May 2012 אחים ישראל Congregation Brethren of Israel
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Why Jews Quote
Oral Tradition, 29/1 (2014):5-46 Why Jews Quote Michael Marmur Everyone Quotes1 Interest in the phenomenon of quotation as a feature of culture has never been greater. Recent works by Regier (2010), Morson (2011) and Finnegan (2011) offer many important insights into a practice notable both for its ubiquity and yet for its specificity. In this essay I want to consider one of the oldest and most diverse of world cultures from the perspective of quotation. While debates abound as to whether the “cultures of the Jews”2 can be regarded integrally, this essay will suggest that the act of quotation both in literary and oral settings is a constant in Jewish cultural creativity throughout the ages. By attempting to delineate some of the key functions of quotation in these various Jewish contexts, some contribution to the understanding of what is arguably a “universal human propensity” (Finnegan 2011:11) may be made. “All minds quote. Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is not a thread that is not a twist of these two strands. By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote.”3 Emerson’s reference to warp and woof is no accident. The creative act comprises a threading of that which is unique to the particular moment with strands taken from tradition.4 In 1 The comments of Sarah Bernstein, David Ellenson, Warren Zev Harvey, Jason Kalman, David Levine, Dow Marmur, Dalia Marx, Michal Muszkat-Barkan, and Richard Sarason on earlier versions of this article have been of enormous help. -
The Anti-Samaritan Attitude As Reflected in Rabbinic Midrashim
religions Article The Anti‑Samaritan Attitude as Reflected in Rabbinic Midrashim Andreas Lehnardt Faculty of Protestant Theology, Johannes Gutenberg‑University Mainz, 55122 Mainz, Germany; lehnardt@uni‑mainz.de Abstract: Samaritans, as a group within the ranges of ancient ‘Judaisms’, are often mentioned in Talmud and Midrash. As comparable social–religious entities, they are regarded ambivalently by the rabbis. First, they were viewed as Jews, but from the end of the Tannaitic times, and especially after the Bar Kokhba revolt, they were perceived as non‑Jews, not reliable about different fields of Halakhic concern. Rabbinic writings reflect on this change in attitude and describe a long ongoing conflict and a growing anti‑Samaritan attitude. This article analyzes several dialogues betweenrab‑ bis and Samaritans transmitted in the Midrash on the book of Genesis, Bereshit Rabbah. In four larger sections, the famous Rabbi Me’ir is depicted as the counterpart of certain Samaritans. The analyses of these discussions try to show how rabbinic texts avoid any direct exegetical dispute over particular verses of the Torah, but point to other hermeneutical levels of discourse and the rejection of Samari‑ tan claims. These texts thus reflect a remarkable understanding of some Samaritan convictions, and they demonstrate how rabbis denounced Samaritanism and refuted their counterparts. The Rabbi Me’ir dialogues thus are an impressive literary witness to the final stages of the parting of ways of these diverging religious streams. Keywords: Samaritans; ancient Judaism; rabbinic literature; Talmud; Midrash Citation: Lehnardt, Andreas. 2021. The Anti‑Samaritan Attitude as 1 Reflected in Rabbinic Midrashim. The attitudes towards the Samaritans (or Kutim ) documented in rabbinical literature 2 Religions 12: 584. -
The Theology of Nahmanides Systematically Presented
The Theology of Nahmanides Systematically Presented DAVID NOVAK THE THEOLOGY OF NAHMANIDES SYSTEMATICALLY PRESENTED Program in Judaic Studies Brown University BROWN JUDAIC STUDIES Edited by Shaye J. D. Cohen, Ernest S. Frerichs, Calvin Groldscheider Editorial Board Vicki Caron, Lynn Davidman, Wendell S. Dietrich, David Hirsch, David Jacobson, Saul M. Olyan, Alan Zuckerman Number 271 THE THEOLOGY OF NAHMANIDES SYSTEMATICALLY PRESENTED by David Novak THE THEOLOGY OF NAHMANIDES SYSTEMATICALLY PRESENTED by DAVID NOVAK University of Virginia Scholars Press Atlanta, Georgia THE THEOLOGY OF NAHMANIDES SYSTEMATICALLY PRESENTED By David Novak Copyright © 2020 by Brown University Library of Congress Control Number: 2019953676 Open access edition funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities/Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities Open Book Program. The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeriva- tives 4.0 International License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. To use this book, or parts of this book, in any way not covered by the license, please contact Brown Judaic Studies, Brown University, Box 1826, Providence, RI 02912. STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL JUDAISM Edited by Lenn E. Goodman To the Memory of Harry H. Ruskin (1905-1989) The righteous man lives in his faith. - Habakkuk 2:4 other works by David Novak Law and Theology in Judaism (2 volumes) Suicide and Morality The Image of the Non-Jew in Judaism Halakhah in a Theological Dimension Jewish Christian Dialogue Contents Editor's Foreword ix Preface xi Introduction 1 Notes 17 Chapter 1 The Human Soul 25 Chapter 2 Faith 31 Chapter 3 Tradition 51 Chapter 4 Miracles 61 Chapter 5 Natural and Supernatural 77 Chapter 6 The Land of Israel 89 Chapter 7 The Commandments 99 Chapter 8 Eschatology 125 Bibliography 135 List of Abbreviations 136 Index of Names and Subjects 137 Index of Passages 141 Publishers’ Preface Brown Judaic Studies has been publishing scholarly books in all areas of Ju- daic studies for forty years. -
