Re-examining Progressive Halakhah

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Publisher : Berghahn Books
ISBN 13 : 9781571814043
Total Pages : 204 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis Re-examining Progressive Halakhah by : Walter Jacob

Download or read book Re-examining Progressive Halakhah written by Walter Jacob and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 204 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE FREEHOF INSTITUTE OF PROGRESSIVE HALAKHAH The Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah is a creative research center devoted to studying and defming the progressive character of the halakhah in accordance with the principles and theology of Refonn Judaism. It seeks to establish the ideological basis of Progressive halakhah, and its application to daily life. The Institute fosters serious studies, and helps scholars in various parts of the world to work together for a common cause. It provides an ongoing forum through symposia and publications, including the quarterly newsletter Halakhah, published under the editorship of Walter Jacob, in the United States. Our Academic Council includes the foremost halakhic scholars in the Refonn, Liberal, and Progressive rabbinate as well as a number of Conservative and Orthodox colleagues, and university professors. This book follows the volumes: Dynamic Jewish Law, Progressive Halakhah- Essence and Application (1991), Rabbinic-Lay Relations in Jewish Law (1993), Conversion to Judaism in Jewish Law (1994), Death and Euthanasia in Jewish Law (1995), The Fetus and Fertility in Jewish Law (1995), Israel and the Diaspora in Jewish Law (1997), Aging and the Aged in Jewish Law (1998), Marriage and Its Obstacles in Jewish Law (1999), Crime and Punishment in Jewish Law (2000), and Gender Issues in Jewish Law (2001). It is part of a series whose subjects are diverse and the approaches taken by the authors are equally so. We wish to encourage wide-ranging discussions of contemporary and historic themes.

Re-examining Progressive Halakhah

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Author :
Publisher : Berghahn Books
ISBN 13 : 1789205689
Total Pages : 200 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (892 download)

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Book Synopsis Re-examining Progressive Halakhah by : Walter Jacob

Download or read book Re-examining Progressive Halakhah written by Walter Jacob and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2002-08-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE FREEHOF INSTITUTE OF PROGRESSIVE HALAKHAH The Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah is a creative research center devoted to studying and defming the progressive character of the halakhah in accordance with the principles and theology of Refonn Judaism. It seeks to establish the ideological basis of Progressive halakhah, and its application to daily life. The Institute fosters serious studies, and helps scholars in various parts of the world to work together for a common cause. It provides an ongoing forum through symposia and publications, including the quarterly newsletter Halakhah, published under the editorship of Walter Jacob, in the United States. Our Academic Council includes the foremost halakhic scholars in the Refonn, Liberal, and Progressive rabbinate as well as a number of Conservative and Orthodox colleagues, and university professors. This book follows the volumes: Dynamic Jewish Law, Progressive Halakhah- Essence and Application (1991), Rabbinic-Lay Relations in Jewish Law (1993), Conversion to Judaism in Jewish Law (1994), Death and Euthanasia in Jewish Law (1995), The Fetus and Fertility in Jewish Law (1995), Israel and the Diaspora in Jewish Law (1997), Aging and the Aged in Jewish Law (1998), Marriage and Its Obstacles in Jewish Law (1999), Crime and Punishment in Jewish Law (2000), and Gender Issues in Jewish Law (2001). It is part of a series whose subjects are diverse and the approaches taken by the authors are equally so. We wish to encourage wide-ranging discussions of contemporary and historic themes.

Comparative Religious Law

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 1316733297
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (167 download)

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Book Synopsis Comparative Religious Law by : Norman Doe

Download or read book Comparative Religious Law written by Norman Doe and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Comparative Religious Law provides for the first time a study of the regulatory instruments of Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious organisations in Britain in light of their historical religious laws. Norman Doe questions assumptions about the pervasiveness, character and scope of religious laws, from the view that they are not or should not be recognised by civil law, to the idea that there may be a fundamental incompatibility between religious and civil law. It proposes that religious laws pervade society, are recognised by civil law, have both a religious and temporal character, and regulate wide areas of believers' lives. Subjects include sources of law, faith leaders, governance, worship and education, rites of passage, divorce and children, and religion-State relations. A Charter of 'the principles of religious law' common to all three Abrahamic faiths is proposed, to stimulate greater mutual understanding between religion and society and between the three faiths themselves.

