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Introduction Muslim scientists and many orientalists, have considered Abdullah ibn Abbas as a prominent and influential figure in the emergence and development of various Islamic sciences including interpretation, vocabulary, history, and jurisprudence, from the past until now, and have considered an irreplaceable role for him especially in the field of interpretation. But some orientalists have tried to take the essence of Islamic teachings from the important figures of the starting era of Islam such as Ibn Abbas, and tried to show that they have been taken from Jewish and Christian religions. Therefore, according to the importance and position of Ibn Abbas and his hadith and interpretive heritage, it is necessary to evaluate this claim - which goes back to the last century. On this base, in this research, the point of view of those who accused Ibn Abbas for publishing Israeli traditions, have been criticized and evaluated. Materials and methods According to the prominent and important position of Ibn Abbas in the science of interpretation and his influence in transferring religious teachings to new generation, it is really important to evaluate the claim of Orientalists that he was influenced by Jewish teachings. Therefore, the present article tries to check the truth or falsity of this claim by using the method of Isnad and content analysis in reference to sources and criticism of it. To achieve the result, the position and character of Ibn Abbas have been discussed according to different historical writings, and after clarifying his status in the science of Rijal from the point of view of Shi’ism and Sunnis, we’ve investigated the claim of one of the prominent orientalists, Goldzihar, and we have examined all his reasons by relying on historical-interpretive evidence, and then, we’ve examined the views of two Muslim scholars who were influenced by Goldzihar. Results and findings Checking the claims of Orientalists such as Goldzihar about the influence of Jewish teachings on Ibn Abbas showed that this claim is debatable. The traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) and Imam Ali (as) about the dignity of Ibn Abbas, on one hand, and his tauthīq by the Rijals of Shia and Sunni, on the other hand, show the validity of his traditions. However, Goldzihar emphasized Ibn Abbas' scientific referring to Ahl Kitab (the People of the Book) and believes that Ibn Abbas has referred to them when she had doubts. Goldzihar's reference to Ţabarī's interpretation, which itself faces criticism of Israeli traditions, and also his referring to people like Shabiban (164 AH) who could never visited Ibn Abbas (68 AH) in case of time, and the fake attributions to Ibn Abbas by placing mediators in the Isnads of his traditions, as well as referring to the correspondence of Ibn Abbas with Jilan Ibn Farweh who is faced the anxiety in the text and individuality and Isnad issues, shows that Goldzihar has made general conclusions according to a few examples. Some Muslim scholars have also been influenced by him in making this claim, including Aḥmad Amin, who cited Ţabarī's interpretation in his claim and accused Ibn Abbas for quoting a tradition from Ka'b al-Aḥbār, while there isn’t even a single tradition that Ibn Abbas quoted from Ka'b al-Aḥbār. Muhammad Hossein Zahabi is another one who defended this claim while acknowledging the publication of Israeliat by Ibn Abbas, and argued that most of the cases which are concluded in the Qur'an are detailed in the Testaments. So, Ibn Abbas has collected between these two prophetic hadiths: “ḥaddithū 'an Banī Isrāīl wa lā ḥaraja" (There is no problem to narrate from Bani Israel) and “lā tuṣaddiqū Ahl al-kitāb wa lā tukazzibūhum" (Do not acknowledge or deny the People of the Book). The first tradition was transmited by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn 'As and Abu Hurairah, who were the publishers of Israelite traditions, And also there are reports, in the Prophet's biography, about his prohibition and treatment with Jewish transmitters, that Ibn Abbas' lack of attention to this issue according to the public opinion of Sunni scholars who assumed the companions of Prophet to be righteous and fair, and on the other hand, the practical way of Ibn Abbas to forbid referring to Jews, along with his clear and transparent position towards them, as well as the presence of liars such as 'Akramah in attributing his own words to Ibn Abbas, makes it weak to relate this claim to Ibn Abbas. Conclusion The final point of research in religious sources about the influence of Jewish teachings on Ibn Abbas which has been brought up by some orientalists and Islamic scholars is debatable with the following proofs and evidence: 1. The presence of Prophetic traditions in the honor of Ibn Abbas and his tauthiq by Rijaliun of Shia and Sunni; 2. Incomplete and insufficient citations of orientalists such as Goldzihar in accusing Ibn Abbas for being influenced by Jewish teachings; 3. The claim of some Islamic scholars such as Zahabi in repeating this inculpation influenced by orientalists, without providing sufficient Isnads; 4. The referring of owners of this theory to Ţabarī's interpretation, which is mixed with fake traditions known as Israeliat; 5. The existence of liars toward Ibn Abbas, who have related their own thoughts to him in order to gain credibility and validity; 6. And