Jewish Teachings Research Articles

Tikkun Olam

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the revitalization of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States (U.S.), and rising antisemitism in Eastern Europe during the same period prompted a rapid increase in the U.S. Jewish population. The simultaneity of these historic events naturally proposes an inquiry into the role of Judaism and the growing Jewish community in the U.S. women’s suffrage movement. Jewish teachings about the equality and dignity of humankind positioned the Jewish community to support women’s suffrage. Traditions of tzedek (pursuing justice) and tikkun olam (repairing the world) were central to the practical religion of American Jews and motivated them to pursue active roles in orchestrating this social change. Furthermore, Jewish lived religion and experiences with antisemitism evoked an empathy that inspired many Jewish individuals and communities to combat discrimination and inequality against other marginalized groups, such as by participating in the women’s suffrage movement. Contemporary American Jewry continues to uphold these traditions of activism as pursuing social change is part of performing mitzvot (commandments and good deeds) in Judaism. Thus, religion can inspire social change by empowering individuals to work towards a better world.

Https://habibiaislamicus.com/index.php/hirj/article/view/287

Judaism is one of the most mysterious religions in the world. Despite the large number of Jews in the world, people are generally unable to know about Jewish customs and traditions. There are many reasons for this mystery. One of them is that this religion only accepts people of a certain race, due to which other people are generally ignorant of their religious thought, philosophy, and practice. The other reason for their mysteriousness is their different religious calendar system. Their names of months, counting of years, and festivals are neither entirely on the solar calendar nor entirely on the lunar calendar. The books of the People of the Book have been of great importance to the people of Islam because our book, the Holy Quran repeatedly refers to them. Christian literature is easy to obtain as it is available in every language. In contrast, Jewish literature has been available only in Hebrew. And the translations in English are not available to the common man. But for the past two or three years, English translations of Jewish religious books have become available online. The Jewish religious literature is indeed divided into two main parts: the Tanakh and the Talmud. The Tanakh, also known as the Hebrew Bible, is further divided into three sections: the Torah, the Nevi'im (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). Each section contains various books and writings that are significant to the Jewish faith. The Torah, which is the first part of the Tanakh, consists of the five books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It contains the foundational laws, commandments, and teachings that guide Jewish religious practice. The Nevi'im, or the Prophets, includes books that contain the messages, prophecies, and narratives of the Jewish prophets throughout history. It provides insights into the moral and spiritual guidance of the Jewish people. The Ketuvim, or the Writings, consists of various books, including Psalms, Proverbs, Job, and others. It contains poetry, wisdom literature, songs, and stories that offer spiritual and practical guidance to Jewish individuals and communities. The Talmud is a compilation of Jewish teachings and discussions that expand upon the laws and principles outlined in the Tanakh. The Talmud is divided into two main parts: the Mishnah and the Gemara. The Mishnah is a collection of oral traditions and teachings of Jewish law, while the Gemara provides commentaries and discussions on the Mishnah. Together, the Tanakh and the Talmud form the foundation of Jewish religious literature, providing guidance, teachings, and insights into the faith and its practices. They are essential sources for understanding Jewish theology, ethics, and legal principles.

“I Call It Rabbi Youtube”: Rabbinic Authority in the Digital Age and The Children of Noah (Bnei Noah) Movement

The rise of the Internet and social media has enabled Jewish teachings to travel far beyond the boundaries of established Jewish communities. New channels for Torah study online have connected rabbis in Israel to non-Jews around the world who are searching for rabbinic mentorship. Tens of thousands of individuals coming from Hebrew Roots Christianity, Seventh-Day Adventism, and Messianic Judaism have converged with Orthodox rabbinic authorities through online platforms, where they negotiate theological questions and their own place within a messianic Zionist vision. In turn, Orthodox rabbis from Israel’s religious right wing are engaging in a new form of Internet proselytizing, offering non-Jews who feel lost in the boundary zone between Christianity and Judaism a concrete solution: they are invited to become Bnei Noah, the Children of Noah, a new Judaic faith and a harbinger of messianic times.

