Aim: When does modern history begin? - Around the time of the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th century - Jewish modernity is tracked by seeing the Jewish changes across the world History- the story of the past Historiography- the study of historical writings Jews in the Middle ages - Jews pay very high taxes, in exchange= communal Autonomy - communal Autonomy→ “self-rule” (courts). Aim: What does the Jewish world look like on the eve of modernity? Macrocosm= the big view Microcosm= the small view Macrocosm: What was life like in the Jewish community? *looking at maps of the Jewish world from the beginning of modernity in Europe: ❖ The largest Jewish community in Poland ❖ 1.1 million Jews in the world ❖ Sefardic Jews in the ottoman empire (the Middle East and North Africa) Microcosm: - The physical setting: ❖ Jews in eastern Europe lived in ‘shtetls’ ➔ very crowded ➔ Market places ➔ Simple lives ➔ Poor, lower class ➔ Tight-knit, close communities ➔ Was not enclosed like a ghetto ❖ Western and central Europe Jews lived in ghettos ➔ Enclosed area ➔ Forced to live in one neighborhood by the government ➔ Curfew at night, punished if found outside passed ➔ Antisemitic ➔ Plenty of Jews in the ghetto had a lot of money(built beautiful shuls within the ghetto) ➔ Silver lining- offers a measure of protection from the outside world and living together pushes the unity of the community ➔ The government does it so that they can keep an eye on the Jews ❖ Mellah- sephardic jews lived here ➔ Had a courtyard in the middle and apartments around it ➔ Wasn't enclosed ➔ Jews tend to live near each other because we rely on each other religiously (minyanim, etc.) - Religious observance ❖ Jews dressed in a specific way ❖ Had specific languages (Yiddish-Ashkenaz, ladino-Sephardic,) ❖ Rabbis had political power also- to determine whether or not you were in the community (cherem= excommunicate) ❖ Spinoza was one of the great minds of the 1700s and was considered the father of modern philosophy. He was excommunicated from amsterdam and began to question basic idea Judaism (like believing in nature instead of god)he doesn't care that he was kicked out because he has his community forming (shows that things are changing and getting more secular) - Political status ❖ In civitas vs. de civitas, civitas= state, in the state or of the state—---- the Jews are in the state because they don't belong and are regarded as outsiders ❖ Jews don't fit in feudal society, instead, they have a direct relationship with the kings of europe= royal alliance. They give Jews protection for them paying taxes. “Servants to kings and not servants to servants”. ❖ They had autonomy - Economic profile: money lenders, peddlers, merchants, “portable wealth” Arenda- Poland becomes bigger in 1569 and Ukraine falls under the control of Poland(they unite) The Ukrainians hired Jews to help run their farms for the polis because they knew they had to read and write and they were not serfs or peasants (owned by lords). They got a cut of the profits! That's why Poland becomes a place with a lot of Jews The golden age of polish Jewry (16th century) - Jews were rich and wore good clothing and jewelry THE DECLINE 1. Chmelnitsky: made evil decrees (tach vetat) 1648-49 He was antisemitic and organized an army to revolt against Poland. He tried to kill the Poles and many Jews were killed (mini Hitler). So why does no one know this? Bec the holocaust overshadows it Wrote a book eyewitness Polish lords didn't even protect the Jews and even betrayed them by offering to give the Jews instead of them. After this, the Jews suffered, felt neglected and inferior 2. The messianic crisis: shabbatai zvi and Jacob frank: He came to the people saying he was Mashiach He seemed to know kabbalah and many people fell for him The Muslim ruler called him to his palace and said either he converts to islam or gets killed and he chose to convert. The jews still believed he was mashiach, because they twisted the kabala and said the redemption needed to be lifted by a great person (ex: queen Esther)” part of the messianic process” Kabbalah teaches that there are ways that god communicates with human beings. Shavtai tsvi has to go through a messianic process Jacob is the reincarnation of shavtai tzvi Norianik kabbalah Extra: Rav Shimon bar Yochai taught the concepts of the Zohar but didn't write it. He put it all together Establishment of Hasidut Baal Shem Tov(1700-1760)also known as the besht was the founder of Chassidus - He was an orphan, a very poor man, a nobody - He would meditate and study cabala in the forest no one knew about him - He wrote tefilot which included the name of Hashem in cabilot fashion. (cabala - every word/letter has a spiritual power ) - There are no primary sources from his day - He was exempt from taxes because he was regarded as someone like a doctor, he could heal people with his tefilot. Spiritual doctor - The Baal shem tov had a few of students who saw in him a new great leader, to create a new model of judaism - He didn't create new ideas, he took old ideas and revolutionized them - The word chassid used to mean extra religious Jews, extra strict. The Baal Shem Tov says the chasid is an ordinary simple jew - You can't be a child without having a rebbe The rebbe= your everything, Father to cry on, someone you can rely on if you need help - “Yeridat tzadik” is so holy that his mind is in heaven but also can