The Status of Non-Jews in Jewish Law and Lore Today
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Fundamentals of Judaism
Fundamentals of Judaism Selections from the works of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch and outstanding Torah-true thinkers I Edited by JACOB BREUER Published for THE RABBI SAMSON RAPHAEL HIRSCH SOCIETY by Philipp Feldheim, Publisher New York CHAPTER EIGHT l' l' l' PROBLEMS OF THE DIASPORA IN THE SHULCHAN ARUCH By DR. DAVID HOFFMAN According to the Shulchan Aruch the support of a needy Jew is a law. Charity for the needy "Akkum," while considered a moral obligation, is urged on the basis of Oi'it!' ~::Ji' as a means of maintaining peaceful relations with the non-Jewish world. This qualified motivation has become the target of widespread and indignant criticism. One of the critics, the frankly prejudiced Justus, voiced his opposition as follows: "The tendency under lying these rules is to create the belief in the "Akkum" (Christ ians) that they have good friends in the Jews." This materialistic concept is pure nonsense; perhaps it is an outgrowth of wishful thinking. That it is utterly unfounded is substantiated by the oldest source of this rule, the Mishna in Gittin (59 a): "The following rules were inaugurated because of o''i~ ~::Ji': " .... the release of game, birds or fish from a trap set by another person is considered robbery; objects found by a deaf-mute, mentally deficient or minor (including Jews) must not be forcibly seized; .... impoverished heathens must nof be restrained from collecting the gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the fruit left for the poor at the edge of the this "for the sake of peace." On the basis of this Mishna it is difficult to see how any ob server can side with Justus' interpretation. -
The Talmud's Two Jubilees and Their Relevance to the Date of the Exodus
Westminster Theological Journal 68 (2006): 71-83 The Talmud’s Two Jubilees and Their Relevance to the Date of the Exodus The Babylonian Talmud mentions two, and only two, occasions for the observance of a Jubilee. The question of whether there actually were Jubilees at the times specified, or whether these passages reflect a later projection of ideas back into a previous age, is a matter of some importance. It bears on the question of when Leviticus was written, because many scholars date the composition of Leviticus, particularly of the so-called “H” or Holiness Code that established the Jubilee and Sabbatical years (Lev 17–26), to exilic or post-exilic times. An exilic or post-exilic date for the Holiness Code would be difficult to maintain if it could be shown that Sabbatical years or Jubilee years were observed before the exile, since the observation of such rituals in the ancient Near East always presupposes their written codification. One way to evaluate whether the two Jubilees mentioned in the Talmud were genuine historical events is to examine the dates assigned to them. The two passages are in b. ‘Arak. 12a, mentioning a Jubilee in the time of Ezekiel, and in b. Meg. 14b, mentioning a Jubilee in the time of Josiah. The ‘Arakin passage is as follows: “Is it not written: In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten. Now which is the year the beginning of which falls on the tenth of Tishri? Say: This is the jubilee year.” 1 The argument the Talmud presents here is that the verse quoted (Ezek 40:1) gave the day as both “the beginning of the year” (Rosh HaShanah or New Year’s Day) and also as the tenth of the month. -
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. -
Conversion to Judaism Finnish Gerim on Giyur and Jewishness
Conversion to Judaism Finnish gerim on giyur and Jewishness Kira Zaitsev Syventävien opintojen tutkielma Afrikan ja Lähi-idän kielet Humanistinen tiedekunta Helsingin yliopisto 2019/5779 provided by Helsingin yliopiston digitaalinen arkisto View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk CORE brought to you by Tiedekunta – Fakultet – Faculty Koulutusohjelma – Utbildningsprogram – Degree Programme Humanistinen tiedekunta Kielten maisteriohjelma Opintosuunta – Studieinriktning – Study Track Afrikan ja Lähi-idän kielet Tekijä – Författare – Author Kira Zaitsev Työn nimi – Arbetets titel – Title Conversion to Judaism. Finnish gerim on giyur and Jewishness Työn laji – Aika – Datum – Month and year Sivumäärä– Sidoantal Arbetets art – Huhtikuu 2019 – Number of pages Level 43 Pro gradu Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Pro graduni käsittelee suomalaisia, jotka ovat kääntyneet juutalaisiksi ilman aikaisempaa juutalaista taustaa ja perhettä. Data perustuu haastatteluihin, joita arvioin straussilaisella grounded theory-menetelmällä. Tutkimuskysymykseni ovat, kuinka nämä käännynnäiset näkevät mitä juutalaisuus on ja kuinka he arvioivat omaa kääntymistään. Tutkimuseni mukaan kääntyjän aikaisempi uskonnollinen tausta on varsin todennäköisesti epätavallinen, eikä hänellä ole merkittäviä aikaisempia juutalaisia sosiaalisia suhteita. Internetillä on kasvava rooli kääntyjän tiedonhaussa ja verkostoissa. Juutalaisuudessa kääntynyt näkee tärkeimpänä eettisyyden sekä juutalaisen lain, halakhan. Kääntymisen nähdään vahvistavan aikaisempi maailmankuva -
