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Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence
City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 10-2014 'Like Iron to a Magnet': Moses Hayim Luzzatto's Quest for Providence David Sclar Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/380 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence By David Sclar A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The City University of New York 2014 © 2014 David Sclar All Rights Reserved This Manuscript has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the Dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Prof. Jane S. Gerber _______________ ____________________________________ Date Chair of the Examining Committee Prof. Helena Rosenblatt _______________ ____________________________________ Date Executive Officer Prof. Francesca Bregoli _______________________________________ Prof. Elisheva Carlebach ________________________________________ Prof. Robert Seltzer ________________________________________ Prof. David Sorkin ________________________________________ Supervisory Committee iii Abstract “Like Iron to a Magnet”: Moses Hayim Luzzatto’s Quest for Providence by David Sclar Advisor: Prof. Jane S. Gerber This dissertation is a biographical study of Moses Hayim Luzzatto (1707–1746 or 1747). It presents the social and religious context in which Luzzatto was variously celebrated as the leader of a kabbalistic-messianic confraternity in Padua, condemned as a deviant threat by rabbis in Venice and central and eastern Europe, and accepted by the Portuguese Jewish community after relocating to Amsterdam. -
1 Jews, Gentiles, and the Modern Egalitarian Ethos
Jews, Gentiles, and the Modern Egalitarian Ethos: Some Tentative Thoughts David Berger The deep and systemic tension between contemporary egalitarianism and many authoritative Jewish texts about gentiles takes varying forms. Most Orthodox Jews remain untroubled by some aspects of this tension, understanding that Judaism’s affirmation of chosenness and hierarchy can inspire and ennoble without denigrating others. In other instances, affirmations of metaphysical differences between Jews and gentiles can take a form that makes many of us uncomfortable, but we have the legitimate option of regarding them as non-authoritative. Finally and most disturbing, there are positions affirmed by standard halakhic sources from the Talmud to the Shulhan Arukh that apparently stand in stark contrast to values taken for granted in the modern West and taught in other sections of the Torah itself. Let me begin with a few brief observations about the first two categories and proceed to somewhat more extended ruminations about the third. Critics ranging from medieval Christians to Mordecai Kaplan have directed withering fire at the doctrine of the chosenness of Israel. Nonetheless, if we examine an overarching pattern in the earliest chapters of the Torah, we discover, I believe, that this choice emerges in a universalist context. The famous statement in the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5) that Adam was created singly so that no one would be able to say, “My father is greater than yours” underscores the universality of the original divine intent. While we can never know the purpose of creation, one plausible objective in light of the narrative in Genesis is the opportunity to actualize the values of justice and lovingkindness through the behavior of creatures who subordinate themselves to the will 1 of God. -
Surpass Shelf List
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Rabbi Eliezer Levin, ?"YT: Mussar Personified RABBI YOSEF C
il1lj:' .N1'lN1N1' invites you to join us in paying tribute to the memory of ,,,.. SAMUEL AND RENEE REICHMANN n·y Through their renowned benevolence and generosity they have nobly benefited the Torah community at large and have strengthened and sustained Yeshiva Yesodei Hatorah here in Toronto. Their legendary accomplishments have earned the respect and gratitude of all those whose lives they have touched. Special Honorees Rabbi Menachem Adler Mr. & Mrs. Menachem Wagner AVODASHAKODfSHAWARD MESORES A VOS AW ARD RESERVE YOUR AD IN OUR TRIBUTE DINNER JOURNAL Tribute Dinner to be held June 3, 1992 Diamond Page $50,000 Platinum Page $36, 000 Gold Page $25,000 Silver Page $18,000 Bronze Page $10,000 Parchment $ 5,000 Tribute Page $3,600 Half Page $500 Memoriam Page '$2,500 Quarter Page $250 Chai Page $1,800 Greeting $180 Full Page $1,000 Advertising Deadline is May 1. 1992 Mall or fax ad copy to: REICHMANN ENDOWMENT FUND FOR YYH 77 Glen Rush Boulevard, Toronto, Ontario M5N 2T8 (416) 787-1101 or Fax (416) 787-9044 GRATITUDE TO THE PAST + CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE THEIEWISH ()BSERVER THE JEWISH OBSERVER (ISSN) 0021 -6615 is published monthly except July and August by theAgudath Israel of America, 84 William Street, New York, N.Y. 10038. Second class postage paid in New York, N.Y. LESSONS IN AN ERA OF RAPID CHANGE Subscription $22.00 per year; two years, $36.00; three years, $48.00. Outside of the United States (US funds drawn on a US bank only) $1 O.00 6 surcharge per year. -
