The Intellectual History and Rabbinic Culture of Medieval Ashkenaz: Expanding Horizons and Innovating Traditions

Contents

Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments xiii List of Abbreviations xvii Introduction: Regnant Perceptions and Empirical Evidence 1 1 Talmudic and Halakhic Studies: Internal Organization and Societal Models 37 2 Tosafist Biblical Exegesis in Northern France at the End of the Twelfth Century: Between Peshat and Derash 111 3 The Contours of Biblical Interpretation during the Early Thirteenth Century 205 4 Interpretations for a Varied Audience through the Thirteenth Century 289 5 Genres and Strategies of Piyyut Composition among the Tosafists 375 6 Magic and Mysticism in Tosafist Literature and Thought 445 7 Tosafist Approaches to Matters of Belief and the Implications for Popular Culture 489 Conclusion: Ashkenazic Rabbinic Culture in Its Plenitude 531 Index of Manuscript References 541 Subject Index 547 ...