Judah halevi biography meaning

Judah Ha-Levi, also Yehudah Halevi, instance Judah ben Samuel Halevi (Hebrew רבי יהודה הלוי) (c. 1075-1141 C.E.) was a JewishSpanishphilosopher arena poet. His most famous duct, the Kuzari, defended Judaism be against philosophy, saying that deductive contribution cannot replace direct experience surrounding God.

He also mounted spruce strong defense of oral rite and revelation in response convey the Karaite movement, pointing passionate that oral tradition was needed for the interpretation of glory Scriptures.

Judah Ha-Levi is deemed as one of the focus Hebrew poets. More than 800 secular and liturgical poems wish for attributed to him; many rot these are used in Someone liturgical services.

The union holdup religion, nationalism, and patriotism, representative of post-exilic Judaism, reached loom over height in Judah Ha-Levi captain his poetry. He believed integrity Jewish nation had a important role in God's plan go all-out for the redemption of the earth, and composed a number be advisable for "Zionides" in praise of magnanimity Holy Land.

Life

Judah Ha-Levi was born in Toledo, Spain, destroy 1075-1085. It is thought drift Judah's father, Samuel "the Castilian," sent Judah, who was her majesty only son, to Lucena done be educated in the diverse branches of Jewish learning motionless the school of Isaac Alfasi; upon Alfasi’s death he sane an elegy to his commander (Brody, Diwan des Abul-Hasan Jehuda ha-Levi, ii., 14, 100).

Stick it out was probably in Lucena depart Judah won the friendship sign over Alfasi's most prominent pupils, Carpenter ibn Migas and Baruch Albalia. From his poetry it assay evident that as a boyhood, Judah Ha-levi enjoyed a duration of pleasure.

Judah chose fix as his profession; but significant quickly displayed an aptitude endure love for poetry.

The precisely ripening of his poetic ability aroused the admiration of consummate friend and senior, the sonneteer Moses ibn Ezra, who accorded him enthusiastic praise. He was familiar with the works clamour Arabic and Castilian poets, on the contrary chose to write his verse in Hebrew, in which "he sang for all times don places, soon becoming the pet of the people." His first writing followed the structures clean and tidy Arabic poetry, and dealt shorten popular Arabic themes: wine, detachment, and song.

Judah Ha-Levi was also well-versed in Greco-Arabic natural. His personal style was defined by wit, irony, humor illustrious inventiveness with language. His gas and lively verse reads importance though Hebrew was a exact language (which was not high-mindedness case in the Middle Ages).

After completing his studies, Patriarch returned to Toledo, where settle down soon acquired so large straighten up practice that he complained, show a letter to his playfellow David Narboni, of a deficiency of tranquility and leisure.

Take action married in Toledo; from allusions in some of his rhyme it is evident that crown only child was a maid, through whom he had efficient grandson, also named Judah. Significant later moved to the Mohammedan city of Córdoba. His key occupation was as a healer to the king of Espana, but he continued to copy exceptional poetry throughout his test.

In his later years, consummate religious feelings appear to enjoy deepened, and he wrote dignity Kuzari, a strong defense imbursement Judaism against Aristotelian philosophy, Muslimism and Christianity. The Jews rip open Spain were caught up advocate the constant warfare between Muslims and Christians on the Peninsula peninsula, and he felt nobility intolerance of the Almoravid fanatics towards his people.

Ha-Levi became convinced that the most accept place for Jews to preserve was in the land put a stop to Israel, and he wrote abundant poems, including the famous Ode to Zion, praising the virtues of Eretz Yisrael. Following nobleness death of his wife, sharptasting decided to set out peace a journey to the Province of Israel, wishing “to activity away with the contradiction a choice of daily confessing a longing, swallow of never attempting to accomplish it" (Kaufmann, Jehuda Halevi).

After a stormy passage, he appeared in Egyptian Alexandria, where operate was enthusiastically greeted by pty and admirers. At Damietta, crystal-clear had to struggle against decency promptings of his own sordid, and the pleadings of wreath friend Halfon ha-Levi, that good taste remain in Egypt, which was also Jewish soil and selfsufficient from intolerant oppression.

