Faur in the New Guide
Spent the afternoon with Rambam z”l…. Glad to see R Faur z”l getting his due in the new translation of the Guide.
Sephardic
Andalusian, North African, Mizrahi, and Mediterranean Jewish tradition.
Arabic in Our National Future
Tally Gotliv wants Arabic speakers to feel unwelcome in our country and in the halls of our government. Sorry Tally, Arabic is part of our national heritage as Jews and it is part of our national future as Zionists, and the millions of Arabic speakers in this country should speak loud and proud, until and … Read more
Rereading Golden Doves
Rereading Golden Doves after almost twenty years, to see what I understand better and what ideas I still find persuasive. It’s a trip. Every page has an insight or claim that resonates deeply. The book is full of associations, parallels, and references that, for the careful reader, are mind-blowing to consider and transform one’s understanding … Read more
Arabic Is Central
Arabic is central to my Judaism. Without it, the Sepharadi legal scholars (from whose waters I drink) would not have had such complete access to the cultural corpus of Geonic interpretations, rulings, and traditions, all of which are fundamental to correctly understanding the Gemara. There is much more to say, but let that simmer for … Read more
Why the Mishne Tora Threatened Power
Bar Nativ comes very close in this article. He definitely gets the main idea of the Mishne Tora – to create a definitive, encyclopedic textbook of the Jewish legal system for practical use – but misses the main point of why such a book is valuable. Not (just) to resolve disputes by providing information – … Read more
The Horizontal Society for Ashkenazim
The Horizontal Society: Lessons for an Ashkenazi Audience R. José Faur’s The Horizontal Society offers a profound exploration of Jewish philosophy and law, emphasizing the unique structure of Judaism as an egalitarian and covenantal society. For an Ashkenazi audience, this perspective is both thought-provoking and instructive. By drawing from the Sepharadi tradition and contrasting it … Read more
Faur on the Mishne Tora
Based on R. José Faur’s analysis in The Horizontal Society, his work has significant theoretical and practical implications for the study and practice of the Mishne Tora, positioning it as the definitive guide to Talmudic law. These implications can be grouped into the following categories: Theoretical Implications 1. Restoring the Centrality of Law in Jewish … Read more
The Horizontal Society
The Horizontal Society by R. José Faur: An Analysis of Context, Thesis, Structure, Themes, and Implications R. José Faur’s The Horizontal Society is a profound and nuanced exploration of Jewish philosophy, law, and identity. Published in 2010 as part of the “Emunot: Jewish Philosophy and Kabbalah” series, this work draws on Faur’s Sephardic/Maimonidean intellectual heritage … Read more
A Note to the Haters
Evening Musing: My haters among the fans of a certain student of R José Faur, z”l, amuse me. Strangers personally insulting me on the internet will always amuse me. A sense of irony is a benefit of perspective, gained from experience. A sense of humor is a sign of a well-adjusted personality. There is irony … Read more
Five Denominations, Five Truths
Some controversial thoughts on a topic that came up over Shabbath lunch… The major denominations of Ashkenazi Judaism each capture a truth of the Torah. To put it roughly but reductively: – The Orthodox preserved the commitment to our legal system– The Conservative preserved the thorough academic analysis of our legal sources– The Reform preserved … Read more