CRITICISM OF THE CONCEPT OF INTERTEKSTUALITY OF THE QURAN WITH JEWISH TRADITION IN ABRAHAM GEIGER'S VIEW

The main focus of this research is the thoughts of Abraham Geiger regarding the Al-Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad SAW. Abraham Geiger is an orientalist who has a skeptical attitude and gives a negative assessment of Prophet Muhammad SAW. Through his monumental work entitled "Wat hat Mohammad aus dem judentume Aufgenommen", Geiger tries to prove the existence of Jewish influence in the Al-Qur'an adopted by Prophet Muhammad SAW. The researcher uses library research and hermeneutic analysis to analyze the data. The results of this study show that Geiger appears to give a negative assessment of the figure of Prophet Muhammad SAW and believes that the Al-Qur'an is influenced by Jewish tradition. However, critical analysis shows that it is not possible for Prophet Muhammad to adopt Jewish teachings due to his relatively short interaction with some Jewish figures. In addition, the Al-Qur'an also consists of various fields of knowledge that exist before and after the Al-Qur'an was revealed. This shows that the Al-Qur'an gives high appreciation to previous sacred books and also confirms that the Al-Qur'an is not only influenced by Jewish tradition, but also by other religious languages. However, despite this, Abraham Geiger's study of the Al-Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad SAW cannot be fully accepted due to his skeptical attitude and negative stigma towards Islam.

Kajian Hadis: Historiografi Yahudi - Israel Dan Muslim - Palestina

Jerusalem was built by the Arabs of the Right long before the Jews came to the city. It was built by Arab Jebus four thousand years BC, or 2100 years before the arrival of the Prophet Abraham, and 2,700 years before the arrival of the Prophet Moses who brought the teachings of the Torah which became the source of Jewish teachings. In history, after the Arab tribe of Yebus was built, Jerusalem was recorded to have been under the rule of Pharaoh, Jews for about 73 years, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Islamic rule I led by Umar bin Khattab in the 15th year Hijri, Christians, Islamic rule II by Salahuddin al-Ayyubi, then the Ottomans in 1615 until it fell to the British in 1917, and in 1948 the state of Israel was established. History records that relations between Muslims and Jews have always been filled with tension after tension. Of course, these tensions arose from the injustice of the Jews in many ways. Along with the Qur'an and hadith as well as historical facts as the main sources of information, this article informs us that the attitudes and views of the Jews towards Islam tend to be brutal.

Beyond Jewish Racial Justice Activism

ABSTRACT The novel coronavirus crisis exposed deep racial inequalities in the United States. People of color are disproportionately affected by the pandemic and its economic impact. These social inequalities, paired with anti-Black racist violence by the police, led to a series of racial justice protests under the umbrella of Black Lives Matter. Many Jews participated and supported these anti-racist efforts. But can Jewish tradition guide us in tackling racist injustices in the twenty-first century? This article will present some dilemmas surrounding traditional Jewish teachings and whether they can help address racial justice today.

The Sacred Exchange: Creating a Jewish Money Ethic

The Sacred Exchange: Creating a Jewish Money Ethic

Muhammad dan Orisinalitas Al-Quran dalam Pandangan Abraham Geiger

Among the interest in the study of Muhammad and the Quran was born from the Orientalists. Including the Orientalists who were very influential on this study was Abraham Geiger. From this research, it is found that Geiger has a view that tends to be contrary to that of Muslim scholars in general. Where Geiger views that Muhammad was someone who had tried to bring up the Quran because it was influenced by the Jewish culture that already existed in the Arab region at that time. Geigers opinion is based on several facts that he put forward, which include: When Muhammad carried out his mission in Medina, Muhammad was dealing with Jews who had long had a strong influence on the local community and Muhammad had close relations with Jews. in the area. This fact is then reinforced by Geigers findings in the Qur'an which are indicated to be taken from the Jewish tradition, such as the discovery of 14 vocabulary words of the Koran which tend to be the same as Jewish dogma, the discovery of doctrinal concepts that indicate the adaptation of the Qur'an from the Jews. and the stories in the Koran that tend to be in line with Jewish teachings.