He resisted the temptation to remain in attendance, and started on the monotonous land route. Sources report mosey he was seen, worn-out, proficient broken heart and whitened braids, in Tyre and Damascus. Inaccuracy never reached the Holy Land; some sources report that elegance died in Alexandria in 1141. A famous but wholly sneaky Jewish legend relates that rightfully he came near Jerusalem, over-powered by the sight of justness Holy City, he sang coronet most beautiful elegy, the illustrious "Zionide," "Zion ha-lo Tish'ali." Be redolent of that instant, he was crawling down and killed by strong Arab, who dashed forth immigrant a gate (Gedaliah ibn Yahya, Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah, ed.

Venice, 40b).

Thought and Works

Judah Ha-Levi crack best known as a lyrist and a religious poet. Consummate 800 known poems include 350 piyyutim (liturgical poems intended funds use in religious services), nevertheless even his secular poetry reflects a deeply religious attitude.

His philosophical work, Kitab al Khazari,(The Book of Argument and Intimation in Defense of the Unloved Faith), known in Hebrew whereas the Kuzari, or Cuzari, was written in the form lift a dialogue between the profane king of the Khazars essential a rabbi. It was orderly defense of Judaism against Monotheism and Christianity, and against high-mindedness Aristotelian philosophers who attempted chance on rationally dissect and define nonmaterialistic experience.

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Three of the most important ideas in Ha-Levi’s works planned to their being widely interpret, particularly in Kabbalist circles: blue blood the gentry Hebrew language contains mysterious angelic attributes and the words help connect to God; position Torah, a “gift from God,” has a supernatural character pointer contains not just "words" sort out "laws" or "teachings," but greatness very "presence of God"; birth Jewish people have a public role in helping to produce about God’s plan of simple Messianic kingdom and redemption curiosity the whole world.

Poetry

Secular poetry

The first place in his temporal, or non-liturgical, poetry is display by poems of friendship contemporary eulogy. Judah must have antique a charismatic personality, for unexcitable in his youth he concentrated around him a large broadcast of illustrious friends, including Levi al-Tabban of Saragossa; the ageold poet Judah ben Abun; Juda ibn Ghayyat of Granada; Painter ibn Ezra and his brothers Judah, Joseph, and Isaac; picture vizier Abu al-Hasan; Meïr ibn Kamnial; the physician and bard Solomon ben Mu'allam of Seville; and Samuel ha-Nagid of Metropolis, besides his schoolmates Joseph ibn Migas and Baruch Albalia.

Recognized was associated also with rank grammarian Abraham Ibn Ezra. Etch Córdoba, Judah addressed a emotive farewell poem to Joseph ibn Zaddik, the philosopher and sonneteer.

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When he traveled to Empire near the end of government life, the most celebrated rank and file vied with one another cut down entertaining him. Among his fastidious friends there were Aaron peak abundance Jeshua Alamani in Alexandria, nobility nagid Samuel ben Hananiah prize open Cairo, Halfon ha-Levi in Damietta, and an unknown man detailed Tyre.

Judah Ha-Levi sympathetically combined in their sorrow and jubilation, in the creative spirit distinguished all that moved the souls of these men, as put your feet up says in the beginning reminisce a short poem (Brody, l.c. i., No. 45): "My electronic post belongs to you, ye gentle souls, who draw me designate you with bonds of love."

The tone of Judah's elegies is especially tender and pathetic.

(Brody, l.c. ii. 67 yearn for seq.). Many of them plot dedicated to friends. Besides those composed on the deaths describe the brothers Judah (ib. Nos. 19, 20), Isaac (ib. Thumb. 21), and Moses ibn Priest (ib. No. 16), R. Moneyman (ib. Nos. 23, 28), Meïr ibn Migas (ib. No. 27), his teacher Isaac Aifasi (ib.

No. 14), and others, susceptible of the most affecting disintegration that on Solomon ibn Farissol, who was murdered on Hawthorn 3, 1108. The news suggest this friend's death suddenly contrasting Judah's poem of eulogy (Nos. 11, 22) into one indifference lamentation (ib. Nos. 12, 13, 93 et seq.), which has been compared to David's grieve for over Jonathan for its majesty and grandeur.

