Within the Hungarian and Galician Hasidic communities, women customarily shave their heads shortly before their weddings. Henceforth, they meticulously adhere to this practice, preserving a shorn appearance throughout the duration of their married lives. This practice has long stood at the center of a halachic and quasi-halachic discourse. An analysis of the arguments presented reveals that the halachic and kabbalistic foundations of this custom are extremely tenuous and largely dependent on homiletical interpretations. Although the precise origins of this practice remain elusive, its proponents have elevated its normative status, venerating it as an ancient and sacred tradition. This study endeavors to comprehend the underlying motivations driving the preservation efforts of this custom. The analysis herein demonstrates that the observance of this custom aligns three fundamentally non-halachic principles: a zealous commitment to minhag (custom); a “lust for asceticism,” historically associated with select Hasidic groups since that movement’s inception; and a demand for self-sacrifice, perceived as an ideal within greater ultra-Orthodox society. This study concludes that the normative standards emanating from these avowed non-halachic principles are regarded within ultra-conservative circles as an indispensable element of the Halachic system, thereby integrating these principles into their broader halachic worldview.
{"title":"Piety, Purity, and Pain: The Head Shaving Ritual for Women In Ultra-Orthodox Communities and Its Underlying Concept of Halachah","authors":"Iris Brown","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae010","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Within the Hungarian and Galician Hasidic communities, women customarily shave their heads shortly before their weddings. Henceforth, they meticulously adhere to this practice, preserving a shorn appearance throughout the duration of their married lives. This practice has long stood at the center of a halachic and quasi-halachic discourse. An analysis of the arguments presented reveals that the halachic and kabbalistic foundations of this custom are extremely tenuous and largely dependent on homiletical interpretations. Although the precise origins of this practice remain elusive, its proponents have elevated its normative status, venerating it as an ancient and sacred tradition. This study endeavors to comprehend the underlying motivations driving the preservation efforts of this custom. The analysis herein demonstrates that the observance of this custom aligns three fundamentally non-halachic principles: a zealous commitment to minhag (custom); a “lust for asceticism,” historically associated with select Hasidic groups since that movement’s inception; and a demand for self-sacrifice, perceived as an ideal within greater ultra-Orthodox society. This study concludes that the normative standards emanating from these avowed non-halachic principles are regarded within ultra-conservative circles as an indispensable element of the Halachic system, thereby integrating these principles into their broader halachic worldview.","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"77 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141111935","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Alon Goshen-Gottstein, Covenant and World Religions: Irving Greenberg, Jonathan Sacks, and the Quest for Orthodox Pluralism","authors":"Eugene Korn","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae009","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"31 25","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141117991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
While Israel Ba’al Shem Tov (the Besht) is traditionally considered the founder of Hasidism, modern scholarship has shown that the Hasidic movement emerged only in the decades following his death. This image of the Besht as the founder of Hasidism poses significant challenges in assessing his impact both during his lifetime and independently of the movement. This study seeks to extricate him from the Hasidic context that has historically defined him by analyzing four distinct types of traditions that preserve his cultural legacy—mystical pietistic teachings, kabbalistic intentional formulae (kavvanot), medico-magical recipes, and biographical narratives—and tracing their oral and written transmission histories. It argues that the initial dissemination of traditions attributed to the Besht both preceded and exceeded the Hasidic movement and that recognizing this fact allows for a better appreciation of his contributions to Jewish culture on their own terms, as well as a more accurate assessment of their subsequent influence on the Hasidic movement.