Cultural adaptations of cognitive behaviour therapy for the Orthodox Jewish community: a qualitative study of therapists’ perspectives

Abstract Cultural factors are influential in the prevalence, diagnosis and treatment efficacy of mental health conditions. Although the literature has advanced substantially towards the development of cultural adaptations of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for various minority cultural groups, research into cultural adaptations of CBT for the Orthodox Jewish community has been scarce. This qualitative study interviewed five CBT therapists about their experiences working with clients from the London Orthodox Jewish community and uncovered several key practical implications for the clinical practice of CBT with this client group. This study indicates that CBT is a culturally appropriate psychological treatment for this client group that accords with Orthodox Jewish teachings and religious beliefs. CBT therapists are encouraged to become familiar with Orthodox Jewish cultural practices and beliefs and adopt a culturally sensitive approach to treatment. Despite the reduced mental health stigma within the community, this study recommends that CBT therapists normalise mental health conditions and therapy with Orthodox Jewish clients. Due to the close-knit nature of the community, it is suggested that CBT therapists display heightened confidentiality with this client group. To overcome the mistrust of their Orthodox Jewish clients, CBT therapists are advised to display cultural sensitivity and genuine respect for the Orthodox Jewish way of life, in addition to building a strong therapeutic alliance. Further qualitative research exploring different perspectives is necessary to produce evidence-based guidelines for the cultural adaptation of CBT for the Orthodox Jewish community. Key learning aims (1) To explore how CBT therapists work with the religious beliefs and practices of Orthodox Jewish clients. (2) To discover the challenges faced by Orthodox Jewish clients when accessing psychological treatment. (3) To consider the ways in which CBT can be culturally adapted to meet the needs of the Orthodox Jewish community.

The Jews Say the Hand of God is Chained: Q. 5:64 as a Response to a Midrash in apiyyutby R. Elʿazar ha-Kallir

In Q. 5:64, the Qur'an accuses the Jews of describing God as a deity with a chained (maghlūla) hand, a charge the Qur'an understands as indicating divine miserliness. However, a foray into Jewish teachings reveals that no such statement of God's niggardliness can be found in the Jewish tradition. While scholars have suggested Psalms 72:11 and Lamentations 2:3 as possible sources, in both the image is of a deity withdrawing His military might, not His financial bounty. Insistence on these as the inspiration behind the Qur'an's words ignores the substance of the Qur'an's claim.This article argues instead that Q. 5:64 is reacting to a midrashic motif embedded in a liturgical poem (piyyut) recited on the Ninth of Av, the day commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Here God chains His own hand in empathy with the exiled and traumatised captives, a move also understood as guaranteeing Israel's eventual redemption. Additionally, I argue that the Qur'anic transmutation of this image into one that concerns finances is intentional. In turning the midrashic declaration of God's continued relationship with Israel into a blasphemous accusation of parsimoniousness, the Qur'an argues against the continued Jewish understanding of themselves as God's favoured.

Be Careful and Watch Yourselves: Public Health in Jewish Teachings

In this brief article, the author will focus on primary prevention as discussed in Jewish religious texts regarding halacha (Jewish law) and will briefly explore Jewish approaches to wellness and primary disease prevention. This exploration will demonstrate how Judaism views primary disease prevention. These views are consistent with medical and public health but are driven by a divine purpose.

Sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud, Christian and Sasanian Contexts in Late Antiquity by Yishai Kiel

Reviewed by: Sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud, Christian and Sasanian Contexts in Late Antiquity by Yishai Kiel Judith Hauptman Yishai Kiel. Sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud, Christian and Sasanian Contexts in Late Antiquity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 302 pp. Having mastered the languages and literature of ancient Iran, Yishai Kiel reads Bavli texts in their Sasanian or Iranian setting, a growing corner of rabbinics research in recent years. Kiel’s volume is a welcome addition. It neatly subdivides into two sections: part 1 presents close readings of rabbinic texts on sexuality in the context of Christian and Zoroastrian texts; part 2 focuses on the treatment of incest in rabbinic and Zoroastrian writings. The main thrust of the volume is to “put the nail in the coffin” of those who read the rabbis only internally, ignoring the culture of which they were a part. As Kiel states, a rabbinic text can be “significantly illuminated by its contextual reading against the backdrop of contemporaneous Zoroastrian practice and doctrine” (246). Babylonian rabbis, Kiel says in part 1, viewed marital sex not just as a means for procreation but as a way to extinguish desire, which they regard as a demonic force. Zoroastrian texts, he then demonstrates, show the same split attitude, which probably means that the rabbis assimilated these “dichotomous” views from contact with their neighbors. Both sets of religious texts also display an ambivalence toward the phenomenon of married scholars leaving their wives for long periods of time to go away and study. True, there is criticism of this practice in the Bavli, Kiel notes, but also romanticization, as in the story of R. Akiba and his wife Rachel, whom he abandons for twenty-four years. In his discussion of sex in the daytime, Kiel argues that although a rabbinic text in B. Niddah 17a frowns on the practice, requiring darkness for sex, the same passage then praises the members of the household of Monobaz of Adiabene, a convert to Judaism according to the Talmud, for engaging in sex in the daytime. To resolve this glaring discrepancy, the anonymous talmudic editor suggests that sex at night can be problematic. Kiel understands the discussion differently. In an innovative and insightful reading of the Monobaz text, he suggests that the Talmud chose to praise a former Zoroastrian for engaging in daytime sex in order to effectively undermine its own legislation that opposed such a practice. The reason for this shift is that the Talmud was responding to the Zoroastrian teaching that sex should ideally take place in the light of the sun or of a domestic fire. The second part of the book, which is much tighter in its organization, is even more enlightening. Kiel shows that, in sharp contrast to Jewish teachings, the founding myths of Zoroastrianism strongly encourage incest between parents and children and between siblings. By keeping good qualities in the family, incest leads to purity of the “seed.” Zoroastrianism even goes so far as to consider incest to be a religious obligation. Kiel reads the Noahide laws in the light of these Zoroastrian teachings: as presented in the Talmud Yerushalmi, the Noahide laws ban incest for Jews and non-Jews alike; when the same laws are presented in the Babylonian Talmud, they ban incest among Jews but permit it among non-Jews. This change shows that Babylonian rabbis were not just responding to the Yerushalmi’s teachings but to their own cultural context. [End Page 212] Kiel states, in a later chapter, that the Zoroastrian practice of confession of sin to a rad, a religious authority, could result in his prescribing penitential procedures, such as remorse, confession, monetary compensation (where relevant), or other punishments. The author recounts several stories from Persian literature in which these features appear. He then turns to the Bavli story about a woman who confessed to R. Ḥisda that her younger son was the result of an incestuous encounter with her older son (B. Avodah Zarah 17a). Although in Zoroastrianism incest is considered so meritorious that it cancels the most serious offenses, R. Ḥisda viewed incest in precisely the opposite way: it is so serious a sin that only death can atone for it...

Yishai Kiel. Sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud, Christian and Sasanian Contexts in Late Antiquity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 302 pp.