finally, the practical way of Ibn Abbas who forbade referring to Jewish scholars and his clear position against them indicates that Ibn Abbas cannot be accused of publishing Israeli traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the late twelfth century onward, the Church shows increasing concern for the religious welfare of all Christians. This development within Church policy is reflected in the educational reforms of the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) and in the flourishing of works written for the sake of "pastoral care." This study presents one example of a Jewish scholar who wished to influence the religiosity of the entire community by enacting a liturgical innovation. Isaac of Corbeil advocated the daily recitation of an abbreviated list of commandments to create awareness of the religious commandments that obligated all Jews. After introducing Isaac of Corbeil's initiative, this essay explains its religious significance and the centrality of "intent" in his thought, and traces sources that may have influenced his thinking. An appendix regarding the textual evidence is included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Leo Baeck Institute – New York | Berlin is a research library and an archive dedicated to the history and culture of German-speaking Jews founded in 1955 by German-Jewish scholars and intellectuals. With its extensive library, archive and art collections, it is one of the most significant places for all manners of primary source material and research literature on Jewish life in Central Europe in the centuries before the Shoah. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of RumeliDE Journal of Language & Literature Research / RumeliDE Dil ve Edebiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of RumeliDE Uluslararasi Hakemli Dil & Edebiyat Arastirmalari Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This essay is a contribution to this issue's forum on French Jewish studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solomon’s sea (a brass basin used in the First Temple) was discussed in the Yerushalmi Talmud Eruvin 1:5 (as well as in BT Eruvin 14a-b), and it revolved around the shape of Solomon’s sea. However, inaccurate volume values of the basin were cited in the Yerushalmi. The aim of this article was to offer a new explanation for one problem arising in connection with these values. The setting of this study was the inaccurate volume values of the basin appearing in the Yerushalmi. The background of the issue at stake is the fact that Jewish scholars cannot accept that Scripture contains discrepancies (cf. BerR. 4:6). Our methods were to review the different explanations given by different commentators and to introduce a discussion by R. Avraham Ben Hiyya ha-Nassi and the Book of Tashbetz dealing with an explanation of verses related to the basin’s shape. We suggested a new idea based on the above-mentioned discussion: by reducing the basin’s width by one handbreadth as the verse states, one could reach exactly the values appearing in the Yerushalmi for the volumes of a squared basin and a circular basin. Based on our suggestion, one could settle the volume values appearing in the Yerushalmi without correcting them. Contribution: The key insight was that one could settle the volume values appearing in the Yerushalmi without correcting them. This insight was connected with the textual history of the Rabbinic literature, which exactly fit HTS’s scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Essay focuses on the experiences of Holocaust scholar Marta Havryshko during the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. The author reflects on the future and challenges of Holocaust research and education in times of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People considered heretical in faith were named by various terms in Jewish literature. Jewish scholars, especially Maimonides (d. 1204), categorized heretics according to the kind of heresy. Later, they included Jews who had similar thoughts and behaviors in the same category and warned them about God’s punishments for heretics. One of the standard terms used in Jewish literature for heretics is apikoros. The term apikoros was derived from the Greek philosopher Epicurus (d. 270 BC). Although it was a proper name at first, it gradually turned into a common name denoting people who were unbelievers or imperfect in their faith. Having thoughts that contradicted the basic principles of the Jewish faith, the apikorsim became a group against which the Jewish clergy sided. Because of the fact that they misled Jews from the right path, many discussions arose in Jewish literature, such as how to struggle apikoros. This article discusses the origin of the term of the apikoros, the mindset of the apikoros, their effects on the Jews, their position in the Jewish society, and the punishments they will receive in the hereafter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A biography of Victorian Jewish scholar Marcus Kalisch is presented. Topics discussed include his family and educational backgrounds, his troubles in securing a teaching position at a Gymnasium, the relationship developed between Kalisch and Lionel de Rothschild family, his reputation as a scholar, the release of his book "A Historical and Critical Commentary on the Old Testament," and criticisms of Kalisch's literary works on Christianity.

