Probleme Der Jüdischen Theologie Dogmatik? Systematik? Wissenschaft?

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Probleme Der Jüdischen Theologie Dogmatik? Systematik? Wissenschaft? 119 Probleme der Jüdischen Theologie Dogmatik? Systematik? Wissenschaft? Daniel Krochmalnik 1. Jüdische Theologie – ein Pflichtfach! Die Jüdische Theologie ist ein junges Fach mit einer uralten Ge- schichte.1 Ob man der Disziplin allerdings ein biblisches Alter be- scheinigen darf, ist fraglich. Der Heidelberger Alttestamentler Hans Walter Wolff sah im „Wissen um Gott“ ({yhl) t(d), Da’at Elohim) beim Propheten Hosea (2,22 u. ö.) die „Urform der Theologie“2. Die mittelalterlichen Jüdischen Theologen wären begeistert gewesen, wenn sie auch eine andere biblische Belegstelle bevorzugten (Hos 2,22 ist immerhin ins jüdische Morgengebet eingegangen), nämlich das Vermächtnis König Davids, der seinen Sohn und Nachfolger Sa- lomon anweist: „Erkenne den Gott deines Vaters [D’a Et-Elohe Awi- cha] und diene ihm mit ganzem Herzen“ (1 Chr 28,9). R. Saadia Gaon (882–942 n. d. Z.), der Vater der Jüdischen Theo- logie des Mittelalters, leitet in seinem Buch des Glaubens und des Wissens aus der Chronik-Stelle das Vernunft- und Schriftgebot ab, „IHN kennen zu lernen [LaDa’at]“.3 Bachja ibn Paquda (11. Jh.), der Verfasser der Herzenspflichten, folgt Saadia und setzt den bib- lischen Ausdruck Da’at HaEl mit Chochmat HaElohut (arab. Al-’Ilm al-Ilahi), mit Gotteswissenschaft, gleich und macht sie mit Bezug 1 Bei der Zitierung der rabbinischen Literatur folgen wir dem Abkürzungsver- zeichnis der Frankfurter Judaistischen Beiträge, Heft 1. Die mittelalterlichen reli- gionsphilosophischen Texte zitieren wir möglichst nach judeoarabischen Origi- nalen, weil es auf den Zusammenhang mit der islamischen Theologie ankommt. 2 Hans Walter Wolff, „Wissen um Gott“ bei Hosea als Urform der Theologie (1934), in: Evangelische Theologie 12 (1952) 533–545. Wieder abgedruckt in: Hans Walter Wolff, Gesammelte Studien zum Alten Testament (TB 22), München 1964, 182–205. 3 Saadia Gaon (RaSaG), Sefer HaEmunot WeHadeot (arab.-hebr.), hg. v. Josef Qafich, Jerusalem 1973, III, 1, 118 (engl. V. S. Rosenblatt, The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, New Haven CT u. a. 1948). HERDER – Nacke39240 – Seite 119 – 9.12.20 120 Daniel Krochmalnik auf 1 Chr 28,9 für jeden, der intellektuell dazu imstande ist, zur reli- giösen Pflicht.4 Auf die gleiche Weise wie Saadia und Bachja verwen- det R. Moses Maimonides (1138–1204 n. d. Z.), der bedeutendste Jüdische Philosoph des Mittelalters und zugleich eine der größten rabbinischen Autoritäten, den Chronik-Beleg.5 Da’at Elohim, die in- tellektuelle Gotteserkenntnis, ist für ihn das höchste Gebot. Sowohl sein Buch der Gebote6 wie sein Buch der Erkenntnis (Mad’a) eröffnen mit diesem Gebot, „zu wissen [Lejd’a], dass es einen Gott gibt“, wo- bei er den „Gott der Philosophen“ im Auge hat, d. i. jenes „erste Sei- ende, das das Sein alles Seienden bewirkt [Mazui HaRischon WeHu Mamzi Kol HaNimzaim]“7. R. Jehuda HaLevi (1074–1141) hatte in seinem Buch Kusari, einem Pentalog zwischen einem Heiden, einem Philosophen, einem Christen, einem Moslem und einem Juden, dem „Gott der Philosophen“ der arabischen Peripatetiker (Elohe Aristo) den „Gott der Väter“ (Elohe