Kuzari an Argument for the Faith of Israel

Rating:
Summary: a classic, but definitely preaching to the converted
Review: This book was written as a kind of catechism to persuade Jews to stay with their faith rather than converting to Islam or Christianity. I think Jews should read it as a historical document, to understand how our ancestors explained Judaism to each other.

Halevi begins by dismissing Christianity and Islam in just a few pages, pointing out that despite their alleged noble intentions, "vie with each other in committing murders, believing that this is a most pious work and brings them nearer to God." (p. 39) Christian theology is rejected in just a paragraph as illogical (p. 42), while Islam is flawed because "as long as it is written in Arabic, a non-Arab . . . cannot perceive its miraculous character." (p. 43) I doubt that these arguments would persuade a Christian or Muslim- but my suspicion is that this book was written entirely for people like me (i.e. Jews predisposed to agree).

By contrast, Judaism is true because various miracles (e.g. the relevation at Sinai, the giving of Manna to the Hebrews, the parting of the Red Sea) "took place in the presence of great multitudes" (id.), unlike the relevations described in other religions. In other words, if the Torah says X happened in front of thousands of people, the Torah must be correct because our ancestors would not have been persuaded to believe such events (unlike relevation to just one person) if they did not happen. Is Halevi right? I suspect the answer depends on how gullible you think our ancestors were, and how accurately you think a tradition can be handed down.

Halevi vigorously defends rabbinic tradition against the literalist Karaite sect, citing the numerous ambiguities in the Torah (pp. 166-68). In other words, because the Torah is ambiguous, traditional interpretations of the Torah must be correct, or at least necessary to ensure some uniformity of practice. By contrast, Karaism ensures that "in one house [there might be] ten persons with as many different opinions."(p. 177). (Of course, some might say that this is still the case among Jews despite the decline of Karaism).

Halevi goes beyond his pragmatic attack on Karaism, and seems to imply that the whole of Jewish tradition is uninterrupted- and makes some effort to address evidence that seems to contradict this view. For example, the Book of Nehemiah apparently implies that when rebuilding the Second Temple, Jews were ignorant of the laws of Succot until Ezra informed them of same. (See Nehemiah 8:14). Halevi takes on this problem by suggesting that Jews could not possibly have forgotten such things, because they were apparently aware of other laws- in other words, that because our ancestors knew law X, they must have also known law Y (pp. 184-5). As for the Tanach's apparent suggestion that the people had forgotten Succot, Halevi explains that "the whole people gave attention to them [the laws] . . . The erudite were not unacquainted with the details of the law..." (p. 186). Halevi's interpretation would seem to be contradicted by the Tanach's statement that "the Israelites had not done so from the day of Joshua son of Nun to that day" (Neh. 8:17) - a passage that Halevi (at least according to this translation) seems to avoid. (This is not to say that there are not plausible traditional interpretations of this passage- just that Halevi doesn't completely cover the issue).

Halevi vigorously defends the Mishnah against Karaite attacks, stating that its lucidity "is so striking that every one who looks at it with genuine scrutiny must be aware that mortal man is incapable of composing such a work without divine assistance" (p. 191), and if rabbinic interpretations of the Torah appear not to make sense, "they employ secret methods of interpretation which we are unable to discern" (p. 193).

A few other random thoughts:

1. Halevi explains the various names of God- specifically suggesting that the four-letter Tetragrammaton means "I am that I am, the existing one, existing for you wherever you seek [God]." (p. 202).

2. He defines Divine holiness as "the spirtual, which never assumes a corporeal form, and which nothing concrete can possibly resemble." (p. 203).

3. Halevi's work illustrates how different medieval thinkers were in their attitudes towards women : he states that "A eunuch is of weaker intelligence than a woman; both lack the beard and good judgment." (p. 232).

4. Halevi wisely emphasizes the importance of good judgment in worldly affairs, stating that trusting God is a fine thing, "but this argument should not prevent thee to take the best counsel, to prepare weapons against thy enemy, and food for hunger, as soon as thou art aware that both thy safety and destruction depend upon intermediary causes" (p. 285), because to Court danger violates the Torah's maxim: "You shall not tempt the Lord" (p. 286, citing Deut. 6:16). So don't behave foolishly and hope God will bail you out!

I am not sure that Halevi was a great philosopher- but at least, he was a vigorous and effective popularizer of Judaism.

Rating:
Summary: To know Jewish thought you must know this work
Review: This work is one of the pillars of Jewish thought. It provides the basic religious argument for the choseness of Israel, and the wisdom of choosing the Jewish way of life. Following its argument one comes to understand one of the fundamental ways Jews see themselves and their own tradition.
It is a book of Argument and Reason for the Jewish Faith and way of life.