{"title":"Beyond Hasidism: Tracing the Cultural Legacies of Israel Ba’al Shem Tov","authors":"Elly Moseson","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae013","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 While Israel Ba’al Shem Tov (the Besht) is traditionally considered the founder of Hasidism, modern scholarship has shown that the Hasidic movement emerged only in the decades following his death. This image of the Besht as the founder of Hasidism poses significant challenges in assessing his impact both during his lifetime and independently of the movement. This study seeks to extricate him from the Hasidic context that has historically defined him by analyzing four distinct types of traditions that preserve his cultural legacy—mystical pietistic teachings, kabbalistic intentional formulae (kavvanot), medico-magical recipes, and biographical narratives—and tracing their oral and written transmission histories. It argues that the initial dissemination of traditions attributed to the Besht both preceded and exceeded the Hasidic movement and that recognizing this fact allows for a better appreciation of his contributions to Jewish culture on their own terms, as well as a more accurate assessment of their subsequent influence on the Hasidic movement.","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"90 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140968260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This is a theological exposition of the biblical statement that the human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The treatment concludes that this affirmation is the clal gadol, the foundational principle of the whole Torah (as Ben Azzai says, Talmud Yerushalmi, Nedarim, ch. 9, h. 4). There are four dimensions to the image of God: (1) Intrinsic dignities—that all human beings (no matter gender, skin color, race, religion) are endowed by their Creator with three intrinsic dignities: infinite value, equality, and uniqueness; (2) Capabilities—God has infinite consciousness, power, relationship (=love), freedom, and life. Humans have these capabilities in a finite but remarkable, i.e., Godlike, form. According to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, humans fulfill the commandment of Imitatio Dei (v’halachta b’drachav) by developing these capabilities. God bestows these capabilities on humans to use in fulfilling a mission to perfect God’s Creation in partnership with the Divine (=covenant); (3) These dignities are rooted in love. That all humans possess these dignities reflects the fact that God loves all life, especially humans (the most advanced form of life); (4) Prophetic messianism envisions this planet turned into a Garden of Eden (paradise). This is a reality worthy of an image of God, i.e., the enemies of life (poverty, hunger, oppression, war, sickness) are overcome and the fullness of human dignity (infinite value, equality, uniqueness) is honored, in actual practice, in daily life.
这是对《圣经》中 "人是按照上帝的形象创造的"（《创世纪》1:26）这一说法的神学阐释。论述的结论是，这一论断是整个《圣经》的基本原则，即 "神的形象"（clal gadol）（正如本-阿扎伊在《耶路莎米塔木德》第 9 章第 4 节中所说）。上帝的形象有四个方面：（1）内在尊严--造物主赋予所有人（无论性别、肤色、种族、宗教信仰）三个内在尊严：无限价值、平等和独特性；（2）能力--上帝拥有无限的意识、力量、关系（=爱）、自由和生命。人类以有限但非凡的形式，即神的形式，拥有这些能力。根据拉比约瑟夫-索洛维契克（Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik）的观点，人类通过发展这些能力来履行模仿神的戒律（v'halachta b'drachav）。上帝将这些能力赋予人类，让他们在与上帝的合作（=盟约）中完成完善上帝创造物的使命；(3) 这些尊严植根于爱。所有人类都拥有这些尊严，这反映了上帝热爱所有生命，尤其是人类（最先进的生命形式）；（4）先知弥赛亚主义设想将这个星球变成伊甸园（天堂）。这是与上帝形象相称的现实，即生命的敌人（贫穷、饥饿、压迫、战争、疾病）被战胜，人类尊严的充分性（无限价值、平等、独特性）在日常生活中得到尊重。
{"title":"The Human Being as the Image of God","authors":"I. Greenberg","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae014","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This is a theological exposition of the biblical statement that the human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The treatment concludes that this affirmation is the clal gadol, the foundational principle of the whole Torah (as Ben Azzai says, Talmud Yerushalmi, Nedarim, ch. 9, h. 4). There are four dimensions to the image of God: (1) Intrinsic dignities—that all human beings (no matter gender, skin color, race, religion) are endowed by their Creator with three intrinsic dignities: infinite value, equality, and uniqueness; (2) Capabilities—God has infinite consciousness, power, relationship (=love), freedom, and life. Humans have these capabilities in a finite but remarkable, i.e., Godlike, form. According to Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, humans fulfill the commandment of Imitatio Dei (v’halachta b’drachav) by developing these capabilities. God bestows these capabilities on humans to use in fulfilling a mission to perfect God’s Creation in partnership with the Divine (=covenant); (3) These dignities are rooted in love. That all humans possess these dignities reflects the fact that God loves all life, especially humans (the most advanced form of life); (4) Prophetic messianism envisions this planet turned into a Garden of Eden (paradise). This is a reality worthy of an image of God, i.e., the enemies of life (poverty, hunger, oppression, war, sickness) are overcome and the fullness of human dignity (infinite value, equality, uniqueness) is honored, in actual practice, in daily life.","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"115 13","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140967981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Alan T. Levenson, Maurice Samuel: Life and Letters of a Secular Jewish Contrarian","authors":"Stephen Whitfield","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae011","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"77 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140983241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nomi M. Stolzenberg and David N. Myers, American Shtetl: The Making of Kiryas Joel, A Hasidic Village in Upstate New York","authors":"M. Keren-Kratz","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae002","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"377 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139894984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Contributors’ Page","authors":"","doi":"10.1093/mj/kjae005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/kjae005","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":516877,"journal":{"name":"Modern Judaism: A Journal Of Jewish Ideas And Experience","volume":"16 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140468178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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