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The Routledge Companion to Theism
Charles Taliaferro, Victoria S. Harrison, Stewart Goetz
The God of the Jews and the Jewish God
Publication details https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 Jerome Gellman Published online on: 25 Sep 2012
How to cite :- Jerome Gellman. 25 Sep 2012, The God of the Jews and the Jewish God from: The Routledge Companion to Theism Routledge Accessed on: 25 Sep 2021 https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9780203123294.ch3
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Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 “Elohim.” “God “YHVH”). ing atatimewhenthedistinctioncannolongerbetrackedbyterms“Elohim”and My “God bear afamilyresemblance,respectively,toElohimandYHVHoftheHebrewBible. gave risetoaclusteroffeatures,associatedconcepts,images,andamplifications,which understanding God.) others non-traditionalwaysofunderstandingtheduality ofYHVHandElohim, plex dualityofGodinJudaismfromafairlytraditionalJewish pointofview.(Ileavefor neo-mysticism, andfinallytopost-Holocausttimes.Inwhat followsIpresentthiscom- losophy, tothemysticalKabbalah,onSpinoza,Hasidism, modernJewishphilosophy, the HebrewBibletorabbinicliteratureofTalmudic times,toMedievalJewishphi- revolves thehistoryofmajorlandmarksinJewishconception ofGod,startingfrom “Elohim” and“YHVH.”Aroundthehistoryofthese two waysofexperiencingGod experienced God,growingoutoftwowaysreferring toGodinJewishtradition: The storyofJudaictheismisthetwocentral waysinwhichtheJewshave “God a divineduality,whichIwillrepresentbyinventingtwowaysofreferringtoGod: experience themselvesasGod’s“ChosenPeople.”Thisrelationshiprevolvesaround Jewish theismtoalongandconvolutedrelationshipbetweenGodpeoplewho Thus, Jewishtheismcannotbeattributedtotea-drinking.Rather,weshouldascribe they havesufferedmuchlongerintheirhistoryfromloyaltytoGodandtheTorah. dictionary goesontoadd:“causedbyexcessivetea-drinking.” condition characterizedbyheadache,sleeplessness,andpalpitationoftheheart.”The The secondentryfor“Theism”inthe Although Jewsmighthavebeendrinkingteaexcessivelysincethe1600s,asapeople THE GODOFJEWS AND THEJEWISHGOD E ” and“God E ” and“God Y ” beginswithbiblicalYHVH.Intime,eachof“Elohim”and“YHVH” Y .” “God Y ” willrefertoGodascharacterizedbythesetwoclusters(includ- E ” hasitsrootintheHebrewBible’sreferringtoGodas: Jerome Gellman Elohim andYHVH Oxford EnglishDictionaryisthis:“Amorbid 3 Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 “eheyehe ashereheyeh”and .” Traditionally,thesewordsdynamicmeaning, havea though, totranslate“YHVH” as“God,”aname,and“Elohim”title,“theLord.” translating “Elohim”as“God” and“YHVH”as“theLord.”Itwouldbeclosertothetruth, it wasreadas“adonai,”whichmeans“MyLord.” The KingJamesBiblecontinuedthis, this translationwasthatsinceinJudaism“YHVH”not tobepronouncedaswritten, person dent” becamePresidentoftheUnitedStates,itwouldbe informativetosay:“President- name is“YHVH”possessesthetitle“Elohim.”Justso,supposingapersonnamed“Presi- when whatwassaidwas:“KnowthatYHVHisElohim,” meaningthatthebeingwhose ing bush,piggybackingfromthereontothereferentialchain of“Elohim.” tor tracingitsreferentialhistorybacktotheencounterby MoseswithGodattheburn- gives “YHVH”asGod’sname.ForJewishtradition, wouldbearigiddesigna- name ofGod.InExodus3:13,attheburningbush,Moses asksGodforhisname. The termYHVHbelongstoanentirelydifferentcategory. Itisa(indeed, by theSupremeBeing. son. Justso,tocallGod“Elohim”isreferbyanhonorarytitle,atitlepossessed 1970: 28–36).Itgivesatitletothepersonwhomitreferswhilenotnamingthatper- Elohim functionslike“President”intheUnitedStatesgovernment(Pike Rather, itfunctionsasa“title,”fortherolethatGodoccupiessupremepower. tal relationshipofGodtotheIsraelitenation. legal partsoftheTorahorinpropheticliterature,bothaimedatlocal,covenan- a genrewithbroadhistoryintheancientNearEast.Rarelydoes“Elohim”appear ten.) “Elohim”occursofteninthebiblicalWisdomLiterature,aliteraturebelongingto 94–100), atleastthebiblicalaccountoftheirmeetingmakesbettersense,asIhavewrit- worshipped YHVHbeforemeetingMoses.However,asBuberwellargues(Buber1958: when meetingMoses.(ThiscontradictssomeBiblescholarswhobelievethatJethro God ofnature.AnditistoElohimthatJethro,thenon-Israelite,offershissacrifices elite context.ThusitisElohimwhocreatestheworldinGenesis1,and to occurwhenreferringGodincosmicoruniversalcontexts,notconfinedanIsra- changeable intheHebrewBible,thereisatendencyfor“Elohim,”ratherthan“YHVH,” the pluraltermwhenreferringtoGoddoesnotimplyapluralitywithinGod. power andcontrolGodpossesses.Ultimately,allpowersareGod’s.IntheJewishview, The purposeofcallingGodbytheplural,“Elohim,”istostresssupremedegree not put“before”God.Thegodsare“Elohim”becausetheybearpowerandinfluence. “Elohim” occursreferringnottoGodbutthe“othergods”whichIsraelitesmust takes ustotheideaofpowerandwieldingpower.InTenCommandments, “Elohim” isapluralterm,from“Eloha,”meaning“god.”Thesemanticimportof“Eloha” At theburningbush(Exodus 3:14)Godexplainsthename“YHVH”withwords, Therefore, it makes perfect sense to say, as does Psalms 100:3: “Know that God is God,” Therefore, itmakesperfectsensetosay,asdoesPsalms100:3: “KnowthatGodisGod,” “Elohim” isnotapropernamewhenusedofGod.Butneitheritmeredescription. While inmanycases“Elohim,”whenreferringtoGod,and“YHVH”seeminter- isPresident office THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH .” TheSeptuaginttranslated“YHVH”as“ The HebrewBible Elohim YHVH 39 ,” “Lord.” The basis of kyrios,” “Lord.”Thebasisof the) proper Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 YHVH nence. Botharelivingrealities, atoncebothtranscendentandimmanent.Attimes between ElohimandYHVH isnotexactlythatbetweentranscendenceandimma- in nature.Yet,ElohimandYHVHaretheverysame,one andonlyGod.Thedifference close, presenttotheIsraelites,promisingandbringingredemption, butalsomysterious clear exceptions),ElohimistheGodofcosmos, Godwhorulesall.YHVH,is also hidden. overcome withasenseofbrazennessathavingspoken directlytothepresencethatis ings beginbyaddressingYHVHas“thou,”quicklychanging tothirdperson,asthough afar byrefusingtoutterthename,yetreplacingname with“my but wastobereadas“adonai,”“myLord.”