The Environment in Jewish Law

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Publisher : Berghahn Books
ISBN 13 : 1800735065
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (7 download)

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Book Synopsis The Environment in Jewish Law by : Walter Jacob

Download or read book The Environment in Jewish Law written by Walter Jacob and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2003-11-01 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental concerns are at the top of the agenda around the world. Judaism, like the other world religions, only rarely raised issues concerning the environment in the past. This means that modern Judaism, the halakhic tradition no less than others, must build on a slim foundation in its efforts to give guidance. The essays in this volume mark the beginning of a new effort to face questions and formulate answers of vital importance.

Reading Reform Responsa

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Publisher : CCAR Press
ISBN 13 : 0881236446
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (812 download)

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Book Synopsis Reading Reform Responsa by : Mark Washofsky

Download or read book Reading Reform Responsa written by Mark Washofsky and published by CCAR Press. This book was released on 2024-03-04 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The responsa literature, in which rabbis answer questions about halachah (Jewish law), is a vast treasury reaching back nearly fifteen centuries; Reform rabbis have been writing responsa since the 1800s. In Reading Reform Responsa, Rabbi Mark Washofsky, PhD, presents a deep dive into this literature, boldly arguing that Reform Judaism is indeed a movement fundamentally based on halachah. By inviting and guiding readers to understand Reform responsa with a critical eye, he shows that our movement has always been informed by Jewish law as well as Reform history. A teacher and mentor of generations of students at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Washofsky gives us a peek inside his classroom, making Reform responsa—and their history, framing, and context—engaging and accessible for all. Dr. Washofsky masterfully demonstrates the centrality of responsa for the continued vitality of Reform as an authentic stream of contemporary Judaism. Addressing himself to the everyday Jew-in-the-pew, he explains what halachah is, what responsa are, and what makes "Reform responsa" distinctive. ... More importantly, he draws on his expertise as a scholar both of our tradition and of legal and literary theory to teach the non-specialist reader to become a critical reader of responsa. —From the foreword by Rabbi Joan S. Friedman, PhD, Chair, CCAR Responsa Committee Rabbi Washofsky gifts us with a series of informed and sensitive discussions of how Reform Jews should think about and act on specific moral and ritual issues. In doing so, he graphically demonstrates that Reform Judaism's emphasis on personal autonomy is complemented by its insistence that Jewish tradition must play a role in individuals' choices if these decisions are to be not just one's own opinion, but also a recognizably Jewish one. —Rabbi Elliot Dorff, PhD, Past Chair, Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, Rabbinical Assembly Rabbi Mark Washofsky offers us a fascinating entry into and analysis of the Reform Movement's engagement with Jewish law, practice, and values. Where responsa analyze the issues and concerns implicit in a question of immediate practicality posed to a Jewish legal authority, Washofsky analyzes the body of over 1,300 Reform responsa promulgated since the early nineteenth century, pointing out the intellectual and ethical approaches employed, as well as the traditional, philosophical, and scientific resources marshalled to arrive at a persuasive answer. A wonderful read in its own right, this book provides an insider's look at modern liberal Jewish religious thought in action. —Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, author of The Talmud of Relationships Drawing on his deep mastery of classical halachic literature, Reform religious culture, and modern secular legal theory, Mark Washofsky offers insightful and compelling analyses of some of the Reform Movement's most important responsa. Washofsky's special ability to combine rigorous scholarship with his characteristic dry humor, engaging storytelling, and accessible writing style makes Reading Reform Responsa an essential study companion for anyone---clergy, academics, and laypeople alike---who is interested in learning or teaching Reform Judaism's rich tradition of halachic discourse. By inviting the reader to be not just an observer but also a participant in the reasoning and argumentation of responsa, Washofsky teaches us what it means to think halachically in a uniquely Reform way. —Rabbi A. Brian Stoller, Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth-El of Great Neck, NY Those curious about the tradition of responsa in the Reform tradition, or merely about the intersection of Jewish law and modern life, will find much here of interest. A substantial but accessible guide to reading and applying Reform responsa. —Kirkus Reviews

Judaism

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Author :
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
ISBN 13 : 1317432037
Total Pages : 631 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (174 download)

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Book Synopsis Judaism by : Dan Cohn-Sherbok

