SUMMARIES Warren Zev Harvey SARA KLEIN-BRASLAVY ON RABBI NISSIM OF GIRONA The first study of the philosophy of Rabbi Nissim of Girona (= Ran, d. 1376) was Sara Klein-Braslavy s dissertation, R. Nissim ben Reuben de Gérone devant la philosophie de son temps (Sorbonne 1972). She published five essays on Ran: (1) The Reality of Time and the Primordial Period (Hebrew), Tarbiz (1975), examined the dictum an order of times pre-existed (Genesis Rabbah 3:7), and showed Ran held the distinctive view that time existed before physical bodies but not before prime matter; (2) Vérité prophétique et vérité philosophique, REJ 134 (1975), argued Ran s distinction between prophetic and philosophic truth was influenced by Rabbi Isaac Albalag and Christian Averroism; (3) The Gathering at Mount Sinai (Hebrew), Sinai 80 (1977), explained Ran s view of Revelation as the antithesis of Maimonides ; (4) The Influence of Ran on Crescas and Albo s Principles (Hebrew), Eshel Beer-Sheva 2 (1980), proved the impact of Ran s dogmatology; (5) The Concept of Magic in Rashba and Ran, Encuentros and Desencuentros, ed., C. Parrondo, et al. (Tel-Aviv 2000), expounded Ran s critique of our ability to distinguish science (approved by the Law) from magic (forbidden by it). Menachem Kellner IT IS A POSITIVE COMMANDMENT TO KNOW THIS MATTER (MAIMONIDES, LAWS CONCERNING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE TORAH I.6) WHO CAN KNOW THIS MATTER? According to Maimonides, the first of all the positive commandments of the Torah,
VI Summaries the first commandment in the Decalogue, the first of his Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Religion, and most foundational of all the foundations of the Torah is to know that God exists. Who can fulfill that commandment only Jews, or all human beings? It is shown here that, in contradistinction to many other Jewish thinkers (the example cited here being R. Elhanan Wasserman, hy d), Maimonides held this knowledge to be open to all human beings. In being able to fulfill the first and most foundational commandment of the Torah, Jews have no advantage over non-jews. Haim Kreisel IF I KNEW HIM I WOULD BE HIM THE EVOLVING OF A MAXIM The article opens with an account of the radical use of the maxim If I knew Him I would be Him in the teachings of R. Nahman of Braslav, while contrasting some of his ideas in the passage in which this maxim appears with those of Maimonides. The article goes on to explore the connection between knowledge and conjunction with God, as well as the immortality of the intellect, in a number of philosophic sources up to and including Maimonides, beginning with Plotinus. It then examines the use of this maxim which apparently was translated from an Arabic collection of philosophic maxims in medieval Jewish Hebrew sources, beginning with the late 13 th century provençal philosopher Levi ben Avraham and early 14 th century philosopher Nissim of Marseilles. From there it turns to an analysis of the use of this maxim in the works of Spanish Jewish thinkers belonging to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries R. Samuel Zarza, R. Nissim Gerondi, R. Joseph Albo, R. Zerahya Halevi Saladin, R. Isaac Arama and Don Isaac Abrabanel and in the writings of the sixteenth century kabbalistic thinkers, the Maharal and R. Moshe Cordovero. With the exception of R. Nahman, all the thinkers who employed this maxim did so in order to show the impossibility of knowing God rather than the possibility of becoming one with Him. R. Nahman s radical usage, however, is not unique to him but appears also in the writings of some of the Habad masters.