(NoticetheparadoxhereofholdingYHVH emn occasions.TherabbistaughtthatthenameofGod cannotbereadasitiswritten, at God’sveryessence.Andso,namecanbepronouncedonlyonholy,sol- fire.” Since“YHVH”istheverynameofGod,itnotonlyconnotesfamiliaritybutaims for noonecanseeYHVH’sfaceandlive(Exodus33:23).YHVHbe“adevouring cloud ofunknowing.ItisYHVHwhoshowsonlyHisbacktoMosesandnotface, be” whopromisesfaithfulnessfailstosayjustwhatYHVHwillbe,coveringGodwitha with alltheirheart(Deuteronomy6:5).AllofJewishprayerisdirectedtoYHVH. of theIsraelitenation.ItisYHVHthatchildrenIsraelarecommandedtolove it isYHVHwhoinPsalms91:15,promisesthatGodwillparticipatetheverysuffering Israelites aresaidtobethechildrenofYHVH(Deuteronomy14:10),notElohim.And 25:8, tellstheIsraelitestobuildatabernaclesothatYHVHmaydwellamongthem.The in Exodus19:4thatHecarriedtheIsraelitenationoneagles’wings.YHVH,at is YHVH,notElohim,whospeakstoMosesandtheprophets.ItYHVHdeclares (Genesis 4:1).ItisYHVHwhocallstoAbrahamjourneyCanaan.Andtypicallyit power throughoutthecosmos.EvedeclaresthatYHVHhelpedherinhavingason,Cain who walksinthegardenofGenesis2,whilejust“Elohim”1remainsamajestic tends toremaininvisibleandeverywhere(Kugel2007:107).Itisonly“ manifest. TheappearancesofYHVHtendtobelocalizedandtangible,whereasElohim Cassuto, whowrites: ham, Isaac,andJacob,asprotectorloveroftheirdescendants. YHVH doesnotintroducehimselfasthecreatorofworld,butGodAbra- meaning of“IamwhatIam”and(seeParke-Taylor1975).Attheburningbush, which isbesttranslatedas“IwillbewhatIbe”andbe,”ratherthana rated fromGod’screatures. in heavenandGodonearth, Godaboveandbelow,involvedsepa- and itiswithElohimthatNoah walks,righthereonearth(Genesis 6:9).BothareGod So theGodofJewishBiblehasaduality—Elohim and YHVH.Ingeneral(with On theotherside,YHVHcanbemysterious,hidden,inscrutable.Thesame“Iwill YHVH ismorehuman-likethanElohim,closeandintimate.makeshimself The importofthename“YHVH”iswellputbyJewishBiblescholar,Umberto help, bothnowandinthefuture. the childrenofIsraelwhoareenslaved,andwitheveryoneisinneedMy them andsavethem.And.alwaysjustasIamwithyou,soall It isIwhoamwithmycreaturesintheirhouroftroubleandneed.tohelp
must descend fromonhigh(see,forexample, Genesis11:5andNumbers11:25), JEROME GELLMAN 40 (Cassuto 1967:38) Lord.”) Jewishbless- YHVH-Elohim” static Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 and YHVH,towhatIcall“God In Talmudictimes,therabbisextendedclusterssurrounding,respectively,Elohim the lad,fornow Isaac, itisanangelofYHVHwhodeclarestoAbraham:“Donotraiseyourhandagainst especially regardingfuturehumanchoices. the HebrewBibledoesnotdepictYHVHashavinginfallibleknowledgeoffuture, While therearemanypassagesintheHebrewBiblepraisingGod’svastknowledge, YHVH whoregretshavingcreatedhumanity,andat1Samuel15:35itis of adifferentordergreatnessthanthatanyotherexistant. however, thattheGodofHebrewBibleismostperfectbeinginexistenceand God, appearsnottobeomnipresent(seeGericke2005:677–99).Thereisnodoubt, “anything” (seeGeach2009).AndYHVH,againbearingthemorehuman-likefaceof power overallthingsintheworld,ratherthanomnipotent,havingtodojust power ofYHVH?”ButthisismostplausiblysayingonlythatGod“almighty,”having Abraham thatSarahisnottoooldtohaveason,anddoessay,“Isanythingbeyondthe power, omnipotence,toGodintheHebrewBible.InGenesis18:14,YHVHassures Hasker, andBasinger1994). surprised byfutureevents(Wierenga2011;foropentheismseePinnock,Rice,Sanders, of “opentheism”thatGodhasonlyprobabilisticknowledgethefutureandmightbe in Jeremiah18).Theseandsimilarversesmightserveasascripturalbasisfortheview YHVH changesHismindfromtimetoinlightofnewcircumstances(forinstance (for example,Ezekial12:1–3;Jeremiah26:2–3;seeFretheim1984:Chapter4).And tions forthefuture.AnditisYHVHwhospeaksofwhat“perhaps”willbeinfuture regrets everhavingmadeSaulkingofIsrael.TheyhavedisappointedYHVH’sexpecta- came tobeidentifiedwithtwodifferentattributes: justice, andsoElohimwasforced tomixmercywithjustice,hence,“YHVH-Elohim.” “YHVH-Elohim.” Saidtherabbis: Elohimsawthattheworldcouldnotendureonlywith mercy. Elohimcreatedtheworld inGenesis1but2–3thisquicklybecomes that mercifulYHVHovershadowed Elohim.God’sjusticeregularlyyieldedto from God’speople.IntheTalmudic period,inamoveofconsolation,therabbisaffirmed cial position,designatedtherulerwhofixedorderand satontheseatofjustice. intimacy, designatedtheGodofmercy.ThetitleGod, “Elohim,”connotinganoffi- humanity accordingtostrictlaws.ThenameofGod,“YHVH,”connotingadegree lower worldproceedsonfixedlaws.AndElohimisthe judgewhojudgestheactionsof order intheworld,sothatstarsandallheavenlybodies stayontheircourseandthe For example,attheakedah,althoughitisElohimwhotellsAbrahamtosacrifice Likewise, althoughGodhasvastpower,thereisnoexplicitattributionofperfect The Talmudicerawasoneof destructionandexile,ofasenseGod’sestrangement Elohim istheGodof“justice,”intwosenses. is therulerwhohasdecreed istic ofmercy..Whereveritsays,‘Elohim’–thecharacteristic ofjustice.” Says RabbiSamuelbenNachman,“Whereveritsays,‘YHVH’ –thecharacter- I knowthatyoufearElohim”(Genesis22:12).AtGenesis6:6itis THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH The AttributesofGod E Talmudic Times ” and“God 41 Y .” Withtherabbis,ElohimandYHVH (Genesis Rabbah33:8)
who Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 God parables ofGodtheking-father,kingisnormallymerciful,withcharacter king maybealljusticeandstrictness,asfathertheismercifultochild.In king onlyfromoneofthem(Deuteronomy17:15).JustsoisGodthem.Whilea to thatofakingtowardhispeopleorsonanddaughter.TheIsraeliteswerehave hundreds oftextsintherabbinicliteraturecomparingGod’srelationshiptoJews in rabbinicliteratureisofGodtheking an expressionofGod’scloseness, regardingGod’stefillinwefindthisrabbinicteaching: In theJews’tefillinitiswritten:“HearOIsrael, YHVHisourEloha,one.”In nances, of prayer(BabylonianTalmud, RoshHashanah17b).YHVHwearstheprayer appurte- shawl oftheJews,andactingasasynagogueprayerleader instructsMosesintheorder Patton 2009:Chapter8).AtMtSinai,YHVHappears cloakedinatallit,theprayer The GodwhoisJewishobservesthecommandmentsincumbentuponmen (see and notbeingdestroyed! Just so,becauseofGodtheking-father’smercyJews arebeingpunishedwithexile, sion isaroused.Iwillnotcarryoutmyfierceanger.”Ontheseverseswefind: denly thelamentbreaksoffwiththis:“Myheartischangedwithinme;allmycompas- Hoseah 11:8–9.ThereYHVHangrilylamentsthesinfulnessofHispeople,thensud- And fortherabbis,God neighbor.” ThusdoesGod and Leviticus8:6),“re’acha,”beingthetermusuallytranslatedas“neighbor”in“Lovethy Tanchuma, Exodus,Yitro,5, For therabbis,Godis“re’acha,”a“fellow-person,”kinsmantoJews(seeMidrash were, oneofthetribe,whatFrankMooreCrosscallsa“divinekinsman”(Cross1998). not onlyasGodoftheJews,but“theJewishGod,”whoisJewish.Heis,it Building ontheHebrewBible’simageofGodFather,anubiquitous Here isagoodexampleofparableabouttheking-fatherJews,commenton royal decree. son oneatatime.Itturnedoutthatheneitherhurthisnornullified He crushedthestoneandmadeitintosmallpebblesthrewthemonhis the kingsaid:IfIthrowitathimhewillnolongerlive.Whatdiddo? front ofhimalargestoneandsworethathewouldthrowitonhim.Butlater Said RabbiHanina:Itislikeakingwhobecameangrywithhisson.Hehadin placed theswordintoitsscabbardandthuspassedonhisson’shead. live. Butalso,hecouldnotnullifytheroyaldecree.Whatdidkingdo?He the latterangeredhim.Butlaterkingsaid,IfIdoso,mysonwillnolonger in hishandasword.Thekingsworehewouldpasstheswordonsonbecause Said RabbiEliezer:Itislikeakingwhobecameangryathisson,andhad Y , ratherthanGod tefillin, worntraditionallybyJewish men,andappearstoMoseswearingthem. E . Y whoissocloseandloving,becomesastoemerge Y become oneofus. 1972/73: 313),andMidrashRabbah,Exodus6:127:1 God theObservantJew JEROME GELLMAN The JewishGod who isalsofatheroftheJewishpeople.Thereare 42 (Midrash TehillimI) Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 favors God distinction betweenYHVHasmercifulandElohim judge,hisphilosophyroundly the firstsystematicJewishphilosopher.AlthoughSaadia makesallusiontotherabbinic as revealedinthelaws philosophical argumentsforthecreationofworld andbyGod’srationaljustice God When Jewishphilosophyaroseintheworld,God and properlawsgiventothe Jews,inshortaGodafter the truthofTorahfrom rationalityoflawsintheTorah. Instead, cosmologicalarguments, withdesignargumentsdominate.)AndSaadiaproves was Saadia provesGod’sexistencewithfourproofsofcreation, andprovesthatcreation perfection, sothatthistimethesonactuallydies. gave toanotherfather.Thus,GodsacrificesGod’sownson,howeverdoingsonow that inanewreligionarosefromJudaism,GodobservescommandmentHeonce God theFatherobserveswhatcommandedtoothers,itshouldbenogreatsurprise gion thataroseamongJews,theSonofGodFatherwasJewishaswell.Andsince or metaphorically,theynotonlyhumanizeGodbutJudaizeaswell. exile, sufferingasaJew,togetherwiththeJews. riages. Andfinally,whenthepeoplegointoexileorsuffer,Godgoeswiththem,in of Jewishlaw(GenesisRabbah11)!Godalsovisitsthesickandcelebratesmar- posed toberesting?AndRabbiAkivarespondsthatGoddoessowithintheboundaries So thequestionarises:howcouldGodbringrainandwindsonSabbathifheissup- Berachot 7a). Talmud also prays!GodpraysthatGod’smercyshouldovercomejustice(Babylonian mourning customsofaJewishking(LamentationsRabbah1:1).AndasgoodJew,God nian TalmudSanhedrin39a).WhenGod’sTempleisdestroyedGodundertakesthe become purifiedinwater,asbefittingGod,Godbecomesfire(Babylo- son, mustbepurifiedfromthedefilementofdeadbody.ButwhereasmortalJews lonian Talmud,AvodahZarah3b).WhenGodburiesMoses,God,likeaJewishper- derivative sourceofknowledge,consequent uponrationalargumentationastoitstruth. going allthewaybackto Sinairevelation,isasourceofknowledge.Butitonly a Thus theGodforSaadiais Godwhocreatestheworldandissourceofjust Since GodtheFather,YHVH,wasJewish,itshouldnotsurprisethatinanewreli- Whether thepassagesteachingthatGodobservesTorahlawsaretaken“literally” After creation,GodcontinuestoobservetheJewishSabbath,everyweek,byresting. As agoodJewishman,GodstudiestheTorahforfirstthirdofeveryday(Baby- ex nihilo.(Interestingly,theontologicalargumentneversurfaces inJewishsources. Your peopleIsrael,auniquenationupontheearth. of theMasterUniverse?—Herepliedtohim:Whocanbecompared Said R.Nahmanb.IsaactoHiyyaAbin:Whatiswritteninthe E . Theshiftispronouncedalreadyatthestart,withSaadia benJoseph(882–942), Berachot 7a).AndGodasksotherstoprayforHimaswell(BabylonianTalmud E overGod THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH Y . Godisknownbyreason.Theofreasonreached via of theTorah.ThusdoesGod Medieval JewishPhilosophy Saadia benJoseph 43 Y yieldedmuchofthegroundbackto E takecenterstagefromGod E . True,forSaadia,tradition, (Chr. 17:21) tefillin Y . Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 wonders ofcreationsoastoarousethereader’sloveand fearofGod. Maimonides goeson,inthesamelegalwork,tospend severalchaptersoutliningthe of creation: not turntotheGodofrevelationorsalvation,butonceagain Torah. AndwhenMaimonidesadviseshowtoachieveloveandfearofGod,hedoes the Israelites. been aHittite,thentheHittites wouldhavebeentherecipientsofhislegislation, not 1995: Chapter2).Itisnot preposteroustoproposethatforMaimonides,hadMoses ply thepeopleofMoses, prophetwhoknewGod’smind,asitwere(Kellner1991, disappears. ness oftheJewishpeople,assignifyinganintimacybetween Godandthepeople,also active relationshipbetweenGodandtheprophetdisappears. Asaresult,thechosen- intervene towithholdprophecy,butdoesnotgrantpropheticstatus.Thepersonal, phetic wisdom.Atmost(Maimonidesscholarsaredivided aboutthis),Godmight connecting naturallytotheActiveIntellectfromwhich theprophetreceiveshispro- prophet, accordingtoMaimonides,reachesprophecy by perfectingtheself,thereby tions YHVH,hetiltsstronglytowardtheGodofGenesis1, Mishneh Torah,whenrecordingthecommandmenttobelieveinGod,althoughhemen- most articulateformulationshadastrongeffectonJewishphilosophy.Inhislegalwork, (c.1110–80) expressessomeofthesameideas,itwasMaimonideswhoseforcefuland Although Philo(20bce–50 affairs ofhumanity.Inshort,theGodSaadiais The GodofSaadiaisareasonandjustice,fixingorderintheworld Perplexed andhisthusneutralizingintimacywiththeGodofrevelation, God The eclipseofGod Matching Maimonides’focusonGod Maimonides doesnotcastGodhereastheredeemerfromEgyptorgiverof Maimonides rarelyreferstothe Jewsasthe“chosenpeople.”Forhimaresim- the GreatName.andhewillbedeterredafraid. wisdom, hewillatoncelove,praise,andadulate,havegreatdesiretoknow great, wondrouscreationsandcreatureswhenheseesinthemHisinfinite What isthewaytoloveandfearof[God]?WhenapersoncontemplatesHis positive commandment,asitsays,“IamYHVHyourElohim.” it movesthespherewithaforcethathasnoend..Andknowledgeofthisis existent istheGod[Eloha]ofworld,sovereignentireland;and there existsafirstexistent,anditbringstoexistall[other]existents. The foundationofallfoundationsandthepillarwisdomsistoknowthat (Maimonides, (Maimonides, Y byGod Mishneh Torah,LawsoftheFoundations2:2, Mishneh Torah,LawsoftheFoundations1:1, ce) anticipatedsomeofthis,andAbrahamibnDaud E comestorichfruitioninMaimonides(1135–1204). JEROME GELLMAN Maimonides E ishisnaturalizingofprophecyinGuidethe 44 my translationandemphasis) E . E , theGodofcreation: my translation) This Y . The Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 YHVH, theGodofAbraham.When Levi, theGodofphilosophersis“GodAristotle,” buttheGodofJewsis necessary being,but,“Iampresentandwillbewhenever youneedme.”ToHa- “eheyehe ashereheyeh.”Not“IamthatIam,”acold,metaphysicaldeclarationofGod’s who speakstoyou.”Adam,saysHa-Levi,wouldnothaveknownofGod only throughpropheticexperience.“YHVH,”forHa-Levi,isthenameof“someone The MaimonideanemphasisonGod philosophical derivativeoftheGodcreation, human mindtograspthatintelligibility.ThusdoesMaimonidesassimilateGoda be asuper-formmeanttoexplaintheintelligibilityofrealityandcapacity from somethingshesays,orhintsat,theGodofMaimonidescouldwellbetakento simple, havingnoparts,innercomplexity.Yet,attimes,andfromwhatfollows nides’ Godisaperfectbeing,omnipotent,omniscient,andperfectlygood.also losopher whocomestoknowofGodbyphilosophicalargument.Officially,Maimo- exists afirstcause,one,simple,andnecessary.AndhecastsFatherAbrahamasphi- able natureofYHVHoverYHVH’snearness. eval metaphysicians.AndinthesameworkMaimonidesstressesatlengthunknow- as “absoluteexistence”(1:61,63),aninterpretationsharedbyAquinasandothermedi- of thename“YHVH”forsakeastaticinterpretationGod’sself-identification supernal network.Attheapex ofrealityforKabbalah two facesoftheSupremeBeing—“God.” Theyaredemoted,enmeshedinacomplex balah. IntheKabbalahYHVH andElohimdonotdisappear,buttheyappear as Parallel toJewishmedieval philosophy arosetheJewishmysticalliteratureofKab- Ten Commandments,saysHa-Levi,God be theconclusionofanargumentfromcreation,butnotGod Thus doesHa-Levichampionthespecialrelationshipbetween theJewsandGod YHVH spokewithhim.AndtheIsraelitesknew becauseYHVHspoketo world,” but,“IamYHVHwhotookyououtofEgypt.” Abraham knewYHVHbecause spoke. fixes thereferentof“YHVH,”reachesbacktoexperiencesthosewhomGod is almostalwaysthefaceofYHVH,notElohim.ForHa-Levi,referentialchainthat latter hadspokentohim.Thus,whentheHebrewBiblespeaksof“Face”God,it Ha-Levi maintainedthatphilosopherscanknowonlyofGod Judah Ha-Levi,theSpanish-Jewishpoetandphilosopher(c.1075–1141).InhisKuzari, against the“Godofphilosophers,”infavorAbraham.”Thiswas voice, precedingMaimonides,thatprotestedloudly,beforeBlaisePascal(1623–62), his people,hadagreatinfluenceonsubsequentJewishphilosophy.Buttherewasone Maimonides showcasesproofsofGod’sexistencewhoseconclusionsarethatthere Furthermore, inhisGuideofthePerplexed,Maimonidesignoresdynamicconstrual In keepingwiththepreferenceforGod THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH God Disappears The Kabbalah Judah Ha-Levi E andhisdistancingofGod Y 45 Y didnotsay,“IamYHVHwhocreatedthe Y introducedHimselftotheIsraelitesin , Ha-Levisupportsthedynamicreadingof E . is theeinsof,Infinite,beyond E andnotGod Y . God Y fromclosenessto Y canbeknown Y Y unlessthe . God Y them. E . can Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 is empower theJewstotheurgically bringaboutredemptionfortheentireworld. world willascendbackinto theInfinitefromwhichtheycame.ThusdoesKabbalah combined asinastandard “God.” Eventually,theunitedstructuresofrepeating olam. Thus,whileYHVHandElohim donotbecomeonereality,justiceandmercyare Jews theurgicallyeffectunityintheDivinesphere,mending