Twisting Words: Does Halakhah Really Circumvent Scripture? Amit Gvaryahu
Twisting words: does Halakhah really circumvent scripture? amit Gvaryahu hebrew university, jerusalem, israel abstract A foundational text in the study of Tannaitic Midrash and Halakhah, Sifre Deuteronomy 122 is a list of places where Halakhah ʿ qpt scripture. This word, ʿ qpt, has long been understood to mean ‘circumvent’, ‘bypass’ or ‘belie’, and the pericope has been read as a list of places where ‘Halakhah circumvents scripture’, and thus a testament to the power of the accepted tradition to override the words of the Torah. Based on documentary and linguistic evidence, this article questions the interpretation of the word ʿ qpt and suggests that it means not ‘circumvent’ but rather ‘multiply’. As it does so, it also suggests a new meaning for the list, as a declaration of the limits of the Midrashic method of the Tannaitic school of Rabbi Ishmael, committed both to accepted traditions and to its more restrictive and systematic method of reading scripture. he relationship between scriptural exegesis and extra-scriptural T tradition in rabbinic literature is a central point of debate on the rabbinic movement. Josephus describes the Pharisees as clinging to the ‘traditions of the fathers’. The gospels note several extra-scriptural traditions with some derision. In a story in the Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Akiva attributes laws to Moses which he did not know existed.1 Immeasurable thanks go to Hallel Baitner, Dr Idan Dershowitz, Prof. Steven Fraade, Yedidah Koren, Dr Yakir Paz, Prof. Ishay Rosen-Zvi and Dr Assaf Rosen-Zvi for their comments. I am also grateful to Assaf for sharing a chapter of his thesis: Text, Redaction and Hermeneutic in Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael, Tractate Kaspa (Ph.D. -
Jews and Judaism in the Rabbinic Era
Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism Edited by Maren Niehoff (Jerusalem) Annette Y. Reed (Philadelphia, PA) Seth Schwartz (New York, NY) Moulie Vidas (Princeton, NJ) 173 Isaiah M. Gafni Jews and Judaism in the Rabbinic Era Image and Reality – History and Historiography Mohr Siebeck Isaiah M. Gafni, born 1944; BA, MA, and PhD from the Hebrew University; 1967–2012 taught Jewish History of the Second Temple and Talmudic Periods (500 BCE – 500 CE) at the Hebrew University; currently Professor Emeritus in Jewish History at the Hebrew University, and President of Shalem College, Jerusalem. ISBN 978-3-16-152731-9 / eISBN 978-3-16-156701-8 DOI 10.1628/978-3-16-156701-8 ISSN 0721-8753 / eISSN 2568-9525 (Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism) The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliographie; detailed bibliographic data are available at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2019 Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, Germany. www.mohrsiebeck.com This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher’s written permission. This applies particularly to reproduc- tions, translations and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was printed on non-aging paper by Gulde Druck in Tübingen, and bound by Groß- buchbinderei Spinner in Ottersweier. Printed in Germany. For Naomi Table of Contents Abbreviations.............................................................................................. IX I Introduction ......................................................................................... -
Ruah Ha-Kodesh in Rabbinic Literature
The Dissertation Committee for Julie Hilton Danan Certifies that this is the approved version of the following dissertation: THE DIVINE VOICE IN SCRIPTURE: RUAH HA-KODESH IN RABBINIC LITERATURE Committee: Harold A. Liebowitz , Supervisor Aaron Bar -Adon Esther L. Raizen Abraham Zilkha Krist en H. Lindbeck The Divine Voice in Scripture: Ruah ha-Kodesh in Rabbinic Literature by Julie Hilton Danan, B.A., M.A. Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Austin in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Texas at Austin May, 2009 Dedication To my husband, Avraham Raphael Danan Acknowledgements Thank you to the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School, the Middle Eastern Studies Department, and particularly to the Hebrew Studies faculty for their abundant support over my years of study in graduate school. I am especially grateful to the readers of my dissertation for many invaluable suggestions and many helpful critiques. My advisor, Professor Harold Liebowitz, has been my guide, my mentor, and my academic role model throughout the graduate school journey. He exemplifies the spirit of patience, thoughtful listening, and a true love of learning. Many thanks go to my readers, professors Esther Raizen, Avraham Zilkha, Aaron Bar-Adon, and Kristen Lindbeck (of Florida Atlantic University), each of whom has been my esteemed teacher and shared his or her special area of expertise with me. Thank you to Graduate Advisor Samer Ali and the staff of Middle Eastern Studies, especially Kimberly Dahl and Beverly Benham, for their encouragement and assistance. -