Summaries VII Alexander Even-Chen OF THE DIVINE KNOWLEDGE AND THE RATIONAL-EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF THE KNOWN SINGLE, THE UNDER PROVIDENCE, AND THE BELOVED IN THE GUIDE OF THE PERPLEXED The Article s aim is to test the doctrine of Divine and Human Knowledge in light of the clues that Maimonides implants in the Guide of the Perplexed. Also, the article tries to test the implications of those perceptions on the emotional-rational experience, that is essential for the understanding of the Guide. We will try to test the ways that Maimonides uses in order to hint, by citations, rhetorical resources and others, that GOD does not know or has an special providence in the life of People. Maimonides also clarifies, in this presentation of his theories on Divine Knowledge and Divine Providence, that Social, Religious, Politic Values, and Beliefs that are belief-worthy have a central role. During the article we will relate, summarily, to Spinoza s philosophy. We assume that the comparison will enable us to sharpen and to elucidate Maimonides s ideas, and in particular the emotional-rational experience of Human and Divine Love. Hannah Kasher COMMENTS ON SOME OF MAIMONIDES PROPOSALS FOR THE TRANSLATION OF THE GUIDE OF THE PERPLEXED One of Maimonides letters, sent to R. Samuel Ibn Tibbon, contained responses to a number of the questions of the latter, the translator from Arabic to Hebrew of the Guide of the Perplexed. In this paper, I will attempt to scrutinize some of Maimonides translational suggestions which have hitherto evoked difficulty or puzzlement. It would seem that an examination of these proposals, accompanied by Maimonides general guidance as is included in this missive, may be of assistance in providing an understanding of the role of language as prescribed in the Guide.
VIII Summaries Rebecca Kneller-Rowe MAIMONIDES MERKABAH EXEGESIS AS A PARADIGM PHYSICS OR METAPHYSICS To the dual classification of Maimonidean scholarship into a conservative interpretation and a radical one, Prof. Sara Klein-Braslavi added a third approach viewing the double layered exegesis in numerous passages in the Guide as an expression of Maimonides doubt, or indecisiveness in face of the difficulties inherent to the traditional as well as to the Aristotelian positions. In this article I would like to take Prof. Klein s position one step further. I shall suggest that in view of Maimonides admission of his incapacity to prove demonstratively the thesis of creation and his concession (Guide II 24-25) that Aristotle s theory of eternity might, some day, be proven true, he undertook the venture of integrating Jewish theology within Aristotelian Physics. In the event that the eternity of the universe will be demonstrated conclusively, Maimonides found it necessary to redefine concepts such as prophecy, miracles or providence in a way that maintained theological value in an Aristotelian context. Through an analysis of the exegesis of the Merkabah in the Guide I shall try to show that alongside the naturalistic interpretation of Ezekiel s vision, contradicting the traditional understanding of this chapter as representing the secrets of the Divine, Maimonides leaves an opening for an alternative Metaphysical understanding of the Chariot and its symbolism. I shall also put forward the suggestion that in Maimonides disjunctive proof for the existence of God he spells out his intention of grounding theological issues on scientific premises concording with the Aristotelian framework alongside the traditional understanding. Ruth Glasner THE EVOLUTION OF THE GENRE OF THE COMMENTARY IN GERSONIDES This article studies the development of the genre of the commentary in Gersonides. Both the subjects of the commentaries and their various styles are examined. The examination follows a suggested division of the commentaries into three periods. In the early period (until 1324) Gersonides wrote commentaries on Averroes
Summaries IX commentaries on Aristotle s books on natural science and logic (supercommentaries). In the middle and late periods (from 1324-5 until the end of 1328 and from 1329 to Gersonides death in 1344 respectively) he wrote commentaries on the books of the Bible. Several distinctions between the commentaries of the three periods, especially between the biblical commentaries of the middle period and those of the late period, are made. In the light of these distinctions it is suggested in the appendix that the commentary on Proverbs, which is dated 1338, was actually written, at least partially, in the middle period, side by side with the commentaries on Song of Songs and Ecclesiates, which were completed in 1326 and 1328. Gitit Holzman R. MOSHE NARBONI S COMMENTARY TO MAIMONIDES GUIDE OF THE PERPLEXED The fourteenth century philosopher Moshe Ben Joshua of Narbonne, known as Narboni (d. 1362), owes his everlasting fame as a Jewish scholar to his profound commentary on Maimonides Guide. This piece, composed between the years 1355-1362, was the treatise concluding his lifetime enterprise. Prior to writing that volume he wrote some fifteen different treatises, most of which were commentaries of volumes composed by prominent Arab philosophers: Ibn Rushed (known in Latin Europe as Averroes, d. 1198), Al-Ghazali (d. 1111), Ibn Bajja (known in Latin Europe as Avempace, d. 1138) and Ibn Tufayl (d. 1185). The present study presents a thorough analysis of the commentary to the Guide, explaining the unique role Maimonides and his work fulfilled in Narboni s intellectual growth. The study discusses Narboni s hermeneutics which is characterized inter alia by putting special emphasis on the biblical context of the phrases quoted by Maimonides. It further discusses Narboni s philosophical views, demonstrating he considered Aristotle s philosophy, as interpreted by Ibn Rushed to be the best possible explanation of physics as well as metaphysics. Narboni criticized Maimonides for being heavily influenced by Avicenna, saying that was the reason the Guide ground contained some misleading concepts. However, discussing philosophical stance over creation of the world, Narboni maintained the world was actually eternal, and expressed his opinion that this was Maimonides view as well.