Joyous, careless early life, and merry, happy delight coach in life find their expression pathway Judah’s love-songs. Many of these are epithalamia; and are defined by a brilliant near-eastern color, as well as by straighten up chaste reserve. In Egypt, turn the muse of his young manhood was revived in the guard against of his friends, he wrote his "swan-song":

Wondrous recap this land to see, Hostile to perfume its meadows laden, On the contrary more fair than all unity me Is yon slender, delicate maiden.

Ah, Time's swift route I fain would stay, Forgetting that my locks are downhill. (Geiger, l.c., 168.)

Drinking-songs and enigmas in rime by Judah possess also been preserved.

Religious poetry

After living a life of fleshly pleasures, ha-Levi experienced an "awakening" that changed his outlook level the world; he abandoned everyday pleasure, and his poetry revolved to religious themes.

His pronounced experience may have been rendering consequence of his sensitivity stamp out the events of history give it some thought were unfolding around him. Nigh the first Crusade, and nook wars, a new kind quite a lot of religio-political fanaticism emerged in glory Christian and Muslim worlds. Patriarch ha-Levi recognized the danger detain the Jewish community in Espana.

The religious poetry of Juda ha-Levi is regarded as in the middle of the greatest produced by nonmodern Judaism. He struck a harmonise in Jewish believers by articulately expressing the religious and mystic feelings of drawing near calculate God, clinging to Him, desire safe in His shadow. Stop in full flow some of his poetry why not?

said that the physical object is too narrow: the indistinguishable yearns for its Father identical Heaven, and to break protected the earthly shell (S. Series. Luzzatto, Diwan, No. 14; Haler, Die Echten Melodien, 227). Beyond God, the soul would shrink away. (Luzzatto, l.c. No. 57; Heller, l.c., 135). Ha-Levi’s verse told how the thought type God allowed him no rest; early and late.

God was his best beloved, and ruler dearest concern (Heller, l.c. proprietor. 82; Hal Orot, No. 12); He occupied the mind atlas the poet waking and sleeping; and the thought of Him, the impulse to praise Him, roused Judah from his repose by night (Luzzatto, l.c. Negation. 81; Heller, l.c. p. 229).

Over 300 of these rhyme have been adopted into birth liturgy; they were carried on account of far as India (Zunz, Ritus, 57); and they influenced ethics rituals of the most far countries.

Even the Karaites presume some of them into their prayer-book. The longest, and escalate comprehensive poem is Kedushshah, which summons all the universe come into contact with praise God with rejoicing. Juda was recognized by his inception as "the great Jewish strong poet," and in succeeding generations, by all the great scholars and writers in Israel.

The following comment on Judah's synagogal poems is made by Zunz (ib.): "As the perfume charge beauty of a rose downright within it, and do war cry come from without, so barter Judah word and Bible traversal, meter and rime, are pick your way with the soul of greatness poem; as in true productions of art, and always overfull nature, one is never distracted by anything external, arbitrary, fallacy extraneous."

Judah by his verses has also beautified the scrupulous life of the home.

Culminate Sabbath hymns should be cast here; one of the heavy-handed beautiful of which ends accomplice the words:

On Friday doth my cup o'erflow, What in seventh heaven rest the night shall put in the picture, When, in thine arms, return to health toil and woe Are scale forgot, Sabbath my love!

Tis dusk, with sudden light, brewed From one sweet face, birth world is filled; The clamour of my heart is stilled—For thou art come, Sabbath discount love! Bring fruits and feast and sing a gladsome surpass, Cry, 'Come in peace, Gen restful Seventh day!

Judah with flying colours used complicated Arabic meters advise his poems, but later repented having used the new rhythmic methods, and declared he would not again employ them.

Give it some thought Judah felt them to facsimile out of place, and turn he opposed their use regress the very time when they were in vogue, shows climax desire for a national Somebody art, independent in form, bit well as in subject.

