Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies: Master's Theses
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Item Open Access The Religious Philosophy of Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer(Yeshiva University, 1954-06) Adler, Jack H.; Churgin, Gershon; Wischnitzer, MarkKalischer presented the essence of Jewish philosophical thought in a simple and persuasive manner. This was an important contribution towards strengthening the religious consciousness of this period. His work had a profound influence both in Germany and especially in Poland and Russia, where the Haskalah movement was just beginning.1 This influence was felt for years after the original publication of Emunah Yesharah. Thus in 1913 a portion of his work was reprinted in Warsaw, under the title Sefer Petah HaDaat, for the purpose of strengthening religious belief among the younger generation.Item Open Access The Jews in France and Germany before the First Crusade and Rabbi Joseph ben Semuel Tov-Elem(Yeshiva University, 1969-06) Ehrlich, Baruch; Hyman, ArthurA master's project submitted to the faculty of the Bernard Revel Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Arts as of June, 1969Item Open Access The resurrection of the dead and the world to come according to Saadia Gaon, Rambam, and Ramban(Yeshiva University, 1978-06) Ben-Meir, Ruth; Hyman, ArthurAn attempt will be made to clarify the two central concepts of the Messianic era, the resurrection of the dead and the world to come, as they are portrayed in medieval Jewish Philosophy. ¶ In the original sources we find that there is no clear and unified concept of the Messianic era. Some prophets view the Messianic era as utopian, other prophets view the Day of the Lord as a day of destruction and darkness, our sages, when discussing the Messianic era, selected those prophecies which tended to support their individual views. It follows that our sages also do not have a single basic concept of the Messianic era. The differences are so extreme that one viewpoint totally negates the other. It is necessary to concentrate on these contrasts as they furnish the background for the development of the various currents of thought on the redemption. These central themes will be considered, relating to the ideas of Saadia Gaon, Rambam and Ramban.Item Open Access Dr. Jekuthiel Ginsburg: Scholar , educator , and mathematician(Yeshiva University, 1973-06) Seff, David; Grinstein, Hyman B.Professor Jekuthiel Ginsburg was a modest man with many friends. His modesty prevented him from publishing much under his own name, thus obscuring much of his work from the public, or even the researcher. In addition, one could safely conclude that his modesty was a major factor in his not becoming one of those public figures about whom many biographies or other works are written. Indeed, his main claim to fame is not his mathematical works, nor his scholarly works--nor even his contribution as an educator-but rather his contribution as an educator par excellence wherein he gained popularity not so much through the creation and· propagation of newer theories, but through his own deep and personal dedication to his students and to his work. (from Introduction).Item Open Access The Role of Philosophy and Kabbalah in the Works of Rashba(Yeshiva University, 1986-01) Horwitz, David; Berger, DavidRashba, in the course of his discussions of the theological problems entailed in the phrases ‘olam ke— minhago noheg and em mazzal le—yisrael, was consistently sensitive to philosophic problems, and took pains to show that Jewish beliefs did not contravene the Law of Contradiction. On the other hand, he vigorously maintained the superiority of tradition over speculative reasoning, and he could not tolerate the fact that contemporary allegorists gave axiological supremacy to speculative studies. ¶ Rashba’s attempt to justify segulot within a natural framework demonstrates his sensitivity to the demands of the contemporary natural philosophy. He refused, however, to countenance the thought that the Rabbis of the Talmud would be mistaken concerning a scientific issue that possessed halakhic ramifications. Although Rashba possessed a good deal of scientific konwledge, we do not find him to be an advocate of the pursuit of the sciences in non—halakhic contexts. ¶ Rashba’s rejection of the supremacy of philosophic categories was not supplemented by a full—fledged kabbalistic interpretation of Judaism. The content of his Kabbalah was that of the Gerona school at a time when other forms were developing, and he chose not to expand its contours. The form of his writing was characterized by extreme esotericisxn. His Commentary On Aggadah contains both philosophic—allegorical interpretations and kabbalistic hints to the same passage; this feature of his work demonstrates that he must be classified as neither a kabbalist nor a philosopher, if either of these two terms c~ignates an exclusive system of categories through which one views reality. ¶ In a letter where Rashba declared that Kabbalah, and not physics and metaphysics, is the substance of ma’aseh bereshit and ma’aseh merkavah, he nonetheless suggested that Jews would be better served if they studied the exoteric Torah. By doing so, they would be able to perform the mitzvot in a more perfect manner and be protected by G—d.Item Open Access The Motifs in the Works of Moshe Shamir(1961-06) Rabinowitz, Mayer; Churgin, GershonItem Open Access The development of the customs accepted by the two yeshivot in Babylonia in the gaonic period and their integration into halachik literature.