DOCSLIB.ORG

How Mystics Experience “I-Thou” Relationships with God

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How Mystics Experience “I-Thou” Relationships with God University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2011 The Phenomenology of Everyday Experiences of Contemporary Mystics in the Jewish Traditions of Kabbalah Priscilla W Levasseur [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Other Religion Commons, Philosophy Commons, and the Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Levasseur, Priscilla W, "The Phenomenology of Everyday Experiences of Contemporary Mystics in the Jewish Traditions of Kabbalah. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2011. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/1093 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Priscilla W Levasseur entitled "The Phenomenology of Everyday Experiences of Contemporary Mystics in the Jewish Traditions of Kabbalah." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Psychology. Sandra P. Thomas, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Debora R. Baldwin, Gilya G. Schmidt, Brent Mallinckrodt Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) The Phenomenology of Everyday Experiences of Contemporary Mystics in the Jewish Traditions of Kabbalah A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Priscilla W. Levasseur August 2011 ii Copyright © 2011 by Priscilla W. Levasseur All rights reserved. iii In Memory of Francis Xavier Levasseur Beloved Husband iv Acknowledgements The professors at the University of Tennessee who have served on this dissertation committee deserve the most thanks and recognition for their extremely helpful guidance and patience during the process of the writing of this document. They are Howard Pollio (who has been my mentor and former chair for years prior to his retirement), Professor Emeritus in Cognitive and Consciousness Psychology; Sandra Thomas (my current chair), Professor and Coordinator for the Doctoral Program in the Department of Nursing; Debora Baldwin, Associate Professor in Health Psychology; Brent Mallinckrodt, Professor and Director of Counseling Psychology; Gilya Schmidt, Professor and Director of the Jewish Studies Program in the Department of Jewish Studies; and Ralph Hood, Professor, Psychology of Religion and Philosophical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at The University of Tennessee in Chattanooga who was an important advisor during the early stages of this research. Others at the University who contributed their time and intelligence were all the members of both phenomenological research analytical laboratories who contributed boundlessly with the analyses of the transcribed interviews of my participants. Much gratitude is owed you. Thanks. Several spiritual friends were the sounding board for my thoughts and support for the anxieties that naturally arise as one confronts a large task such as this. These friends who are also my teachers of a different kind are Jean Hunt, Angelyn Bales, Joan Harrigan, Swami Chandrasekharanand Saraswati, Samuel Avital, Carol Redmond, Jane Cicchetti, Alice Beers, Rabbi Yossi Refson and his wife Sarah, Sharon Washburn, Bhakhang Tulku Rinpoche and the members of the Shiwa Center for Peace. I would have to write another book to note all the gifts these kind and gracious people have given me. In addition, a large ‘thank you’ goes to v Janet Collins for her expert assistance in the preparation of the final interview transcripts. Deepest appreciation goes to Tim Callaghan who did more than he knew in helping me when I was in despair of ever finishing this part of my life. Of course my brothers and sisters, Copes Wannamaker, Joy Kirchoffer, Leland Wannamaker and Tracy Loggins have been wonderful in supporting the completion of this project. We have been through the loss of both parents during the time I’ve been back in school. A large thank you goes to them, their spouses and all nine of my nieces and nephews. Before they died, my parents gave their blessings to my returning to school. I am grateful for all the unexpected love demonstrated by these, my family. Another death was much closer to my heart than even those of my parents. Last spring my husband of 20 years, Francis Xavier Levasseur, died after several years of dealing with cancers and complications due Agent Orange exposure that occurred when he was a soldier in the U.S. Army during the war in Viet Nam. He, more than anyone else, encouraged me to follow my dreams. He abided my absences while I was away at school, and he uplifted me when obstacles lay in my path. Because of his illness, I left my schoolwork and my friends in Tennessee to care for him. On account of that, I was amazed when the Psychology Department at the University of Tennessee allowed me to return after several years to complete this last year in my doctoral program. Their making this exception to school policy was a miracle. James Lawler, Department Head, and Connie Ogle, his assistant, gave me a great blessing by successfully asking the Assistant Dean of The Graduate School, Kay Reed, to give permission for my return. This work would be unfinished and lost in the wind without their help. vi Lastly, I would like to thank each of the participants in this study. They have given of not only their innermost, personal experiences but also many hours of their valuable time. I am eternally grateful. To all of you I voice my appreciation for being such powerful forces in my life. This whole process has been transformational. I wish that your influences could shine through my writing as they shine through my life. All of you are the most amazing people I have ever met. Thank you. vii Abstract This phenomenological study was conducted in order to understand the everyday experiences of contemporary mystics in the Jewish traditions of Kabbalah. This author could find no available information about psychological research of this topic in psychological, educational or psychiatric databases. She used the applied phenomenological methodology of Howard Pollio and the Research