Jewish Folk Literature
University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Department of Near Eastern Languages and Departmental Papers (NELC) Civilizations (NELC) 1999 Jewish Folk Literature Dan Ben-Amos University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers Part of the Cultural History Commons, Folklore Commons, Jewish Studies Commons, and the Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons Recommended Citation Ben-Amos, D. (1999). Jewish Folk Literature. Oral Tradition, 14 (1), 140-274. Retrieved from https://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/93 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/93 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Jewish Folk Literature Abstract Four interrelated qualities distinguish Jewish folk literature: (a) historical depth, (b) continuous interdependence between orality and literacy, (c) national dispersion, and (d) linguistic diversity. In spite of these diverging factors, the folklore of most Jewish communities clearly shares a number of features. The Jews, as a people, maintain a collective memory that extends well into the second millennium BCE. Although literacy undoubtedly figured in the preservation of the Jewish cultural heritage to a great extent, at each period it was complemented by orality. The reciprocal relations between the two thus enlarged the thematic, formal, and social bases of Jewish folklore. The dispersion of the Jews among the nations through forced exiles and natural migrations further expanded -
Hebrew.” Root Their Jewish Origins in Legendary, Rather Than Traveled to Ethiopia to Visit the Beta Israel Historical Material
Walter Laqueur Did One Million Russians Change the Middle East? JEWISH REVIEW OF BOOKS Volume 4, Number 2 Summer 2013 $7.95 Benny Morris The Alarming Signif icance of a Trivial Book SUMMER READING Adam Kirsch Proust & Bialik Alan Mintz A.B. Yehoshua at the Movies Jeffrey SaksS.Y. Agnon in Comics Daniel Johnson Francesca Segal's Brilliant First Novel Amy Newman Smith A Short, Strange, Heroic Life Editor Abraham Socher Senior Contributing Editor Allan Arkush Art Director Betsy Klarfeld Assistant Editor Amy Newman Smith Administrative Assistant Rebecca Weiss Intern Zachary Crockford Editorial Board Robert Alter Shlomo Avineri Leora Batnitzky Ruth Gavison Moshe Halbertal Hillel Halkin Jon D. Levenson Anita Shapira Michael Walzer J. H.H. Weiler Leon Wieseltier Ruth R. Wisse Steven J. Zipperstein Publisher Eric Cohen Associate Publisher & Director of Marketing Lori Dorr Marketing Associate Chaya Glasner The Jewish Review of Books (Print ISSN 2153-1978, Online ISSN 2153-1994) is a quarterly publication of ideas and criticism published in Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, by Bee.Ideas, LLC., 165 East 56th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10022. For all subscriptions, please visit www.jewishreviewofbooks.com or send $29.95 The Posen Society of Fellows is a unique international fellowship for ($39.95 outside of the U.S.) to: Jewish Review of junior scholars and emerging fiction writers. The Fellowship provides Books, PO Box 3000, Denville, NJ 07834. Please send notifications of address changes to the same address recipients with $40,000 over the course of two years, and the opportu- or to [email protected]. nity to work with seasoned scholars and writers. -
Towards a Revolution in the Teaching of the Hebrew Bible
DOI 10.1515/ijsl-2013-0075 IJSL 2014; 226: 57 – 82 Ghil‘ad Zuckermann* and Gitit Holzman Let my people know!: towards a revolution in the teaching of the Hebrew Bible Abstract: Acquiring knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and comprehension of the language are major aims of the Israeli education system. Yet for most students, it fails on both counts. This article proposes that these failures are closely con- nected: both are rooted in an erroneous linkage between Biblical Hebrew and the language spoken in modern Israel. Modern Hebrew – or more appropriately: “Israeli” – is a hybrid of Hebrew, Yiddish and other languages. Its grammar is distinct from that of Hebrew, and it has been the mother tongue of most Israeli- born Jews for about a hundred years. There is a fundamental difference between the acquisition and usage of mother tongues and those of any other language. Since Biblical Hebrew is a for- eign language for modern Israelis, it ought to be taught as such. Israeli should be acknowledged as a legitimate, distinct tongue. Keywords: Israeli, Hebrew, Bible, Old Testament, translation *Corresponding author: Ghil‘ad Zuckermann: The University of Adelaide. E-mail: [email protected] Gitit Holzman: Levinsky College of Education. E-mail: [email protected] “The Bible is the closest book to Israeli youth” (David Ben-Gurion, 1957)1 1 Bible teaching in Israel – an anatomy of failure “I neither know nor think that I know” (Plato, Apology). Using this simple phrase, Socrates explained why the Pythian prophetess of Delphi had asserted that he and none other was the wisest man of all. -
