ʿyḳr ṿṭfl vyn ḥlḳy htṿrh: gyshṿt shṿnṿt vhgṿt ymy-hvynyym / Essential and Inessential in the Torah: Different Attitudes in Medieval Jewish Philosophy

עיקר וטפל בין חלקי התורה: גישות שונות בהגות ימי-הביניים / Essential and Inessential in the Torah: Different Attitudes in Medieval Jewish Philosophy

This article discusses some basic attitudes of medieval Jewish philosophers to the evaluation of different parts of the Torah, whether as a sacred text or as a legal system. The assertion that all parts of the Torah are equally sacred is based, generally speaking, on its divine origin, on the fact t...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kasher, Ḥanah (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:Hebrew
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: HUC 1996
In: Hebrew Union College annual
Year: 1995, Volume: 66, Pages: א-ל
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:This article discusses some basic attitudes of medieval Jewish philosophers to the evaluation of different parts of the Torah, whether as a sacred text or as a legal system. The assertion that all parts of the Torah are equally sacred is based, generally speaking, on its divine origin, on the fact that the entire Torah is to be considered as having come 'from heaven'. However, although the belief in 'Torah from heaven' is common to all the classical Jewish thinkers, one can discern different interpretations of this principle and different evaluations of the parts of the Torah, depending on their content. Such distinctions derived from a given thinker's world-wiew and from his particular scale of religious values. Some hold that rationality or faith constitutes the essential component of the Torah; others assign the central role to the practical aspect in general or to ritual in particular; and still others return to the basic tenet that all parts of the Torah are equivalent, from whatever viewpoint.
Contains:Enthalten in: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual