1 / 11

Medieval Judaism

4/10/2012. 2. Introduction . In the post-classical period, Judaism took shape as it responded to pressures, both external and internal (philosophical) both by drawing on traditional resources and by developing new modes of expression.In this session we will look at the varieties of Judaism that dev

diamond
Download Presentation

Medieval Judaism

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

    1. 4/10/2012 1 Medieval Judaism Stephen Felder, Ph.D.

    2. 4/10/2012 2 Introduction In the post-classical period, Judaism took shape as it responded to pressures, both external and internal (philosophical) both by drawing on traditional resources and by developing new modes of expression. In this session we will look at the varieties of Judaism that developed during the Medieval Period. Can you think of examples of this kind of variety in the various Jewish communities we encounter today?

    3. 4/10/2012 3 Topics to Be Covered Major Communities: Sephardim Ashkenazim Jews in Africa and Asia Major Movements: Philosophers Mystics Hasidim

    4. Major Communities

    5. Ashkenazi Identified with Germany, Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Russia Medieval experience one of repression and persecution under Christian Europe North American Jews are, today, overwhelmingly Ashkenazim Population in Israel more evenly split

    6. Sephardim Mediterranean Communities: Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey, etc. Less repressed under Muslim rule Reconquista and Spanish Inquisition(s) (15-16th cent.) were especially brutal

    7. Other Communities Ethiopian (Falashas [‘exiles’]) Iranian Bene Israel (Mumbai) Kaifeng

    8. Major Movements

    9. Philosophical Combining Reason and Revelation Saadia (882-942) When biblical texts contradict reason, allegorize (cf. Philo of Alexandria) Yehuda Ha-Levi (1075-1141) The Kuzari The eternity of Israel The unbroken tradition The bravery of martyrs Moses Maimonides (1135-1204) The Guide of the Perplexed Employed Aristotle to solve theological problems

    10. Mysticism Responds to persecution Focuses on “shekhinah” tradition of God’s presence and the “Son of Man” tradition from Daniel Merkabah (chariot) mysticism: human figure of God heavenly ascents theurgic/magic features apocalyptic writings Kabbalah (“received tradition”) Isaac Luria (1534-72) Cosmic split in Godhead God creates by contracting himself This contraction removes divine perfection and allows evil? The vessels containing the divine sparks “fracture”mixing up the divine sparks with the evil material of creation the mystic, working with God and the community of mystics, seeks to help God return the divine sparks to their correct place This tikkun (“rectification”) is being accomplished by human beings through meditative, theurgic, compassionate, and pious acts.

    11. Sabbatai Zvi (1626-76) In 1666 Zvi was declared messiah by Nathan of Gaza He attracted a following The Sultan offered him the choice between conversion or death; he converted

    12. Hasidim Also responds to suffering Reaction against Talmudic “elitism”(?); relies on stories, parables, and immediacy Judaism of joy, for the people. Founder: Israel Ben Eliezer (1698-1759)--Baal Shem Tov (“master of the Good Name”) Hereditary leadership structure Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, leader of the Lubavicher Hasidim, died in 1994 without a male heir.

More Related