Groups at the University of Tennessee. Interviews were conducted by this author with eight volunteer, living, adult participants who lived throughout the United States and ranged in age from 37 to 60+ years. These mystics were found through various means after they had described themselves, by their own definitions, as mystics in the Jewish traditions(s) of Kabbalah. There were six men and two women who participated; four were Jewish and four were not. The interviews ranged from one to three hours in length, were recorded, and later transcribed for confidential analyses. After analyzing the results, the Ground of the participants’ experience was determined to be Being Aware. The Thematic Structure of the participants’ everyday experiences of living with their mystical events and processes contained six themes: 1) Divine/Sacred, 2) Receiving/Calling/Gift, 3) Knowing/Realizing, 4) Practices/Body, 5)Developing/Stages, and 6) Struggling: Self/Others/World. Implications for this study suggest that the everyday experiences of these mystical participants are different in many ways from everyday experiences of non-mystics. There is some support for the ideas of spiritual intelligence, spiritual giftedness, consciousness advancement. Appreciating intuition, higher emotional states, and the deeper, yet usually hidden parts of human experience, along with learning to identify and support young people who are having mystical experiences is a worthwhile goal for psychologists. viii Keywords: phenomenological psychology, contemporary Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, everyday experiences, spiritual giftedness, spiritual intelligence ix Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 Literature Review of Mysticism............................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 Definitions of Mystics and Mysticism in General ............................................................. 1 Judaism and Mysticism .................................................................................................... 14 Short Description of the History of Jewish Mysticism within Jewish Traditions............ 19 Jewish Mysticism Compared with Jewish Rationalism ................................................... 22 Where is God in All of This? ........................................................................................... 26 God as Buber’s “I-Thou” or “I-It” ................................................................................... 26 How Mystics Experience “I-Thou” Relationships with God ........................................... 27 God and the Hebrews ......................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Book of Zohar ((Itemsitems 666-71).6-71)
    The Path of Kabbalah By Rav Michael Laitman PhD The Path of Kabbalah LAITMAN KABBALAH PUBLISHERS By Rav Michael Laitman PhD Executive Editor: Benzion Giertz Editor: Claire Gerus Translation: Chaim Ratz Compilation: Shlomi Bohana Layout: Baruch Khovov Laitman Kabbalah Publishers Website: www.kabbalah.info Laitman Kabbalah Publishers E-mail: [email protected] THE PATH OF KABBALAH Copyright © 2005 by MICHAEL LAITMAN. All rights reserved. Published by Laitman Kabbalah Publishers, 1057 Steeles Avenue West, Suite 532, Toronto, ON, M2R 3X1, Canada. Printed in Canada. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. ISBN: 0-9732315-9-9 FIRST EDITION: DECEMBER 2005 The Path of Kabbalah TA B LE OF CONTEN T S Part One: The Beginning .........................................................................9 Part Two: Phases of Spiritual Evolution ............................................... 70 Part Three: The Structure of the Upper Worlds .................................140 Part Four: Proper Study ...................................................................... 253 Part Five: Religion, Prejudice and Kabbalah ...................................... 306 Part Six: Genesis ................................................................................. 320 Part Seven: The Inner Meaning .......................................................... 333 Detailed Table of Contents ...............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • How Did Halacha Originate Or Did the Rabbis Tell a “Porky”?1 Definitions Written Law the Written Law Is the Torah Or Five Books of Moses
    How Did Halacha Originate or Did the Rabbis Tell a “Porky”?1 Definitions Written Law The Written Law is the Torah or Five books of Moses. Also known from the Greek as the Pentateuch. (What status is the Tanach?) Oral Law An Oral Law is a code of conduct in use in a given culture, religion or community …, by which a body of rules of human behaviour is transmitted by oral tradition and effectively respected, ...2 lit. "Torah that is on the ,תורה שבעל פה) According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law mouth") represents those laws, statutes, and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five lit. "Torah that is in writing"), but nonetheless are ,תורה שבכתב) "Books of Moses, the "Written Torah regarded by Orthodox Jews as prescriptive and co-given. This holistic Jewish code of conduct encompasses a wide swathe of rituals, worship practices, God–man and interpersonal relationships, from dietary laws to Sabbath and festival observance to marital relations, agricultural practices, and civil claims and damages. According to Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was passed down orally in an unbroken chain from generation to generation of leaders of the people until its contents were finally committed to writing following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, when Jewish civilization was faced with an existential threat.3 Halacha • all the rules, customs, practices, and traditional laws. (Lauterbach) • the collective body of Jewish religious laws derived from the Written and Oral Torah. (Wikipedia) • Lit. the path that one walks. Jewish law. The complete body of rules and practices that Jews are bound to follow, including biblical commandments, commandments instituted by the rabbis, and binding customs.
