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The Exegetical Craft of the Zohar: Toward an Appreciation
THE EXEGETICAL CRAFT OF THE ZOHAR: TOWARD AN APPRECIATION ELIEZER SEGAL As a consequence of the specialization that thrives in current humanistic studies, it is not surprising that scholarship has tended to classify the literary creations of the past into fixed compartments. In the study of medieval Judaism, it is particularly common to follow the traditional division of disci- plines into philosophy, Kabbalah, and rabbinism-a categorization that was indeed promoted by the medievals themselves.' Following this way of thinking, the study of Rashi's biblical commentaries would be assigned to one class of scholars devoted to the study of rabbinic Judaism; Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed to experts in Jewish philosophy; and the Zohar to yet a third group consisting of specialists in Jewish mysticism. As helpful as such a division of labor may be, we should not lose sight of 1. Some aspects of the interrelationships between the three medieval Jewish disciplines of "talmudism," philosophy, and Kabbalah are explored by I. Twersky, "Talmudists, Philoso- phers, Kabbalists: The Quest for Spirituality in the Sixteenth Century," in Jewish Thought in the Sixteenth Century, ed. B. Cooperman (Cambridge, Mass., and London, 1983), pp. 431-457. The classification underlies the fourfold division employed in R. Bahya b. Asher's commentary to the Pentateuch (to which he adds the method of peshat interpretation). 32 ELIEZER SEGAL the fact that these kinds of classifications tend to obscure the individuality of sources which can often, when taken on their own terms, prove notoriously difficult to pigeonhole. In the specific context of medieval Judaism, we must bear in mind that philosophers and mystics alike saw themselves as operat- ing within the tradition defined by the Talmud and Midrash, whose more profound or mysterious contents they were venturing to expound. -
The Participation of God and the Torah in Early Kabbalah
religions Article The Participation of God and the Torah in Early Kabbalah Adam Afterman 1,* and Ayal Hayut‑man 2 1 Department of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel 2 School of Jewish Studies and Archaeology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Abstract: All Abrahamic religions have developed hypostatic and semi‑divine perceptions of scrip‑ ture. This article presents an integrated picture of a rich tradition developed in early kabbalah (twelfth–thirteenth century) that viewed the Torah as participating and identifying with the God‑ head. Such presentation could serve scholars of religion as a valuable tool for future comparisons between the various perceptions of scripture and divine revelation. The participation of God and Torah can be divided into several axes: the identification of Torah with the Sefirot, the divine grada‑ tions or emanations according to kabbalah; Torah as the name of God; Torah as the icon and body of God; and the commandments as the substance of the Godhead. The article concludes by examining the mystical implications of this participation, particularly the notion of interpretation as eros in its broad sense, both as the “penetration” of a female Torah and as taking part in the creation of the world and of God, and the notion of unification with Torah and, through it, with the Godhead. Keywords: Kabbalah; Godhead; Torah; scripture; Jewish mysticism; participation in the Godhead 1. Introduction Citation: Afterman, Adam, and Ayal The centrality of the Word of God, as consolidated in scripture, is a central theme in Hayut‑man. -
The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿavoda Zara By
The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿAvoda Zara By Mira Beth Wasserman A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley in Jewish Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Daniel Boyarin, chair Professor Chana Kronfeld Professor Naomi Seidman Professor Kenneth Bamberger Spring 2014 Abstract The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿAvoda Zara by Mira Beth Wasserman Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Boyarin, chair In this dissertation, I argue that there is an ethical dimension to the Babylonian Talmud, and that literary analysis is the approach best suited to uncover it. Paying special attention to the discursive forms of the Talmud, I show how juxtapositions of narrative and legal dialectics cooperate in generating the Talmud's distinctive ethics, which I characterize as an attentiveness to the “exceptional particulars” of life. To demonstrate the features and rewards of a literary approach, I offer a sustained reading of a single tractate from the Babylonian Talmud, ʿAvoda Zara (AZ). AZ and other talmudic discussions about non-Jews offer a rich resource for considerations of ethics because they are centrally concerned with constituting social relationships and with examining aspects of human experience that exceed the domain of Jewish law. AZ investigates what distinguishes Jews from non-Jews, what Jews and non- Jews share in common, and what it means to be a human being. I read AZ as a cohesive literary work unified by the overarching project of examining the place of humanity in the cosmos. -