come down and connect with you - Go to him for tisch every Friday night, to get tog to sing and hear dvar Torahs Cleave- stay close/ stick with → were trying to get closer to god and stick with him Chasidut says that you can reach a level at which you are able to achieve closeness to Hashem at all times Turn into regular conversations with god and have him by your side at all times Chassidut is about Joy, worshiping Hashem out of joy and not fear. They love music and believe it has power even if it doesn't have a jewish source they are touched by a niggun Shechina- god's presence is there (the kabalistic notion) Chasidim brought these ideas to an ordinary jew - Kabbalah teaches us that everyone is super powerful and each person increases the divine world. - They also tell stories to bring their children up “Everything physical has spiritual potential” Aim: how did chasidut become a mass movement? Baal Shem Tov- two students: yaakov yosef (wrote books with the Baal Shem Tov’s teachings and of Chassidus) and dov beer/ hamagid hagadol (tells stories, gives derasha in Yiddish using stories so that they remember the story)takes complicated chasidut ideas and makes it easy or ordinary people to understand through stories His students of him established Hasidic dynasties “hoyf” Generation 1- Besht founder of hasidut Magid students turned it into a mass movement Levi yitz miberdichev1. People love him a. Because of the Kiddushat Levi book b. The most special human that loved everyone- sanegor of am Israel (story with a poor guy that he stops his day to pray to Hashem and looks for excuses to pray for Jewish people) 2. Spread chasidut ideas all over Europe 3. Had a group of students he taught Chabad – Lubavitch -Chochma, Bina vadat (three kinds of wisdom) 1. Menachem Mendel shnearson: a. Bring other Jews closer b. c. People believe he was Mashiach after he died Who began the movement on hasidut - Jewish mysticism - Kabala - Every jew special - Devekut- Glue to Hashem - Stories - Rebbe - Takes over movement Dove bear hamagid hagadol R. Nachman mibreslov - Great grandson of Baal Shem Tov - Unusual rebba - Never married and has no children - He taught us how to overcome pain and depression, how to be a human being ( depressed and angry is almost a sin) - The main goal have no fear, we can achieve a state of joy - He says “ the most complete thing in the world is a broken human heart “ - to be human is to experience, to grow - Rab nachman was sick and dying and asked his students to bury him in uman, he wanted to be buried next to special souls who died for kiddush hashem - He said if you come and pray to me on yom kippur ” i will yank you out of the gates of yehinaum by your peyot” basically i will come and pray on your behalf Mitnagdim - (neged) - A group of jews who did not like the hasidim - Cherem is ban of excommunication, can't be buried in a cemetery in our community or go to schools etc - Vilna is a city with a lot of jews. Most famous jew was the gaon wait I missed it help - Why was the Gaon of Vilna so opposed to hasidut? The Gaon of Vilna was opposed to hasidut because they dont act normally, they act crazy, they also have different views from other people in am israel, they belittle and say that you don't have to study so much torah. 1. Do not emphasize the study of the torah 2. When they pray they do crazy stuff that take away from the kavod of the torah 3. Their thoughts wander in tefila (bc they focus on the mystical meanings) 4. The hadisim are breaking the unity of jewish people and becoming a separate group like a cult 5. They're so busy being happy that they are not feeling guilty about them being sinners 6. Their ways are different and don't stick with their ancestors customs 7. They are ashkenazi but pray mosaf sefarad The hasidim ended up thriving and become so popular so they dont need the vilnas community thats why it doesnt matter that they were excommunicated (put in cherem) עבדים אנחנו END OF TEST - Were retired NEW UNIT Jews in Poland are the largest Jewish community in the world now doing Germany Aim: How did the enlightenment change things for the Jews The enlightenment- learning to use logic and reason to figure out the world around us(rationalism) - They used to be they just believe whatever the church told them to believe(faith. - Scientific Revolution-In England in the 1600 thinkers in England began to realize they wanted to understand why they believed things and not just believe what they were told by the church. - Used rationalism Philosophers in Europe began using logic : - John Locke- one of the thinkers. He believed in “Tabulatur Rasa” which says that people are born as blank slates and are shaped by their environment. All human beings are equal and deserve natural rights -“life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” He's very rational “ why are we treating people differently?“ Why would rational thinking lead Jews to develop better ideas? Positive impact of new economic theories - Mercantilism - wealth is measured by a favorable balance of trade. “nationalism” Jews matter when it comes to money!!!!!!