Download or read book Judaism written by Dan Cohn-Sherbok and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2017-03-27 with total page 631 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This newly revised all-encompassing textbook is a guide to the history, beliefs and practice of Judaism. Beginning with the ancient Near Eastern background, it covers early Israelite history, the emergence of classical rabbinic literature and the rise of medieval Judaism in Islamic and Christian lands. It also includes the early modern period and the development of Jewry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Extracts from primary sources are used throughout to enliven the narrative and provide concrete examples of the rich variety of Jewish civilization. Specially designed to assist learning, Judaism: • Introduces texts and commentaries, including the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic texts, mystical literature, Jewish philosophy and Jewish theology • Provides the skills necessary to understand these step-by-step with the help of a companion website • Explains how to interpret the major events in nearly four thousand years of Jewish history • Supports study with discussion questions on the central historical and religious issues, and includes key reading for each chapter, an extensive glossary and index • Illustrates the development of Judaism, its concepts, observances and culture, with maps, photos, paintings and engravings • Links each chapter to a free companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/cohnsherbok which provides things to think about, things to do and tips for teachers as well as other online resources

Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East

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Author :
Publisher : A&C Black
ISBN 13 : 1441133291
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (411 download)

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Book Synopsis Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East by : Tsevi Zohar

Download or read book Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East written by Tsevi Zohar and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2013-08-22 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of central aspects of Sephardic-Mizrahi rabbinic creativity in the Middle East (Iraq, Syria and Egypt from 1850 to 1950).

Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472507398
Total Pages : 410 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (725 download)

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Book Synopsis Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East by : Zvi Zohar

Download or read book Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East written by Zvi Zohar and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-06-20 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rabbinic Creativity in the Modern Middle East provides a window for readers of English around the world into hitherto almost inaccessible halakhic and ideational writings expressing major aspects of the cultural intellectual creativity of Sephardic-Oriental rabbis in modern times. The text has three sections: Iraq, Syria, and Egypt, and each section discusses a range of original sources that reflect and represent the creativity of major rabbinic figures in these countries. The contents of the writings of these Sephardic rabbis challenge many commonly held views regarding Judaism's responses to modern challenges. By bringing an additional, non-Western voice into the intellectual arena, this book enriches the field of contemporary discussions regarding the present and future of Judaism. In addition, it focuses attention on the fact that not only was Judaism a Middle Eastern phenomenon for most of its existence but that also in recent centuries important and interesting aspects of Judaism developed in the Middle East. Both Jews and non-Jews will be enriched and challenged by this non-Eurocentric view of modern Judaic creativity.

Beyond Sectarianism

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Publisher : Wayne State University Press
ISBN 13 : 0814339549
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (143 download)

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Book Synopsis Beyond Sectarianism by : Adam S. Ferziger

Download or read book Beyond Sectarianism written by Adam S. Ferziger and published by Wayne State University Press. This book was released on 2015-07-15 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1965 social scientist Charles S. Liebman published a study that boldly declared the vitality of American Jewish Orthodoxy and went on to guide scholarly investigations of the group for the next four decades. As American Orthodoxy continues to grow in geographical, institutional, and political strength, author Adam S. Ferziger argues in Beyond Sectarianism: The Realignment of American Orthodox Judaism that one of Liebman’s principal definitions needs to be updated. While Liebman proposed that the “committed Orthodox” —observant rather than nominally affiliated—could be divided into two main streams: “church,” or Modern Orthodoxy, and “sectarian,” or Haredi Orthodoxy, Ferziger traces a narrowing of the gap between them and ultimately a realignment of American Orthodox Judaism. Ferziger shows that significant elements within Haredi Orthodoxy have abandoned certain strict and seemingly uncontested norms. He begins by offering fresh insight into the division between the American sectarian Orthodox and Modern Orthodox streams that developed in the early twentieth century and highlights New York’s Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun as a pioneering Modern Orthodox synagogue. Ferziger also considers the nuances of American Orthodoxy as reflected in Soviet Jewish activism during the 1960s and early 1970s and educational trips to Poland taken by American Orthodox young adults studying in Israel, and explores the responses of prominent rabbinical authorities to Orthodox feminism and its call for expanded public religious roles for women. Considerable discussion is dedicated to the emergence of outreach to nonobservant Jews as a central priority for Haredi Orthodoxy and how this focus outside its core population reflects fundamental changes. In this context, Ferziger presents evidence for the growing influence of Chabad Hasidism – what he terms the “Chabadization of American Orthodoxy.” Recent studies, including the 2013 Pew Survey of U.S. Jewry, demonstrate that an active and strongly connected American Orthodox Jewish population is poised to grow in the coming decades. Jewish studies scholars and readers interested in history, sociology, and religion will appreciate Ferziger’s reappraisal of this important group.