This article presents the possibility of a theory of natural law in Judaism from the Jewish perspective by listening to the Jewish tradition of scholarship on religion and philosophy. The first part of this paper is concerned with evidence for a theory of natural law in Judaism. It centers around the Noahide Laws and their influence on Gentile and pre-Simatic Judaism. The second part deals with Moses Maimonides and his ideas concerning the interpretation of natural law for Jews. The third part discusses Jewish scholars who have refuted the work of Maimonides and proposed various theories of natural law. They have been a consistent part of Jewish tradition and provide a path, however narrow, along which Jews may travel towards participation in global issues and work among non-Jewish people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article surveys three centuries of rabbinic culture in Schnaittach (Central Franconia) on the basis of unexplored Hebrew sources. Located in an enclave within the Nuremberg territory, the Schnaittach rabbinate served four rural communities and variously exerted jurisdiction over large areas of Franconia, Upper Palatinate, and Bavaria. As a provincial authority, the rabbinate was oriented toward the political centers in Amberg, Munich, and Vienna, as well as toward the Jewish hubs of Fürth and Frankfurt. The rabbis of Schnaittach produced literary works in the fields of responsa and homiletics that this study contextualizes within a multilevel network of social relations. Early modern rabbis interacted with local tribunals, Christian theologians, Jewish fellow scholars, and migrant students while guiding rural Jews in their daily lives. Several documents show how they mediated, jointly with their wives, in issues of marital sexuality and cared for the female space that was the ritual bath. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Until the mid twentieth century, Moroccan Jewry constituted the largest non-Ashkenazi Jewish community and had more than double the population of any other Jewish community in the Islamic world. Under the influence of the Alliance Israélite Universelle school network, French colonialism, the experience of World War II and the innate tensions between Zionism and Arab nationalism, the Jews of Morocco underwent a variety of transformations and ultimately the dissolution of the community as a result of the mass exodus to Israel, France and North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay situates the Ottoman-born Abraham S. Yahuda (1877–1951) at the center of modern Jewish historiography. In the process, the essay demonstrates how Yahuda held a Jewish studies chair at a major Western university a full decade before Salo Wittmayer Baron (1895–1989) and Harry Wolfson (1887–1974). One intervention offered by this essay is methodological: the recovery of this forgotten figure, whose papers are dispersed across archives in multiple continents, suggests not only the ways that the material archive can challenge given historical narratives. Such work also provides a kind of history of a discipline, albeit through an encounter with its limitations; in the case of Yahuda these limitations are inextricable from the complex legacies of scholarship, empire, and the state and can therefore be studied as part of a process of coming to terms with such forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jewish faith and lifestyle requires the individual to address issues that involve many facets of life, including education, religious matters, self scholarship, personal development, and many other issues. The main problem in the 21st century is that modern Jewish society does not subscribe to a homogenous worldview concerning Judaism. There are several different typical sectors within Jewish society. Haredi (Ultra-orthodox) Jews, secular Jews, Modern Orthodox, and traditional (meaning: less observant). The article does not discuss the two extremes: Haredi Jews and secular Jews. The main concern of this article involves Modern Orthodox and traditional Jews and their personal development within the Jewish faith. In many cases, Modern Orthodox and traditional Jews in the 21st century are inclined to increasing strictness and extreme attitudes in all issues related to Judaism, as a result of ignorance and personal lack of development in Jewish religious matters. This stands in complete contrast to the situation in the distant past, i.e., the Mishna and Talmud periods (first to six century AD), when the Jewish establishment encouraged scholarly personal development in all spiritual religious aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have generally viewed the citation formula 'thus R. X said' (over 200 appearances) as identical to the more typical formulae used to quote Amoraic statements. In contrast I argue that this particular citation formula differs from the more typical formula in that it is used only when there is an attempt to establish a Halakhic norm, especially when it contradicts alternative traditions. I will further argue that late Babylonian Amoraim use this formula to quote an earlier authoritative source whereas earlier Amoraim use it to quote a sage with whom they had contact. These findings testify to a trend among later Amoraim to issue Halakhic rulings based on the authority of dominant figures from earlier generations and contribute to our understanding of how Halakhic decisions were formulated to accord with particularly prominent rabbis in talmudic Babylonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article I re-examine the question of which of Ibn Ezra's commentaries on Genesis was available to Nahmanides when he wrote his own commentary on the book. The consensus until now had been that Nahmanides was familiar with both the short commentary and the second recension. A comprehensive analysis of Nahmanides' commentary on Genesis demonstrates that this consensus is incorrect - Nahmanides was only familiar with Ibn Ezra's short commentary. This conclusion is based on our familiarity with Nahmanides' inclusive approach to his sources, as well as specific examples which prove that Nahmanides was not familiar with the second recension (and not even the 'third approach'). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biblical law forbids the consumption of fruit from trees in the three years after planting, a prohibition known as 'orlah. In medieval France this created a problem with the practice of layering. R. Isaac of Dampieres (Ri) argued that if the twig is not detached from the old vine, layering is not deemed planting and there is no obligation to count the years of 'orlah anew. R. Samson of Sens, his student, distinguished altogether layering from actual planting. In Germany, where there were no Jewish-owned vineyards, R. Asher (Rosh) followed the ruling of Ri; a Jew could turn a blind eye on the practice of layering. R. Asher's arrival in Spain, where Jewish vintners performed layering on branches and detached them later as required, compelled him to adopt the solution of R. Samson. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rabbi Hayim Ha-Kohen was a Tosafist, active in France and Ashkenaz in the twelfth century. In the scholarly literature he is considered a French scholar, but, as will be demonstrated in this article, this assumption is erroneous. Though he was born in Germany, he travelled to France in order to study under Rabbeinu Tam, then returned to Germany to teach in Mainz. After a few years, he migrated back to France, where he was active until his death. This fact is significant for three reasons(i) like Ashkenazi scholars, and in contrast to French scholars, Rabbi Hayim opposed immigration to the Land of Israel(2) he taught and interpreted the order Qodashim - and specifically the tractate Zebahim - in line with Ashkenazi scholars(3) his son wrote a commentary on Ashkenazi piyyutim that contains many French words. That the prayer rite was Ashkenazi but the language French reflects the familys migration pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abū Amr Joseph Ibn Hasday is known as the author of a famous Hebrew panegyric sent to the vizier of Granda, the poet Samuel ha and as the father of the vizier of Saragossa, Abū-l-faḍl Ibn Hasday. The article challenges his accepted biography. Examination of all the known pieces of historical evidence, both in Jewish and in Arabic textsreveals that the scholarly reconstructed biography is rather inaccurate, based on methodologically false conclusions, drawn from conventional verses, text emendations and mere coincidences. Although sketchier than the former, accepted one, the resulting biography of the poet is more accurate; and while fewer facts can be known for full certainty, what is known is far more well-founded. In addition, the article discusses the questions concerning the conversion of the poets son, Abū-l-faḍl to Islam, arguing that the main historical source used by Jewish scholars to refute his conversion is actually quite ambiguous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threats and violence from radicalized Islamists have led to heightened security measures for Jewish organizations in France. French soldiers are protecting Jewish schools, kindergartens, community centers, and other Jewish institutions. In addition to terrorism, there are a number of other factors that have led to increased antisemitism in France. This article discusses data on antisemitic incidents and surveys on antisemitic attitudes in France. While there is a clear rise in antisemitic incidents, the trend in antisemitic attitudes is less clear. Levels of antisemitic attitudes are particularly high among Muslims, the far-right, and also the far-left, but not necessarily among the general French population. However, the rise of antisemitism has hit observant Jews more than non-observant Jews and it has led to changes in behavior, including in the display of religious signs and avoidance of places of worship. Many French Jews today question their future in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author provides both a historical assessment and a critical audit of the historiography of Ottoman Jewry. The account commences with pioneering works of a still fragmentary nature from the late nineteenth century. It then dwells on more comprehensive works that date to the formative and second phase of this historiography. The author then compares historical scholarship on Ottoman Jewry produced in the Israeli academy with parallel efforts in the field undertaken by contemporaries in the USA. In both countries two generations of scholars are labouring simultaneously on enriching the field. Throughout the article the author indicates obsolete paradigms of scholarship, while also identifying serious lacunae in the field that still need to be dealt with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, historical scholarship has increasingly turned to the literature of the Tosafists and other medieval talmudists and halakhists in order to establish or support trends in religious observance among the laity. However, the extraction of accurate