$$$ - Frederick the Great of Prussia 1740(a german state, the strongest state) - he has a lot of land, too much - he’s only good to rich Jews - he makes a ‘charter for the jews’ favoring the rich Jews → you have to wear things to show you're Jewish, it's a combination of discrimination and privileges. Spanish expulsion 1492 - Jews were expelled from Spain - Sephardic Jews were very comfortable and doing well, so when they were expelled it came as a shock and was very traumatic Menasseh ben israel - very famous rabbi from holland Rembrandt- famous artist who liked Jews and painted them. Oliver cromwell unofficially allows the jews back into england he sent them a note and it worked Famous book written by a jewish woman - Gluckel of Hameln ( town in germany ) - she is fascinating. - She got married very young ( kings and queens come to her wedding ) - Wrote a diary that her children later published - She and her husband were major business people (commerce) who sold precious diamonds Importance- jews were part of the economy (money lending not only to other jews, buying and selling expensive items) Jewish women were businesswomen and so involved What economic roles did the hofjuden play? - Suppliers - Moneylenders - Advisors (kings would turn to them for advice) - Shtadlan - Someone who is the intermediary between the king and the community Positive privileges: - no Shutzgelt- Not paying protection money - Can live outside ghetto - Family crest- family symbol - Great whealth - Aristocratic clothing - Very rich The minuses: - Social isolation - Sometimes difficult to observe kashrut and shabbat - Work sometimes dangerous - Can lose everything overnight Ex: sus oppenheim - Hoffuda, he's a court jew who lends jews money - He was a millionaire - He was hanged after the duke died, he was accused of nasty crimes that he didn't do - They told him they’d save his life if he converted to christianity he said no - 200 years after he died, the nazis took the story of the jew sus and turned it into a blockmaster movie (propaganda saying jews are evil) - The idea that jews make money can be negative - There's not so many jews living outside the ghetto, need a community ( no ones respecting your jewish principals ) Capitalism - explains why jews find a more favorable attitude Holland is favorable towards jews - Small - on the north sea - Surrounded by water - Lot of wind - Controlled by spain - Dutch (Dutch are protestants) - Dutch believed in calvinism Holland got independence from spain - “my enemy's enemy is my friend“ - Dutch begin to welcome jews - Dutch is first capitalists in world because of their religion - “ laissez faire “ John calvin - calvinism - believed in predestination ( when a person is born they are already chosen if they're going to heaven or hell ) - Built into this idea means you have an incentive to embrace capitalism Dutch is capitalism Mayer rothschild - hoffued - Famous jew who lived in the ghetto - Roots are in german - Apply reason and logic If you're successful, God is showing you favoritism. You have an incentive to embrace capitalism. daddy go go at the b B. Q: how did the philosophers of the enlightenment view the jews? 3 German philosophers: Von Dohm - Friends with mendelson - Positive attitude Towards Jews - Felt sympathy for Jews being mistreated - wants them to have emancipation (political and civil rights) - “The Jew is even more man than Jew”(Dohm essay)- before being a Jew, they are Human and deserve to be treated as human beings. - Not so simple, he has other things on his agenda than giving them freedom- he wants to change them and get rid of clannish religious opinions by giving them rights. It will get them assimilated. He doesn't like how they are right now. They’ll love the country so much that they’ll stop paying so much attention to what the rabbis have to say. G.E. Lessing - playwright and Wrote plays where Jews are the hero - Play 1-“Nathan der weise”(mashal)-father would pass down a ring to his fav son and whoever gets it will become the head of a fam, and then a father has three sons he loved equally so he made two more of the same ring and gives each of them a ring in private and then they all say he’s the leader of the fam and end up fighting over who’s really the leader so they go to a judge and present their case. The judge says their fools and that the father loved you all the same and should stop fighting and everyone is the leader who is beloved in their fathers eyes. - The nimshal(Lessings idea about religion) is that the three rings represent Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In the enlightenment applied logic to religion and came to the conclusion that god created the world and wants you to be a good ethical person. All the superstitions and differences of all religions don’t matter because everyone’s the same and has the same goal. Called is “deism”- belief in god - Problems with this idea - Will make people want to convert to get more right based on the title of the religion cause as long deism says all religions are the same - Christianity is different beliefs from Judaism and Islam, not really all the same - Play 2- ‘die Juden”(the jews)-jew accused of stealing by Christian but really the jew saves him and the Christian is the one who tried to kill him. He tells the jew who saved him “the jews would be praisable if they were all like you”—> neg connotation that he’s an exception from the rule and most jews are bad Voltaire - very antisemetic, said to be a founder of antisemitism - Most famous enlightenment thinker(celeb)- very impactful - says that Jews are greedy,superstitious, and barbaric - Goes against everything he believed and that enlightenment believes in he was one of the greatest minds and fraught injustice -