    [Show full text]
  • Sichos of 5705
    Selections from Sefer HaSichos 5701-5705 Talks Delivered by RABBI YOSEF YITZCHAK SCHNEERSOHN OF LUBAVITCH Rosh HaShanah Selections from Sefer HaSichos 5701-5705 TALKS DELIVERED IN 5701-5705 (1941-1945) BY RABBI YOSEF YITZCHAK SCHNEERSOHN זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע THE SIXTH LUBAVITCHER REBBE Translated and Annotated by Uri Kaploun ROSH HASHANAH Kehot Publication Society 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213 5781 • 2020 edication D This Sefer is Dedicated in Honor of שיחיו Shmuel and Rosalynn Malamud by their childrenS and grandchildren, the Malamud Family, Crown Heights, NY Moshe and SElke Malamud Yisrael, Leba, Hadas and Rachel Alexandra Yossi and KayliS Malamud Yisroel, Shloime, Yechezkel, Menachem Mendel, Laivi Yitzchok and Eliyahu Chesky and ChanaS Malamud Hadas, Shaina Batya and Rachel David Eliezer HaLevi andS Sarah Rachel Popack Dov HaLevi, Nena Nechama, Hadas and Shlomo HaLevi A Prayer and a Wish The following unconnected selections are gleaned from Rosh HaShanah farbrengens of the Rebbe Rayatz, as translated in the eight-volume Sefer HaSichos series that includes: Sefer HaSichos 5701, Sefer HaSichos 5702, Sefer HaSichos 5704, and Sefer HaSichos 5705. After quoting a brief maamar of the Alter Rebbe, the Rebbe Rayatz concludes: “Elder chassidim used to relate that by delivering that maamar, the Alter Rebbe uncovered in his chassidim the light of the soul. Within all of them, even within the most ordinary chassidim, their souls stood revealed.” The prayer and the wish that we share with our readers is that in us, too, pondering over these selections will enable the soul within us, too, to stand revealed. 3 29 Elul, 5700 (1940):1 Erev Rosh HaShanah, 5701 (1940) 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Farbrengen Wi Th the Rebbe
    פארברענגען התוועדות י״ט כסלו ה׳תשמ״ב עם הרבי Farbrengen wi th the Rebbe english úמי בúימ עו וﬢ ‰ﬧ ו ﬨו ﬨ ר ע ﬨ ˆ ר ﬡ ﬡ י מ נ ו פארברענגען עם הרבי פארברענגען עם הרבי י״ט כסלו תשמ״ב Published and Copyrighted by © VAAD TALMIDEI HATMIMIM HAOLAMI 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11213 Tel: 718 771 9674 Email: [email protected] VAADHATMIMIM.ORG The Sichos included in this Kovetz are printed with permission of: “Jewish Educational Media” We thank them greatly for this. INDEX Maamar 5 Maamar Padah Beshalom Sicha 1 11 Not the Same Old Story Sicha 2 17 A Voice with No Echo Sicha 3 23 Learning Never Ends Sicha 4 31 Called to Duty Sicha 5 35 Write for yourselves this Song…; Hadran on Minyan Hamitzvos; in honor of the Mivtzah of Ois B’sefer Torah Sicha 6 51 Architects of Peace; Hadran on Maseches Brachos Sicha 7 71 Full time occupation Sicha 8 73 The Road to Peace Sicha 9 87 In Word and in Deed Maamar Maamar Padah Beshalom Peace in our Avodas Hashem Padah Beshalom – peace in our Avodas Hashem. התוועדות י״ט כסלו ה׳תשמ״ב 6 MAAMAR 1. “He delivered my soul in peace from battles against me, because of the many who were with me.” The Alter Rebbe writes in his letter that this verse relates to his liberation, for while reciting this verse, before reciting the following verse, he was notified that he was free. Consequently, many maamarim said on Yud Tes Kislev begin with, and are based on this verse.