Guidance, Not Governance

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Publisher : Hebrew Union College Press
ISBN 13 : 087820122X
Total Pages : 353 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (782 download)

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Book Synopsis Guidance, Not Governance by : Joan S. Friedman

Download or read book Guidance, Not Governance written by Joan S. Friedman and published by Hebrew Union College Press. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Solomon Bennett Freehof (1892-1990) was one of America's most distinguished, influential, and beloved rabbis. Ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1915, he was of the generation of rabbis from east European immigrant backgrounds who moved Reform Judaism away from its classical form toward a renewed appreciation of traditional practices. Freehof himself was less interested in restoring discarded rituals than in demonstrating how the Reform approach to Jewish religious practice was rooted in the Jewish legal tradition (halakhah). Opposed to any attempt to create a code of Reform practice, he nevertheless called for Reform Judaism to turn to the halakhah, not in order to adhere to codified law, but to be guided in ritual and in all areas of life by its values and its ethical insights. For Reform Jews, Jewish law was to offer "guidance, not governance," and this guidance was to be provided through the writing of responsa, individual rulings based on legal precedent, written by an organized rabbinic authority in response to questions about real-life situations. After World War II, the earlier consensus about what constituted proper observance in a Reform context vanished as the children of east European immigrants flocked to new Reform synagogues in new suburbs, bringing with them a more traditional sensibility. Even before Freehof was named chairman of the Central Conference of American Rabbis Responsa Committee in 1956, his colleagues began turning to him for guidance, especially in the situations Freehof recognized as inevitably arising from living in an open society where the boundaries between what was Jewish and what was not were ambiguous or blurred. Over nearly five decades, he answered several thousand inquiries regarding Jewish practice, the plurality of which concerned the tensions Jews experienced in navigating this open society-questions concerning mixed marriage, Jewish status, non-Jewish participation in the synagogue, conversion, and so on-and published several hundred of these in eight volumes of Reform responsa. In her pioneering study, Friedman analyzes Freehof's responsa on a select number of crucial issues that illustrate the evolution of American Reform Judaism. She also discusses the deeper issues with which the movement struggled, and continues to struggle, in its attempt to meet the ever-changing challenges of the present while preserving both individual autonomy and faithfulness to the Jewish tradition.

CCAR JOURNAL - SPRING 2020

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Publisher : CCAR Press
ISBN 13 : 0881233870
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (812 download)

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Book Synopsis CCAR JOURNAL - SPRING 2020 by : Elaine Rose Glickman

Download or read book CCAR JOURNAL - SPRING 2020 written by Elaine Rose Glickman and published by CCAR Press. This book was released on 2020-05-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Central Conference of American Rabbis Spring 2020 journal.

Jewish Religious Law

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Publisher : Berghahn Books
ISBN 13 : 9781571819758
Total Pages : 232 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (197 download)

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Book Synopsis Jewish Religious Law by : John D. Rayner

Download or read book Jewish Religious Law written by John D. Rayner and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 1998 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reconstructs Jewish law, or Halachah, to make it more consistent with the principles of Progressive Judaism. Beginning with a brief history of the Progressive movement in 20th-century Judaism, the author continues with illustrations of how traditional law must be adapted to the views of modern, liberal Jews. The Halachic problems addressed range from Jewish territorial rights in Israel, divorce law, and questions of medical ethics such as organ transplantation, to the recycling of old prayerbooks. Paper edition (unseen), $15.50. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Revisioning Ritual

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Publisher : Liverpool University Press
ISBN 13 : 1800857411
Total Pages : 441 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis Revisioning Ritual by : Simon J. Bronner

Download or read book Revisioning Ritual written by Simon J. Bronner and published by Liverpool University Press. This book was released on 2011-09-30 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fascinating analysis of how the study of ritual is critical to illuminating what is Jewish about Jewishness.