Korach 5776 July 8, 2016
Korach 5776 July 8, 2016 A Taste of Torah Stories For The Soul It’s All About Me By Rabbi Mordechai Fleisher A Friendly Argument In today’s world, it’s very important for You know the rest of the story. 250 Jews During the late 1800’s, there a politician to convince everyone that he bring pans with incense, and a Divine was a sharp debate between or she is working for the benefit of the fire consumes them. Korach and his people. More often than not, that claim is two sidekicks, Dasan and Aviram, are several prominent Torah leaders laughable. To that end, our Sages (Pirkei swallowed, along with their families and regarding a particular issue. The Avos 2:3) tell us to be wary of goverment possessions, by the earth. disagreement was quite heated, officials, for they may seem very friendly Why were two different punishments each side strongly advocating its when they stand to gain from the necessary? To make this question even position as the correct approach. relationship, but they will abandon you more perplexing, the Talmud (Sanhedrin when you are no longer useful. Two of the leading Torah 110a) records an opinion that Korach authorities of the time, Rabbi About fifteen years ago, when I was himself suffered both forms of retribution: studying in yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael, I was Not only was he swallowed, he was also Chaim Soloveitchik (1853-1918) a guest at a Shabbos meal along with a burned by the Divine fire. What is the and Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk British chap who was looking to convert significance of his being subjected to both (1843-1926) were at the forefront to Judaism. -
Introduction Daniel Walden
introduction Daniel Walden Chaim Potok was a world-class writer and scholar, a Conservative Jew who wrote from and about his tradition and the confl icts between observance and acculturation. With a plain, straightforward style, his novels were set against the moral, spiritual, and intellectual currents of the twentieth century. His characters thought about modernity and wrestled with the core-to-core cul- tural confrontations they experienced when modernity clashed with faith. Potok was able to communicate with millions of people of many religious beliefs all over the world, because, unlike his major predecessors, he wrote from the inside, inclusively. Beginning with Th e Chosen and continuing through Th e Promise, My Name Is Asher Lev, Th e Gift of Asher Lev, Th e Book of Lights, and Davita’s Harp, Potok wrote very American novels. Th ey were understandable and attractive to one and all. As Sheldon Grebstein put it, referring to Th e Chosen, a run- away best seller, the dream of success played out in an improbable but possi- ble “only in America” way, demonstrating that “people can still make good through hard work, . integrity, and dedication,” if also at the cost of occa- sional alienation. Refusing to ignore modern thought, Potok was led to a crisis of faith, which he resolved by embracing both modernity and observant Judaism. In his view, Judaism was a tradition integrating into the American culture, not opposed to it. He kept his focus on working out his characters’ identity as American. Th rough his novels, Potok was a major voice in American literature be cause he was the fi rst Jewish American novelist to open up the Jewish expe- rience to a mass audience, to make that world familiar and accessible as the outside world increasingly became willing to acknowledge that Jews are a multiethnic, multiracial, and multireligious people. -
Download the Full Edition
Meorot A Forum of Modern Orthodox Discourse (formerly Edah Journal) Marheshvan 5768 CONTENTS Editor’s Introduction to the Marheshvan 5768 Edition Eugene Korn ARTICLES Farteitcht un Farbessert (On “Correcting” Maimonides) Menachem Kellner Ethics and Warfare Revisited Gerald J. Blidstein Michael J. Broyde Women's Eligibility to Write Sifrei Torah Jen Taylor Friedman Dov Linzer Authority and Validity: Why Tanakh Requires Interpretation, and What Makes an Interpretation Legitimate? Moshe Sokolow REVIEW ESSAY Maimonides Contra Kabbalah: A Review of Maimonides’ Confrontation with Mysticism by Menachem Kellner James A. Diamond Meorot 6:2 Marheshvan 5768 A Publication of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbini cal School © 2007 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE t Meorot: A Forum of Modern Orthodox Discourse (formerly The Edah Journal) Statement of Purpose