Parshanut Ha-Mikra

 

DIRECTOR:

Isadore Twersky (Harvard University)

ORGANIZER:

Isaiah Gafni (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

 

The 7th Summer School will analyze the story of Jewish Biblical exegesis, within the context of general Jewish attitudes towards texts and their interpretation. An axial theme will be the relation of peshat (plain literary meaning) to various kinds of non-literal interpretation. What is the value of peshat vis-א-vis the rabbinic tradition? What exegetical strategies did philosophers and kabbalists develop? How are we to evaluate the exegesis found in the writings of homilists and ethicists - as well as that of the classical Hebrew poets? What are the reasons for an apparent neglect of Biblical study on the one hand and manifestations of Biblicism on the other? What role did polemical motifs play in the development of Jewish Biblical interpretation?

Beginning with considerations of midrash halakhah and midrash aggadah the School will proceed to highlight the methods, achievements and preoccupations of Jewish commentators, as well as their creativity, originality and influence, from Rav Sa'adyah Gaon onwards, and including Spanish, Franco-German, Italian and East European exegetes as well as representative modern writers. Each session will consist of a lecture as well as close readings of selections from the works of such classical commentators as R. Abraham Ibn Ezra, Rashbam, Nahmanides, R. Bahya b. Asher, Gersonides, Abarbanel as well as authors reflecting the values and norms of Enlightenment, 'return to Scripture' and traditionalism.

 

SPEAKERS:

Robert Brody, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Jay Harris, Harvard University
Moshe Idel, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Chana Kasher, Bar-Ilan University
Sara Japhet, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Eric Lawee, Yad Hanadiv Fellow
Avigdor Shinan, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Uriel Simon, Bar-Ilan University
Eleazar Touitou, Bar-Ilan University