Jewish Perspectives on Reproductive Realities by Rabbi Lori Koffman, NCJW Board Director and Chair of NCJW’S Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Initiative
Jewish Perspectives on Reproductive Realities By Rabbi Lori Koffman, NCJW Board Director and Chair of NCJW’s Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice Initiative A note on the content below: We acknowledge that this document invokes heavily gendered language due to the prevailing historic male voices in Jewish rabbinic and biblical perspectives, and the fact that Hebrew (the language in which these laws originated) is a gendered language. We also recognize some of these perspectives might be in contradiction with one another and with some of NCJW’s approaches to the issues of reproductive health, rights, and justice. Background Family planning has been discussed in Judaism for several thousand years. From the earliest of the ‘sages’ until today, a range of opinions has existed — opinions which can be in tension with one another and are constantly evolving. Historically these discussions have assumed that sexual intimacy happens within the framework of heterosexual marriage. A few fundamental Jewish tenets underlie any discussion of Jewish views on reproductive realities. • Protecting an existing life is paramount, even when it means a Jew must violate the most sacred laws.1 • Judaism is decidedly ‘pro-natalist,’ and strongly encourages having children. The duty of procreation is based on one of the earliest and often repeated obligations of the Torah, ‘pru u’rvu’, 2 to be ‘fruitful and multiply.’ This fundamental obligation in the Jewish tradition is technically considered only to apply to males. Of course, Jewish attitudes toward procreation have not been shaped by Jewish law alone, but have been influenced by the historic communal trauma (such as the Holocaust) and the subsequent yearning of some Jews to rebuild community through Jewish population growth. -
A USER's MANUAL Part 1: How Is Halakhah Organized?
TORAHLEADERSHIP.ORG RABBI ARYEH KLAPPER HALAKHAH: A USER’S MANUAL Part 1: How is Halakhah Organized? I. How is Halakhah Organized? 4 case studies a. Mishnah Berakhot 1:1, and gemara thereupon b. Support of the poor Peiah, Bava Batra, Matnot Aniyyim, Yoreh Deah) c. Conversion ?, Yevamot, Issurei Biah, Yoreh Deah) d. Mourning Moed Qattan, Shoftim, Yoreh Deiah) Mishnah Berakhot 1:1 From what time may one recite the Shema in the evening? From the hour that the kohanim enter to eat their terumah Until the end of the first watch, in the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer. The Sages say: Until midnight. Rabban Gamliel says: Until morning. It happened that his sons came from a wedding feast. They said to him: We have not yet recited the Shema. He said to them: If it has not yet morned, you are obligated to recite it. Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 2a What is the context of the Mishnah’s opening “From when”? Also, why does it teach about the evening first, rather than about the morning? The context is Scripture saying “when you lie down and when you arise” (Devarim 6:7, 11:9). what the Mishnah intends is: “The time of the Shema of lying-down – when is it?” Alternatively: The context is Creation, as Scripture writes “There was evening and there was morning”. Mishnah Berakhot 1:1 (continued) Not only this – rather, everything about which the Sages say until midnight – their mitzvah is until morning. The burning of fats and organs – their mitzvah is until morning. All sacrifices that must be eaten in a day – their mitzvah is until morning. -
Interpreting Biblical Law
Interpreting Biblical Law Three different meanings of “law”: • Law/Torah = Genesis–Deuteronomy (also “Pentateuch”) • law/torah = the law of Moses (collection of laws) • law and gospel = God’s commands and teachings throughout Scripture Inductive Bible Study Applied to the Law (Example: Leviticus 19) 1. Observation: What do you notice about the text? What questions does it raise for you? (Read the text in at least two different versions of the Bible.) 