Reviewed by: Sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud, Christian and Sasanian Contexts in Late Antiquity by Yishai Kiel Judith Hauptman Yishai Kiel. Sexuality in the Babylonian Talmud, Christian and Sasanian Contexts in Late Antiquity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2016. 302 pp. Having mastered the languages and literature of ancient Iran, Yishai Kiel reads Bavli texts in their Sasanian or Iranian setting, a growing corner of rabbinics research in recent years. Kiel’s volume is a welcome addition. It neatly subdivides into two sections: part 1 presents close readings of rabbinic texts on sexuality in the context of Christian and Zoroastrian texts; part 2 focuses on the treatment of incest in rabbinic and Zoroastrian writings. The main thrust of the volume is to “put the nail in the coffin” of those who read the rabbis only internally, ignoring the culture of which they were a part. As Kiel states, a rabbinic text can be “significantly illuminated by its contextual reading against the backdrop of contemporaneous Zoroastrian practice and doctrine” (246). Babylonian rabbis, Kiel says in part 1, viewed marital sex not just as a means for procreation but as a way to extinguish desire, which they regard as a demonic force. Zoroastrian texts, he then demonstrates, show the same split attitude, which probably means that the rabbis assimilated these “dichotomous” views from contact with their neighbors. Both sets of religious texts also display an ambivalence toward the phenomenon of married scholars leaving their wives for long periods of time to go away and study. True, there is criticism of this practice in the Bavli, Kiel notes, but also romanticization, as in the story of R. Akiba and his wife Rachel, whom he abandons for twenty-four years. In his discussion of sex in the daytime, Kiel argues that although a rabbinic text in B. Niddah 17a frowns on the practice, requiring darkness for sex, the same passage then praises the members of the household of Monobaz of Adiabene, a convert to Judaism according to the Talmud, for engaging in sex in the daytime. To resolve this glaring discrepancy, the anonymous talmudic editor suggests that sex at night can be problematic. Kiel understands the discussion differently. In an innovative and insightful reading of the Monobaz text, he suggests that the Talmud chose to praise a former Zoroastrian for engaging in daytime sex in order to effectively undermine its own legislation that opposed such a practice. The reason for this shift is that the Talmud was responding to the Zoroastrian teaching that sex should ideally take place in the light of the sun or of a domestic fire. The second part of the book, which is much tighter in its organization, is even more enlightening. Kiel shows that, in sharp contrast to Jewish teachings, the founding myths of Zoroastrianism strongly encourage incest between parents and children and between siblings. By keeping good qualities in the family, incest leads to purity of the “seed.” Zoroastrianism even goes so far as to consider incest to be a religious obligation. Kiel reads the Noahide laws in the light of these Zoroastrian teachings: as presented in the Talmud Yerushalmi, the Noahide laws ban incest for Jews and non-Jews alike; when the same laws are presented in the Babylonian Talmud, they ban incest among Jews but permit it among non-Jews. This change shows that Babylonian rabbis were not just responding to the Yerushalmi’s teachings but to their own cultural context. [End Page 212] Kiel states, in a later chapter, that the Zoroastrian practice of confession of sin to a rad, a religious authority, could result in his prescribing penitential procedures, such as remorse, confession, monetary compensation (where relevant), or other punishments. The author recounts several stories from Persian literature in which these features appear. He then turns to the Bavli story about a woman who confessed to R. Ḥisda that her younger son was the result of an incestuous encounter with her older son (B. Avodah Zarah 17a). Although in Zoroastrianism incest is considered so meritorious that it cancels the most serious offenses, R. Ḥisda viewed incest in precisely the opposite way: it is so serious a sin that only death can atone for it...

Six Values Never to Silence: Jewish Perspectives on Nazi Medical Professionalism.

An ideological case study based on medical profession norms during the Third Reich will be used to exemplify the importance of diversity in the manifestations of professional ethics. The German professional medical community banned their Jewish colleagues from treating German citizens. This included legally mandated employment discrimination and outright censure which led to a professional ethic devoid of diverse voices. While the escalation to the T-4 program and medicalized genocide was influenced by many causes, the intentional, ethnocentric-based exclusion of voices was an important contributing element to the chronicled degradation of societal mores. For illustration, six core Jewish values—life, peace, justice, mercy, scholarship, and sincerity of intention—will be detailed for their potential to inspire health-care professionals to defend and protect minorities and for readers to think critically about the role of medical professionalism in Third Reich society. The Jewish teachings highlight the inherent professional obligations physicians have toward their patients in contrast to the Third Reich’s corruption of patient-centered professionalism. More fundamentally, juxtaposing Jewish and Nazi teachings exposes the loss of perspective when a profession’s identity spurns diversity. To ensure respect for persons in all vulnerable minorities, the first step is addressing professional inclusion of minority voices.