societal patterns from these rabbinic writings, which is a most welcome development, must take into account the often complex thought processes, methods, and proclivities of the authors, along with the precise textual histories and scope of the literature itself. This methodological study provides examples of the possible pitfalls that can emerge if interpretive strategies, textual provenance, and breadth of erudition are not fully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much scholarly effort has been devoted to the editorial process that produced the corpus of R. Abraham Isaac ha-Kohen Kook. Understandably, the editorial techniques of R. Zvi Yehudah Kook--the only son of R. Kook--have received particular attention due the formative role he had in editing and publishing his father's writings. R. Zvi Yehudah's editorial activities with his father's works include the brief essay "La-Milhemet ha-Deot ve-ha-Emunot" (The Battle of Opinions and Beliefs), published in 1913. It has been argued that in his editing of this essay, he attempted to minimize R. Kook's legitimation of secular Zionists. I suggest a different understanding of the underlying motivation of R. Zvi Yehudah. He was attempting to provide a response of R. Kook to the most significant literary and cultural controversy that occupied the Zionist and Hebrew literary landscape, namely, the Brenner affair. R. Zvi Yehudah, through his editing of "La-Milhemet ha-Deot ve-ha-Emunot", was interested in grounding R. Kook's writings in the historical and social context in which they were composed. During the Jaffe period, R. Zvi Yehudah aggressively redacted various pages from his notebook and shaped the essay in order to relate R. Kook's work to one of the most significant cultural and ideological Zionist debates of his time and to bring his writings in conversation with his contemporaries and colleagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zionist historiography and historical scholarship typically portray Bnei Moshe as a secret order, consisting of a homogenous group of young intellectuals who zealously espoused the national cultural-Zionist world-view and doctrine of their leader and mentor Ahad Ha'am. In this article I establish that this group - whose prominent members included well-known figures such as Haim Nahman Bialik, Yehoshua Hana Ravnitzky, Elhanan Levinsky, Chaim Weizmann, Meir Dizengoff, and others -- was actually plagued by deep ideological rifts, with some of its members pushing for the adoption of the national religious values associated with Rabbi Shmuel Mohilever, and others viewing the order as an elitist branch of the Hibat Tsiyon movement and its successor organization, the Odessa Committee, led by Moshe Leib Lilienblum and Leon Pinsker. Only after a protracted struggle did the group ultimately accept Ahad Ha'am's position and world-view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simon B. Scheyer is one of the earliest and most distinguished pioneers of the scholarly study of medieval Jewish philosophy, especially of Maimonides, some of whose works are still used by scholars today. Despite his role as a precursor and his scholarly excellence, he has been all but forgotten by history and has not been the subject of even a single entry in any work of reference. The purpose of this article is to offer Simon Scheyer the place that is his due in the history of Jewish scholarship. I sketch his (tragic) biography, reconstituted from printed and archival sources, and present his work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on proof of God, who created and preserves all things, and selection of Jewish scholars as a blessing to the world including Biblical evidence that Jews were chosen by God, realization of the book "Old Testament" writers of existence of God and influence of Jewish wealth.

The author talks about Holocaust studies scholar Professor David Cesarani which include his personal and professional relationship with Cesarani, Cesarani's essay which tells of how he became a Holocaust scholar, and his death as a result of heart disease.

The goy has been present in Jewish discourses since antiquity. Despite this, its birth and history have received almost no scholarly attention. In this paper we shift the focus from the various historical attitudes towards the goy, to the very constitution of the concept and the dichotomy it constructs. We claim that scholars have been anachronistically reading Jewish (or Judaean) texts from the centuries before the common era as if they contained the Jew/goy distinction. Through a series of readings in texts like Jubilees, Pseudo-Aristeas, Joseph and Aseneth, 1-4 Maccabees, the Damascus Document, we seek to demonstrate the plurality of options for separation that existed before the Jew/goy discourse took over. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Enlightenment period, Jewish scholars began addressing the issue of textual criticism. Few of these took a radical approach to this question, the most prominent being Joshua Heschel Schorr, Abraham Krochmal, and Elimelech Bezredḳi, whose writings are replete with thousands of textual emendations. This article seeks to examine this fascinating but neglected chapter in the history of the textual criticism of the Hebrew Bible. It discusses the work of these three scholars, analysing their outlook, principles, and methodology and adducing cultural, intellectual, and personality factors as contributing to their special status as a group within a broader phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]