Isaac Abravanel’s Question and Joseph Hayyun’s Answer
A New Stage in the Issue of Moses’ Role in the Composition of the Torah
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/rsth.27802Keywords:
Isaac Abravanel, Joseph Hayyun, Moses, Torah, Old Testament, biblical authorshipAbstract
In the second half of the fifteenth century, Isaac Abravanel addressed a question to Rabbi Joseph Hayyun, the spiritual leader of the Lisbon Jewish Community: Did God dictate the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) to Moses word for word as he did in the case of the other four books of the Torah, or was this book created independently by Moses? According to the author, Abravanel’s question and Joseph Hayyun’s answer mark a new chapter in the history of examining the level of creative freedom Moses had in writing the Torah.
References
Ben-Sasson, Haim H. 1984. Continuity and Variety. Tel Aviv: Am Oved.
Ben-Zazon, David. 2009. “Don Isaac Abrabanel and the Authority of Maimonides.” In Spiritual Authority: Struggles over Cultural Power in Jewish Thought, edited by Howard Kreisel, Boaz Huss and Uri Ehrlich. 193?206. Beer Sheva: Ben Gurion University Press.
Berlin, Isaiah. 1997. The Sense of Reality: Studies in Ideas and Their History. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Bland, Kalmanp. 1982. “Moses and the Law According to Maimonides.” In Mystics, Philosophers, and Politicians: Essays in Jewish Intellectual History in Honor of Alexander Altman, edited by Jehuda Reinharz, and Daniel Swetschinski, 49–66. Durham: Duke University.
Cohen, Joseph, and Simon, Uriel. 2007. Abraham Ibn Ezra: The Foundation of Reverence and the Secret of the Torah. Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University Press.
Cooperman, Yehuda. 1988. The Plain Meaning of the Bible. Jerusalem: Michlalah Yerushalaim.
Dienstag, Jacob I. 2004a. “The Relation of Gersonides to the Philosophy of and Maimonides: An Annotated Bibliography.” In Da’at Ha-Rambam, edited by Moshe Hallamish, 599-606. Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University Press.
———. 2004b. “Maimonides and Nahmanides: An Annotated Bibliography.” In Da’at Ha-Rambam, edited by Moshe Hallamish, 677-691. Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University Press.
Elman, Yaacov. 1997. “The Book of Deuteronomy as Revelation: Nahmanides and Abarbanel.” In Hazon Nahum: Studies in Jewish Law, Thought, and History Presented to Dr. Norman Lamm on the Occasion of His Seventieth Birthday, edited by Elman Yaacov and Jeffrey S. Gurock, 229–250. New York: Ktav.
Fraade, Steven D. 2004. “Moses and the Commandments: Can Hermeneutics, History, and Rhetoric be Disentangled?.” In The Idea of Biblical Interpretation: Essays in Honor of James L. Kugel, edited by Hindy Najman, and Judith H. Newman, 399–422. Leiden: Brill.
Goetschel, Roland. 1996. Isaac Abravanel: conseiller des princes et philosophe (1437–1508). Paris: Albin Michel.
Graetz, Heinrich. 1906. Geschichte der Juden von den ältesten Zeit bis auf die Gegenwart. Leipzig: Leiner.
Granat, Yehoshua. 2009. Before ‘In the Beginning;’ Preexistence in Early piyyut against the Background of Its Sources. PhD dissertation, Jerusalem: Hebrew University.
Greenbreg, Moshe. 2004. “Jewish Conceptions of the Human Factor in Biblical Prophecy.” In Jewish Bible Theology: Perspectives and Case Studies, edited by Isaac Kalimi, 63–78. Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns.
Gross, Abraham. 1989. “Rabbi Joseph Hayyun and R. Isaac Abravanel: Intellectual Contacts.” Michael 11: 23-33.
———. 1993. Rabbi Joseph ben Abraham Hayyun: Leader of the Lisbon Jewish Community and His Literary Work. Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University Press.
Gurevich, Aron I. 1985. Categories of Medieval Culture, translated by G. L. Campbell. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Haas, Jair. 2009. “Divine Perfection and Methodological Inconsistency: Towards an Understanding of Isaac Abrabanel’s Exegetical Frame of Mind.” Jewish Studies Quarterly 16: 1–56.
———. 2010. “Writing by Divine Imperative as a Criterion for the Prophetic Authority of Texts in the Biblical Exegesis of Isaac Abarbanel.” Jewish Studies Internet Journal 9: 293–325.
Habermann, Abraham M. 1941. Piyute Rashi. Jerusalem: Schoken.
Hacker, Joseph. 1983. “R. Joseph Hayyun and the Generation of the Expulsion from Portugal.” Zion 48: 273–280.
Heer, Friedrich. 1961. The Medieval World: Europe, 1100–1350, translated by Janet Sondheimer. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
Heschel, Abraham J. 1965. Heavenly Torah: As Refracted through the Generations. London and New York: Soncino Press.
Ivry, Alfred L. 2007. “The Image of Moses in Maimonides’ Thought.” In Maimonides After 800 Years: Essays on Maimonides and His Influence, edited by Jay Michael Harris. 113–134. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Jacobs, Jonathan. 2013. “The Text of Rashbam’s Commentary on the Torah According to Ms Breslau and Other Sources.” In Zer Rimonim: Studies in Biblical Literature and Jewish Exegesis Presented to Professor Rimon Kasher, edited by Michael Avioz et. al., 468–488. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.
Jacobs, Louis. 1964. Principles of the Jewish Faith. London: Basic Books.
———. 2004. We Have Reason to Believe: Some Aspects of Jewish Theology Examined in the Light of Modern Thought. London: Vallentine Mitchell.