    [Show full text]
  • The Soul of a Jew and the Soul of a Non-Jew an Inconvenient Truth and the Search for an Alternative
    47 The Soul of a Jew and the Soul of a Non-Jew An Inconvenient Truth and the Search for an Alternative By: HANAN BALK Holiness is not found in the human being in essence unless he sanctifies himself. According to his preparation for holiness, so the fullness comes upon him from on High. A person does not acquire holiness while inside his mother. He is not holy from the womb, but has to labor from the very day he comes into the air of the world. 1 Introduction: The Soul of a Jew is Superior to that of a Non-Jew The view expressed in the above heading—as uncomfortable and racially charged as it may be in the minds of some—was undoubtedly, as we shall show, the prominent position maintained by authorities of Jewish thought throughout the ages, and continues to be so even today. While Jewish mysticism is the source and primary expositor of this theory, it has achieved a ubiquitous presence not only in the writings of Kabbalists,2 but also in the works of thinkers found in the libraries of most observant Jews, who hardly consider themselves followers of Kabbalah. Clearly, for one committed to the Torah and its principles, it is not tenable to presume that so long as he is not a Kabbalist, such a belief need not be a part of his religious worldview. Is there an alternative view that is an equally authentic representation of Jewish thought on the subject? In response to this question, we will 1 R. Simhạ Bunim of Przysukha, Kol Simha,̣ Parshat Miketz, p.
    [Show full text]
  • Is Jesus the Son of Allah? Three Models for Christian Mission
    Is Jesus the Son of Allah? Graham Kings Kneeling alone on the soft carpet To the Ultimate Submitter, of a Mombasa mosque, Jesus the Messiah. Chandeliers above, galleries around, Stereo system stacked high in the corner, He does not change his God, The quiet question came to me--­ for God is One,' Is Jesus the Son of Allah? But discovers in the Son That God is strangely, inconceivably great, The question is not about Jesus, but Allah: because He became so conceivably small; The Arabic for God is more than a name That God, in the end, is mercifully just but is He the same since He has absorbed the evil of all. as our God and Father? We may, perhaps, then whisper In Southern Sudan that Jesus is the Son of Allah: a Christian will answer, militantly, "No": But in this naked act of naming, In Pakistan the active Word transforms the Name. a Christian may answer, philosophically, "Yes": In Saudi Arabia Prostrate upon the carpet of a Mombasa mosque, a Muslim will answer, immediately, "No": Softly to Jesus, Son of Allah, I prayed; So does it depend where we stand-or kneel? Then rose again to slip outside and join my wife and daughters, El Shaddai of Abraham who were waiting in the shade. Is revealed as Yahweh to Moses, But not as Ba'al to Elijah: What of Almighty Allah? Graham Kings, Vice Principal of St. Andrew's Institute The crucial clue may lead us to for Mission and Evangelism, Kerugoya, Kenya, is a CMS A Muslim now submitting missionary.