"All True, All Holy, All Divine": Jewish Identity in the Polemics and Letters of Isaac Orobio de Castro, a Former Portuguese New Christian in 1600s Amsterdam

"All True, All Holy, All Divine":Jewish Identity in the Polemics and Letters of Isaac Orobio de Castro, a Former Portuguese New Christian in 1600s Amsterdam Matthew D. Warshawsky (bio) An important consequence of the expulsion and forced conversions of Jews from Spain and Portugal at the end of the 1400s was the establishment of communities of these individuals and their descendants in Italy, the Ottoman Empire, northwestern Europe, and colonial Latin America. During the 1600s, Amsterdam stood out from these other locales as a center of settlement by people of Sephardic, or Iberian Jewish, roots for at least two reasons. First, the émigrés from the Iberian Peninsula were in fact conversos or New Christians, that is, baptized Catholics of Jewish descent, who upon arrival in the Dutch republic could build a Jewish identity that was denied them in Spain and Portugal. Second, mercantile opportunities and a religious environment more tolerant of Jews helped the Iberian arrivals turn the city into a great center of Sephardic economic, cultural, and spiritual life. One such émigré, the physician and polemicist Isaac Orobio de Castro, exemplified the diverse intellectual elite of the New Christian Portuguese people who became "New Jews" in such a setting. This article argues that repression of Jewish identity in Iberia led Orobio to engage in polemics with Protestant, Catholic, and, in the case of Juan (Daniel) de Prado, converso thinkers, in which he expounded Judaism as a divinely inspired faith and legitimated what for him was its superiority to Christianity. Additionally, in his epistolary correspondence with Prado, Orobio successfully cataloged the ways in which the deistic beliefs of his fellow former New Christian fell outside accepted Jewish teachings of the time, even as such beliefs foreshadowed an incipient transition to Jewish identity not rigorously bound to biblical teachings. In the following pages, I will briefly outline how conditions in Amsterdam enabled Orobio to espouse rabbinic Judaism there, as well as the peripatetic life that led him to Holland. Then I will consider the three responses of Orobio to Prado in order to demonstrate how the former's view of Judaism—as the bearer of a divine law that an all-powerful God gave to the Jewish people, esteemed above other peoples—led him to [End Page 267] criticize sharply the heterodox views of his friend for denying the unique status of this religion. Finally, I will examine the treatises La observancia de la divina ley de Mosseh (Observance of the Divine Law of Moses) and part 1 of Prevenciones divinas contra la vana idolatría de las gentes (Divine Forewarnings against the Vain Idolatry of Catholics) that he directed, respectively, to Huguenot and Catholic opponents, as documents that assert a Jewish identity by attacking foundational teachings of Christianity. A condensed summary of the establishment of the Sephardic community of Amsterdam and its Iberian and Jewish characteristics during the 1600s will help contextualize the arrival there of Orobio and explain his defense of Judaism in anti-Christian terms.1 Financial woes resulting from political imperialism contributed to increased emigration of New Christians from Spain and even more from Portugal, especially during the sixty-year period between 1580 and 1640, when Spain annexed the crown of its smaller neighbor.2 Thus, early in the seventeenth century, the Duke of Lerma, the valido, or favorite minister, of King Felipe III, agreed to accept 170,000 cruzados from Portuguese conversos in exchange for granting them permission to leave the peninsula. Prior to this bribe lifting the prohibition on travel, New Christians wishing to travel outside Iberia might serve as ship's crew or captain, and in the case of Portuguese conversos, obtain a license to trade in the Indies if the Spanish crowned deemed them necessary to overseas commerce.3 The subsequent Twelve Years Truce of 1609–1621 further stimulated emigration by enabling Portuguese converso merchants to participate in Amsterdam's trade with Dutch colonies in the East and West Indies,4 as well as position them to form commercial networks with New Christians in these and other overseas outposts. Then, during the 1620s, Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares and valido of Felipe IV, invited Portuguese converso bankers to...