Abaye's Origins
Abbaye’s Family Origins – A Study in Rabbinic Genealogy (2/17/2011) Aaron Demsky שָׂ שׂ אָנֹכִ י עַ ל- אִ מְ רָ תֶ � כְּ מוֹצֵא שָׁ לָל רָ ב (תהל' קיט,162) 1 Abbaye is one of the most prominent of the Babylonian Amora’im.0F He and his colleague Rava (R. Abba b. Joseph b. Hama, Erubin 54a) of Mehoza were instrumental in shaping the Talmud Bavli. Their discussions are summarized in the phrase: havayot diAbbaye va- Rava (Sukkah 28a). For those of us interested in genealogy and family history, Abbaye’s family is of particular interest for there are biographical details about them scattered throughout ”with the possible meaning “small crown ,כייליל rabbinic literature. His father’s name was 2 or “wholeness”.1F He died young while his wife was pregnant. Abbaye’s mother passed away in childbirth (Zebahim 118b; Kidd 31b). Abbaye was raised by his paternal uncle and mentor Rabbah who was the Rosh Yeshivah of Pumbeditha, and by a wise foster – mother whom he called ‘Em and whom he often quotes with much respect (Ber 33b; esp. Shabb 134a, etc). His real name was Nahmani named for his grandfather and was given the nickname Abbaye, probably meaning something like ‘My (little) father’, by his uncle in order not to disrespectfully invoke the name of the senior namesake. While the name is borne by other Babylonian scholars, in this case, the name was explained in a late 3 2F.אשר בך ירוחם יתום :midrashic acronym based on Hosea 14, 4 Abbaye was married at least twice; his second marriage was to the beautiful Homa – who was probably much younger – for she was the great granddaughter of his mentor Rav 1 For a summary of his life and works see A. -
Studies in the Jewish Background of Christianity
Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Begründet von Joachim Jeremias und Otto Michel Herausgegeben von Martin Hengel und Otfried Hofius 60 Studies in the Jewish Background of Christianity by Daniel R. Schwartz J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck) Tubingen Die Deutsche Bibliothek — CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Schwartz, Daniel R. : Studies in the Jewish background of Christianity / by Daniel R. Schwartz. — Tübingen : Mohr, 1992 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament ; 60) ISBN 3-16-145798-6 NE: GT © 1992 J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck), P.O. Box 2040, D-7400 Tübingen. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that permitted by copyright law) without the publisher's written permission. This applies particularly to reproductions, translations, microfilms and storage and processing in electronic systems. The book was typeset by Computersatz Staiger in Ammerbuch-Pfäffingen using Times typeface, printed by Guide-Druck in Tübingen on acid-free paper from Papierfabrik Buhl in Ettlingen and bound by Heinr. Koch in Tübingen. ISSN 0512-1604 To my Friends and Students in Jerusalem Preface The studies in this volume have, in general, three foci. The first focus is upon the development of Judaism during the Second Temple period, and especially during its final, Roman, century: the passage, due to internal developments and external influences and pressures, from a religion oriented around Temple and priesthood — i.e., a religion bound up with a state, and which therefore competed with Rome — to one which could separate sanctity from birth and place. The second focus is upon Josephus, and the history of Provincia Judaea, for which he is the major source in this period. -
Yom Kippur Guide to Tefillah at Home and Halachic Times
Page High Holiday Reader: 5781/2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS ROSH HASHANAH Letter from our Rabbis ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 “I Am Worth It”: A Rosh Hashana Mantra Rabbi Yosef Weinstock ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Dip the Apple in the Honey… and that will give me a sweet new year?! Rabbi Adam Frieberg .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Rosh Hashanah Torah Dialog Rabbi Edward Davis .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Messages of the Machzor: An Exploration of Rosh Hashanah Mussaf Sara Frieberg ............................................................................................................................................................ 13 Rosh Hashanah Guide to Tefillah at Home and Halachic Times ..................................................................................... 18 Shacharit and Musaf for Rosh Hashanah for those Davening Alone ............................................................................. 20 ASERET YEMEI TESHUVA Kol Nidrei Appeal ...........................................................................................................................................................