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The Jewish Intellectual Tradition: A History of Learning and Achievement (Academic Studies Press, 2022) by Alan Kadish, Michael A. Shmidman, & Simcha Fishbane
Reviewed by Rabbi Reuven Chaim
Klein (Rachack Review)
The Jewish intellectual tradition
is a rich and complex tapestry woven from centuries of study, contemplation,
and creative expression. The literary output produced by that tradition broadly
spans many different genres, including the study of Talmud (Halacha and
Aggadah), Kabbalah, Morality/Ethics, Philosophy, Language, and Science
(including Physics, Astronomy, and Medicine) — not to mention creative writing
in prose and poetry. In this book, the authors provide a comprehensive overview
of Jewish history as a story of learning and scholarly achievement, exploring
the ways in which Jewish thinkers, scholars, and artists have shaped the course
of Western civilization.
In the first part of the book,
the authors trace the place of learning and intellectual achievement from the
High Middle Ages to contemporary times. In doing so, they highlight various key
figures (some more well-known than others), like Rabbi Shmuel HaNaggid
(993–1056), Nachmanides (1194–1270), Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh de Modena (1571-1648),
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808–1880), and Dr. Harry A. Wolfson (1887–1974).
In doing so, the authors use a refreshing literary device of imagining to
document the personal libraries of these famous historical figures, and
contemplating what works might have been there and how they may have affected
the figures in question. The authors would also hone in on one particular event
in the biographies of these figures by painting a complete picture of that
moment and the context in which it transpired.
In this book, some important
genres of Jewish intellectual tradition are given the short shrift, even though
they are fundamental to some parts of the greater community. There are even
some genres in which there was ample output within the Jewish intellectual
tradition, yet the authors chose to omit them entirely, like the folk magic/segulah
literature (as a separate field from Kabbalah), polemics (like the many
anti-Christian works produced), and homilies (especially those that focus on
the weekly Parashah or holidays).
One recurring theme in this work
is the balancing act in which Jewish intellectuals throughout the ages had to
engage. On the hand, reverence and awe of tradition and precedent are
long-established values in Jewish thought. Yet on the other hand, intellectual
thinkers are always creative and innovative in ways that do not necessarily
jibe with the past. Especially in the realm of religion, new ideas have to come
in communion with old ideas already in place. The authors show how the various
scholars discussed in this work grappled with this issue in different ways.
A core part of the authors’
argument is that the same guiding principles that contributed to various religious
Jewish intellectual output also influence secular Jewish intellectual
output. This point remains unproven but is asserted multiple times by the
authors. It essentially means that thoroughly irreligious Jews who helped shape
Western civilization, like Albert Einstein (1879–1955) and Sigmund Freud
(1856–1939), were influenced by Jewish concepts of education and learning, even
though they themselves were not practicing Jews and not continuing in the tradition
of their forebearers, per se.
One of the most impressive
aspects of the book is the breadth of the authors’ knowledge, which, of course,
matches the wide scope of the topic they are writing about. They draw from a vast
range of sources — from classical texts to contemporary academic research — to
provide a comprehensive overview of the Jewish intellectual tradition. At the
same time, they write with precision, clarity, and passion, thus making the
material accessible to readers of all levels of expertise.
Overall, this book is an
outstanding contribution to the field of Jewish studies, and a must-read for
anyone interested in the Jewish intellectual tradition at large. Its insightful
and engaging exploration of the ways in which Jewish thought has shaped Western
civilization is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers for years to come.
