Friday
Breslauer: pp. 95-115
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Rabbi’s study bible
Mikra’ot Gedolot
Torah or Tanakh text
Full Masorah
Targums
Commentaries
Cross-references.
Commentators
• RASHI 11 century France
“Plain Meaning”
• Ibn Ezra 11-12 century
born: Spain.
Rational, linguistic, anti Karaite
Astrological
RAMBAN:
R. Moses ben Nahman
Nahmanides:
13th century Spain.
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• Traditional yet influenced by Kabbalah
• Secret Knowledge contained in Torah.
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Talmud
Map/MG.html
Printing press
• Allows text and commentary together
• Allows wider distribution of texts.
• Less control over teaching, etc.
Medieval Judaism
700-1500
• Jews under Christianity and Islam
– Prosperity / Persecution
• Cultural differentiation
– Sephardic
– Ashkenazic
In Islamic lands
• Jews and Christians “Protected People”
– “People of the Book”
– Much Freedom, but still second class citizens
– Special taxes.
Abbasid dynasty
747 ce
• Baghdad
• Rationalistic philosophy
• Pluralistic, tolerant
• Hierarchical
Islam and Judaism
• Islam: Sunna traditions of Muhammad.
Proper Islamic life
• Judaism: Oral Torah becomes authoritative
for Jews.
curiouser and curiouser…
• Compilation of Sunna may have been
influenced by Oral Torah
• Judaism thrived when it could be made to
appear more like Islam.
Karaite movement
• Second half of 8th century
• “Written” Torah interpreted by tradition.
• BUT:
No second canon of “Oral Torah”
No Rabbinic authorities.
Karaites
• Similar to Sunni Islam
• Qur’an and Hadith / Sunnah
– Tradition not authority figures
Anan ben David
• Early Karaite leader.
8th century
• Accused Rabbinate of corrupting scripture
8th- 11th century.
• Rabbinic Judaism defended
Rational
Authentic
• Described in Islamic terms:
– Scripture and tradition
750-950
• Islamic expansion
– Middle East
– North Africa
– Spain
– Much of Turkey still under Christian
Byzantium
Jewish leadership
• Exiliarch: political leader of Babylonian
Jews
• Geonim: Leaders of Babylonian Jewish
academies.
• Tensions between political/economic and
religious leadership.
Israel and Diaspora
• Tensions between Jewish leadership in
Israel and in Diaspora.
• Calendar
Last Geon
• Saadiah al-Fayumi (882-942).
• Addressed Karaite challenge.
Saadia
• Rationalist
• Hebrew follows rational principles (Like
Arabic)
• Bible into Arabic
• God knowable through the intellect
Muslim influence
Abbasid dynasty collapse
• 10th century.
• New centres: Egypt and Spain
• Jewish life decentralizes
Rise of Trade
• Jewish Caravan traders
• India Africa Spain Christian regions.
Jewish Traders
• Commerce between Islamic and Christian
lands.
• Some Jews become very wealthy.
9 -11 century
• North African, Spanish Jews prosper
• Talmud commentators
• RESPONSA: Rabbinic answers to
questions of Halakhah.
Jewish Spain
• Golden Age. 10-12 century.
• Philosophy
• Ibn Ezra
Spain 12-13 century
• Christian Re-conquest
• Islamic rulers
Distinctive clothes
Jews barred from important posts.
Forced conversion to Islam
• Many Jews flee to Christian regions
Maimonides
• Guide for the Perplexed
– 13 principles
• Mishnah Torah
– Summary of Halakhah.
11-12 century
• African Muslim dynasties remove
protection laws for Jews.
Re-conquest
• Jews used to resettle Spain by Christian
armies.
• Initially given some protection.
Second class citizens