Halakhah: The Rabbinic Idea of Law (Library of Jewish Ideas)
Saiman, Chaim N.
ISBN 10: 069115211X ISBN 13: 9780691152110
Published by Princeton University Press, 2018
Used
Hardcover
From
medimops, Berlin, Germany
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
AbeBooks Seller since 10 May 2010
This specific item is no longer available.
About this Item
Description:
Befriedigend/Good: Durchschnittlich erhaltenes Buch bzw. Schutzumschlag mit Gebrauchsspuren, aber vollständigen Seiten. / Describes the average WORN book or dust jacket that has all the pages present. Seller Inventory # M0069115211X-G
Synopsis:
How the rabbis of the Talmud transformed everything into a legal question―and Jewish law into a way of thinking and talking about everything
Though typically translated as “Jewish law,” the term halakhah is not an easy match for what is usually thought of as law. This is because the rabbinic legal system has rarely wielded the political power to enforce its many detailed rules, nor has it ever been the law of any state. Even more idiosyncratically, the talmudic rabbis claim that the study of halakhah is a holy endeavor that brings a person closer to God―a claim no country makes of its law.
In this panoramic book, Chaim Saiman traces how generations of rabbis have used concepts forged in talmudic disputation to do the work that other societies assign not only to philosophy, political theory, theology, and ethics but also to art, drama, and literature. In the multifaceted world of halakhah where everything is law, law is also everything, and even laws that serve no practical purpose can, when properly studied, provide surprising insights into timeless questions about the very nature of human existence.
What does it mean for legal analysis to connect humans to God? Can spiritual teachings remain meaningful and at the same time rigidly codified? Can a modern state be governed by such law? Guiding readers across two millennia of richly illuminating perspectives, this book shows how halakhah is not just “law” but an entire way of thinking, being, and knowing.
About the Author: Chaim N. Saiman is professor in the Charles Widger School of Law at Villanova University. He lives with his wife and three daughters in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bibliographic Details
Title: Halakhah: The Rabbinic Idea of Law (Library ...
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication Date: 2018
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: good