In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:W hy be Jewish? Why join temples?
Why bother to introduce our children to Jewish ideas and practices? Answers to these questions vary from person to person and from age to age, but the questions persist. Perhaps there are periods of remission but not of resolution. The questions seem as perpetual astheJewishpeopleitself.
Inrecentdecades,manyJewshaveansweredthesequestionsbyreferringtotheHolocaustorthe State of Israel as primary reasons for remaining involved in Jewish life and for exploring Judaism. With the passage of time, the Holocaust grows more remote. To preserve the memories of it seems stillaworthygoal,buttheimmediacyandurgencyofithavediminishedwithtime.AndasIsraelhas transformedfromanimmediatelyendangeredsocietytoaregionalmilitarysuperpower,theshiftin itsidentityhasopenedthewayformanyJewstoquestionspecificsofitspoliciesanditsclaimsupon us.Territorialpolicies,thesteadygrowthofsettlementsfromthepost-Osloperiodintothepresent, military actions in Lebanon and Gaza, the blockade of Gaza, and the flotilla episode have caused manyJewstofeelincreasinglyremotefromIsraelasamoralorspiritualcenterfortheirlives. Once again the question of Jewish purpose, of Jewish mission, asserts itself afresh.
Rather surprisingly,achapterfromanessaywrittenin1920seemsdirectlyrelevanttothequestionthatwe addresstoday.Itstitle?“TheExileoftheDivinePresenceandtheDivinePresenceoftheExile.” My translation of this text—the fourth chapter from The Community of Israel and the Wars of the Nations by Rabbi Aaron Samuel Tamaret/Tamares—appears on page 56 of this issue of Tikkun; I amofferingthisshortessayasanintroductiontoit. Many readers will recognize the term “Divine Presence,” an English rendering of the Hebrew word Shechinah. Referring to God’s presence within the sanctuary of the community of Israel (Exodus 25:8), the term is central to contemporary discussions of the renewal of religious experienceandtoseekingthefeltpresenceofGodduringprayerandceremony.Asthecentralexpression withinJewishmysticalthoughtandpracticeforthefemininepresenceofGod,itisafrequentpoint ofreferenceinfeministtheologyaswell.ThecentralityoftheterminTamaret’saffirmationofGod’s feltpresencewithinDiasporaJudaismcontributestothesensethat,despitetheninetyyearssinceits composition,hisessaysoundssurprisinglyuptodate.
An Unassailably Jewish Critique of the Nation-State and Jewish Nationalism Rabbi Tamaret/Tamares passionately affirms Diaspora Judaism as the true, necessary purpose of Jewish existence, even as he expresses a severe critique of nationalism. Not prone to Jewishexceptionalism(asin“a‘Jewish’nation-statewillbedifferent”),heoffersasearchingcriticism 54 T I K K U N W W W. O R G N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 Rabbi Everett Gendler has served congregations in Mexico, Brazil, Princeton, N.J., and Lowell, Mass., and is chaplain and instructor emeritus at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. He has long been active in issues of socialjusticeandliturgicalrenewal. Elements of a Philosophy for Diaspora Judaism An Introduction to Rabbi Aaron Samuel Tamaret’s “The Exile of the Presence and the Presence of the Exile” by Everett Gendler Rethinking Religion Religion1.qxd:Politics rev. 10/12/10 1:00 PM Page 54 thatextendsbothtotheindependentJewishkingdomsofbiblicaltimesandtotheTempleitself,as wellastomodernpoliticalZionism. ManyJewsareuncomfortablewithcriticismsofZionismandofIsraelasastate.Eventhoughtful,sympatheticJewishcriticsofpoliciesoftheStateofIsraelareoftendismissedasignorantabout Jewish matters, inauthentic, or self-hating.
Such charges can hardly be directed against Rabbi AaronSamuelTamaret/Tamares,1869-1931,knownastheprodigy(ilui)fromMaltsh.Inaddition to being an author and philosopher, Tamaret served as rabbi to the village of Mileichich (Grodno district) from 1893 until his death. He is aptly characterized in the Encyclopedia Judaica as “an Orthodox rabbi who fought against the fossilized halachah in a completely original style and who attacked nationalism and political Zionism as anti-Jewish phenomena.” Reassured by these Jewish credentials, perhaps we can, with less discomfort than would otherwise be the case, give reasonedhearingtoTamaret’ssearching,searingcritiqueofJewishnationalism. His essay begins with some reflections on the ever-changing fortunes of nations engaged in realpolitik domination and subordination. He then turns to the example of the traditional Jew rising at midnight to chant prayers of mourning (Tikkun Chatzot) for the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from its land. Often cited by detractors of Judaism as evidenceforGod’sremotenessnowfromtheJewishpeople,theexileispresentedinatotallydifferent light by Tamaret, who argues skillfully and vigorously that the exile in fact represents the continuity (through purification and intensification) of the intimate relation of the community of Israel to the Divine.