Kamin, Sarah. 1986. Rashi’s Exegetical Categorization in Respect to the Distinction between Peshat and Derash. Jerusalem: Magnes Press.
Kasher, Hana. 1983. Kaspi as Exegete and Philosopher. PhD dissertation, Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University.
———. 1990. “Ibn Kaspi’s Commentary to the ‘Secrets of Ibn Ezra’.” In ‘Alei Shefer: Studies in the Literature of Jewish Thought Presented to Rabbi Dr. Alexander Safran, edited by Moshe Hallamish. 89-108. Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University.
Kasher, Menahem M. 1992. Torah Shelemah (Complete Torah): Talmudic-Midrashic Encyclopedia of the Pentateuch. Jerusalem: Beit Torah Shelemah.
Kellner, Menachem. 1986. Dogma in Medieval Jewish Thought: From Maimonides to Abravanel. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Korman, Abraham. 2003. The Torah and Its Script. Tel Aviv: Yorshe ha-Mechaber.
Lawee, Eric. 2005. “‘The Good We Accept and the Bad We Do Not’: Aspects of Isaac Abarbanel’s Stance toward Maimonides.” In Be’erot Yitzhak: Studies in Memory of Isadore Twersky, edited by Jay Michael Harris. 99–117. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Lipshitz, Abraham. 1977. “Exegetical Approach of Abraham Ibn Ezra and Isaac Abravanel to Prophecy.” Proceedings of the 6th World Congress of Judaism 1:133-139.
Lockshin, Meir (Martin) I. 2009. R. Samuel Ben Meir on the Torah. Jerusalem: Horeb.
Mondschein, Aharon. 2005. “Additional Comments on ha-sadran and ha-mesader.” Lesonénu 67: 331-346.
———. 2006. “From Prayer of Personal Gratitude to Cosmic Hymn: The Riddle of Ibn Ezra’s Commentary on Chronicles.” Jewish Studies Internet Journal 5: 49–99.
Netanyahu, Benzion. 1998. Don Isaac Abravanel: Statesman and Philosopher. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Pedaya, Haviva. 2003. Nahmanides: Cyclical Time and Holy Text. Tel Aviv: Am Oved.
Regev, Shaul. 1992. “Abravanel’s Exegetical Method.” Mahanaim 3/b: 242-249.
———. 1995. “Rav Avraham Shamsulo’s Article Yizal Mayim: Moses’ and Aaron’s Sin in the Philosophical Commentaries of the 15th and 16th Centuries.” Asufot 9: 379-418.
———. 2001. “An Earlier Version of Abravanel’s Commentary on Deuteronomy.” Kovez ‘Al Yad 15: 285–380.
Rosenblum, Shmuel. 1865. Torah from Heaven. Warsaw: R.Y. Goldmann.
Schotland, Avishai, and Shaviv, Yehuda. 1997–2007. The Commentary of Abravanel on the Torah. Jerusalem: Horeb.
Schwartz, Baruch J. 2012. “R. Judah Hehasid’s Commentary on Genesis 48:20.” Tarbitz 60: 29-39.
Segal, Moshe Z. 1937. “R. Isaac Abravanel as Interpreter of the Bible.” Tarbiz 8: 260-299.
Shapiro, Marc B. 2004. The Limits of Orthodox Theology: Maimonides’ Thirteen Principles Reappraised. Oxford: Littman Library of Jewish Civilization.
Shoshana, Avraham, and Zipor, Moshe A. 2006. The Book of Ezekiel with the Commentary of Rabbi Joseph Hayyun. Jerusalem: Machon Ofek.
Simon, Uriel. 2000. “Shenayim ochazim be-‘sod ha-sheneim asar’ shel R. Avraham Ibn Ezra.” Megadim 51: 77-85.
Stern, Menahem. 1974–1984. Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism. Jerusalem: Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
Tzeitkin, Yechiel. 2011. The Characteristics of Biblical Exegesis in the Works of Peshat Commentators of the Maimonidean School of Provence in the 13th and 14th Centuries. PhD dissertation, Ramat Gan: Bar Ilan University.
Vermès, Géza. 1975. Post-Biblical Jewish Studies. Leiden: Brill.
Viezel, Eran. 2010. “The Formation of Some Biblical Books according to Rashi.” Journal of Theological Studies 61: 16–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jts/flq026
———. 2012. “The Divine Content (te‘amim) and the Words (milot) of Moses: R. Abraham Ibn Ezra on Moses’ Role in Writing the Torah.” Tarbiz 80: 387–407.
———. 2013. “Rashbam on Moses’ Role in Writing the Torah.” SHNATON: An Annual for Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies XXII: 167–188.
———. 2015a. “Moses’ Role in the Writing of the Torah in Rabbinic Literature (Hazal) and in the Transition to the Middle Ages.” Jerusalem Studies in Jewish Thought 24: 29–53.
———. 2015b. “R. Judah HeHasid or R. Moshe Zaltman: Who Proposed that Torah Verses Were Written After the Time of Moses?” Journal of Jewish Studies 66: 97–115. http://dx.doi.org/10.18647/3213/JJS-2015
Moshe Weinfeld. 1991. “‘I Am Not Speaking on My Own, What I Am Saying to You Comes from the Mouth of the Holiness’ (Siphre Deuteronomy, 5).” In Haim M.I. Gevaryahu Memorial Volume, edited by Benzion Lurie. 63-64. Jerusalem: World Jewish Bible Center.
Yadin, Yigael. 1983. The Temple Scroll. Jerusalem: The Israel Exploration Society.