Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2016 18:01:40 GMT
Temple Emanu-El Lifelong Learning Program – Summer 2016
Neusner, Jacob. Understanding Jewish Theology
Neusner’s Intro to Ch.10 – “Beyond the Law: Ethics”
Neusner, Jacob. Understanding Jewish Theology
Neusner’s Intro to Ch.10 – “Beyond the Law: Ethics”
If I were to paraphrase the title of Neusner’s introduction to Luzzatto’s article, I might entitle it “Halakhah: Necessary but not Sufficient”.
Neusner begins his theoretical framing for Luzzatto’s article on “Cleanness” with the opinion that halakhah (though Judaism’s core set of positive and negative normative laws) can only order so much. The complexities of human life often intervene in such nuanced ways that additional ‘screening filters’ based upon, but independent from, halakhah are needed. These Neusner refers to as “ethical treatises” that build “general moral and ethical principles” based upon the law that Jews can use where the language or context of a given mitzvah still leave perplexity on what constitutes an appropriate course of action.
Neusner distinguishes between ‘philosophical ethics’ which speak in conceptual and theoretical terms about abstractions (e.g. – man, good, evil,etc.) and classical Jewish ethical treatises which seek to give insight and guidance to wisely choose a course of action when faced with the concrete problems we face in this world. The goal of Jewish ethical treatises is, thus, the cultivation of individual and collective Jewish piety and moral clarity.
Neusner’s recalled the ten discrete steps that mankind can take to qualitatively advance from an unexamined life to a holy life that Luzzatto articulated in his Introduction to The Path of the Just. Luzzatto sourced these steps from a Talmudic baraitha (see vocab list) which he used as the lens of his ethical treatise. This week’s article, “CLEANNESS”, is one of those qualitative steps.
At the time the baraitha was recorded in the wake of the 2nd Temple’s destruction, the term “cleanness” was theologically understood to be ritual purity. Luzzatto, writing in the early 18th century CE, expanded the functional meaning of ‘cleanness’ beyond ritual purity to encompass moral and ethical purity. He thus (in a most classical Jewish sense) expanded the breadth of Torah understanding to help modern (ie – 18th century) Jews lead an ethical life in physical surroundings, economic conditions, and cultural pressures that could not have been imagined by the sages of Mishnah and Gemara.
This week’s article explores Luzzatto’s understandings of “cleanness” and “impurity” – but most importantly shares how ordinary Jews of his time [and ours] can mindfully guide themselves towards spiritual perfection - - as a goal if not as an attainable destination.