For this, a prime example is Sabbath observance, providing clear evidence of thegiftsofspirit,andtheconsequentjoy,thatthisdaybestowsuponJews. Tamaretexplainsindetailwhythisexileisnecessary:itservesinthefulfillmentofGod’sdesire tobemadeknowntotheentireworldastrulytheonewhowouldredeemallpeoplesfrom“thetight trapofmaterialisticnationalism,”therebyfreeingallpersonstoexperienceintimatelythepresence of the Divine—a profound liberation theology.
The Elements of Philosophy: Readings from Past and Present offers an extensive collection of classic and contemporary readings, organized topically into five main sections: Religion and Belief, Moral and Political Philosophy, Metaphysics and Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind and Language, and Life and Death. Within these broad areas, readings are arranged in clusters that address both traditional issues-such as the existence of God, justice and the state, knowledge and skepticism, and free will-and contemporary topics-including God and science, just war theory, vegetarianism, and time travel. Carefully chosen selections from a wide range of pre-20th-century philosophers are paired with writings from more than fifty leading contemporary philosophers and thinkers. The traditional philosophers represented range from Plato and Aristotle to Immanuel Kant and A.J. Ayer; the contemporary philosophers include Saul Kripke, David Lewis, Thomas Nagel, Derek Parfit, Hilary Putnam, Robert Nozick, Judith Jarvis Thomson, John Rawls, Bernard Williams, and Susan Wolf. Also included are selections from linguist Noam Chomsky, physicist Albert Einstein, and psychologist William James. Edited by a team of scholars who are also highly esteemed instructors, The Elements of Philosophy is uniquely student-friendly.
A team of undergraduate philosophy majors played a central role in helping to select topics, choose readings, and identify terms likely to require clarification. In response to their suggestions, the volume includes detailed introductions to each section, explanatory footnotes that define unfamiliar terms and concepts, an extensive glossary, and a guide to further resources. A companion Instructor's Manual, available on CD, offers article summaries, suggested essay questions, reading guides, model handouts, and sample syllabi.
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One of the most extensive and expansive anthologies available, The Elements of Philosophy is an ideal choice for both general and targeted introductory philosophy courses.KeywordsNo keywords specified ( fix it)Categories.
Elements Of Philosophy Gendler Pdf Viewer Mac
The Elements of Philosophy: Readings from Past and Present offers an extensive collection of classic and contemporary readings, organized topically into five main sections: Religion and Belief, Moral and Political Philosophy, Metaphysics and Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind and Language, and Life and Death. Within these broad areas, readings are arranged in clusters that address both traditional issues-such as the existence of God, justice and the state, knowledge and skepticism, and free will-and contemporary topics-including God and science, just war theory, vegetarianism, and time travel. Carefully chosen selections from a wide range of pre-20th-century philosophers are paired with writings from more than fifty leading contemporary philosophers and thinkers. The traditional philosophers represented range from Plato and Aristotle to Immanuel Kant and A.J. Ayer; the contemporary philosophers include Saul Kripke, David Lewis, Thomas Nagel, Derek Parfit, Hilary Putnam, Robert Nozick, Judith Jarvis Thomson, John Rawls, Bernard Williams, and Susan Wolf. Also included are selections from linguist Noam Chomsky, physicist Albert Einstein, and psychologist William James. Edited by a team of scholars who are also highly esteemed instructors, The Elements of Philosophy is uniquely student-friendly.
A team of undergraduate philosophy majors played a central role in helping to select topics, choose readings, and identify terms likely to require clarification. Audiosurf free download mac. In response to their suggestions, the volume includes detailed introductions to each section, explanatory footnotes that define unfamiliar terms and concepts, an extensive glossary, and a guide to further resources. A companion Instructor's Manual, available on CD, offers article summaries, suggested essay questions, reading guides, model handouts, and sample syllabi. One of the most extensive and expansive anthologies available, The Elements of Philosophy is an ideal choice for both general and targeted introductory philosophy courses.KeywordsNo keywords specified ( fix it)Categories.
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