ever want to say that about Kindle? Well, I guess some are saying it now. But does it ring true against the backdrop of Lunzer’s magnificent collection?

Well, think about that. I’ve got to get back to work on some fall plantings for your garden.

Posted by Dan Reid at February 12, 2009 7:57 AM