X Summaries Almog Kasher and Tzvi Langermann CRITICAL NOTES OF MUHAMMAD BIN HASAN AL-NIHMI TO MAIMONIDES GUIDE MS Istanbul, Carullah 1279, is a huge codex, comprising more than 400 folios. The late Franz Rosenthal aptly described it as a one-volume library. Copied around 1480 by a Yemeni Muslim, Muhammad b. Hasan al-nihmi, it contains large selection of philosophical texts, including Jewish texts, some of them unique, as well as full copy of Maimonides Dalalat al-ha irin (Guide of the Perplexed), transcribed into Arabic letters. The margins of the Guide are filled with tightly written comments by al-nihmi. With the help of high quality digital images, we have begun to work towards their publication. In the article published here, we offer a selection of his more critical notes, transcribed, translated into Hebrew, and annotated. Al-Nihmi accuses Maimonides of trying to justify pre-conceived religious doctrines. For his part, al-nihmi openly sides with the view that the world is uncreated Gad Freudenthal THE GATHERING OF THE WATER AS AN ISSUE DIFFERENTIATING TRADITIONALIST AND NATURALIST POSITIONS IN 13 TH -CENTURY JEWISH THOUGHT: SAMUEL IBN TIBBON, JACOB BEN SHESHET, AND MENAHEM HA-MEIRI In the context of Greek and medieval natural philosophy, the existence of dry land posed a problem: the element water being lighter than earth, should it not everywhere occupy a place above the latter? In biblical parlance: why is the water gathered? The question why this is not the case was discussed already in Antiquity and the discussion was continued in the Middle Ages. Following Avicenna, Samuel Ibn Tibbon (d. 1232) argued for an entirely naturalistic account of the gathering of the water. According to it, the surface of the earth repeatedly gets flooded, but then dry land is formed anew by virtue of natural necessities; subsequently the flora and fauna (including the rational animal) come to be again through spontaneous generation. Ibn Tibbon held that this account can be retrieved from some Psalms. Within a decade, this account was criticized by the Kabbalist Jacob ben Sheshet:
Summaries XI he argued that the Scripture must be interpreted literally, but at the same time rejected the fideist position according to which the water is gathered by a Divine command. Instead, he sought to offer a sort of naturalistic account, which however runs against the fundamentals of sound Aristotelian natural philosophy. The great Talmudist Menahem ha-meiri (1249 c. 1310) repeatedly attended to the problem. The paper first analyses his principled position on the relative authority of Scripture and science as sources of knowledge. Ha-Meiri s view is crystal clear: the Torah has absolute priority, and science and philosophy merely complement it. For ha-meiri, the commitment to the Torah results from a primary act of will that cannot and need not be rationally justified. Above all: the doctrine of creation ab novo and ex nihilo is the cornerstone of the Torah. On this cornerstone ha-meiri erects an ostensibly naturalistic account describing the processes through which the world came to be after the initial moment of creation. But his construction assigns to the posited philosophical entities modes of functioning that run against the fundamentals of the philosophical theories in which they are grounded (e.g. the separate intellects are said to be created ab novo; the celestial spheres are put in motion after having been at rest). This means that ha-meiri s integration of Torah and philosophy is only superficial, not substantial. At bottom, ha-meiri is a fideist who merely weaves some philosophical images into his traditionalist account, affording it a seemingly rationalist look. Ha-Meiri is a conservative who does not hide his views and who has no use for any esoterism : he states his thoughts openly and fully; there are no hidden messages between the lines. Aviram Ravitsky PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS OF A LATE FOURTEENTH-CENTURY COMMENTARY ON THE MISHNEH TORA A CHAPTER IN THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS OF PROVENCE The subject of this article is a comprehensive book that was written by a Provençal Jewish scholar in the late 14 th Century Rabbi Joseph ben Saul Kimhi. The book is titled Mezuqqaq Shiv atayim. It can be found in a single manuscript in the private collection of Mr. Victor Klagsbald (Paris), no. 70. The book is unique in its comprehensiveness, in its encyclopedic character, and in its historical purpose. It is organized and edited as a commentary on Maimonides