Meorot is a forum for discussion of Orthodox Judaism’s engagement with modernity, o published by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School. It is the conviction of Meorot that this discourse is vital to nurturing the spiritual and religious experiences of Modern Orthodox Jews. Committed to the norms of halakhah and Torah, Meorot is dedicated to free inquiry and will be ever mindful that “Truth is the seal of the Holy One, Blessed be He.” r Editors Eugene Korn, Editor Nathaniel Helfgot, Associate Editor Joel Linsider, Text Editor o Editorial Board Dov Linzer (YCT Rabbinical School), Chair Michael Berger Moshe Halbertal (Israel) e Naftali Harcsztark Norma Baumel Joseph Simcha Krauss Barry Levy Adam Mintz Tamar Ross (Israel) A Forum of Modern Orthodox Discourse M Meorot will publish two online editions per year, and will be available periodically in hard- copy editions. -
Judaism and Artistic Creativity: Despite Maimonides and Thanks to Him
MENACHEM KELLNER Judaism and Artistic Creativity: Despite Maimonides and Thanks to Him IN SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND the place of artistic creativity in Judaism, Maimonides hardly appears to be a promising source with which to start. His emphasis on intellectual perfection as the defining characteristic of humanity would not appear to make him a promising candidate for our project. This is all the more the case when we consider that, for him, intellectual perfection involves the apprehension of already established truth, not the creation of new knowledge. Despite this, I suggest that Maimonides can be very helpful in seeking to elaborate a Jewish approach to the value of artistic creativity. Maimonides may have been the first posek to count the imitation of God (imitatio Dei ) as a specific commandment of the Torah. Yea or nay, he certain - ly emphasized its importance. The first text in which Maimonides discusses the imitation of God is his Book of Commandments , positive commandment 8: Walking in God’s ways. By this injunction we are commanded to be like God (praised be He) as far as it is in our power. This injunction is con - tained in His words, And you shall walk in His ways (Deut. 28:9), and also in an earlier verse in His words, [ What does the Lord require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, ] to walk in all His ways? (Deut. 10:2). On this latter verse the Sages comment as follows: “Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called merciful [ rahum ], so should you be merciful; just as He is called gracious [ hanun ], so should you be gracious; just as he is called righteous [ tsadik ], so should you be righteous; just as He is called saintly MENACHEM KELLNER is Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Jewish Thought at Shalem College Jerusalem and Wolfson Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought at the University of Haifa. -
Chief Rabbi Joseph Herman Hertz
A Bridge across the Tigris: Chief Rabbi Joseph Herman Hertz Our Rabbis tell us that on the death of Abaye the bridge across the Tigris collapsed. A bridge serves to unite opposite shores; and so Abaye had united the opposing groups and conflicting parties of his time. Likewise Dr. Hertz’s personality was the bridge which served to unite different communities and bodies in this country and the Dominions into one common Jewish loyalty. —Dayan Yechezkel Abramsky: Eulogy for Chief Rabbi Hertz.[1] I At his death in 1946, Joseph Herman Hertz was the most celebrated rabbi in the world. He had been Chief Rabbi of the British Empire for 33 years, author or editor of several successful books, and champion of Jewish causes national and international. Even today, his edition of the Pentateuch, known as the Hertz Chumash, can be found in most centrist Orthodox synagogues, though it is often now outnumbered by other editions. His remarkable career grew out of three factors: a unique personality and capabilities; a particular background and education; and extraordinary times. Hertz was no superman; he had plenty of flaws and failings, but he made a massive contribution to Judaism and the Jewish People. Above all, Dayan Abramsky was right. Hertz was a bridge, who showed that a combination of old and new, tradition and modernity, Torah and worldly wisdom could generate a vibrant, authentic and enduring Judaism. Hertz was born in Rubrin, in what is now Slovakia on September 25, 1872.[2] His father, Simon, had studied with Rabbi Esriel Hisldesheimer at his seminary at Eisenstadt and was a teacher and grammarian as well as a plum farmer. -
Chassidus on the Eh're Chassidus on the Parsha +