thesupernalworld—tikkun and surroundingYHVH,thepowerofmercy.Inobserving thecommandments, the is noorganicunityamongthesefirot,ortheycanconstituteaworldof“unity,”whereall the tensefirotcanconstituteaworldof“detachment,”fragmentation, inwhichthere follows: charge: tian Trinity.HereishowRabbiIsaacbarSheshetParfat(1326–1408)formulatedthe kabbalists believedina“Tenity,”asanti-monotheistic,totheirminds,theChris- This arrangementledtogreatcriticismbyJewishscholars.Thechargewasthatthe both oflowerrankthanotheremanations. one oftenemanationsfromtheunknowableInfinite.Indeed,YHVHandElohimare power ofjustice.ThegivertheTorahisindeedYHVH,butnowappearingonlyas ment withrabbinicthought,isanemanationofthepowermercy,andElohim world. YHVHandElohimarebuttwodistinctsefirotoutoftheten.YHVH,inagree- These tenhavedifferentpowersthattheypourdownwardultimatelytothematerial sefirah), ariseindescendingorderfromtheInfinite,replicativelayerscalled“worlds.” efes, anabsoluteabsence,a“zero.”Fromthe comprehension, alsocalledthe“a’yin,”“nothing,”inwhosedeepestessencelies included inGod,butthatGodismore thanwhatisproperlyincludedinGod(Idel Some versionsofKabbalah havebeeninterpretedaspanentheistic,thatisall What Kabbalahhathtornasunder,theJewshavepower toputbacktogether.For The kabbalist,RabbiMosheHaimLuzzato(1707–46),rebuttedthischargeas sefirot areboundinacomprehensivelyunitedwhole.Theunity iseffectedthrough division. the flameconnectedtocoal,andallisone,aunity thathaswithinitno that thesefirotarenotseparatefromonewhoemanates,fortheylike than His,isbutadenieroftheGodIsrael.”Andweanswerthembysaying ers inten-ity.”.Theyhavesaid,“AnybodywhobelievesDivinityother The enemiesoftheWisdomTruthhavecalledbelieversinit,“Believ- and thekabbalistbelieversinatenity.” balists, andheusedtosay:“TheGentiles[Christians]arebelieversinatrinity, [of Gods].Ihaveheardaphilosopherspeakindefamingmannerofthekab- they are,and[thenon-kabbalists]thinkthatthisisbeliefinamultiplicity requires. .Andthatisverystrangetoapersonwhonotkabbalistlike The kabbalistsprayoncetothissefirahandthenanother,astheprayer JEROME GELLMAN The “Tenity” 46 einsof, ten“sefirot,”emanations(singular: (Sefer KinatAdonaiZivaot,Part1) (Responsa Section157) Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 1989b). still hassuchtodayamongpresent-dayproclaimed“secularists”inIsrael(Yovel1989a, less, SpinozahadaferventfollowingamongJewishrebelsagainstthetradition,and certain kabbalisticviews)andnotmanyreligiousJewswerewillingtofollow.Nonethe- signifies aseverebreakfromearlierJewishphilosophy(thoughbearingsomeaffinityto inhere aninfinityofattributes,thementalandphysicalbeingonlytwothem.This “world” tothephysicalandmental).Thereexistsonlyonesubstance,God,inwhich rabbinic religiousact!)from timetoinorderrecreatetheircleavingGod. Tov reportedlyinstructedhis followerstointerrupttheirTorahstudies(thesupreme gies” onhowtocleaveGod . Suchwashisinstrumentalism thatIsraelBaalShem Jewish lawhasasitstelos is noplacedevoidofGod,” borrowedfromthekabbalisticTikuneiZohar(57).Allof The mottooftheinitiator Hasidism,IsraelBaalShemTov(1698–1760)was“There to Him,mayHebeBlessed”(YosephofPolonoya1973/74: Volume1,7). God andloveHim..The613commandmentsarecounsels onhowtoachievecleaving of Polonoya(d.1782):“ForthepurposeentireTorah istoenableuscleave tion withGod.AsputbythefirstHasidicworkeverpublished byRabbiYaakovYoseph Hasidism was cleaving toGod(see,forinstance,Deuteronomy4:4),the centralreligiousprincipleof people afterbeingutterlyabandonedbySpinoza.Building onDeuteronomy’slanguageof nurtured byGod serve God.Theactual,special,intimatemutualitybetweenGodandtheJews,whichis The ancientIsraelitesmadeacovenantbetweenthemselves,accordingtoSpinoza, people,” replacingthatnotionwithoftheIsraeliteshaving,asitwere,chosenGod. triumphant. SpinozacutsthecordthattiesJewishpeopletoGodas“God’schosen drew outtotheendimplicationsofMaimonides’philosophy.SpinozamadeGod because althoughhedidnotthinkofhimselfasprovidinga“Jewish”philosophy, Baruch (Benedictus)Spinoza(1632–77)deservestobeincludedintheJewishstory could seetheeinsofas“God”beyond(toborrowfromMeisterEckhart). able attributes,itmightbebettertodubtheseviews“pan-einsof-ism.”Alternatively,we 1995: 17–8).Butinlightoftheaboveremarksaboutasupremebeingwithrecogniz- Elohim, isGod cannot bemutualitybetweenGodandanyhumanbeing.Spinoza’sisaspin-offof cause andeffect(seeNovak1995:Chapter1).IndeedinSpinoza’sphilosophythere sity fromthedivinenaturethatexistsnecessarilyandallcomestoexistbyimpersonal or “purpose”increation,since,accordingtoSpinoza,allhasbeendeterminedbyneces- century EasternEurope.ItwasasthoughGod The wheelturnsonceagainwiththeadventofHasidic movementineighteenth- Spinoza promulgatedamonisticpantheism(or,“panentheism,”ifweconfinethe God ispresentandpalpablefortheHasidim,whogenerally favoredpanentheism. devekut E , theGodofcosmos,nature. Y, disappears. Spinoza’sconceptofGodprecludesthenotion“choice” THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH , or“cleaving,”amysticalcommunion,tothepointofamalgama- devekut, withthe613“commandments” becoming“strate- Baruch Spinoza Cleaving toGod Hasidism 47 Y arrangedforacomebackamongtheJewish E Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 ued Spinoza’sabandonmentofGod Hermann Cohen,oneofthefirstJewsallowedtoteach at aGermanuniversity,contin- weig (1886–1929),astudentofCohen,andMartinBuber (1878–1965). just “HermannCohen”unlessotherwisenoted),andtwo ofthesecond:FranzRosenz- representative ofthefirstdirection:earlyHermann Cohen (1842–1918)(hereafter: ing inoppositedirections,onetowardGod Meanwhile, backinphilosophy.ThestoryofmodernJewishphilosophyisoneapull- God