XII Summaries Mishneh Torah and as most of the Mishneh Torah, the subjects of the Mezuqqaq Shiv atayim belong to realm of Jewish-Rabbinical law (halakhah). Nevertheless, in the commentary on the philosophical parts of the Mishneh Torah, the author displays vast knowledge and scholarship in Aristotelian philosophy and in the medieval sciences. The article portray the figure of Rabbi Joseph ben Saul Kimh)))i, his writings and stature, and mostly, it analyzes the historical significance and purpose of the encyclopedic characteristics of the Mezuqqaq Shiv atayim. Moshe Hallamish WOMEN AND KABBALISTIC LITERATURE This article discusses the question whether there was any relation between women and kabbalistic literature. Here we learn about some examples to women involving in kabbalistic rituals of Tikkunim, women studying Zohar and other kabbalistic books, women as authors of Tikkunim, ethical compositions including kabbalistic matter, and poetry. Also, women performed kabbalistic instructions of the Zohar and Rabbi Isaac Luria. The kabbalists described their theurgic function as the same of that of men. Abraham Melamed THE HEBREW VERSIONS OF THE STORY ON ARISTOTLE AND ALEXNDER S WIFE Aristotle was considered in medieval thought as the greatest philosophical authority. On this background, various fanciful traditions were invented in order to prove his Jewish contacts and sources. The story discussed in this paper is exceptional, since it describes the great Greek philosopher in negative terms, as a lecherous old man, who betrayed his student Alexander. This story first appeared in anti-aristotelian Christian circles during the 13 th century, and exerted great popularity. In Jewish sources it first appeared in the Kabbalist R Isaac of Acre, Sefer Me irat Eynayyim, composed at the end of this century. R Isaac created a Hebrew version of the story, suitable for Jewish readers with Kabbalistic tendencies who abhorred the Aristotelian influence. He
Summaries XIII superimposed on the Hebrew version the vocabulary and motifs of the Biblical book of Esther, portraying Aristotle in the image of Haman, thereby enhancing his negative description. This paper analyzes this story in depth, tracing its sources, and later influence, in Azariah de Rossi Me or Eynayyim, of the late 16 th century, and other sources, up to early modern times. Dror Ehrlich THE ARISTOTELIAN SIMILE OF THE BAT S EYES AS A HYPERTEXT IN JUDAH HALÈVI, IBN DAUD, HILLEL OF VERONA AND ALBO This paper proposes a new perspective on the question of philosophical sources in medieval Jewish thought. This approach is illustrated in the paper with an analysis of discussions held by several medieval Jewish thinkers on the Aristotelian simile of the bat s eyes. Research has dealt extensively with the philosophical sources issue, underlying mostly the reading of the later text in light of the early one, thus focusing on the identification of the source of a certain text, and on whether it displays a direct influence from that early philosophical composition, or not. Here, on the basis of a concept taken from the literary theory of intertextuality, this paper aims to show that, alongside this common approach, it could be useful to discuss the relations between the two texts from the opposite direction as well, namely reading the early text in the light of the later. The discussion from this point of view will demonstrate that although Jewish thinkers who quoted from, or made paraphrases of, early philosophical texts were more interested in the new contexts they gave them in their theological discussions than in their original meaning and purpose, these discussions also provide us an indirect, but nevertheless meaningful, interpretation of these texts in their former philosophical contexts. In order to illustrate and defend this approach this paper offers an analysis of medieval Jewish discussions of the Aristotelian simile of the bat s eyes in different theological contexts, rather than in its original scientific context, comparing them with the interpretations of the simile in ancient, medieval and modern commentaries of the Metaphysics. The results of this comparison present interesting parallel between the two principal ways this simile has been interpreted within Aristotelian commentary literature and the ways the Jewish thinkers understood it.
