PHIL 202-3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Baal Shem Tov, Tikkun Olam, Zecharias Frankel
PHIL 202
Ch. 3 Jewish Traditions (pt. 2)
Jews in the Christian World: Seventh to Fifteenth Century
The Spanish Inquisition
• Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella commanded that Jews either convert or leave
Spain
• Some Jews converted
o Some of these converted continued to practise Judaism in secret
o Conversos
o Heres—needed to be rooted out
o More than 13,000 Conversos were put on trial
The Kaalah to reeive
• Mysticism
• The Zohar (Radiance)
o God is called Ayn Sof (Without End, Infinite)
• Ultimately unknowable
• But aspects, or powers, of God have been revealed
o The Sefirot (emanations)
o These aspects need to be placed into balance
o Torah given to help
o Every fulfillment of a commandment helps achieve balance
Isaac Luria (1534–72)
• Born in Jerusalem, moved to Safed (Tsfat)
• Tikkun (mending, restoration)
o Tzimtzum (contraction)
• Creation as divine exile
• Shattering of the vessels (The Sefirot)
o Divine sparks: Need to be collected, which can be done through
prayer, study and the performance of mitzvot
o Tikkun olam (mending of the world)
Eastern Europe
• Ashkenazi
o Persecution led many Ashkenazim back into Western Europe
• Hasidism
o Counter to scholarly Judaism
o Israel ben Eliezer (1698–1760)
• Baal Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name)
• Worship God with joy and delight in all actions
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o Tzaddik (righteous one)
• Rebbe
The Modern Period
Haskalah: The Jewish Enlightenment
• Moses Mendelssohn (1729–86)
o Jews can be committed to Judaism and be full participants in modern culture
Modern Branches of Judaism
• Reform
• Orthodox
• Conservative
• Reconstructionism
• Humanistic
Reform Judaism
• 18th century Judaism
• Israel Jacobson opened the first Reform Temple in 1815
o German language, choral music with organ accompaniment
• Abraham Geiger
o Spiritual leader
o Textual criticism
Refor Judais, ot’d
• Understand Judaism to be flexible
o Do not necessarily follow all commandments
• Kosher in particular
o Interfaith dialogue is important
• First to ordain women rabbis
o Sally Priesand in 1972 (North America)
Orthodox Judaism
• Sampson Raphael Hirsch
o Traditional Judaism is compatible with everyday life
• Hebrew Bible is the revealed word of God
• Sub-group
o Heredim (trembling ones)
• Hasidim are a sub-group of the Heredim
Conservative Judaism
• Zacharias Frankel
o Middle ground between Orthodox and Reform
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o Oneness of God is upheld, but some aspects of Judaism are historical
developments
o Restructuring of traditions in order to participate in modernity
Reconstructionist Judaism
• Mordechai Kaplan
o Judaism is a civilization, not supernaturally revealed
o Traditions exist for the people, so can be modified
o Introduced Bat Mitzvah for his daughter Judith
o Developed out of Conservative Judaism and retains many of its features
• Dietary laws, kippah, Hebrew in liturgy
Humanistic Judaism
• Sherwin Wine
o God removed altogether (secular)
o Identity is a personal decision
The Modern Synagogue
• The heart of the Jewish religious community
o Prayer, study, worship, learning, social interaction, charities
• Beit K’esset Here; “hul Yiddish; Teple Refor
• The Holy Ark (or Ark of the Covenant)
o Torah scrolls
• Yad (pointer) as human hands are never to touch the parchment
• Covered with fabric
Prayer Services
• Two forms
o Spontaneous (individual)
o Pre-set (communal)
• Prayer services are usually three times a day
• Other prayers are recited during activities such as eating, washing hands
• Sabbath morning service
o Readings from the Torah and the Prophets
• The Torah has 54 sections, one for each week of study during the year
• Minyan (number): number of men (or people required) for communal prayers
Prayer Items
• Kippah (Hebrew); Yarmulke (Yiddish)
o Skullcap
• Tallit: Fringed prayer shawl
o ake friges o the orers of their garets . . . ad to put a lue ord o the
fringe at each corner . . . to remember the commandments of the Lord and do
the Nuers 1:7–41)
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Jews in the christian world: seventh to fifteenth century. The spanish inquisition: spanish monarchs ferdinand and isabella commanded that jews either convert or leave. Spain: some jews converted, some of these converted continued to practise judaism in secret, conversos, (cid:862)heres(cid:455)(cid:863) needed to be rooted out, more than 13,000 conversos were put on trial. Eastern europe: ashkenazi, persecution led many ashkenazim back into western europe, hasidism, counter to scholarly judaism. Israel ben eliezer (1698 1760: baal shem tov (master of the good name, worship god with joy and delight in all actions, tzaddik (righteous one, rebbe. Haskalah: the jewish enlightenment: moses mendelssohn (1729 86, jews can be committed to judaism and be full participants in modern culture. Modern branches of judaism: reform, orthodox, conservative, reconstructionism, humanistic. Israel jacobson opened the first reform temple in 1815: german language, choral music with organ accompaniment, abraham geiger, spiritual leader, textual criticism.