A Comparative Study: Brotherhood in the Belief of Abrahamic Religions

The notion of brotherhood and sisterhood is common among divine and most of non divine religions alike and the holy books of the Abrahamic religions have various references to the same. Divine teachings recognize a deep religious and emotional connection between faithful people, both men and women; who live in a similar attitude. This is in addition to blood relationship that can exist between any two people. Such religious connection symbolizes kindness and unity in communities and populations. Therefore, religions have called the faithful individuals of society brothers, to invite them to unity and found stability of this kindness. Religious brotherhood is not a ceremonial title for a series of political and social purposes, but rather an intellectual and spiritual unity of goals and ideas; without which unity of individuals will not be stable. The holy Quran has called faithful people brothers. (انما المؤمنون اخوة 49/10) Based on many Ahadith, prophet Mohammad (SAW) declared brotherhood of each two persons of his entourage, which is known as Moakhat«مؤاخاة» in Islam’s history and sisterhood and brotherhood duties were expressed. The word brotherhood is also commonly used in Jewish teachings and in the Proverbs of the Old Testament of Solomon prophet, which main deals with wisdom and advice. As for the New Testament, Paul in his letter to Corinthians discourages Christians of going to Roman courts with emphasis to perpetuating brotherhood and loving each other as brothers. It has also been said that a faithful man should advise young Christian women like their own sisters, by wisdom. Thus, using terms of sisterhood and brotherhood exist amongst Abrahamic religions.

Integrating Psychology and Philosophy: A Brief Analysis of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee

<p class="apa">A brief analysis of <em>The Blessing of a Skinned Knee</em> gives a glimpse of beliefs and practices cherished by the family that attempts to employ Jewish teachings to raise children. The child nurturing and rearing practices are in a degree enlightening and supplementing the existing literature in education. Prevention with the inspiration from time-tested lessons of philosophy drawn from Judaism and psychology theory could bring about a marked positive impact on child rearing. Three cornerstone principles of Jewish living—moderation, celebration and sanctification are frames of reference in developing philosophy of cultivating children. Moderation helps achieve the balance between what parents ought to do and what they should let go and tells priorities and values that make peace of mind accessible in the materialistic, anxious and highly competitive world. Gratitude is the most valuable character trait children need, for being grateful and celebrating what they are granted by life, they will always see the most beautiful world and stay with the most peaceful mind, both of which are essential to the pleasure of life. Sanctification indicates that all daily enterprises are holy and therefore demand devotion and commitment.</p>

The Captivating Beauty of the Divine Spark—Breslau and the Reception of Yehuda Halevi’s Sefer Kuzari (1877–1911)

Abstract The article follows the reception of the philosophy of Yehudah Halevi (1075–-1141) within the Breslau school of Jewish thought during the second half of the nineteenth century. Special focus is given to the discussion of Halevi in the writings of David Kaufmann and Julius Guttmann. Both scholars admire Halevi’s Sefer haKuzari because they discovered a certain analogy between his medieval project of an intellectual apology of Judaism and their own endeavors in Breslau to philosophically justify the existence of Judaism in modernity. In their point of view, Halevi has achieved his results, however, without forcing the wealth of traditional Jewish teachings into an artificial system of thought, as did Maimonides after him. Thus, Halevi became for the Breslau scholars a personal example of Jewish integrity, combining faithful adherence to Judaism with intellectual penetration of its doctrines.