    [Show full text]
  • 20130609 El Shaddai
    The Hebrew Names of God Lesson 2: El Shaddai I. El Shaddai, translated “God Almighty”, is derived from the word for mountain and stresses God’s enduring strength. II. El Shaddai and Abraham: God first revealed Himself as El Shaddai to Abraham—Genesis 17:1–8. A. God addresses Abram when he is 99 and childless, with no heirs—Genesis 17:1a. B. God charged Abram to live his life openly before the Lord and to maintain a life of integrity —Genesis 17:1b. C. God stressed His covenant with Abram and promised to multiply Abram’s descendants —Genesis 17:2. D. Again stressing His covenant with Abram He promised to make him a father of many nations—Genesis 17:3–4. E. El Shaddai changed Abram’s name (exalted father) to Abraham (father of a multitude) —Genesis 17:5. F. El Shaddai promises that His covenant with Abraham will be an eternal covenant that will provide him with descendants, blessing, and a land—Genesis 17:6–8. III. El Shaddai and Isaac: Isaac blessed his son Jacob by reassuring him of El Shaddai’s covenant with him to fulfill what He had promised to Abraham—Genesis 28:1–3. IV. El Shaddai and Jacob: El Shaddai reaffirmed Jacob’s new name and reaffirmed his covenant with him —Genesis 35:9–15. A. God had changed Jacob’s name (he who grasps at the heel of another; supplanter) to Israel (one who prevails; prince of God)—Genesis 35:9–10; see Genesis 32:26–28. B. El Shaddai promises to fulfill to Israel the covenant He had made with Abraham —Genesis 35:11–12.
    [Show full text]
  • El Infinito Y El Lenguaje En La Kabbalah Judía: Un Enfoque Matemático, Lingüístico Y Filosófico
    El Infinito y el Lenguaje en la Kabbalah judía: un enfoque matemático, lingüístico y filosófico Mario Javier Saban Cuño DEPARTAMENTO DE MATEMÁTICA APLICADA ESCUELA POLITÉCNICA SUPERIOR EL INFINITO Y EL LENGUAJE EN LA KABBALAH JUDÍA: UN ENFOQUE MATEMÁTICO, LINGÜÍSTICO Y FILOSÓFICO Mario Javier Sabán Cuño Tesis presentada para aspirar al grado de DOCTOR POR LA UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE Métodos Matemáticos y Modelización en Ciencias e Ingeniería DOCTORADO EN MATEMÁTICA Dirigida por: DR. JOSUÉ NESCOLARDE SELVA Agradecimientos Siempre temo olvidarme de alguna persona entre los agradecimientos. Uno no llega nunca solo a obtener una sexta tesis doctoral. Es verdad que medita en la soledad los asuntos fundamentales del universo, pero la gran cantidad de familia y amigos que me han acompañado en estos últimos años son los co-creadores de este trabajo de investigación sobre el Infinito. En primer lugar a mi esposa Jacqueline Claudia Freund quien decidió en el año 2002 acompañarme a Barcelona dejando su vida en la Argentina para crear la hermosa familia que tenemos hoy. Ya mis dos hermosos niños, a Max David Saban Freund y a Lucas Eli Saban Freund para que logren crecer y ser felices en cualquier trabajo que emprendan en sus vidas y que puedan vislumbrar un mundo mejor. Quiero agradecer a mi padre David Saban, quien desde la lejanía geográfica de la Argentina me ha estimulado siempre a crecer a pesar de las dificultades de la vida. De él he aprendido dos de las grandes virtudes que creo poseer, la voluntad y el esfuerzo. Gracias papá. Esta tesis doctoral en Matemática Aplicada tiene una inmensa deuda con el Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 2 Tort Liability in Maimonides
    CHAPTER 2 TORT LIABILITY IN MAIMONIDES’ CODE (MISHNEH TORAH): THE DOWNSIDE OF THE COMMON INTERPRETATION A. INTRODUCTION: THE MODERN STUDY OF JEWISH TORT THEORY AS A STORY OF “SELF- MIRRORING” B. THE OWNERSHIP AND STRICT LIABILITY THEORY VS. THE FAULT-BASED THEORY (PESHIAH) (1) The Difficulties of the Concept of Peshiah (2) The Common Interpretation of the Code: The “Ownership and Strict Liability Theory” C. EXEGETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL DIFFICULTIES OF THE COMMON INTERPRETATION OF MAIMONIDES (1) Maimonides did not Impose Comprehensive Strict Liability on the Tortfeasor (2) Maimonides’ Use of the Term Peshiah in Different Places (3) The Theory of Ownership Contradicts Various Rulings in the Code (4) The Problem with Finding a Convincing Rationale for the Ownership Theory D. DIFFICULTIES IN UNDERSTANDING SOME ELEMENTS OF TORT LIABILITY MENTIONED IN THE CODE (1) Rulings that are Difficult to Interpret according to Either Ownership