The Doctrine of Merits in Old Rabbinical Literature and the Old Rabbinic Doctrine of God by A. Marmorstein (review)

BOOK REVIEWS The Doctrine of Merits in Old Rabbinical Literature and The Old Rabbinic Doctrine of God. By A. MARMORSTEIN. New York: KTAV Publishing House, Inc., 1968. Pp. ~17 and pp. 163. $14.95. Many Christians, even in our own time, tend to regard Judaism as a religion whose development was terminated with the establishment of Christianity. Even many priests and scholars who know better on an intellectual level often disregard this knowledge on a popular level. Many Christians still see Judaism as a forerunner of Christianity. There is too little appreciation of Judaism as a developing religion. The way Judaism is true for the Jew, the way it validates itself, its role in the world, its response to challenges, and its ability to adjust and to survive have been of little or no concern to the Christian community. A. Marmorstein's Doctrine of Merits in Old Rabbinical Literature illustrates the manner in which Judaism survived, adjusted to new conditions and responded to contemporary events, challenges, slander and calumnies. This response is indicated by the therne of the book, i. e., the Doctrine of Merits, which teaches that it is possible for man to acquire merits before God, a concept which concerned rabbinic authorities. The author also depicts the action-interaction technique which was utilized by the Tanaaim and Amoraim during the rabbinic period. This technique encouraged creativity and speculation which made this period so productive and helpful in reorienting, redefining and purifying Judaism. It created a new framework which enabled Judaism to survive after the destruction of the Second Temple. Another aspect of the response and development of Judaism is related by indicating the ability of Judaism to react to charges levelled against it and the manner in which it did so. Marmorstein's theme is drawn from the Agadic material in rabbinic literature. He utilizes the Mishnah and the Talmud as well as the Mekilta (the halakic midrash to Exodus), the Sifra (the halakic midrash to Leviticus), the Sifre (the midrash to Numbers and Deuteronomy) and the Tanhuma-Midrash (the name given to three different collections of Pentateuch Agadot). He cites many other sources including various midrashim. The nature of the study does not involve the use of halacha or halakic concepts, i.e., the religious legal concepts of Judaism. The book is very useful in illustrating the completeness of Judaism. By depicting the use of parables and religious philosophical concepts Marmorstein adds an awareness of a new dimension. Too often Judaism has been viewed by the non-Jew, particularly the Christian, as a system of dry 357 358 BOOK REVIEWS legalism. It has been forgotten that proverbs, anecdotes, parables and allegories were important rabbinic teaching devices. Since the material for Marmostein's work is drawn from the Agada, the relationship between law and lore in Judaism should be obvious. As Chaim Nachman Bialik, a modern Jewish poet, observed, Halacha and Agada are two sides of the same coin. Although the requirements for legal observances and responsibilities have played an important role in the unfolding of the religion of the Jewish people, the tradition also drew from the wealth of human experience, rarely negating any source of truth and human instruction. The development of the Agadic method is depicted with regard to the development of the Doctrine of Merits. Contemporary events in the third century saw the metamorphosis of the teaching that the world was created for the sake of the Patriarchs and the righteous to the teaching that the world was created for the sake of Israel. This development, the author informs us, was connected with the polemics of the day. The church and the porch, the cathedral and the temple, revived the half forgotten and totally ill-founded abuses against the Jews. The Jews are a useless nation which had done nothing for the good of humanity. The Jews, so the Agadists reply to the Church, are something more than witnesses of the veracity of the Church; they are the source of every blessing and happiness. (p. 27) Basically, the concept of the Doctrine of Merits teaches that certain benefits accrue to the individual, the Jewish people, the world, mankind, the generations, or a particular generation...