Classical Judaism Learning

Seeking how to be an observant Jew in the modern world, Rosenzweig refused to reduce the traditions of Jewish law to mere rituals, customs, and folkways. His aim for himself and for others was to find Judaism by living it, and to live it by knowing it more deeply."--BOOK JACKET.

This three-part anthology presents Classical Judaism in accord with its native categories, Torah, learning, and virtue. These correspond to the categories that a religious system will define for itself: world view, way of life, and theory of the social order that maintains the view and realizes it in its shared existence. By presenting substantial samples of the writings of that Judaism, the three volumes afford direct access to the way in which, in its own words, that Judaism makes its statement. Readers are introduced through extensive selections to the character of Judaism through the kinds of writing that serve as its medium - Midrash, Mishnah, Talmud, stories about sages. The first part of the anthology speaks of the Torah, meaning, the written Torah and how it is read in Scripture. The second addresses the Mishnah, that is, the first document of the oral Torah, and further introduces the Talmuds and explains how these are to be read. Both of these volumes begin with essays on hermeneutics. The third volume sets forth the way in which the sage is represented as a medium through which the Torah of Sinai is set forth.

What do we know about the history, literature, and religion of Judaism in its formative age? How do we know it, and why does it matter? In Studying Classical Judaism, renowned scholar and author Jacob Neusner addresses these and other important questions. Applying many of the same methods Christian scholars use to study Christianity, Neusner outlines what we now know about ancient Judaism. He points out the core-belief of normative Judaism and reveals the methodological underpinnings of the most cogent and up-to-date interpretations of the texts that determined classical Judaism.

The study of classical Jewish texts is flourishing in day schools and adult education, synagogues and summer camps, universities and yeshivot. But serious inquiry into the practices and purposes of such study is far rarer. In this book, a diverse collection of empirical and conceptual studies illuminates particular aspects of the teaching of Bible and rabbinic literature to, and the learning of, children and adults. In addition to providing specific insights into the pedagogy of Jewish texts, these studies serve as models of what the disciplined study of pedagogy can look like. The book will be of interest to teachers of Jewish texts in all contexts, and will be particularly valuable for the professional development of Jewish educators.

The Jewish intellectual tradition has a long and complex history that has resulted in significant and influential works of scholarship. In this book, the authors suggest that there is a series of common principles that can be extracted from the Jewish intellectual tradition that have broad, even life-changing, implications for individual and societal achievement. These principles include respect for tradition while encouraging independent, often disruptive thinking; a precise system of logical reasoning in pursuit of the truth; universal education continuing through adulthood; and living a purposeful life. The main objective of this book is to understand the historical development of these principles and to demonstrate how applying them judiciously can lead to greater intellectual productivity, a more fulfilling existence, and a more advanced society.

Shows the unique perspective of Talmudic rabbis as they navigate between platonic objective truth and the realm of rhetorical argumentation.