Old Testament Order of Prophets
Old Testament Order Of Prophets Dislikable Simone still warbling: numbing and hilar Sansone depopulating quite week but immerse her alwaysthrust deliberatively. dippiest and sugar-caneHiro weep landward when discovers if ingrained some Saunder Neanderthaloid unravelling very or oftener finalizing. and Is sillily? Martino And trapped inside, is the center of prophets and the terms of angels actually did not store any time in making them The prophets also commanded the neighboring nations to live in peace with Israel and Judah. The people are very easygoing and weak in the practice of their faith. They have said it places around easter time to threaten judgment oracles tend to take us we live in chronological positions in a great fish. The prophet describes a series of calamities which will precede it; these include the locust plague. Theologically it portrays a cell in intimate relationship with the natural caution that. The band Testament books of the prophets do not appear white the Bible in chronological order instead and are featured in issue of size Prophets such as Isaiah. Brief sight Of Roman History from Her Dawn if the First Punic War. He embodies the word of God. Twelve minor prophets of coming of elijah the volume on those big messages had formerly promised hope and enter and god leads those that, search the testament prophets? Habakkuk: Habakkuk covered a lot of ground in such a short book. You can get answers to your questions about the Faith by listening to our Podcasts like Catholic Answers Live or The Counsel of Trent. Forschungen zum Alten Testament. -
“As Those Who Are Taught” Symposium Series
“AS THOSE WHO ARE TAUGHT” Symposium Series Christopher R. Matthews, Editor Number 27 “AS THOSE WHO ARE TAUGHT” The Interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL “AS THOSE WHO ARE TAUGHT” The Interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL Edited by Claire Mathews McGinnis and Patricia K. Tull Society of Biblical Literature Atlanta “AS THOSE WHO ARE TAUGHT” Copyright © 2006 by the Society of Biblical Literature All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by means of any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the Rights and Permissions Office, Society of Biblical Literature, 825 Houston Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data “As those who are taught” : the interpretation of Isaiah from the LXX to the SBL / edited by Claire Mathews McGinnis and Patricia K. Tull. p. cm. — (Society of biblical literature symposium series ; no. 27) Includes indexes. ISBN-13: 978-1-58983-103-2 (paper binding : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-58983-103-9 (paper binding : alk. paper) 1. Bible. O.T. Isaiah—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—History. 2. Bible. O.T. Isaiah— Versions. 3. Bible. N.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. McGinnis, Claire Mathews. II. Tull, Patricia K. III. Series: Symposium series (Society of Biblical Literature) ; no. 27. BS1515.52.A82 2006 224'.10609—dc22 2005037099 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free, recycled paper conforming to ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R1997) and ISO 9706:1994 standards for paper permanence. -
Hebrew Printed Books and Manuscripts
HEBREW PRINTED BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. SELECTIONS FROM FROM THE THE RARE BOOK ROOM OF THE JEWS’COLLEGE LIBRARY, LONDON K ESTENBAUM & COMPANY TUESDAY, MARCH 30TH, 2004 K ESTENBAUM & COMPANY . Auctioneers of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Fine Art Lot 51 Catalogue of HEBREW PRINTED BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS . SELECTIONS FROM THE RARE BOOK ROOM OF THE JEWS’COLLEGE LIBRARY, LONDON Sold by Order of the Trustees The Third Portion (With Additions) To be Offered for Sale by Auction on Tuesday, 30th March, 2004 (NOTE CHANGE OF SALE DATE) at 3:00 pm precisely ——— Viewing Beforehand on Sunday, 28th March: 10 am–5:30 pm Monday, 29th March: 10 am–6 pm Tuesday, 30th March: 10 am–2:30 pm Important Notice: The Exhibition and Sale will take place in our new Galleries located at 12 West 27th Street, 13th Floor, New York City. This Sale may be referred to as “Winnington” Sale Number Twenty Three. Catalogues: $35 • $42 (Overseas) Hebrew Index Available on Request KESTENBAUM & COMPANY Auctioneers of Rare Books, Manuscripts and Fine Art . 12 West 27th Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10001 ¥ Tel: 212 366-1197 ¥ Fax: 212 366-1368 E-mail: [email protected] ¥ World Wide Web Site: www.kestenbaum.net K ESTENBAUM & COMPANY . Chairman: Daniel E. Kestenbaum Operations Manager & Client Accounts: Margaret M. Williams Press & Public Relations: Jackie Insel Printed Books: Rabbi Belazel Naor Manuscripts & Autographed Letters: Rabbi Eliezer Katzman Ceremonial Art: Aviva J. Hoch (Consultant) Catalogue Photography: Anthony Leonardo Auctioneer: Harmer F. Johnson (NYCDCA License no. 0691878) ❧ ❧ ❧ For all inquiries relating to this sale, please contact: Daniel E. -