Between Jewish Tradition and Modernity: Rethinking an Old Opposition. Essays in Honor of David Ellenson ed. by Michael A. Meyer, David N. Myers (review)

Reviewed by: Between Jewish Tradition and Modernity: Rethinking an Old Opposition. Essays in Honor of David Ellenson ed. by Michael A. Meyer, David N. Myers Robert M. Seltzer (bio) Michael A. Meyer and David N. Myers, editors, Between Jewish Tradition and Modernity: Rethinking an Old Opposition. Essays in Honor of David Ellenson. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 2014. xiv + 360 pp. Reviewing a Festschrift presents a special problem: contributions by colleagues, friends, and/or former students of the person being honored can cover a wide range of topics only tangentially connected to each other. Should the reviewer dwell on the achievements of the honoree or look for elements that the collected essays might have in common? This was not a problem in reviewing Between Jewish Tradition and Modernity, a collection of articles of high quality, interest, and value. All of the authors of essays in this volume pay homage to David Ellenson. Raised in a modern Orthodox family in Newport News, VA., he received his BA from the College of William and Mary, his MA in Jewish Studies at the University of Virginia, his PhD from Columbia University, and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion where, after several years as a faculty member, he served as president from 2002 to 2014. In his college days influences on him included sociologists of religion Max Weber, Peter Berger, and Jacob Katz. His first book was Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer and the Creation of Modern Jewish Orthodoxy (1990). His many studies on Judaism in Israel and America are in the dense nine pages of Ellenson’s bibliography appended to the volume. A personal note: his oeuvre includes “Zion in the Mind of the American Rabbinate during the 1940s,” which appeared in the collection The Americanization of the Jews, that I edited with Norman S. Cohen (1995). The essays in Between Jewish Tradition and Modernity are arranged under four sub-headings: Law, Ritual, Thought, and Culture. Together they constitute a mosaic of topics connected to American Jewish religious life in the last half century, such as post-denominationalism, the impact of the counterculture, new conceptions of ethnicity, changing styles of worship, the growing importance of feminism, and the State of Israel. To be sure, there are pieces that do not fit tidily into this mold, such as Jonathan Sarna’s essay on a mid-nineteenth-century controversy over whether it was appropriate to erect a statue of the New Orleans Jewish philanthropist Judah Touro in view of traditional anti-iconic Jewish teachings. Zvi Zohar examines a responsum from early twentieth-century Salonica on converting the non-Jewish partner of an intermarriage (a forerunning of widespread occurrence in contemporary American Judaism). Michael Marmur discusses the early writings of Abraham Joshua [End Page 161] Heschel before he arrived in Cincinnati to teach at the Hebrew Union College and went on to the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rachel Adler critiques Rav J. B. Soloveichik’s equivocations on feminism. As noted, however, most of the pieces deal with more recent developments. Arnold Eisen critiques the venerable Zionist trope of shelilat hagalut expressed in a talk by A. B. Yehoshua. Adam S. Ferziger discusses how the presence of Reform Judaism has sharpened the self-image of Orthodoxy in Israel whereas, conversely, Jack Wertheimer notes how the complexity of American Judaism has affected “Orthodox Outreach Workers.” Notably missing from the collection is concern for Jewish theology, perhaps a result of the list of contributors but also of the paucity of major new theologies of Judaism. Premodern/modern is a critical distinction in the history of science, technology, economics, ideologies, philosophy, art–and in Judaism. As Arnold J. Band notes in his essay on S.Y. Agnon, the relation between what we think of as tradition and modernity is dialectical. Affecting each other, they repeatedly reshaped Judaism as a whole. A central feature of the modern is repeated change. In the Festschrift this appears in Steven M. Lowenstein’s depiction of the separate paths taken by modernizing German and Dutch Jewry. This theme is driven home in Wendy Zierler’s discussion of the avant-garde film Momento, which illustrates how the pre-modern past is repeatedly rewritten. Similar...

Chassidic Teachings and Modern Psychology: Toward a More Unified Approach.

This article describes how many modern psychological constructs and theories exist in older as well as newer Chassidic and Jewish teachings, particularly those of Chabad Lubavitch. This exploration points toward a potential benefit for a unification of psychology and Chassidic teachings. Psychological theories and constructs explored are Freudian psychoanalysis, cognitive dissonance, cognitive restructuring/reframing, self-efficacy/planned behavior, and logotherapy/existentialism. The article then concludes with a discussion of possible implications of moving toward a unified approach for clinical practitioners.