2. Interpretation: What is the author trying to communicate? Who is the author? (traditionally, Moses wrote the Pentateuch, but the text does not name the author) What is the literary context? (within narrative of the exodus; context of other laws) In the literary context, what does this chapter communicate to the reader? (Lev. 19: be holy as the Lord is holy) What is the historical context (of the laws, of the passage, and of the book)? (giving of the law at Sinai during the exodus; some later laws may be included) What are some things in the text that are specific to that time and culture? What did this law or passage mean in its historical context? What does this passage communicate about who God is, how he relates to his people, and how he wants his people to live and act? 3. Evaluation: How does this relate to the rest of Scripture and to the faith of the church? Does this law occur elsewhere in the OT? How do the wording and setting compare? Are there examples of this law in practice elsewhere in the Bible? How does this compare to the law itself? Does this law occur in the NT? How is it discussed or applied there? Examples: gleaning in Lev. -
Noahidism Or B'nai Noah—Sons of Noah—Refers To, Arguably, a Family
Noahidism or B’nai Noah—sons of Noah—refers to, arguably, a family of watered–down versions of Orthodox Judaism. A majority of Orthodox Jews, and most members of the broad spectrum of Jewish movements overall, do not proselytize or, borrowing Christian terminology, “evangelize” or “witness.” In the U.S., an even larger number of Jews, as with this writer’s own family of orientation or origin, never affiliated with any Jewish movement. Noahidism may have given some groups of Orthodox Jews a method, arguably an excuse, to bypass the custom of nonconversion. Those Orthodox Jews are, in any event, simply breaking with convention, not with a scriptural ordinance. Although Noahidism is based ,MP3], Tạləmūḏ]תַּלְמּוד ,upon the Talmud (Hebrew “instruction”), not the Bible, the text itself does not explicitly call for a Noahidism per se. Numerous commandments supposedly mandated for the sons of Noah or heathen are considered within the context of a rabbinical conversation. Two only partially overlapping enumerations of seven “precepts” are provided. Furthermore, additional precepts, not incorporated into either list, are mentioned. The frequently referenced “seven laws of the sons of Noah” are, therefore, misleading and, indeed, arithmetically incorrect. By my count, precisely a dozen are specified. Although I, honestly, fail to understand why individuals would self–identify with a faith which labels them as “heathen,” that is their business, not mine. The translations will follow a series of quotations pertinent to this monotheistic and ,MP3], tạləmūḏiy]תַּלְמּודִ י ,talmudic (Hebrew “instructive”) new religious movement (NRM). Indeed, the first passage quoted below was excerpted from the translated source text for Noahidism: Our Rabbis taught: [Any man that curseth his God, shall bear his sin. -
The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿavoda Zara By
The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿAvoda Zara By Mira Beth Wasserman A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley in Jewish Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Daniel Boyarin, chair Professor Chana Kronfeld Professor Naomi Seidman Professor Kenneth Bamberger Spring 2014 Abstract The Humanity of the Talmud: Reading for Ethics in Bavli ʿAvoda Zara by Mira Beth Wasserman Joint Doctor of Philosophy with Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Boyarin, chair In this dissertation, I argue that there is an ethical dimension to the Babylonian Talmud, and that literary analysis is the approach best suited to uncover it. Paying special attention to the discursive forms of the Talmud, I show how juxtapositions of narrative and legal dialectics cooperate in generating the Talmud's distinctive ethics, which I characterize as an attentiveness to the “exceptional particulars” of life. To demonstrate the features and rewards of a literary approach, I offer a sustained reading of a single tractate from the Babylonian Talmud, ʿAvoda Zara (AZ). AZ and other talmudic discussions about non-Jews offer a rich resource for considerations of ethics because they are centrally concerned with constituting social relationships and with examining aspects of human experience that exceed the domain of Jewish law. AZ investigates what distinguishes Jews from non-Jews, what Jews and non- Jews share in common, and what it means to be a human being. I read AZ as a cohesive literary work unified by the overarching project of examining the place of humanity in the cosmos. -