Awot) entgegengesetzt.8 Folgerichtig lehnt er die intellektualistische Inanspruchnahme der Da’at Elohim nach der Chronik-Stelle ab und macht darauf aufmerksam, dass dort justament „Gott deines Vaters“ (Elohe Awicha) steht, womit nicht der Gott der Philosophen, sondern der traditionelle Glaube gemeint sei.9 Wie isoliert Jehuda HaLevi mit seiner antiintellektua- listischen Haltung unter den jüdischen Intellektuellen seiner Zeit war, zeigt eine Notiz im Tora-Kommentar des großen Exegeten Abraham ibn Esra (1092–1167). In seinem Kommentar zu Ex 20,2 4 Bachja ben Josef ibn Paquda, Torat Chowot HaLewawot (arab. – hebr.), hg. v. Josef Qafich, Jerusalem 1973 Einleitung 15 und I/3, 50–51 (engl. v. S. Arenson u. a., The Book of Direction of the duties of the heart, London 1973). 5 Moses Maimonides, Le Guide des Égarés (arab.-franz.) III, 51, Salomon Munk (Hg.), 1856–1866, Nachdruck Osnabrück 1964, Bd. 3, S. 438 (dtsch. v. Adolf Weiß, Berlin 1923/24; 3. Aufl., Hamburg 1995). 6 Sefer HaMizwot, Gebot Nr. 1, aus dem Arab. v. Josef Qafich, Rambam LaAm, Mossad HaRaw Kook, Bd. 1, S. 53 (engl. v. Ch. B. Chavel, 2 Bände, London 1984). 7 Moses Maimonides, Mischne Tora, Sefer HaMada I, 1, hg. v. Schabbtai Frankel, Jerusalem 2001, 34 (neue dtsch. Üb. v. Rainer Wenzel, Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt 2022). 8 The Book of Refutation and Proof of the Despised Faith (The Book of the Kha- zars) Known as the Kuzari, arab. Text, hg. v. David H. Baneth, Jerusalem 1977, S. 168 (dt. v. David Cassel, 3. Aufl. 1909, S. 332, Nachdruck ohne FN, Morascha, Zürich 1990). 9 Buch Kusari V, 21, arab., a. a. O. 227; dtsch., a. a. O. 429f. u. FN 3. HERDER – Nacke39240 – Seite 120 – 9.12.20 Probleme der Jüdischen Theologie 121 berichtet er von Jehuda HaLevis Suggestivfrage, warum Gott im De- kalog als Befreier Israels und nicht als Schöpfer des Himmels und der Erde auftrete, anders gesagt, warum Gott sich auf Geschichts- wahrheiten und nicht auf Vernunftwahrheiten beruft. Die Antwort Ibn Esras ist typisch: die Menge (Rabim) liebe nun einmal Geschich- ten – wie es angeblich eigentlich gewesen sei (Kachah) –, aber Ge- schichten können Zweifler nicht überzeugen, die Intellektuellen (Maskilim) dagegen bevorzugen sicheres Wissen (Jad’a).10 Man könnte mit dem rabbinischen Akkommodationsprinzip auch sagen, Gott schaut dem Volk aufs Maul (Dibra Tora KiLschon Bne Adam, SifBem § 112 zu Num 15,31), das schließt aber nicht aus, dass sein Wort einen tieferen intellektuellen Sinn hat. Jehuda HaLevi hat diese Abfuhr nicht überzeugt, und er ist bei seiner Populartheologie ge- blieben.11 Allerdings war die Pascalsche Antithese nicht sein letztes Wort; als Monotheist suchte er eine Synthese des Gottes der Väter und des Gottes der Philosophen, die er den beiden biblischen Got- tesnamen JHWH und ELOHIM zuordnete.12 Es wäre Jehuda HaLevi, diesem schärfsten mittelalterlichen Philosophiekritiker, nie in den Sinn gekommen, dem Judentum die Theologie schlechthin abzu- sprechen. Streit könne es nur darüber geben, welche Theologie die angemessene ist – und seine Zweifel bezüglich der Theologie der mittelalterlichen Peripatetiker leuchten heute ohne Weiteres ein –, nicht aber darüber, dass Theologie überhaupt geboten sei. Selbst ein so fideistisch gestimmter Prediger aus der Endzeit des spa- nischen