Book Description

In a series of evocative, groundbreaking articles, the author analyzes the Biblical and Rabbinic basis for what surely are now some of the most hotly debated topics in Jewish religious thought today. These include how the traditional interpretation of the Binding of Isaac has been misapplied in both Christian theology and Jewish martyrology, and how the centuries-long, and newly resurgent belief in mysticism and messianism, in kabbalah and Hasidism, has distorted classical Judaism and thwarted its national and cultural development. The author counters the arguments of those who see Judaism's – and the world's – newfound obsession with mysticism and kabbalah as a natural outgrowth of a progressive trend within rabbinic Judaism, and warns of the impending danger of rejecting the very core of Jewish thought and opinion as it was expounded in the Torah and classical Jewish tradition (the Oral Law). Each section of this magnificent work will give the reader new insights into how different aspects of Judaism have evolved and why they have often been in contention with each other. Nor is he afraid to deal with some of the supercharged issues within Judaism, such as, what are the underlying premises of Jewry's claim to the Divinely Promised Land? And has this claim been affected by its failure to pursue an active program of nationalism? These highly acclaimed articles have been gleaned from today's leading Jewish journals and have stood the test of time. They contain valuable source material and are a ready reference to the many historical and religious topics that are the focus of discussion across all main Jewish denominations.