When Rabbi Eliezer Was Arrested for Heresy
JSIJ 10 (2012) 145-181 WHEN RABBI ELIEZER WAS ARRESTED FOR HERESY JOSHUA SCHWARTZ and PETER J. TOMSON Introduction: A Shared History This study is part of a larger project the ultimate aim of which is to write a shared, twin or intertwined history of Jews and Christians in the first and second centuries CE. The first stage of the project will be to select relevant sources, to describe their literary and historical characteristics, and to read and reread them in view of their significance vis-à-vis other sources. The second stage will encompass the writing of a historical synthesis of the shared history. We stress the shared aspect of the history because Judaism and Christianity in the ancient world are usually studied separately, as though involving not just two distinct histories, but also two separate sets of sources, two frameworks of interpretation and reflection, two programs of academic teaching, research, and writing, and two canons of judgment and review. While Jewish and Christian history can be considered separately in the Middle Ages and later, including modern times, this is not the case for Antiquity, and particularly not regarding the first two centuries CE, before what is known as the “parting of the ways.” Although there was some movement toward separation during the first two centuries CE, as evinced, for instance, in such sources as the Didache, the Gospel of Matthew, and the Epistle of Barnabas, 1 this was by no means a “parting of the ways” and certainly does not justify separating the history of early Christianity from Jewish history. -
Jephthahfs Daughter in the Jewish Exegetical Tradition
• Jephthahfs Daughter in the Jewish Exegetical Tradition Deborah Abecassls, Department of Jewlsh Studles McGll1 UnIversity, Montreal July 1993 A 1hesis suhmllted to the ~acultv of Oraduate Studle~ and Research 10 parhal fulflllment of the requlrcmcnts orthe degree of Master of Arts (c) Dehorah Abecassis 1993 .. • Abstract • The blbllcal narrative of Jephthah and hls daughter (Judges Il 31-40) recounts the story of the J udge, Jephthah, ""ho \'owed toO ~aCflflce ta God ""hatever came to greet hlm upon hls rcturn from a VlctOrJOUS battle \i~ 1 th Ammon, and whose daughter became the vl,;tlm of thls vow Thl~ goal of thls thesls Ir; to examine a sam pie of the Je""lsh respon'.;e5 to lhls blbilcaillarralive from ancien! and medJe\ al tlmes through the twentleth cen!ury 1 he analy~l'i dèmonstrates the dl fficult nature of thls text. ItS IlngUlstlc and conceptual amblgUItICS, the ~olutlOns :0 a well-defmed senes of problems proposed by more than two do zen Jntt;~rpreters, and theIr fatlure ta deal wlth most of the hlstoncal and ethlcal problems that emerge from the story Le récIt blbltqu(~ de Jephthah et de sa fille (Juges Il 3\-39) raconte l'histOire du Juge, Jephthah, qUi Il fait un v ~ u de sacnfier à Dieu quoI qUI salt qUI vIenne le saluer des son Tf~t()ur d'une ba1.atlle vlctoneuse contIe Ammon, et dont sa fille est devenue vIctIme d,! c:e VI l U L .. ~ bul <le cette thesè est d'éxammer un échantIllon des reponses J ulves à ce mclt biblIque depllIs les epoques anciennes et médlevales Jusqu'au vmgtleme sIècle l'analyse démontre l~: caractère -
Jewishness, Birth and Giyyur
1 Zvi Zohar All Jews are Jews by Birth Biblical and Rabbinic Judaism agree, that anyone born to the appropriate Jewish parent – is Jewish. To most Jews, it sounds quite reasonable for Jewishness to derive from birth. However, such a determination is far from self-evident. Consider a counter-example: if a person was born on a kibbutz, and her two parents are members of the kibbutz, she is not automatically a member. Rather, upon reaching a certain age, she must decide if she wishes to apply for membership. If she applies, her application comes up for discussion by the kibbutz assembly, who then decide the matter by a vote. While it is reasonable to assume that a child born and grown on the kibbutz will be accepted for membership if she applies, it is not automatic. The important point (in the current context) is, that her membership is contingent upon at least two decisions: her decision to apply, and the assembly’s decision to accept her. In contrast, Jewishness is not contingent upon any person’s decision, but is regarded by tradition as a ‘fact of birth’. The sources of this self-understanding are very ancient: in the Bible, the Israelites are the “Children of Israel”, i.e., the lineal descendents of the Patriarch Jacob and his twelve sons. In the bible, then, the People of Israel are made up of persons born into a (very) extended family. Some notions accepted in Biblical times were abrogated or modified by the Oral Torah (Torah she- b’al peh); significantly, the concept of the familial nature of Jewishness was not only retained, but also even reinforced. -
The Watchers in Jewish and Christian Traditions