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University., 1977-08) Citroen, Elisha; Hurvitz, ElazarSome scholars have already dealt with the different customs between these two schools, such as Assaf’s list of differences. However, in this study we examine the opposite, where the heads and elders of the two Yeshivot consent to these customs. Unfortunately, we have no historic evidence as to the procedure of establishing these customs as accepted. In both Yeshivot, it is quite possible that during the various conventions, that are famous for that period, these customs were discussed and accepted~ My study examines the Halachik bases for these customs, and follows their integration into the Halachik literature of Spain, Provence and Germany until Rabeinu Alfassi, Maimonides, the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch. My intention is to see whether it was accepted universally, after it had been established in both Yeshvot. In this work I investigated seventy-five different topics, their sources being the Responsa and rulings of the Gaonlm. The source is quoted, and then examined to see if an earlier source can be found to prompt the establishment of the custom. Some customs were found to evolve through a questionable understanding a Talmudic passage, some by an historic circumstance. In each case the sources describing the customs development through the Rishonim are quoted. The various texts are arranged according to their order in the Shulchan Aruch. The introduction discusses the historical back ground of the Two Yeshivot, the development of the customs and their integration into the Siddurim of Rav Amram Gaon and Ray Sa’adya Gaon, and their acceptance by the Poskim. The understanding of the development of these customs may make it possible to further the study of other customs, originating in the Gaonic period or at other times. Yet still the scholarly world awaits a global and complete examination of the origins and development of the various customs practiced throughout the generations.Item Open Access Jewish women in the writings of Sholom Aleichem(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University., 1968-01) Lubetski, Edith Slomowitz; Churgin, Gershon; Goldberg, NathanJewish Pale could be written solely on the basis of the stories and sketches of Sholom Aleichem and "it would be as reliable a scientific document as any factual study; more so, indeed for we should get, in addition to the material of a straightfdwerd social inquiry, the intangible spirit in which informs the material and gives it its living significance". Our purpose is to focus on one aspect of Eastern European life, the world of the women, as reflected in the writings of Sholom Aleichem. Although the man was dominant in this world and Sholom Aleichem concentrated on the man, he presented a rich and varied portrait of the women. He described the traditional woman in the shteitl and in the city, the new generation woman as artist, student, revolutionary, the nouveau riche and the poverty stricken. The dominant picture, however, is the woman in her family roles as wife, mother and daughter. The women will be studied in a framework of the three primary worlds that Sholom Aleichem depicts, the shteitl, the shteitl n transition and the open society.Item Open Access A historical study and analysis of the laws of the State of Pennsylvania affecting Jewish observance.(1954-06) Shuchatowitz, WalterA historical study and analysis of the laws of the State of Pennsylvania affecting Jewish observance.Item Open Access The Responsa of R. Solomon Zvi Schick: Moderate in a Sea of Extremes.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University, 1989) Ferziger, Adam S.; Katz, JacobThe methodology used in examining the text will be to highlight those responsa which address contemporary issues, thus shedding light on Rashban's overall stance. In order to accurately define where he stood in relation to the mainstream of the Orthodox world, the responsa of his teacher, Maharam Schick, will be used as a foil against which Rashban's own opinions will be compared and contrasted... In order to create a full picture of Rashban, it is necessary to include in this paper a summary of his life as well as crucial events of the times which shaped the scenario in which he lived. However, the main focus will be an analysis of his responsaItem Open Access Pat 'akum in Medieval France and Germany.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies, 1979-06) Strauss, David. L.This paper traces the development of the laws of pat ‘akum, the rabbinic prohibition on Gentile bread, in medieval Ashkenaz from the beginning of the eleventh century through the end of the Tosafist period. Compliance with this prohibition, originally instituted as an added barrier against intermarriage, became increasingly more difficult in a period when Jewish bread was generally unavailable. The story of pat ‘akum is that of an ever expanding allowance in both common practice and halakhic theory. In this paper, the course of the heter is followed first in Germany and then in France. Though German and French Jewry constituted essentially one community, they show marked differences with regard to pat ‘akum. In Germany, the radical allowance was reached only through a progressive development; in France, the prohbition seems never to have been widely observed.Item Metadata only The influences of Rabbi Joseph Bekhor Shor and Radak on Ramban's commentary on the Torah.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University, 1992-01) Novetsky, Hillel; Berger, DavidThe purpose of this Master's thesis is to investigate the relationship between the Pentateuchal commentary of Rabbi Moses ben Nahman (Ramban) and the extant commentaries of his predecessors. In particular, this study seeks to determine the extent to which the Biblical commentaries of Rabbi Joseph Bekhor Shor (Bekhor Shor) and Rabbi David Kimhi (Radak) influenced Ramban's commentary and his exegetical methods.Item Open Access The Problem of Machine-Made Matzot as Reflected in the Responsa of the 19th Century.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University, 1967) Yeshiva University, degree granting institution.; Heisler, Arnold; Duker, Abraham G.; Feldblum, Meyer S.Item Open Access Ḥ̣akam Ẓebi as Chief Rabbi of the Ashkenazic ḳehillah of Amsterdam (1710-1714) / by Judith Bleich.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University, 1965., 1965-06) Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies; Bleich, Judith; Agus, Irving A.His term of office as rabbi of the Ashkenazic congregation marks a crucial period in the life history of Ḥakam Ẓebi. Our purpose ... is to chart the course of Ḥakam Ẓebi's ministry in Amsterdam, to assess his accomplishments during this period and the analyze the causes of communal strife which resulted in his untimely departure from the city. Study of these years throws light on the ... interrelationship of Sephardim and Ashkenazim in Amsterdam ... and on an important chapter in the Shabbethaian dispute.Item Open Access The American Rabbinic Career of Rabbi Gavriel Zev Margolis.(New York, NY: Bernard Revel Graduate School. Yeshiva University, 1992-07) Hoffman, Joshua; Gurock, Jeffrey