Yaacob Dweck
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691145082
- eISBN:
- 9781400840007
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691145082.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter examines Modena's attempt to reclaim Maimonides from his kabbalistic critics and admirers. It argues that Modena's reading of Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed informed most of his ...
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This chapter examines Modena's attempt to reclaim Maimonides from his kabbalistic critics and admirers. It argues that Modena's reading of Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed informed most of his important positions in Ari Nohem—his understanding of tradition, his rejection of kabbalistic theology, and his attack on kabbalistic hermeneutics. Indeed, Modena quoted, paraphrased, defended, or alluded to Maimonides on nearly every page of Ari Nohem. He mentioned Maimonides explicitly on more than forty occasions in a treatise that consisted of thirty chapters; in addition, he often cited Maimonides without mentioning his name and engaged Maimonides' critics at great length. The chapter then connects Modena's discussion of two crucial issues in his criticism of Kabbalah to his reading of Maimonides: the history of esoteric secrets and the distinction between Kabbalah and philosophic knowledge.Less
This chapter examines Modena's attempt to reclaim Maimonides from his kabbalistic critics and admirers. It argues that Modena's reading of Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed informed most of his important positions in Ari Nohem—his understanding of tradition, his rejection of kabbalistic theology, and his attack on kabbalistic hermeneutics. Indeed, Modena quoted, paraphrased, defended, or alluded to Maimonides on nearly every page of Ari Nohem. He mentioned Maimonides explicitly on more than forty occasions in a treatise that consisted of thirty chapters; in addition, he often cited Maimonides without mentioning his name and engaged Maimonides' critics at great length. The chapter then connects Modena's discussion of two crucial issues in his criticism of Kabbalah to his reading of Maimonides: the history of esoteric secrets and the distinction between Kabbalah and philosophic knowledge.
Moshe Idel
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300126266
- eISBN:
- 9780300155877
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300126266.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explores the fact that, even though the generation of Jewish scholars before Recanati contributed greatly to kabbalistic hermeneutics, Recanati does not quote them at all. Though ...
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This chapter explores the fact that, even though the generation of Jewish scholars before Recanati contributed greatly to kabbalistic hermeneutics, Recanati does not quote them at all. Though composing a book that invited, in principle, some elaborations on exegesis, in his main work, the Commentary on the Torah, the Italian Kabbalist does not indulge in theoretical speculations, describing precisely how secrets were extracted from the scriptures. In this respect his approach is reminiscent of Nahmanides's or R. Shlomo ibn Adret's reticence in formulating exegetical systems. These three authors belong to what the chapter refers to as the first elite, a layer of authors who refrained from organizing exegetical methods into a more systematic structure. This reticence notwithstanding, Recanati did not refrain from offering his own kabbalistic interpretations of the Pentateuch and of the various commandments.Less
This chapter explores the fact that, even though the generation of Jewish scholars before Recanati contributed greatly to kabbalistic hermeneutics, Recanati does not quote them at all. Though composing a book that invited, in principle, some elaborations on exegesis, in his main work, the Commentary on the Torah, the Italian Kabbalist does not indulge in theoretical speculations, describing precisely how secrets were extracted from the scriptures. In this respect his approach is reminiscent of Nahmanides's or R. Shlomo ibn Adret's reticence in formulating exegetical systems. These three authors belong to what the chapter refers to as the first elite, a layer of authors who refrained from organizing exegetical methods into a more systematic structure. This reticence notwithstanding, Recanati did not refrain from offering his own kabbalistic interpretations of the Pentateuch and of the various commandments.