XIV Summaries Gideon Freudenthal MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OR EDUCATION BY REVELATION? MENDELSSOHN ON THE EDUCATION OF THE HUMAN RACE BY LESSING In his Jerusalem, Mendelssohn brushes off Lessing s Education of the Human Race without much explanation. In the first part (1777) Lessing argued that humanity progresses in moral respect by repeated revelations, in the second (1780) that primitive man carries no moral responsibility because he cannot control his drives. Whereas Mendelssohn reacted positively to the first thesis, he rejected the second. In Mendelssohn, moral behavior requires nothing but common sense. Primitive and civilized, educated and uneducated human beings are capable of basic moral behavior. This is the foundation of Mendelssohn s morality and natural religion, as well as of the equality of human beings here and in the hereafter. Whereas in Jerusalem (1783) Mendelssohn s critique is opaque, his views on the universal and unchanging moral competence are elaborated in his commentary on the first chapters of Genesis that appeared in the same year. Dov Schwartz AESTHETICS AND THE LIMITS OF REASON: MAJOR TRENDS IN 20 TH CENTURY ORTHODOX THOUGHT Modern orthodox thought in the 20 th century discovered aesthetics. The artless thinkers included the aesthetic motif in their philosophy. This article examines three thinkers, Rav Abraham Isaac Kook, his disciple Rav David Cohen (the Nazir ) and Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik. The common assumption of their discussions is that aesthetics is a component in the way to God or in experiencing Him. For Rav Kook music reflects holiness, that is the realm behind cognition. For the Nazir music reflects the way to attain experience of the divine presence. For Rav Soloveitchik aesthetics reflects the sensible realm that contrasts in a way with cognition and ethics. For Rav Soloveitchik, however, the aesthetic may be redeemed when directed towards the divine. Moreover, it is necessary component in the process of communion with God.
Summaries XV Hanoch Ben-Pazi THE GLORY OF TESTIMONY: THEOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS IN THE THOUGHT OF FRANZ ROSENZWEIG AND EMMANUEL LEVINAS The importance of testimony in Jewish Theology is well known since it is part of the philosophical discussion for creating tradition. The religious duty is based on loyalty and relating to tradition as a testimony to divine revelation. Phenomenologicalphilosophical examination of testimony raises important questions regarding tradition, miracles and the validity of divine revelation. The theological tradition tried to give validity to the religious revelation by seeing it historically. Religious thinking in medieval prefer miracles as testimony of divine interventions in the human history. The analysis of miracles in Rosenzweig s writings, attribute a new religious significance to the theological testimony. For Levinas, the deep meaning of testimony is ethical and It is different from a court witnesses. Infinity is not a thesis for human interpretation or human knowledge, but the subject can be witness of the infinite dimension. the meaning of revelation is the human person who testify infinite glory.