Studies in Modern Jewish Literature (JPS Scholar of Distinction Series)

Preface

Preface A map is not a place and a book is not a life, but both a map and a book are texts that represent real places or persons. Maps, in fact, have always intrigued me precisely because they strive to encompass in their flatness, lines on a sheet of paper, the richly textured earth and the fullness thereof. Since they invite skilled reading to capture their meaning they have become, for me, the metaphor for the mystery of representation and the challenge of interpretation. Maps, furthermore, invoke the desire for travel, for journeys of discovery. The maps I read in the essays in this volume are not maps found in an atlas, but rather literary texts, more specifically, Jewish literary texts, largely written in the modern period. Most are the work of a variety of Jewish writers who have something special to say about the condition of being Jewish in the modern world. Since these texts are often complex , reading them cannot be simple. My ambition to arrive at a defensible interpretation of these writings has led me in three directions at the same time. First, because all serious Jewish texts emerge out of centuries of intellectual activity, I had to read bifocally, simultaneously scrutinizing both the text at hand and allusions to previous texts: primarily to the Bible, rabbinic, and hasidic works. In these essays, we find many connections between these modern writers and the Bible (as in the Book of Jonah); Midrash, especially in the writings of Agnon, Bialik, or Berdiczewski; and the hasidic tale. Second, since all the authors I study were deeply involved in the events of their times, I always seek to situate each work within its historical context, thus bringing me into a relentless preoccupation with Jewish history. Third, the intricacies of interpretive problems have generated a keen interest in literary theory, xvii a perspective that is always present, but deliberately hidden within these articles so as not to overwhelm the central focus on the writer and his work. The essays in this volume cover a wide range of topics and employ a variety of approaches from the essay to the scholarly article, from text analysis to historical discourse. While they are a representative selection of my intellectual preoccupations, they are by no means the totality of my production. Another volume of English essays could be assembled from articles that were not included in this volume, and my many Hebrew essays, often more detailed analyses of Hebrew texts, await collection. With two exceptions, all articles included in this volume are published as they originally appeared, with but minor adjustments for the passage of time. As I was preparing this preface, word reached me from Jerusalem of the passing of my friend of many years, Walter Ackerman. He shares the stage with me in the first article of this volume, “Confluent Myths,” which, as William Cutter suggests in his splendid foreword, is essential for understanding my intellectual world. “Confluent Myths,” originally written for a Festschrift in Walter Ackerman’s honor, now becomes part of his eulogy. For a volume of essays representing a life’s work, the expression of gratitude is complicated and, to be accurate, would have to be unbearably long. First, there are the institutions of financial support: the Council for Research of the UCLA Academic Senate, the American Council for Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Special mention, of course should be made of those who have contributed to the publication expenses of this volume. Then there are the many colleagues and students with whom I have carried on a dialogue over the years, on or around the topics of my interest. These dialogues might have been fully stated, merely suggested, or not even articulated, but they provided the stimulus every intellectual needs. Both Ellen Frankel and Janet Liss of the Jewish Publication Society have been exceedingly helpful in preparing this volume—the former for shaping it, the latter for keeping the text clear and consistent. The volume is dedicated to my wife Ora, my navigator of many years, who has seen all these essays grow line by line, draft after draft. In a long voyage with many tacks, she has been a steady and reliable mate. Arnold J. Band xviii Preface ...