Maimonides

In the midst of the Holocaust, Rabbi Yissakhar Shelomo Teichtal, author of Em Ha-Banim Semekha, composed a diary consisting his insights and experiences. One of these insights deals with the problematic issue of Jews who acquired conversion certificates in order to decrease the threat from Nazi and Slovakian pursuers. Teichtal confronts this issue both morally and ideologically, using Maimonides' writings as his major source. However, despite the rational manner of Maimonides' outlook, Teichtal interprets it in a theurgical sense. This is most evident in two key topics: the power of Israeli deeds in affecting divine actions on earth, and the significance of Israeli unification in promoting the supremacy of holiness upon the impure influences of Sitra Akhra.

"The following syllabus was used for an Introduction to Religious Studies taught at Lawrence University in Fall 2012. The class met twice a week, for a session of 110 mins. with a break in the middle. The rationale of the course was to provide students with methods and models of thought, analysis and critique of religious phenomena, rather than with hard data on specific religions. In short, the difference between an Introduction to World Religions and Introduction to Religious Studies should be understood, in order to properly assess the structure of the course. It is therefore that sources from various traditions are presented in comparison without historical context, and for the same reason non-religious works of fiction were also introduced.
The first half of the course was entitled “components of religion” and the second half “critique of religion.” The first half focused on abstract ideas, with each class starting with a list of words related to that theme, each student contributing a word and explaining how it relates to the topic. The second half was accompanied with Pals’ excellent Eight Theories, and with selections from the actual scholars Pals introduces. Markham and Lohr’s reader was used for some primary texts and some basic facts on religions, providing a peephole to how a World Religions class may have looked. It is slightly more theological than critical with an undertone of a Christian bias. These defects in the reader were discussed in class, but it was nevertheless chosen for its affordability and accessibility. In addition to many classic readings, the course included two selections from the faculty at Lawrence University, as a way of introducing students to research conducted in their home institution, and to familiarize majors in the department with the work of their teachers. Such selections will change from institution to institution.
The final assignment of the course is appended to this syllabus and requires the students to combine the two sections of the course, choosing one component, and analyzing it in a single tradition using at least one critique.


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"poruszane zagadnienia:
- decyzja Remu (R. Mosze Isserles) o uwzględnieniu aszkenazyjskich zwyczajów w dodatku ("Mappa") do Szulchan Aruch;
- Remu, Josef Karo i inni rabini wobec odrębności aszkenazyjskiej;
- próby zdefiniowania aszkenazyjskości (kryterium geograficzne, pochodzeniowe i "korporacyjne" (kahał)), przyjmując historyczno-prawny punkt widzenia;
- spory halachiczne wobec judaizmu aszkenazyjskiego (przedstawienie konkretnych kazusów);
- pytanie o jednolitość judaizmu aszkenazyjskiego;
- rozwiązania halachiczne Remu i ich akceptowalność wśród Żydów Aszkenazyjskich.
- spór o charakter norm prawnych, stosunek norm talmudycznych i minhagów (kazus zakazu poligamii u R. Gerszoma i spór o jego obowiązywalność: J.Karo, Remu, Maharszal etc.);
- zarys pewnych wariantów metodologii halachicznej na potrzeby omawianego zakresu tematycznego."

""The Altar has a unique and complex status in the Bible, since two incompatible characteristcs are attributed to it: it is depicted both as a portable sanctified object and as a stationary building. These opposing characteristics are evident in Maimonides' laws of the Temple (Hilkhot Beit Habekhirah). However, when molded into a coherent legal codex, these laws show that Maimonides not only prefers the building aspect of the Altar, but he also establishes several of the Temple's building rulings in the image of the Altar, even though he had no sources for doing so (especially rules concerning the materials and the building methods).
Thus, Maimonides asserts that the Altar is the fundamental essence of the Temple. Therefore, even if the Temple is not fully constructed, the presence of the Altar alone is sufficient to provide a functional House of God. This view differs from that of the Talmudic Sages, who regarded the Altar as solely a temporary alternative to the Temple).
These conclusions derive from a textual, contextual, and linguistic study of Maimonides' writings concerning the relationship between the Altar, the Temple's outer shell, and the other vessels that were utilized in the divine service.""

"Rabbi Yom Tov Lipman Mühlhausen (fl. around 1400) was one of the most versatile Jewish scholars in late-medieval Ashkenaz. In his works, he demonstrated interest in natural science, philosophy, and Kabbalah, combining these metahalakhic pursuits in a remarkable synthesis. However, his most influential text was the compendium of apologetic Sefer niẓaḥon, which enjoyed wide popularity and is preserved in numerous manuscripts.

In the preface, Lipman claimed that the purpose of his book was to defend Jewish faith against the attacks of its enemies. In my paper, I analyse rhetorical strategies used by Lipman to categorise and describe these enemies. The constructed nature of these categories suggest, I believe, that Lipman’s Sefer niẓaḥon participated in a wider project of re-imagining of the Jewish community and I examine how this project is embedded in the literary structure of the book. I argue that through the rhetoric of difference employed in Sefer niẓaḥon, Lipman attempted to re-negotiate  communal boundaries at the time of significant crisis and disruption. I also analyse the extent to which contemporary Christian preoccupations with heresy and Christian identity could have stimulated Lipman’s vision of an ideal Jewish community.

Furthermore, I attempt to place Lipman’s Sefer niẓaḥon in the context of contemporary book culture, with its transformations of notions of the role of the intellectual in the public sphere. I suggest that Lipman’s attitudes towards literary authorship, as well as his preoccupation with the reception of his texts and their use, show remarkable affinities with the concerns of his Christian colleagues. "

"What do Jews think scripture is? How do Jews view the anthology they variously call Tanakh, Miqra or “the Bible? Until now, no book has surveyed the answers Jews through the ages have given to these questions. This is the more surprising, since one would think that the conception of the Book among the People of the Book would be a topic of interest. The way Jews construct scripture, after all, is one way Jews construct themselves. The purpose of this anthology is to fill this gap. The seventeen essays in this collection explore how various figures, movements, or texts conceptualize scripture. Issues they address include:
- Ways in which the Tanakh is and is not thought to be authoritative
- The  relationship between Tanakh and tradition (in rabbinic parlance: between the Oral and Written Torahs)
- The question of who has the authority to interpret scripture
- The special status of the Bible’s language, or the ways its use of language differs from that of other texts
- The relationship of scripture to God and/or heavenly intermediaries
- The place of the Tanakh in the life of Jewish communities""