Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People , livre ebook

Ciersonides on Providence,
Covenant, and the
Chosen People SUNY Series in Jewish Philosophy
Kenneth Seeskin, editor Qersonides on Providence,
Covenant and the
Chosen People
A STUDY IN
MEDIEVAL JEWISH PHILOSOPHY
AND BIBLICAL COMMENTARY
by
Robert Eisen
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Eisen, Robert,
1960Gersonides on providence, covenant, and the chosen people: a
study in medieval Jewish philosophy and biblical commentary / Robert
Eisen.
p. cm. - (SUNY series in Jewish philosophy)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7914-2313-1. - ISBN 0-7914-2314-X
1. Levi ben Gershom, 1288-1344. 2. Jews-Election, Doctrine of.
3. Philosophy, Jewish. 4. Philosophy, Medieval. 1. Title.
II. Series.
B759.L44E38 1995
296.3' ll-dc20 94-9215
CIP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To My Parents Contents
ix Preface
xiii List of Abbreviations
ONE Introduction 1
TWO The Philosophical Background
Providence, Miracles and Inherited Providence
in The Wars of the Lord 13
PROVIDENCE 14
MIRACLES 22
INHERITED PROVIDENCE 28
THREE The Covenant with Abraham
Gersonides' Interpretation of Genesis 15 39
FOUR From the Slavery in Egypt
to the Conquest of Canaan 55
FIVE The Covenant at Sinai
The Torah as Philosophical Guidebook 73
THE PROPHECY OF MOSES 73
THE PHILOSOPHICAL CONTENT OF THE TORAH 84
THE TORAH AS COVENANT 94
SIX The Torah and Esoteric Discourse 99
vii VllI CONTENTS
SEVEN From the Conquest of Canaan
to the Present Exile 115
THE ORIGINAL COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM 116
THE EXTENSION OF THE COVENANT 119
THE FUNCTION OF INHERITED PROVIDENCE
AFTER THE CONQUEST 128
THE PRESENT EXILE 136
EIGHT The Messianic Era 147
The Language of Providence NINE
in Gersonides' Biblical Commentaries 157
TEN Conclusions 169
GERSON IDES ON JEWISH CHOSENNESS:
ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT 172
THE PLACE OF THE BIBLICAL COMMENTARIES
IN GERSONIDES' PHILOSOPHY 178
Appendix
The Pill/lOt Ha-Torah in Gersonides' Thought 185
Notes 197
Bibliography 243
Index 253 Preface
The present work is an outgrowth of my doctoral dissertation, which ex­
amined Gersonides' interpretation of the exodus story in his Commentary
on the Torah. My research on this theme spurred me to think about the
larger question of how Gersonides comes to terms with the whole notion
of Jewish chosenness. It also forced me to consider the overall relationship
between Gersonides' philosophical and exegetical writings. These issues
are essentially the two foci of the present study.
This book should appeal primarily to specialists in medieval Jewish
philosophy and biblical exegesis. Yet I have made every attempt to make
it accessible to a wider audience. I devote an entire chapter to basic con­
cepts in Gersonides' philosophy that are necessary background for the rest
of the study. I also make a point of consistently reviewing ideas dealt with
in earlier chapters when they are alluded to in subsequent discussions, so
that the reader who is unfamiliar with this material will not have to rely
on memory alone to keep abreast of my arguments. I offer my apologies to
the specialists who may find that my efforts render portions of this study
superfluous or repetitive.
My interest in Gersonides was kindled a number of years ago when I
was a graduate student at Brandeis University searching for a dissertation
topic. My graduate adviser Marvin Fox at one point suggested that I take
a look at Gersonides' biblical commentaries as a potential avenue for re­
search. I reacted with lukewarm interest, perhaps more out of ignorance
than out of any concrete objection. Sensing my reluctance, Dr. Fox made
another suggestion, one that, I believe, exemplifies the quality of the guid­
ance that I received from him throughout graduate school. He asked me to
take two weeks to prepare any section in Gersonides' Commentary on the
ix x PREFACE
Torah as thoroughly as I could, and that he and I would then spend an af­
ternoon taking up the portion I had chosen. In those two weeks, it became
clear to me what Dr. Fox had wanted me to discover. By the time we sat
down to review a section from Gersonides' commentary on Exodus, I had
found Gersonides' biblical commentaries to be an unusually rich body of
writings both philosophically and exegetically-though, surprisingly, one
that for the most part had been neglected by scholars of medieval Jewish
thought.
To Marvin Fox lowe my deepest gratitude, not only for this initial en­
counter with Gersonides and for directing the dissertation that resulted
from it, but also for his involvement at every stage of the present project.
Aside from his innumerable insights and suggestions that have been in­
corporated in my work, his whole approach towards Jewish philosophy
and exegesis informs the present study. It is he who taught me to appreci­
ate the importance-and complexity-of the relationship between these
two disciplines. But Dr. Fox's role in my development has gone well be­
yond purely intellectual concerns. He has also taught me that integrity and
decency are as important to being an academic as the scope of one's learn­
ing. I hope to continue benefiting from his wisdom for years to come.
I was privileged to have the guidance of other accomplished scholars
who assisted in my initiation into the world of Gersonides' thought.
Nahum Sarna and Seymour Feldman, who served on my dissertation com­
mittee, were instrumental in this process. Dr. Sarna proved to be a most
valuable resource for me, not only for his knowledge of the biblical text for
which he is renowned, but also for his command of medieval Jewish exe­
gesis. Dr. Feldman, one of the foremost experts on Gersonides, contributed
greatly to my knowledge of Gersonides both through his written work and
personal communications.
I could not have produced the present monograph without the help
of a number of other teachers who have influenced my development as a
student of medieval Jewish thought. I would like to thank Jaroslav Pelikan
and Jonathan Boswell, who were responsible for first exciting my interest
in medieval studies when I was an undergraduate at Yale. I also owe a
great debt to Alfred Ivry who, while I was a student at Brandeis, instilled
in me an appreciation for Jewish and Islamic philosophy, and provided
guidance in the study of the Arabic language. lowe a similar debt to
William Johnson of the Philosophy Department at Brandeis, who played a
central role in my education and personal development while I was a grad­
uate student.
The present monograph has greatly benefited from the careful read­
ing of a number of colleagues. Menachem Kellner's insightful comments PREFACE xi
forced me to refine and recast a number of my central arguments. He also
provided me with moral support and encouragement for the duration of
this project. Charles Manekin offered valuable suggestions and encour­
agement. I also benefited from the insights of my colleague at George
Washington University, Max Ticktin, who read the manuscript with great
care. Max has served in any number of roles in my life, including those of
teacher and adviser, to name but two. I do not know where I would be
without the support he has provided in helping me become acclimated to
the life of academia.
I also want to acknowledge my other colleagues in the Religion De­
partment and the Judaic Studies program at George Washington Univer­
sity: Harry Yeide, Dewey Wallace, Abbie Ziffren, Sonya Quitslund, S. H.
Nasr, Alf Hiltebeitel, Paul Duff, Howard Sa char, Bernie Reich, Eva Jospe,
Judith Plotz and Yael Moses. Their contribution to this project was in pro­
viding a receptive environment for me to conduct my research and grow
as a scholar.
I should also make mention of my colleague at the University of Mary­
land, Susan Handelman, whose friendship and professional advice have
been invaluable to me in the last two years.
I would like to thank the Mellon Foundation and the Memorial Foun­
dation for Jewish Culture for their generous financial support while I was
doing my doctoral work. My thanks also go to George Washington Uni­
versity for providing similar support as the present project was nearing
completi