LIGHTS OF OUR RIGHTEOUS TZADDIKIM בעזרת ה ' יתבר A Tzaddik, or righteous person , makes everyone else appear righteous before Hashem by advocating for them and finding their merits. Kedushas Levi, Parshas Noach (Bereishis 7:1) RE ’EH _ CHASSIDUS ON THE PARSHA + Dvar Torah The Merit of Charity Compound forms of verbs usually indicate thoroughness. Yet when the Torah tells us (14:22), “You shall fully tithe ( aser te’aser ) all the produce of your field,” our Sages derive another concept. “ Aser bishvil shetis’asher ,” they say. “Tithe in order that you shall become wealthy.” Why is this so? When the charity a person gives, explains Rav Levi Yitzchak, comes up to Heaven, its provenance is scrutinized. Why was this particular amount giv en to charity? Then the relationship to the full amount of the harvest is discovered. There is a ration of ten to one, and the amount given is one tenth of the total. In this way the entire harvest participates in the mitzvah but only in a secondary role. Therefore, if the charity was given with a full heart, the person giving the charity merits that the quality of his donation is elevated. The following year, the entire harvest is elevated from a secondary role to a primary role in the giving of the charit y. The amount of the previous year’s harvest then becomes only one tenth of the new harvest, and the giver becomes wealthy. n Story Unfortunately, there were all too many poor people who circulated among the towns and 1 Re ’eh / [email protected] villages begging for assistance in staving off starvation. -
John Hagee, Christian Zionism, Us Foreign Policy and the State of Israel
JOHN HAGEE, CHRISTIAN ZIONISM, U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND THE STATE OF ISRAEL: AN INTERTWINED RELATIONSHIP Master’s Thesis Presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department Brandeis University S. Ilan Troen, Advisor In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts By Michael Kupferberg May 2009 Copyright by Michael Kupferberg May, 2009 ABSTRACT John Hagee, Christian Zionism, U.S. Foreign Policy and the State of Israel: An Intertwined Relationship A thesis presented to the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Brandeis University Waltham, MA By Michael Kupferberg Christian Zionism while originating in England over two centuries ago is currently experiencing a reinvigoration, especially in the political world. Christian Zionists are using politics as a way to fulfill Biblical prophecy, by influencing powerful politicians in all levels of government to support Israel. The most vocal, and prominent leader within the Christian Zionist movement is Pastor John Hagee. Through the establishment of his organization Christians United for Israel, Hagee has localized and given a tangible center for Christian Zionist activists. Additionally, the movement has gained membership as it was established in the model of a grassroots organization. Hagee has become a well known figure in the political community, and garners national media attention. While it has become fashionable in recent times to criticize Jewish organizations such as AIPAC, it is the Christian Zionist organizations which yield a large portion of power in Washington. However, it is crucial to realize that while CUFI and groups like it may yield some power in Washington, and account for some of the decision making that goes into U.S. -
The Significance of Martin Buber´S Philosophy of Dialogue And
The significance of Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue and suffering in the overcoming of ‘core-to-core confrontation’ in Chaim Potok’s The Chosen Gustavo SÁNCHEZ CANALES Universidad Complutense de Madrid [email protected] Recibido: 22/3/2010 Aceptado: 6/05/2010 ABSTRACT One of the central issues in Chaim Potok’s works is what he calls ‘core-to-core [culture] confrontation’, that is to say the clash between the core of an individual’s world and the core of another wider world. Specifically, in The Chosen (1967), this confrontation occurs when the core of Danny Saunder’s worldthe son of an ultra-conservative Hasidic leader called Reb Saunderscollides with the core of a more general world in which he livesWestern secular culture. This clash, which results in the confrontation of Reb Saunders and Danny, is largely due to the Reb’s opposition to his son’s wish to study psychoanalysis. In this article, I will focus on how Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue facilitates the mutual understanding between two opposing worlds in The Chosen. The conflict is finally resolved when, using Buber’s terms, the characters’ relationships move from an ‘I-It’ to an ‘I-Thou’ relationship. This process of coming to terms with each other inevitably brings about much suffering on Potok’s characters’ part. In the second part of the present article, I will try to show how suffering can transform them into more sympathetic human beings. Keywords: Chaim Potok, The Chosen, core-to-core [culture] confrontation, Martin Buber, I-Thou, I- It, suffering, Hasidism/Hasidic.