Torah in the Observatory: Gersonides, Maimonides, Song of Songs (Emunot: Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.94 (838 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 1934843806 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 376 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2015-11-13 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Born and educated in the United States, Menachem Kellner (Ph.D., Washington University in St. Author, editor, or translator of 16 books and over 100 scholarly articles, Kellner’s most recent book is Maimonides’ Confrontation with Mysticism (2006). Louis, 1973) has lived in Israel for the last 30 years.
This anthology of his writings is a most valuable contribution to our understanding of these two thinkers." (Seymour Feldman, Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Rutgers University)“Gersonides (1288-1344) was, in my view, the most original philosopher in medieval Judaism. However, he has not been studied to the same extent as other Judaic luminaries, and only his Commentary on the Song of Songs has been (magnificently!) translated into English (1998), after an excellent Hebrew edition of the Introduction was published (1989), both the work of Menachem Kellner. These studies are fundamental readings for any student of medieval Jewish philosophy. Over the years he has published many important essays on various aspects of medieval Jewish philosophy, especially on Gersonides and Maimonides. Like Gersoni
Influenced profoundly by Maimonides, Gersonides nevertheless exercised greater rigor than Maimonides in interpreting the Torah in light of contemporary science, was more conservative in his understanding of the nature of the Torah's commandments, and was more optimistic about the possibility of wide-spread philosophical enlightenment. Rabbi Levi ben Gershom (Ralbag, Gersonides; 1288-1344), one of medieval Judaism's most original thinkers, wrote about such diverse subjects as astronomy, mathematics, Bible commentary, philosophical theology, ""technical"" philosophy, logic, Halakhah, and even satire. Kellner portrays Gersonides, revered among Jews as the author of a classic commentary on the latter books of the Bible, as a true renaissance man, whose view of Torah is vastly wider and more open than that held by many of those who treasure his memory.. In his view, however, all these subjects were united as part of the Torah. Gersonides was a witness to several crucial historical events, such as the expulsion of French Jewry of 1306 and the ""Babylonian Captivity"" of the Papacy. Collaborating with prelates in his studies of astronomy and mathematics, h