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Medieval Jewish Thought

RELIG 210-Introduction to Judaism Lecture 10. Medieval Jewish Thought. Time of Great Scholarship, Creativity, Writing Two contexts Central European Christianity Encounter with Islam New Approaches: Biblical Interpreation and philosophy. Medieval Jewish context.

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Medieval Jewish Thought

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  1. RELIG 210-Introduction to Judaism Lecture 10 Medieval Jewish Thought

  2. Time of Great Scholarship, Creativity, Writing • Two contexts • Central European Christianity • Encounter with Islam • New Approaches: Biblical Interpreation and philosophy Medieval Jewish context

  3. Are reason and religion compatible? No concept of “secular” Reason then and now

  4. New Approach to scripture Contextual, “literal” reading of text Focus on historical perspective, rationalism, linguistic analysis and literary genre Great sophistication From Rabbinic Drash to Pshat

  5. Disputations with Islam and Christianity • Direct study of the Bible • Prove validity of the text • Scripture as shared document • Philosophic Rationalism in Islam • New discoveries in philology, linguistic • Intra-Jewish polemics Why the shift?

  6. Challenge Rabbininc reading as normative Use reason and science to understand scripture without rabbinic mediation Has a tremendous impact on Jewish exegesis Karaites (8-10th century)

  7. Saadia Gaon • Decode text to prove compatible with reason • Allegorical reading “Head” when applied to God = “excellence and elevation.” (Study Bible, 1953) Can reason validate scripture?

  8. Rashi (Rabbi ShlomoYitzhaki) • 1040-1105/French • Running Commentary to the Talmud • Translates technical terms (old french) • Line drawings • Torah commentary

  9. “There are many agaddic interpretations, and our sages have already arranged them in their proper place in Genesis Rabbah and other midrashic collections. I come only to present what the text says directly and such aggadah that sets the wording of the text on its proper bearings.” Rashi’s Approach

  10. Are Reason and Revelation Compatible? • Eternal Universe versus creation ex nihilo • Watchmaker God vs. God who stops the son • How can both be right? Philosophy

  11. Eternal Universe versus creation ex nihilo • Watchmaker God vs. God who stops the son • How can both be right? Reason and Revelation?

  12. Moses Ben Mamon (Rambam/maimonides) • 1135-1204 (Spain, Morocco, Egypt)

  13. Proof of God’s existence • Explanation of prophecy • Prophets are great philosphers • Translate insights into figurative speech • Mishneh Torah • Guide to the Perplexed Rambam

  14. Kabbalah • Rabbinic movement (12th Cent onward) • Hidden tradition of scriptural interpretation

  15. Kabbalah and Scripture • Scripture is like a Walnut • Literal Content is Outer Shell • Secret truth hidden within • Goal: Go through layers of meaning to find kernal • Example: Divine Emanations • Dangerous Work (Four who enter Garden)

  16. Kabbalah and Symbolic Vocabulary • God- Transcendent and Immanent • En Sof, “The Infinite” • Only know aspects of divine being (Sefirot) • Sefirot as DNA of natural and supernatural reality • Sefirot in Chaos-Need Restoration

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