or Fault-Based Theories (2) Providing a Rationale for the Exemption in Tort (3) Standard of Care in Damages Caused by a Person to the Property of Another: Absolute/Strict Liability or Negligence? (4) Deterrence of Risk-Causing Behavior E. RE-EXAMINING THE OPENING CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF TORTS IN THE CODE: CONTROL AS A CENTRAL ELEMENT OF LIABILITY IN TORT F. CONCLUSION 1 A. INTRODUCTION: THE MODERN STUDY OF JEWISH TORT THEORY AS A STORY OF “SELF- MIRRORING” Isidore Twersky showed us that “[t]o a great extent the study of Maimonides is a story of ‘self- mirroring’,”1 and that the answers given by modern and medieval scholars and rabbis to some questions on the concepts of Maimonides “were as different as their evaluations of Maimonides, tempered of course by their own ideological convictions and/or related contingencies.”2 Maimonides’ opening passages of the Book of Torts (Sefer Nezikin) in the Code (Mishneh Torah) can also be described as a story of “self-mirroring”.
    [Show full text]
  • Elohim and Jehovah in Mormonism and the Bible
    Elohim and Jehovah in Mormonism and the Bible Boyd Kirkland urrently, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints defines the CGodhead as consisting of three separate and distinct personages or Gods: Elohim, or God the Father; Jehovah, or Jesus Christ, the Son of God both in the spirit and in the flesh; and the Holy Ghost. The Father and the Son have physical, resurrected bodies of flesh and bone, but the Holy Ghost is a spirit personage. Jesus' title of Jehovah reflects his pre-existent role as God of the Old Testament. These definitions took official form in "The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency and the Twelve" (1916) as the culmination of five major stages of theological development in Church history (Kirkland 1984): 1. Joseph Smith, Mormonism's founder, originally spoke and wrote about God in terms practically indistinguishable from then-current protestant the- ology. He used the roles, personalities, and titles of the Father and the Son interchangeably in a manner implying that he believed in only one God who manifested himself as three persons. The Book of Mormon, revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants prior to 1835, and Smith's 1832 account of his First Vision all reflect "trinitarian" perceptions. He did not use the title Elohim at all in this early stage and used Jehovah only rarely as the name of the "one" God. 2. The 1835 Lectures on Faith and Smith's official 1838 account of his First Vision both emphasized the complete separateness of the Father and the Son.
    [Show full text]
  • Adas Israel Congregation June 2017 / Sivan–Tammuz 5777 Chronicle
    Adas Israel Congregation June 2017 / Sivan–Tammuz 5777 Chronicle Join us for our annual cantorial concert featuring the Argen-Cantors Chronicle • May 2017 • 1 The Chronicle Is Supported in Part by the Ethel and Nat Popick Endowment Fund clergycorner From the President By Debby Joseph Rabbi Lauren Holtzblatt In my early years of learning meditation I studied with Rabbi David Zeller (z”l), at Yakar, a wonderful synagogue in the heart of Jerusalem. I would go to his classes once a week and listen with strong intention to try to understand the practice of meditation, a practice that was changing my everyday life. During the past two years, when people Rabbi Zeller would talk often about the concept of devekut (attachment to learned that I was president of Adas Israel God) that the Hasidic masters had brought alive from teachings in the Zohar: Congregation, they inevitably cracked a “If you are already full, there is no room for God. Empty yourself like a vessel.” joke about feeling sorry for me. Never has I would try my hardest to understand what this meant, but I could not grasp that sentiment been further from the truth. I how to embody this concept, how to make it true to my own experience. have relished serving in this role. I have met How do you empty yourself? What does that feel like? many people, shared many experiences, For many years, in my own spiritual practice, I committed myself to learning and the feelings that permeated all that has meditation, sitting for 5, 10, 20, 30 minutes in silent meditation several times happened during my tenure make up one of a week.
    [Show full text]