1 Mesopotamian Elements and the Watchers Traditions Ida Fröhlich Introduction By the time of the exile, early Watchers traditions were written in Aramaic, the vernacular in Mesopotamia. Besides many writings associated with Enoch, several works composed in Aramaic came to light from the Qumran library. They manifest several specific common characteristics concerning their literary genres and content. These are worthy of further examination.1 Several Qumran Aramaic works are well acquainted with historical, literary, and other traditions of the Eastern diaspora, and they contain Mesopotamian and Persian elements.2 Early Enoch writings reflect a solid awareness of certain Mesopotamian traditions.3 Revelations on the secrets of the cosmos given to Enoch during his heavenly voyage reflect the influence of Mesopotamian 1. Characteristics of Aramean literary texts were examined by B.Z. Wacholder, “The Ancient Judeo- Aramaic Literature 500–164 bce: A Classification of Pre-Qumranic Texts,” in Archaeology and History in , JSOTSup8, ed. L.H. Schiffman (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1990), 257–81. the Dead Sea Scrolls 2. The most outstanding example is 4Q242, the Prayer of Nabonidus that suggests knowledge of historical legends on the last Neo-Babylonian king Nabunaid (555–539 bce). On the historical background of the legend see R. Meyer, , SSAW.PH 107, no. 3 (Berlin: Akademie, Das Gebet des Nabonid 1962). 4Q550 uses Persian names and the story reflects the influence of the pattern of the Ahiqar novel; see I. Fröhlich, “Stories from the Persian King’s Court. 4Q550 (4QprESTHARa-f),” . 38 Acta Ant. Hung (1998): 103–14. 3. H. L. Jansen, , Skrifter utgitt av Die Henochgestalt: eine vergleichende religionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung det Norske videnskaps-akademi i Oslo. -
~Emernbering Sepharad
RE YE S C O LL-TELLECHEA ~e mernbering Sepharad Accompanying Christopher Columbus on board the Sal/ta Marfa as it left the Iberia n Pe ni ns ula on August 3,1492, was Luis de Torres. De Torres, a polyglot , was the expedition's inkrpreter. Like many other Iberian JeWS , de Torres had recently converted to Christianity in an attempt to preserve his right to live in Sepharad, the land Iberian Jevvs had inhabited for twelve hundred years. The Edict of Expulsion, dated March 31, 1492, deprived Jews of all their rights and gave them three months to put their affairs in order and go in to exile. Implicit in the edict was exemption if jews con verted to Ch ristianity. It was only implicit, of courSe, becaLlse neither the laws of th e land nor the laws of the Catholic church provided for forced conversion. Although conversos would be granted full rights of citizen ship, the Inquisition, in turn, had the right to investigate and persecute the "new" Ch rist ians in order to prevent deviations from church doctrine. Those who did not accept conversion would be expelled from the land forever. The fate of Sepharad was irreversible. Now We can only remember Sepharad. Remembrance cannOt restore that which has been lost, but it is essen tiul to recognize the limitless power of human action to create as well as to destroy. Memory is not a maner of the past but a fundamental tool for analyzin g the prese nt and marching into the future with knowledge and conscience. -
Picayune Strand State Forest Management Plan
Ron DeSantis FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF Governor Jeanette Nuñez Environmental Protection Lt. Governor Marjory Stoneman Douglas Building Noah Valenstein 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard Secretary Tallahassee, FL 32399 June 15, 2020 Mr. Keith Rowell Florida Forest Service Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 3125 Conner Boulevard, Room 236 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1650 RE: Picayune Strand State Forest – Lease No. 3927 Dear Mr. Rowell: On June 12, 2020, the Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC) recommended approval of the Picayune Strand State Forest management plan. Therefore, Division of State Lands, Office of Environmental Services (OES), acting as agent for the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, hereby approves the Picayune Strand State Forest management plan. The next management plan update is due June 12, 2030. Pursuant to s. 253.034(5)(a), F.S., each management plan is required to describe both short-term and long-term management goals and include measurable objectives to achieve those goals. Short-term goals shall be achievable within a 2-year planning period, and long-term goals shall be achievable within a 10-year planning period. Upon completion of short-term goals, please submit a signed letter identifying categories, goals, and results with attached methodology to the Division of State Lands, Office of Environmental Services. Pursuant to s. 259.032(8)(g), F.S., by July 1 of each year, each governmental agency and each private entity designated to manage lands shall report to the Secretary of Environmental Protection, via the Division of State Lands, on the progress of funding, staffing, and resource management of every project for which the agency or entity is responsible.