broadening ofanorientationcentrallydedicatedtoextensionearlierideasabout pathos,” engaginguswithpassionandconcern. expressed (Heschel1975).GodengageswithusthroughwhatHeschelcalls“Divine an philosophers andKantfordepletingGodofemotions,claiminginoppositiontothem cern (Heschel1987).Furthermore,HeschelarguedstronglyagainstMedievalJewish ultimate concern,asPaulTillichwouldhaveit.Rather,weareGod’scon- he thenputit,although“Man”didnotalwaysrespondinkind.Sadly,Godis Hasidic dynasty.ToHeschelthebasictruthwasthatGodinsearchof“Man,”as most famouslybyRabbiAbrahamJoshuaHeschel(1907–72),scionofanillustrious against yourpeopleIsrael?WhydoyoupickonIsrael?” from yourpeopleIsrael”(Dresner1974:86).Andhecomplained:“Whathaveyou verse. I,LeviYitzhak,sonofSarahBerditchev,Icometoyouwithacourtsummons that hespokethesewordstoGod:“Goodmorningyou,YHVH,Masteroftheuni- at theirsins.ItisreportedthatoncetherabbibecamesoimpatientwithGod’sbehavior a fatherandcomplainedthatGodshouldlookatthemeritsofGod’speopleratherthan argued withGodforthesakeofJewishpeople.Hechargedbeingtoostrict tion waswiththeHasidicmaster,RabbiLeviYitzhakofBerditchev(1740–1809),who God inthemostfamiliar,humanterms.AextremeformofthisHasidicorienta- 1973/74: Volume1,374).TheotherdirectioninHasidismdidnothesitatetoengage So ifhethinksofGodas‘Thou,’thenisforhimonlya‘He’”(YosephPolonoya declared: “IfapersonthinksheiscleavingtoGod,thenthatfarfromGod.. cleaving toGod,recoiledfromaddressingGodas“Thou.”ThusIsraelBaalShemTov Hence, Godguaranteesthat naturefitstheteleologyofethics,includingmostbasic functions alsoasthatwhich makespossibletheimplementationofethicsinnature. is thegroundofethics.Butethics mustbeabletoimplemented,andtheideaofGod “a necessarycongruenceof natural andmoralteleology”(Guttmann1966:402).God of ethicalhappiness,asforKant, butapostulateofground,an“origin,”thatguarantees like Kant,sawGodasapostulate ofreason.But,forCohen,Godwasnottheguarantee tian, andinhisearlierworkstookastarklyKantian,autonomous viewofethics,and, Spinoza’s (Guttman1966:400–16;Novak1995:Chapter 2).Cohenwasaneo-Kan- In sum,intheHasidicethosweseemodernJewishhistoryadeepeningand In thetwentiethcentury,HasidicmoodofengagementwithGodwasdeveloped There weretwodisparateexpressionsoftheHasidicmood.One,whilepromoting anthropopathic conceptofGod,aGodpossessedrealemotionsthatreadily Y . Modern JewishPhilosophy JEROME GELLMAN Hermann Cohen Y in favorofGod 48 E andtheothertoGod E , butforreasonsverydifferentfrom Y . HereIpresentone our Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 While Rosenzweig’sGodisalso oneofjustice,Rosenzweigtightlyembracedavariant of to activelyspread“redemption” outwardtotheworldinnameofGodlove. in acommunity.Thetaskof Christianity,inturn,istoflowoutwardfromrevelation, love. Thus,thechieftaskof theJewsistoholdfast created themselvesasacommunity basedontheexperienceofGod’sself-revelation of the worldandbringinginto existenceacommunityoflove.TheJews,saysRosenzweig, are torespond“redemptively”God’sself-disclosure bydirectingtheirlovetoward world. Ourhumanlove,inturn,deepensourloveofGod. outward intotheworld(“redemption”),muchasGod directs God’sloveoutintothe God’s lovebyfirstlovingGod,andthenexpressingour love ofGodbyturningour lovely termIowetoJosephTurner)ofthedivinelovein humanexperience.Wereturn of usthatmakespossiblefortheloveotherpersons, whichisan“after-affect”(a can issuesuchacommand,andsothereensuesmutuality oflove.ItisthenGod’slove me!” Allother“commandments”flowfromthisandare expressionsofit.Onlyalover for Rosenzweig;God’s“one”commandmentistheimperative toanindividual:“Love what isrevealedGod’slove.NomysteriumtremendumofRudolphOtto(1869–1937) known aboutGodsavewhatisrevealedintheexperienceofdivinepresence.And ongoing “revelation,”God’srevelationofselftoindividuals.Nothingelseis to God’sever-presentintimaterelationtheworld.Thisisknownthrough For Rosenzweig,inhisStarofRedemption, “creator” God:aGodinstarkcontrastto reason, auniversalGod;Godattheoriginofontologicalandethicalorder,asitwere enced, andhadnorelationshipwithhumanity.Cohen’sGod,atthispoint,isaGodof the Jewsdistinctsoastoinsuretheirexistenceinthisrole. toward a“messianic”kingdom.TheJewishrituallawhadthepurposeonlyofkeeping sianic” idealforthefuture,asymbolicrepresentationofunendingethicalprogress laws applyingtoJewsonly.Thewerethekeepersofpuremessage“mes- created andpromulgatedbytheprophets,embeddedwithinarrayofparticularistic the Jews,finally,comein.Forreal“Torah”forCohenwasuniversalmorallaw, an idealtowardwhichnatureguaranteesprogressbutisneverreached.Andhere ducive tounendingethicalprogress.The“messianicage”ofperfectionbecomes and thecharacterofnature. of all,bysecuringtheexistencehumankind.Godguarantees,thatis,aunityethics God with God,bothmodernversionsoftherabbinicGodmercy, love withtheGodoflove,andbyMartinBuber,whonurturedanI–Thourelationship for humanloveandcompassion.ThiswasfollowedupbyFranzRosenzweig,whofellin a realchangetookplace)byallowingthatGodgrantsloveandcompassion,model (Buber 1997:58). Buber wrotethat“CohenhasconstructedthelasthomeforGodofphilosopher” succumb, doneinbyaJewishfollowerofImmanuelKant.OfCohen’sGod,Martin For Rosenzweig,God’songoingrevelationistoindividual persons,andindividuals God, forearlyCohen,wasnowheretobemetwithintheworld,neverexperi- According toCohen,fornaturebecongruentwithethicsistheworldcon- Later, CohenmodifiedhisconceptionofGod(thoughscholarsdebatetowhatextent E . InJewishphilosophy,God THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH Franz Rosenzweig Y hadabsorbedyetanotherblow,andwasaboutto “creation” doesnotrefertoalongagoact,but 49 Y , andafamilyresemblantoftheearlier revelationasafocusofGod’slove Y .
Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 broke thespecialconnectionbetweenGodandJewishpeopleforsakeof The samewastrueforRosenzweig’sfriendandcolleague,MartinBuber.IfSpinoza none betweenapeopleandGod.ThusisGod Thou ofGod.Theremaybeanintimate“relationship”betweenapersonandGod,but relationship toanotherpersonas“thou,”theIpassesthroughhuman“thou” be mediatedthroughanI–Thourelationshipbetweenhumanbeings.Inthe Thou relationshipwithGod.But,inreverseofRosenzweig,thatmustfirst relationship withGod.ForBuber,GodcanbeknownonlyasathouinanindividualI– pair hasheavilyfavoredGod of Spinozaandtheneo-Kantians.ThetrajectorymodernJewishphilosophysincethis process isnever-ending,an infinite achievementofmoreand value. everything inworld-realitycontributes totheprocessofvalue-accretionandbecause in theverybeingofGod.God hasthisdynamicvaluetoaperfectdegreebothbecause being ofGod.Everyachievement ofvalueintheworldsignifiesanincrement second ispossessedbyGod by wayofthecreatedorder,whichisincludedinvery word). Thefirstperfection is possessedbyGodinGod’sunchangingattributes. The Thus, Godmusthaveshlemut,perfection,aswellhishtalmut , “perfectionization”(my Since Godisperfect,musthavebothtypesofvalue, andthosetoaperfectdegree. static feature,and(2)valuethatcomesfromachievement, inaprocessofattainment. Rabbi Kookarguesthattherearetwobasictypesofvalues: (1)valueduetoastable, ing someoftheideaslaterdipolartheism(seeHartshorne 1962).In of themysticalKabbalahtodevelopanelaboratedipolar conceptionofGod,anticipat- Rabbi AbrahamIsaacKook(1865–1935)picksuponpanentheistic trendsinthehistory era, God YHVH, theintimateGodofHebrewBibleandmercifulTalmudic God Martin Buberatfirstdidpracticallythesame,onlythentoreinstateconnection “thous” appearances tobothindividualsandtheIsraelitenation,transformedintoaGodwho However, thisremainedaminorthemeinBuber’swritings. create a“dialogicalsociety.”OftheJewishpeopleBubersays: Thus doRosenzweigandBuberretrievetheGodofintimacy, Later, Buberreinstatedthe“chosenness”ofJewsashavinga“God-given”taskto this experienceashavetheJews. community ofhumanbeingshasenteredwithsuchstrengthandfervorinto the dialogicalsituationareconfinedtoJudaism.ButIamcertainthatnoother I amfarfromwishingtocontendthattheconceptionandexperienceof Y inanewway.InhisIandThou,Buberspeaksofanindividual“dialogical”I–Thou individuals only. Y. Y Rabbi AbrahamIsaacKook . JEROME GELLMAN Neo-Mysticism Martin Buber 50 Y , whointheHebrewBiblemakeslocal (Buber 1997:16) Y , fromthehands Orot Hakodesh, E , Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 God wasviolentlyshaken-up intheinnermostplaceswithinhimself.Andso,Godmust ground ofallbeing.Onlythat couldexplaintheenormityoftragedy.Itmustbe that upheaval 1960/61: 191).Whatwashappening couldhavebeennothinglessthanacatastrophic . ‘Savethosewhosufferyour suffering!’ForIsraelalsosuffersHissuffering”(Shapiro to theJews. inflicting ofhumanmisery,tobeexplainedasanevent inthehistoryofGod’srelation of Piececzna,Poland.ForhimtheDestructionwastoo enormous,toogrotesque, God. ThiswasRabbiKalonymusKalmanShapiro(1889–1943), theHasidic“Rebbe” the MajdanekdeathcampinPoland,adoptedforhimself atheologyofvulnerable One thinkerwhoenduredthesufferingofWarsaw Ghettoandwasmurderedin (G. Greenberg2004). six millionJewswaspunishment.forthesinsofwhowerenotUltra-Orthodox continue toinsistthatnochangeintheconceptofGodisnecessary,sincemurder must bewroughtintheJews’conceptofGod.Onotherhand,someUltra-Orthodox God, ofonesortoranother.Asaresult,suchtheologiesagreethatradicalchange theologies tendtoassociatetheHolocaustwithaprofound,disappointing,changein lated thecovenant,asaresultofwhichJewsarenolongerboundbycovenant.Such withdrew fromhistoryforgood,thatGodisfarbeingperfect,andvio- tion. TheseincludethatGodabandonedtheJews,“hidhisface,” Greenberg 1977:23). should bemadethatwouldnotcredibleinthepresenceofburningchildren”(I. concerning theHolocaustdiscoursethat:“Nostatement,theologicalorotherwise, Jewish people.ManyagreewithRabbiIrvingGreenbergwhenheeloquentlydeclares God whoismorallyperfect,omniscient,andomnipotent,letalonealovesthe tion haveconstituted,formany,adevastatingattackontheveryideathatthereis destruction, dislocation,anddesolationoftheJewishpeopleinEuropeanDestruc- many casesbeenhandeddowntothesecondgenerationandeventhird.The scars fardeeperthantheheartcanreach.Thesufferingofsurvivingparentshasin murdered, tortured,andagonizinglybrutalized.Thosewhosurvivedweremarkedwith creation ofradicallynewtheologiesGod.Duringthosetimes,millionsJewswere during WorldWarIIhasbroughtmassiveunbelieftotheJewishworldandled The massivedestructionofEuropean(andsomenon-European)Jewsleadinguptoand might beGod of abetterworld,addingtotheattainedhishtalmutvalueinGod.TheGod next stageofadvancement.Alltheevilinworldwasnecessarytoanachievement value, withdipsinbetween(forinstance,WorldWarI)whichwouldcontributetothe Rabbi Kookbelievedthatcreatedrealitywasgoingtogoeverhigherattainmentsof God So theRebbehasnorecourse buttosay,“TherearetravailsthatwesufferwithHim. Various revisionisttheologieshaveappearedinresponsetotheEuropeanDestruc- Predicated onthenineteenth-centuryfaithinprogress,aswellabitofHegel, Y . within theverybeingofGod,aheartbreakingearthquake takingplaceinthe E , buttheGodofincrementalvalueisasclosetousourownbreath, THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH A VulnerableGod The Holocaust 51 perfection Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 —— (1995)“Chosenness,NotChauvinism: MaimonidesontheChosenPeople,”inD.H.Frank(ed.), Kellner, M.(1991)Maimonides Idel, M.(1995)Hasidism:BetweenEcstasyandMagic , Albany:StateUniversityofNew YorkPress. exactly there. —— (1987)GodinSearchofMan:APhilosophy ofJudaism Heschel, A.J.(1975)TheProphets,NewYork:HarperandRow. Hartshorne, C.(1962)TheLogicofPerfection,LaSalle,IL:OpenCourt. Guttman, J.(1966)PhilosophiesofJudaism,GardenCity,NY:AnchorBooks. Greenberg, I.(1977)“CloudofSmoke,PillarFire:Judaism,Christianity, andModernityaftertheHolo- Greenberg, G.(2004)“Ultra-OrthodoxReflectionsontheHolocaust: 1945tothePresent,”inK.Kwietand Gericke, J.W.(2005)“YHWHandtheGodofPhilosophicalTheology,” VerbumetEcclesia26:677–99. Geach, P.(2009)“Omnipotence,”inT.D.MillerandL.Zagzebski (eds), ReadingsinPhilosophyofReligion, Fretheim, T.E.