From Hirhurim:
In a new book titled Moses: Envoy of God, Envoy of his People, R. Mosheh Lichtenstein -- the son and appointed successor of R. Aharon Lichtenstein -- takes readers on a fascinating journey through the life and psychological journey of Moshe Rabbenu. Yeshivat Har Etzion and its affiliate Herzog College are known for somewhat radical and innovative peshat study of the Bible. However, R. Mosheh Lichtenstein is known as being less than a fan of the new approaches (see link 4 in this post). In this book, R. Lichtenstein builds upon traditional explanations of the biblical text and midrashim to fill in many of the blanks in the narrative and to psychologically analyze the greatest of the prophets. The result is breathtaking originality and creativity, built on interpretations that are familiar.
The book consists of four sections: 1) From the burning bush to the golden calf, 2) in the wilderness of Sinai, 3) the plains of Moab, and 4) the midrash and the text -- an essay on methodology. This last section alone is, in my opinion, an important contribution to Torah literature. R. Lichtenstein explains his view of the literary character of the Bible and the further layers added on by the Oral Torah. He also addresses the human qualities of the characters of the Torah and the issue of psychologizing biblical narratives.
