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Jewish Ethics JPH 1204 Stern
College for Women Dr.
Shatz - Fall 2002 COURSE OUTLINE This course will
examine the nature, philosophical basis and scope of Jewish ethics. Emphasis
will be on determining the extent of the interaction between Jewish law and
secular ethical principles and reasoning. The
"sourcebook" referred to below will be distributed in class. "Kellner"
refers to Menachem Kellner (ed.), Contemporary Jewish Ethics (reserve).
Outside readings will be placed on reserve. We will probably not
cover the entire syllabus. I. Repentance, virtue,
and free choice: Rambam,
Hilkhot teshuvah (all, but read in light of R. Soloveitchik’s derashah); Rabbi
Joseph B. Soloveitchik, “Repentance and Free Choice” in Soloveitchik and
Repentance, ed. Pinchas Peli, pp. 126-29, 144-75, 180-84 II. Religion and
Morality in Jewish thought (1): Does Jewish tradition recognize a standard of
ethics that is independent of Halakhah? A.
The background in Tanakh Bereshit 3:1-4:18, 9:1-7,
18:20-33, 22; Bemidbar 27:1-11, Shemuel
II:ch. 15
On Gan Eden: Michael Wyschogrod, "Sin and Atonement in
Judaism," in F. Greenspahn (ed.), The Human Condition in the Jewish and
Christian Traditions
On the akedah: Soren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling (Princeton U.
Press, Hong Translation), pp. 9, 30, 35-38, 54-60, 73-74, OR Lowrie translation,
pp. 26, 41, 46-49, 64-70, 84; Jon Levenson, "Abusing Abraham," Judaism
47, 3(Summer 1998); Jerome I. Gellman, The Fear, The Trembling and the Fire:
Kierkegaard and Hasidic Masters on the Binding of Isaac, pp. 2-7, 104-16
On Saul and the Amalekites: Sourcebook, 102-106; Avi Sagi, "The
Punishment of Amalek in Jewish Tradition: Coping with the Moral Problem," Harvard
Theological Review 87:3(1994):323-46.
B.Sources in Talmud, Midrash, and rishonim;
contemporary interpretations
i) Some key rabbinic texts; the hok-mishpat
distinction
Sourcebook, pp. 1-18
Louis Jacobs, "The Relationship between Religion and Ethics in
Jewish Thought," in Kellner, pp. 41-57
Sid Z. Leiman, "Critique of Louis Jacobs," in Kellner, pp.
58-60
Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, "Does Jewish Tradition Recognize an Ethic
Independent of Halakhah?" in Kellner, pp. 102-5 only
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, The Halakhic Mind, pp. 92-99
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, "May We Interpret Hukkim?," The
Man of Faith In the Modern World, adapted by Rabbi Abraham R. Besdin, 91-99
Recommended: Joseph B. Soloveitchik, "Surrendering Our Minds to
God," Reflections of the Rav, adapted by R. Abraham R. Besdin,
99-106
ii) What is proper motivation for mitzvot?
Sourcebook, pp. 112-19
Yeshayahu Leibowitz, Judaism, Human Values, and the Jewish State,
pp. 13-29
III. Religion and
Morality in Jewish thought (2): Is ethical reasoning operative in the
determination of Halakhah?
A) The uses of midreshei halakhah and of sevara
Sourcebook, pp. 19-38
Gerald Blidstein, "Capital Punishment--the Classic Jewish
Discussion,"in Kellner, pp. 310-25
Moshe Halbertal, "Halakhah and Morality," S'vara 3, no.
1 (1993): 67-72
Moshe Z. Sokol, "The Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources: A
Philosophical Analysis of the Halakhic Sources,"
AJS Review XV,1 (Spring 1990): 63-93
Marvin Fox, The Philosophical Foundations of Jewish Ethics: Some
Initial Reflections, pp. 1, 15-20
B) Supererogation and virtue ethics
Sourcebook, pp. 39-51
Walter Wurzburger, "Covenantal Imperatives," in Samuel K.
Mirsky Memorial Volume, ed. Gersion Appel, pp. 3-13
Lichtenstein, "Does Jewish Tradition. . .," pp. 102-23
Sourcebook, pp. 94-101, 110-111
Yitzchak Blau, “Toward A Jewish Virtue Ethic,” The Torah u-Madda
Journal 9(2000): 19-41
C) Mitzvot Benei Noah;
Jewish law and non-Jewish systems of law
Sourcebook, pp. 52-68
Eugene Korn, "Gentiles, the World to Come, and Judaism: The Odyssey
of a Rabbinic Text," Modern Judaism 14,3 (October 1994), 265-87
Shmuel Shilo, "Equity As a Bridge Between Jewish and Secular
Law," Cardozo Law Review 12, 3-4 (February-March 1991):737-52
Jeffrey I. Roth, "Crossing the Bridge to Secular Law: Three Models
of Incorporation," Cardozo Law Review, 12, 3-4 (February-March
1991):753-64
Nahum Rakover, "Jewish Law and the Noahide Obligation to Preserve
Social Order," Cardozo Law Review, 12, 3-4 (February-March
1991):1073-1136
Recommended: Suzanne Last Stone, "Sinaitic and Noahide Law: Legal
Pluralism in Jewish Law," Cardozo Law Review, 12, 3-4
(February-March 1991): 1157-1214, pp. 1188-1214 only IV.
"Principles" of Jewish Ethics
A. Imitatio Dei
Sourcebook, pp. 69-77
R. Norman Lamm, "Notes on the Concept of Imitatio Dei"
(reserve)
B. Love of neighbor
Sourcebook, pp. 78-93
Louis Jacobs, "Greater Love Hath No Man. . . The Jewish Point of
View on Self-Sacrifice," in Kellner, pp. 175-83
R. Basil Herring, Jewish Ethics and Halakhah for Our Time, vol.
II, ch. 1 (pp. 1-41) and ch. 3, pp. 115-19 Course requirements:
midterm, final, 1-2 quizzes, daily class preparation, |
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