(1984)TheSufferingofGod:AnOldTestamentPerspective , Philadelphia,PA:FortressPress. Dresner, S. Cross, F.M.(1998)FromEpictoCanon:HistoryandLiteratureinAncientIsrael,Baltimore,MD:TheJohns Cassuto, U.(1967)ACommentaryontheBookofExodus,Jerusalem:MagnesPress. Buber, S.(ed.),(1972–3)MidrashTanchuma,Exodus,Yitro,5, —— (1997)IsraelandtheWorld:EssaysinaTimeofCrisis,Syracuse,NY:SyracuseUniversityPress. Buber, M.(1958)Moses, Chapter 1:WesternPhilosophy;20:PhilosophyofReligion were concerned,theGodofJewswasaJewishGod. God’s peoplethroughhistory,goingintoexilewiththem.AsfarastheJewish our prayersworthyofpositiveresponse.YHVHisaGodwhocontinuestoaccompany YHVH hasbeenforusamostpersonalbeingwholistenstoprayersand,attimes,finds ued, forwisdom,grace,health,rain,andredemptionoftheJewishpeople. were propoundingtheirideasofJewishtheism,overmillenniaprayertoYHVHcontin- Meanwhile, asthephilosophersandtheologians,mysticsrationalists, ing. TheultimatemutualitybetweenGod requires lovingcareonthepartofGod’screaturesandasharingbytheminsuffer- rying outGod’searlierdecreeofslaveryandexiletoAbraham’sdescendants.) were nottobeexoneratedonthistheology,justasPharaohwasexculpatedforcar- tion, withJewishsufferingafigurationofcatastrophicupheavalinGod.(TheNazis far beyondmortalendurance.TheShoahisareverberationofGod’ssufferingincrea- place inGod’screationwherethewavesofDivinesufferingvibratemostviolently,felt be enduringgreatsuffering.AndtheJews,aye,God’s“chosenpeople,”are Press. People Press. caust,” inE.Fleischner(ed.),Auschwitz:BeginningofaNewEra?,York:Ktav. J. Matthaus(eds),ContemporaryResponsestotheHolocaust,Westport,CT:PraegerPublishers. Ancient toContemporary,Oxford:BlackwellPublishing. Hopkins UniversityPress. Perhaps, indeed,afragilityexistssomewhereverydeepin(adi-polar?)Godthat Apart, ChosennessandRitualinJewish PhilosophicalThought (1974) LeviYitzhakofBerditchev:PortraitaHasidicMaster,NewYork:HartmoreHouse. The RevelationandtheCovenant, on JudaismandtheJewishPeople, JEROME GELLMAN Related Topics Conclusion References 52 Y andhiscreationwouldcometoexpression New York:HarperandRow. , Northvale,NJ:JasonAronson. Jerusalem: Eshkol. Albany: StateUniversityofNew York , Albany:StateUniversityofNew York A Downloaded By: 10.3.98.104 At: 08:17 25 Sep 2021; For: 9780203123294, chapter3, 10.4324/9780203123294.ch3 —— (2007)Theological-PoliticalTreatise , trans.M.SilverthomeandJ.Israel, Cambridge:CambridgeUniver- Spinoza, B.(2000)Ethics,trans.G.H.R.Parkinson,Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress.Spinoza’smetaphysi- Solomon, N.(2000)“PicturingGod,” inS.D.Kunin(ed.),ThemesandIssuesJudaism,London:Cassell. Scholem, G.(1969)OntheKabbalahanditsSymbolism,trans.R.Manheim,NewYork:SchockenBooks.A Saadia benJoseph(1948)TheBookofBeliefsandOpinions,trans.S.Rosenblatt,NewHaven,CT:YaleUni- Rosenzweig, F.(2005)TheStarofRedemption,trans.B.E.Galli,Madison:UniversityWisconsinPress. Neusner, J.(1997)TheTheologyofRabbinicJudaism.AProlegomenon Muffs, Y.(2005)ThePersonhoodofGod:BiblicalTheology,HumanFaith,andtheDivine Image,Woodstock, Maimonides, M.(1963)TheGuideofthePerplexed,trans.S.Pines,Chicago,IL:UniversityChicagoPress. Lamm, N.(ed.),(1999)TheReligiousThoughtofHasidism,NewYork:YeshivaUniversityPressandKtav Kook, A.I.(1978)TheLightsofPenitence,MoralPrinciples,Holiness,Essays,Letters,andPoems, Katz, S.T.(ed.),(2005)TheImpactoftheHolocaustonJewishTheology Ha-Levi, J.(2008)TheKuzari:AnArgumentfortheFaithofIsrael,trans.H.Hirschfeld,NewYork:Schocken Dorff, E.N.andL.Newman(eds),(1999)ContemporaryJewishTheology,AReader,Oxford,NewYork:Oxford Cohen, H.(1972)ReligionofReasonOuttheSourcesJudaism,trans.S.Kaplan.NewYork:F.Ungar Buber, M.(1970)IandThou,trans.W.Kaufman,NewYork:CharlesScribner’sSons.Buber’smostcel- —— (1989b)SpinozaandOtherHeretics,vol.2:TheAdventuresofImmanence,Princeton,NJ:Princeton Yovel, Y.(1989a)SpinozaandOtherHeretics,vol.1:TheMarranoofReason,Princeton,NJ:PrincetonUni- Yoseph ofPolonoya,Y.(1973/74)ToldotYaakov,Jerusalem:AgudatBetViyelifali. Wierenga, E.(2011)“AugustinianPerfectBeingTheologyandtheGodofAbraham,Isaac,Jacob,” Shapiro, K.(1960/1961)EshKodesh,Jerusalem:nopublisher. Pinnock, C.,R.Rice,J.Sanders,W.HaskerandD.Basinger(1994)TheOpennessofGod,DownersGrove, Pike, N.(1970)GodandTimelessness,London:Routledge&KeganPaul. Patton, K.C.(2009)ReligionoftheGods,Ritual,Paradox,andReflexivity,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress. Parke-Taylor, G.H.(1975)Yahweh:TheDivineNameinBible Novak, D.(1995)TheElectionofIsrael, Maimondes, M.(1963)TheGuideofthePerplexed,trans.S.Pines,Chicago,IL:UniversityChicagoPress. Kugel, J.L.(2007)HowtoReadtheBible:AGuideScripture,ThenandNow sity Press.Spinoza’sprescientcritique oftheHebrewBibleandchosennessJewishPeople. cal philosophy,includinghisconcept ofGod,andethics. An outstandingessayonanthropomorphism. classic ofkabbalisticresearch. versity Press.ThefirstsystematicworkofJewishphilosophy,oneinfluenced byArabphilosophy. Redemption. A monumentalworkofmodernJewishphilosophycenteredonthetriangle ofCreation,Revelation,and Studies ontheHistoryofJudaism.Anintroductiontothought RabbisoftheTalmudicage. VT: JewishLightsPublishing.AtheologyofGod’spersonhood. has beennonelikeMoses.” The greatestworkofJewishphilosophyeverbyapersonwhomit is said,“FromMosestoMoses,there servative sideofthings. Publishing House.AusefulcollectionofHasidicsourceswithexplanations,aleaningtothecon- ry’s greatestJewishmystics. trans. B.Z.Bokser,NewYork:PaulistPress.Aselectionfromthewritingsofonetwentiethcentu- classics. York UniversityPress.AcollectionofJewishresponsestotheHolocaust,somewhichhavebecome Books. TheclassicalmedievalworkonbehalfoftheGodAbrahamandagainstAristotle. University Press.AcollectionofadventurouscontemporaryJewishtheologies,mostlybyliberalJews. Publishing Company.Cohen’smassivedefenseofJudaisminthemodernage. ebrated statementofhisdialogicalphilosophy. University Press. versity Press. International JournalforPhilosophyofReligion69,2:139–51. IL: InterVarsityPress. University Press. THE GODOFJEWSANDJEWISH Recommended Reading Cambridge, UK:CambridgeUniversityPress. 53 , Atlanta: Scholars Press for South Florida , Atlanta:ScholarsPressforSouthFlorida , Waterloo,Ontario:WilfridLaurier , NewYorkandLondon: , NewYork:FreePress.