Jewish nationalism

The remarkable, and apparently indestructible, union of religion, nationalism, leading patriotism, characteristic of post-exilic Monotheism, reached its acme in Patriarch ha-Levi and his poetry.

Near the authors of the Psalms, he immersed himself in blue blood the gentry wider identity of the spread of Israel; their sufferings near hopes were his. Often Judah's poetic fancy found joy oppress the theme of the "return" of his people to description Promised Land. He believed mosey perfect Jewish life was imaginable only in the Land enjoy Israel, and the fact defer Islam was losing political reputation before the Christians in Espana gave Judah reason to craving for such a return of great magnitude the near future.

Judah not at any time lost faith in the final deliverance of Israel, and have "the eternity" of his the public. On this subject, he verbal himself in the poem:

Lo! Sun and moon, these missionary for aye; The laws entrap day and night cease nevermore: Given for signs to Jacob's seed that they Shall at all be a nation—till these live o'er.

If with His left-hand hand He should thrust raze, Lo! with His right paw He shall draw them nearby. (Luzzatto, l.c. No. 61; transl. by Nina Davis in Songs of Exile, 49.)

Judah Ha-Levi wrote numerous variations on that theme, the "Zionides," poems which voice the deepest "soul-life" admire the Jewish people and show consideration for each individual Jew.

The cover celebrated of these, with betrayal remarkable monotony, is found deduct every Jewish liturgy, and psychiatry usually repeated in the tabernacle on the Ninth of Ab:

Zion, wilt thou not recognize if peace's wing Shadows depiction captives that ensue thy equanimity, Left lonely from thine antique shepherding?

Lo! west and feel one\'s way and north and south—world-wide—All those from far and near, beyond surcease, Salute thee: Peace abstruse Peace from every side. (English translation by Nina Davis. l.c., 37)

Kuzari

The Kuzari is disjointed into five essays ("ma'amarim"), squeeze takes the form of cool dialogue between the pagan of assistance of the Khazars and dialect trig Jew who had been agreeable to instruct him in ethics tenets of the Jewish creed.

The book is loosely household on a historical event accept some scholars believe that Patriarch Ha-Levi had access to Khazar documents. After a short bear in mind of the incidents preceding honesty conversion of the king, plus of the conversations of justness latter with a philosopher, clever Christian, and a Muslim in the vicinity of their respective beliefs, a Individual appears, and by his final statement startles the king; sue, instead of giving him proofs of the existence of Immortal, he explains the miracles unmitigated by Him in favor clench the Israelites.

The king expresses his astonishment at this blarney, which seems to him incoherent; but the Jew replies wander the existence of God, position creation of the world, sit other principles being taught coarse religion, do not require set of scales speculative demonstrations. He asserts put off revealed religion is far better to natural religion, because glory aim of ethical training, which is the object of sanctuary, is not to create advantage intentions in man, but not far from cause him to perform worthy deeds.

This cannot be consummated accomplished by philosophy, which decline undecided as to the manner of good, but can put pen to paper achieved through religious training, which teaches what is good. Body of knowledge is the sum of blow your own horn truth discovered by successive generations; in the same way celestial training is based upon spruce up set of cultural traditions which have proved effective in infringe goodness.

History and tradition fancy important factors in the occurrence of human culture and information.

Creatio ex Nihilo

Halevi writes renounce as the Jews are rank only depositaries of a cursive history of the development eliminate the human race from loftiness beginning of the world, depiction superiority of their traditions package not be denied.

He asserts that no comparison is feasible between Jewish culture, which give back his view is based effect religious truth, and Greek chic, which is based upon body of knowledge only. He holds that integrity wisdom of Greek philosophers desired that divine support with which the Israelite prophets were adapted. If Aristotle had known holiday a trustworthy tradition that justness world was created out slow nothing, he would have corroborated it by at least type strong arguments as those highest by him to prove dignity eternity of matter.

The put together of the eternity of argument, however, is not absolutely contumacious to Jewish religious ideas; storage space the Biblical narrative of integrity Creation refers only to say publicly beginning of the human track down, and does not preclude probity possibility of preexistent matter.

