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Wed.

Wed. Reformers: Be prepared to discuss why Reform Judaism arose and how. How is it a reaction to modernity? Others: be prepared to comment on Haskalah, Mendelssohn’s impact, Friday: Ortho. Conservative, can describe their positions, etc. What to do when the world changes?. Nothing.

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  1. Wed. Reformers: Be prepared to discuss why Reform Judaism arose and how. How is it a reaction to modernity? Others: be prepared to comment on Haskalah, Mendelssohn’s impact, Friday: Ortho. Conservative, can describe their positions, etc.

  2. What to do when the world changes? • Nothing. • Embrace Change: Discontinuity with past • Negotiate a compromise Adaptation on certain terms • Resist change with your last dying breath

  3. Life as a minority • Abandonment of identity as a minority • Assimilation • Accommodation • Abandonment of outside world.

  4. BeshT on Messiah: 2 theories. • His teachings were a prelude to redemption by Messiah. • Downplays “eschatology” (end of the world) • Reaction to false messiahs Sees eschatology as allegory of personal transformation.

  5. Legend • 1747 BeshT sees Messiah“When will you come?” • “When every Jews is as spiritual as you” • Mission: to bring the Messiah.

  6. Modern Denominations Is Messiah a person or Is there only a “messianic period” when justice will prevail?

  7. Successors • Tzaddik “righteous” • “Rebbe” • Disciples of BeshT who form their own schools. • Became dynastic

  8. R. Zalman of Ladi1745-1812 • Habad (Chabad)– Lubavitch Hasid • Integrated Mysticism with renewed emphasis on Oral Torah

  9. Rebbe M. Mendel Schneersond. 1994Lubavith ChabadMessiah?

  10. Backlash • Rabbinic Elite challenges Hasids • “Mitnagdim” • Elijah ben Solomon Zalman 1720-97 “Gaon of Vilna”

  11. Modernity • Hasidic Judaism: many groups anti-modernist in many respects. • Return to tradition, and Judaism as a special people

  12. Irony • Mitnagdim taught Hasidism was a dangerous innovation • Hasidism rejected modernity and became a force for orthodoxy. • BOTH objected to reformers.

  13. Changes 18th - 20th century • Political • Democracy • Nation-states / citizenship • Human rights. • Economic • Capitalism / Communism • Industrialization • Religious • Biblical truths questioned • Religious leaders loose political power • Science

  14. Baruch Spinoza 1632-1677 • Studied with Christians • Rejected Halakhah • Excommunicated • Radical discontinuity with the past.

  15. Spinoza • Bible is product of human politics • Not divine revelation • Not eternal • Not unchangeable

  16. Spinoza • Biblical claims are relative to Israelite culture • God chose Israel, not others: • Says more about Israelites’ thoughts, not God’s.

  17. Jewish self-identity “Chosen” people. • Social status: Inferior • Theological status: Superior to non-Jews.

  18. Questions • How did these attitudes get entrenched in Jewish thought? • What are the implications of this for social change?

  19. Spinoza’s new world • Gov. must make people Happy. • Gov. must dissociate itself from religion.

  20. Spinoza • Religious convictions are irrelevant to modern states. • Total freedom from politics for philosophers

  21. Spinoza • Some parts of Jewish tradition are valuable symbols of identity: circumcision • Zionists praise Spinoza for this. • BUT: Spinoza favored pluralistic states with no overt religious component.

  22. Spinoza • Civil Religion: A Government guided by principles of human happiness. • Basis for Zionism

  23. Mendelssohn 1729-1786 • Hoped Jews would attain citizenship as individuals: equal to all other people. • “JERUSALEM” book Religion necessary to the state Diversity is necessary

  24. Mendelssohn • Traditional Jewish life valid • But, taught that Jews should reject Ghetto life and sense of superiority. • Jews should see themselves as full members of society

  25. Mendelssohn • Jews should adopt customs of larger society. • Jews should retain Judaism at home.

  26. Mendelssohn • “I do not understand how those who are part of the household of Jacob can with a good conscience not fully observe the Jewish Law.”

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