Torah Through Time: Understanding Bible Commentary from the Rabbinic Period to Modern Times

Index

214 Abel: avarice of, 88; Cain’s appeal to, 91–92; God, 75, 79; Moses as reincarnation of, 138, 139; silence of, 91, 97 Abudarham, David, Rabbi, 171, 187n23 adam: creation of, 43–44; dimyon, 47, 48, 64; Eve, 49, 53; gender of, 50, 51, 53, 64; Lilith, 53; opposition to creation of, 43, 44 adon, 115, 116, 128 Akiva, Rabbi, 33–34, 61, 141, 164, 190, 198 Albo, Joseph, 60, 70, 82, 99n15, 196 alien slave (’eved canani), 104 The Alphabet of Ben Sira, 53, 196 angels, 43, 44, 63, 64, 189 animals, 58, 59–60, 65, 66 Arabic language, 18, 96 Arama, Isaac, 190 Aramaic language, 19 Aristotelians, 192; God in, 22, 23, 46, 76, 77; image understood by, 46, 64; on origin of the world, 106; Rambam and, 22, 76, 77, 83; on sin, 83, 96 arrogance, 108, 109, 145, 146 Aryeh Leib, Rabbi (Shpoler Zeide), 111 assimilation, 29, 56, 136, 145, 155, 157 Avot d’Rabbi Natan, 11, 90, 196 Babylonia, 8, 16, 121, 128, 145 Bahir, 46, 196 Bahya, Rabbeinu, 23, 83, 84, 102, 171, 172, 196 bal taschit, 70n42 Bar Kokhva Revolt, 61 Bechor Shor, Joseph, 106–7, 180, 181, 196 Ben Bag Bag, 1, 13–14 Berlin, Naftali Zvi Yehuda, Rabbi, 29 biblical exegesis: botanical model, 32, 33, 39n69, 189, 190; braided narratives, 132–33, 140–41, 154; in Christianity, 16; g’zerah shavah, 139, 140, 156, 164, 181, 183, 188n52, 193; haftarah in, 120–22, 193; Islamic scholarship, 18–19, 96, 106; limits on, 14, 36n22; omnisignificance in, 10, 11, 14, 15, 25, 26, 194; pluripotence in, 14, 24–25, 27, 194; in post-Temple era, 15–16; rationalism, 18, 19, 20; silences in, 87, 89, 92, 93, 97. See also derash commentary; historical contexts; peshat commentary; individual rabbis (e.g. Rashi) Bin-Nun, Yoel, 185n1 botanical model of Creation, 32, 33, 39n69, 189, 190 Boyarin, Daniel, 3, 46 braided narratives, 132–33, 140–41, 154 Breuer, Edward, 38n57 b’rit, 76, 77, 192 The Brothers Karamozov (Dostoevsky), 90, 99n33 Buber, Martin, 144, 150–51 Bunam of Przysucha, Rabbi, 48, 79, 196 Cain: and Abel’s silence, 91–92; The Brothers Karamozov (Dostoevsky), 90, 99n33; character of, 75, 79–81, 85–86, 90–92, 94, 100n38, 139; God and, 75, 81, 86, 96; puns on name (koneh, kinah), 88, 139; reincarnations of, 138, 139, 140, 156; sister as wife of, 88, 89, 99n26; teshuvah (repentance) of, 94–95, 97 Cain and Abel narrative: breakdown in communication between brothers, 91–92; Cain not understanding the concept of sin (Malbim), 85; divine justice v. human injustice, 81–82; missing dialogue in, 87, 91, 97; murder as misunderstanding of divine mandate, 85; Philo on, 94; preferential treatment by God, 77–79, 80, 81; sacrifices in, 76, 78, 81, 86; sisters in, 87, 88–89, 99n26 Subject Index calendrical systems, 16, 141, 156 cantillation (trop), 165, 183, 186n9 Chatam Sofer, 176–77, 182, 200 chosen people concept, 144–45, 155 Christianity: calendrical systems in, 141; celibacy in, 55; commandments challenged by, 134–35, 155; on the creation of man, 43, 49–50; Crusades, 181; dualism in, 46; The Fall in, 60; Korah template in, 142; Mosaic origins of Torah, 134; Original Sin, 80, 83; on origin of the world, 106; Pauline Christianity, 46; Rabbinic disputations with, 16, 19–20, 60, 66; rationalism in, 19, 20; rise of, 16; sacrificial system in, 90; Valentinian Christianity, 134–35 Cohen, Herrmann, 144 commandments (Torah): Christian challenges to, 134–35, 155; divinity of, 141–42; fringed garment as reminder of, 135; God as source of, 134–35; hearing of, 114, 116, 128, 140; Hirsch on obligation of, 54, 57; honoring ones’ parents, 166, 167; not wronging a stranger, 159n12; 613 commandments, 54; speech, 165. See also Sabbath Conservative Judaism, 124–25, 130n19, 131n35, 182–83, 192 Cordovero, Moses, 177 Creation of the world: angels in, 42, 43, 44, 63, 64; botanical model, 32, 33, 39n69, 189, 190; continual renewal in, 106; creation of humanity, 189–90; death and, 50, 53, 61, 62, 67, 167, 183; Garden of Eden, 7, 53, 60, 79, 165, 177; goodness in, 61, 62, 66, 67; historical contexts for understanding, 189–90; humility in, 41; plural language, 41, 44, 47; revelation, 62–63, 67, 71n52; sixth day of, 62; Torah existent before, 176; two accounts of, 49–50, 53, 69n26. See also adam Da’at Z’kenim, 190–91 Dathan and Abiram, 135, 139–40, 141, 156 daughters of Zelophehad: ages at marriage, 179–80, 185...