Judentums wie R. Isaak Arama (ca. 1420–1494) hat das David-Wort des Chronisten so verstanden und am Beispiel Abra- hams dargetan, dass die natürliche Theologie der offenbarten Theo- logie voraufgehe.13 Und nach der Vertreibung der Juden aus Spanien und dem Aufstieg der Kabbala zur herrschenden Geistesmacht im Judentum galt die Da’at Elohim weiterhin als allerhöchste Gabe, nach dem Spruch: „Denn JHWH gibt Weisheit, aus seinem Munde 10 Abraham ibn Esras langer Kommentar zum Buch Exodus, dt. v. Dirk U. Rot- zoll, Berlin – New York 2000, S. 581 f. 11 Buch Kusari I, 25, arab., a. a. O. 11. 12 Buch Kusari IV, 1ff.., arab., 147ff. 13 Vgl. Jizchak Arama, Akedat Jizchak XVI, hg. v. Elieser Tikoschinski, Warschau 1911, Bd. 1 Bl. 185 (die engl. Üb. v. E. Munk, 2 Bde., New York 2001 ist unvoll- ständig). HERDER – Nacke39240 – Seite 121 – 9.12.20 122 Daniel Krochmalnik kommt Erkenntnis [Da’at] und Einsicht [Bina]“ (Spr 2,6). Die Trias Chochma, Bina, Da’at (Kürzel: ChaBaD) rangiert im berühmten kabbalistischen Sechseck ganz oben. Aber auch der intellektuell un- bedarfte Jude bittet Gott dreimal täglich an erster Stelle um Da’at (Achtzehn-Bitten-Gebet, 4. Segen). All dessen sollte man also eingedenk sein, wenn man dem Juden- tum pauschal die Theologie abspricht. 2. Jüdische Theologie? Fehlanzeige! Gewöhnlich wird behauptet, Theologie sei nicht jüdisch, sondern christlich. Das Wort theologisch klingt in jüdischen Ohren irgendwie „theogojisch“. Klar ist, dass das Wort „Theologie“, anders als etwa das Wort „Theokratie“, keine jüdische Erfindung ist (Flavius Josephus, Contra Apionem II, 16, 165), aber eben auch keine christliche. Augus- tinus musste es seinen Lesern noch am Anfang des 5. Jahrhunderts n. d. Z. erklären (Augustinus, De civitate Dei VIII, 1). Er weist auf den heidnischen, genauer platonischen Ursprung des Begriffes hin (Plato, Res publica [Politeia] 379a). Aber auch wenn das Wort heid- nischer Herkunft war, kann man die Sache dem Judentum, so wenig wie dem Christentum, absprechen. Schließlich besteht die maßgeb- liche jüdische Literatur hauptsächlich aus Gottesrede: von Gott, zu Gott und über Gott, ist also Theo-logie im Wortsinn. Der antitheologische Affekt im Judentum ist neueren Datums; er geht auf die jüdische Aufklärungs-Apologetik zurück. Moses Men- delssohn (1729–1786) behauptet, dass das Judentum nur „Gesetz- gebung“ sei, Handlungen vorschreibe, Gedanken aber frei lasse14, passend zur friderizianischen Devise: „Räsoniert so viel ihr wollt und worüber ihr wollt, aber gehorcht!“ Somit stünde das Judentum im „Jahrhundert Friedrichs“ besser da als das Christentum, das nach Kant gemeinhin der Devise folgt: „Räsoniert nicht, sondern glaubt!“. Mendelssohn wollte damit aber keineswegs die Existenz der Jüdi- schen Theologie abstreiten, er meinte nur, dass das Judentum bis auf seine besonderen „Geschichtswahrheiten“ und „Ritualgesetze“, die er als eine Art Mimeographie der ewigen „Vernunftwahrheiten“ 14 Jerusalem. Oder über religiöse Macht und Judenthum (1783), Gesammelte Schriften. Jubiläumsausgabe (JubA), Bd. 8, 157. HERDER – Nacke39240 – Seite 122 – 9.12.20 Probleme der Jüdischen Theologie 123 beschrieb15, mit der Aufklärungstheologie vollkommen übereinstim- me.16 In einem Brief schreibt
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