Millennium, Jubilee and Human History Under God for Jews in the Middle Ages Rabbi Asher Finkel, Ph.D., Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University From the SelectedWorks of Rabbi Asher Finkel, Ph.D. 2003 Millennium, Jubilee and Human History under God for Jews in the Middle Ages Rabbi Asher Finkel, Ph.D., Seton Hall University This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC_BY-NC-ND International License. Available at: https://works.bepress.com/asher_finkel/24/ Millennium, Jubilee and Human History under God for Jews in the Middle Ages Asher Finkel Jewish-Christian Studies Graduate Program Department of Religion Seton Hall University South Orange, NJ This article was published in Ich bin ein Hebraer: Gedenken an Otto Michel (1903 - 1993), edited by Helgo Lindner, 312-326. Tübingen: Mohr, 2003. MILLENNIUM, JUBILEE AND HUMAN HISTORY UNDER GOD FOR JEWS IN THE MIDDLE AGES Asher Finkel, Ph.D. The year 1240 is the beginning of the sixth millenium in the Jewish calendar. This year witnessed the Mongol invasion from the East, defeating the Germans and Poles, as well as the year that saw the new ascendancy of the Islamic power. The turn of events was perceived by Nachmanides as the appearance of the "fearsome and terrible beast" in Daniel's vision (Chapter 7) that preceded the coming of the Son of Man, the messianic figure in Jewish apocalypticism. Nachmanides1 portrays the Islamic empire as a "powerful kingdom that is closer to the truth than the former ones," referring to the other theriomorphic empires in Daniel's prophecy. Islam was perceived by Spanish Jewry to be a monotheistic faith, with emphasis on God's unity. Jews faced both Muslims and Christians on the Iberian peninsula, and they were also aware of the distinction between them. -
Rereading Paul on Circumcision, Torah, and the Gentiles Asha K
A Seal of Faith: Rereading Paul on Circumcision, Torah, and the Gentiles Asha K. Moorthy Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2014 © 2014 Asha K. Moorthy All rights reserved ABSTRACT A Seal of Faith: Rereading Paul on Circumcision, Torah, and the Gentiles Asha K. Moorthy It is generally held that the Apostle Paul dismissed the rite of circumcision for Gentiles. This dissertation, however, offers a different perspective. Through examination of relevant sources regarding the role of circumcision in conversion along with consideration of Philo of Alexandria’s depiction of Abraham as an exemplar of and for the proselyte, this project will suggest that Paul, in Rom 4:11‐ 12, uses the example of Abraham in order to explain the value of circumcision for Jews as well as for Gentiles. It will be argued, moreover, that Paul’s objections to circumcision, as found in Romans as well as in Galatians, Philippians, and 1 Corinthians, were not to the rite per se but rather to the notion that circumcision was necessary for entering the Abrahamic covenant, “becoming a Jew,” justification, salvation, spiritual transformation, protection or identity in Christ. A case will be made, moreover, that in Paul’s day there were two competing forms of circumcision and that Paul was opposed to the more radical procedure. Finally, divergences in Paul’s handling of the topic of circumcision in different letters will be explained through attention to particular audience concerns. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1. -
Attitudes Toward Jewish-Gentile Relations in the Jewish Tradition and Contemporary Israel* Charles S Liebman
Attitudes toward Jewish-Gentile Relations in the Jewish Tradition and Contemporary Israel* Charles S Liebman My research concerns over the past few years touch upon the inter relationship between beliefs, values and norms on the one hand and tradition on the other. Beliefs, values and norms, as I use the terms, are concerned with how we think the world functions, which in turn is closely related to our aspirations, to what we want or don't want, what we think is right or wrong, standards of conduct we deem appropriate and inappropriate and rules of behaviour. The tradition is our perception of the beliefs, values and norms of the past; what we think were the beliefs, values and norms of the culture with which we identify. My special interest lies in trying to establish with as much precision as I can, the interrelationship between contemporary values and the tradition. What I am going to share with you this evening are some of my problems and some of my reflections, rather than answers f Political Studies at Bar-Han which alas, I do not have. The only way to approach the problem as a faculty member of both the intelligently is to compare a specific aspect of the tradition with a _va University. He has also served specific set of contemporary values. • Theological Seminary, Brown My lecture is about Jewish-Gentile relations, with special reference to : Town. His most recent books are relations between Israel and 'the nations of the world'; what these Judaism and Political Culture in relations are and what they should be, as reflected in the beliefs, values oming Piety and Polity: Religion and norms of contemporary Israelis and in the Jewish tradition.