Human Rights and the World's Major Religions

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Author :
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1440828121
Total Pages : 514 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

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Book Synopsis Human Rights and the World's Major Religions by : William H. Brackney

Download or read book Human Rights and the World's Major Religions written by William H. Brackney and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2013-10-01 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the celebrated five-volume set published in 2005, this updated one-volume edition offers readers a concise yet complete understanding of the interplay between the major religions and human rights. In a world where religious beliefs have become inseparable from the events of the day, ranging from the ongoing strife in the Middle East to cases of sexual abuse by clergy and controversy over circumcision laws in Europe, this is an invaluable work. It offers readers a comprehensive examination of the way the world's five major faiths—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—view and have viewed human rights from ancient times to the present. An overview of each tradition is provided, followed by chapters that show how human rights have been shaped and understood in the tradition from the earliest textual evidence to the contemporary era. Considering the differences among religious traditions globally, the book shows how each faith advanced the cause of human rights in unique ways. Contributors track the development of ideas, opinions, and issues, documenting both the advancement and violation of human rights in the name of religion. Demonstrating that human rights discourse cannot be divorced from religious history and experience, the book covers such issues as the right to life, the rights of women, punishment for crimes, war and peace, slavery, and violence.

In the Shade of the Sunna

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Author :
Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 : 0520382587
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (23 download)

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Book Synopsis In the Shade of the Sunna by : Aaron Rock-Singer

Download or read book In the Shade of the Sunna written by Aaron Rock-Singer and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2022-05-31 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Salafis explicitly base their legitimacy on continuity with the Quran and the Sunna, and their distinctive practices—praying in shoes, wearing long beards and short pants, and observing gender segregation—are understood to have a similarly ancient pedigree. In this book, however, Aaron Rock-Singer draws from a range of media forms as well as traditional religious texts to demonstrate that Salafism is a creation of the twentieth century and that its signature practices emerged primarily out of Salafis’ competition with other social movements amid the intellectual and social upheavals of modernity. In the Shade of the Sunna thus takes readers beyond the surface claims of Salafism’s own proponents—and the academics who often repeat them—into the larger sociocultural and intellectual forces that have shaped Islam’s fastest growing revivalist movement.

Social Sciences

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Author :
Publisher : PediaPress
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 367 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis Social Sciences by :

Download or read book Social Sciences written by and published by PediaPress. This book was released on with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Concept of ›Ruach Ra‘ah‹ in Contemporary Rabbinic Responsa (1945–2000)

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Author :
Publisher : Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG
ISBN 13 : 3110699885
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis The Concept of ›Ruach Ra‘ah‹ in Contemporary Rabbinic Responsa (1945–2000) by : Leon Mock

Download or read book The Concept of ›Ruach Ra‘ah‹ in Contemporary Rabbinic Responsa (1945–2000) written by Leon Mock and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2021-10-04 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept of ‘Ruakh Ra‘ah’ (Evil Spirit), is extremely rare in the Tanach, but is found much more frequently in post-Biblical rabbinic literature and even more in publications by rabbis of the last two centuries. This study focuses on the quite neglected period of responsa literature after the Second World War until the present. This literature consist fo answers given to questions about religious rules. The notion of the 'evil spirit' is strongly connected to the ritual of washing hands in the morning, but also before a meal, in connection with sexual relations and with visiting a graveyard. The washing of hands is supposed to be necessary to ward off bad influences. This ritual can be understood in between mysticism, gender studies, magic and embodied religion. This book analyses the meaning and role of the ‘Ruakh Ra‘ah’ in a corpus of almost 200 rabbinic orthodox response from 1945-2000. What happens to the term Ruakh Ra‘ah in these modern responsa? Does the ritual persist without being associated with the Ruakh Ra‘ah, or does the term continue to be linked to the ritual, but reinterpreted in cause of the possible tension between the traditional rabbinic paradigm and the modern scientific knowledge paradigm. The connection between this ritual and the stratification of the (ultra) orthodox society and cosmological representations offers a clue to the rationale of this practice. Questions of identity, gender and community boundaries that divide insiders from outsiders (Jewish and non-Jewish) seem to be related to the discourse in the corpus on this ritual. As the Ruakh Ra‘ah stands at the intersection between magical perceptions, religion (ritual), and premodern science (medicine) it is suitable as a possible test case for the way in which modern rabbinic responsa deal with other archaic terms and concepts that are related or comparable to the Ruakh Raah. This book is relevant to the debate on the relation of religion to the modern world as it provides insights into the ways contemporary believers deal with the modern world, and the various mechanisms to deal with potential discrepancies.