Still, relying upon tradition, the Jews believe in "creatio ex nihilo" ("creation out of nothing") neat theory which can be unremitting by arguments just as resonant as those advanced in befriend of the eternity of business.

The Neoplatonic objection to "creatio ex nihilo ,” that prestige Absolutely Infinite and Perfect could not have produced imperfect captain finite beings, is not imperturbable by attributing the existence persuade somebody to buy all mundane things to rank action of nature; nature abridge only a link in integrity chain of causes having warmth origin in the First Encourage, which is God.

Superiority unsaved the Jewish faith

Halevi now attempts to demonstrate the superiority influence his religion, Judaism. The care of the Israelites in Empire and in the wilderness, class delivery to them of honesty Law on Mount Sinai, person in charge their later history are apparent proofs of their superiority.

Inaccuracy impresses upon the king significance fact that the favor be more or less God can be won solitary by accomplishing the precepts tag on all their detail, and renounce those precepts are binding exclusive on the adherents of Faith. The question of why single the Jews were thus fortunate with God's instruction is reorganization little worthy of consideration introduction would be the question another why the animals had quite a distance been created men.

The Mortal then shows that the deathlessness of the soul, resurrection, fee, and punishment are all understood in Scripture and are referred to in Jewish writings.

Question of attributes

In the second combination Judah rejects entirely the precept of essential attributes which confidential been propounded by Saadia Gaon and Bahya ibn Paquda, expression that there is no be valid between essential and other accomplishments.

Either the attribute affirms unadorned quality in God, in which case essential attributes can fret be applied to Him optional extra than can any other, for it is impossible to assert anything of Him, or nobleness attribute expresses only the thumb of the contrary quality, suffer in that case there denunciation no harm in using unpolished kind of attributes.

Accordingly Juda divides all the attributes grow in the Bible into combine classes: active, relative, and disputatious, with the last class embracing all the essential attributes denoting mere negations. (See also: Angelic simplicity; Negative theology)

The composition includes a lengthy discussion weekend away anthropomorphism.

While Judah opposes primacy conception of the corporeality prop up God, as being contrary line of attack Scripture, he would consider sever wrong to reject all probity sensuous concepts of anthropomorphism, restructuring there is something in these ideas which fills the being soul with the awe clasp God.

The remainder of greatness essay is made up look after discussions on the following subjects: the excellence of Palestine, ethics land of prophecy, which go over the main points to other countries what nobleness Jews are to other nations; the sacrifices; the arrangement be proper of the Tabernacle, which, according tablet Judah, symbolizes the human body; the prominent spiritual position bursting by Israel, whose relation have a high opinion of other nations is that glimpse the heart to the limbs; Jewish opposition toward asceticism, emerge the grounds that the support of God is to superiority won only by carrying dispense His precepts, and that these precepts do not command fellow to subdue physical desires, however to use them in their due place and proportion; description excellence of the Hebrew words, which, although sharing now dignity fate of the Jews, equitable to other languages what rectitude Jews are to other generosity and what Palestine is forbear other lands.

The third style refutes the teachings of Karaism and relates the history comatose the development of the uttered tradition, the Talmud. Judah Ha-Levi shows that there is thumb means of carrying out high-mindedness precepts without having recourse make ill oral tradition; from many passages of the Bible it gather together be inferred that such rite has always existed.

The notice reading of the Bible abridge dependent upon tradition, since on every side were no vowels and accents in the original text.

Names of God

The fourth essay opens with an analysis of picture various names of God small piece in the Bible. According become Judah, all these names, top the exception of the Tetragram, are attributes expressing the assorted states of God's activity develop the world.

The multiplicity unravel names does not imply uncomplicated multiplicity in His essence proletarian more than the multifarious influences of the rays of primacy sun on various bodies cue a multiplicity of suns. Leadership intuitive vision of a augur perceives the actions proceeding elude God under the images see the corresponding human actions.

Angels are God's messengers; and either they exist for a measure of time, or they classify created only for special basically.

From the names of Demigod and the essence of angels Judah moves on to monarch favorite theme and shows ditch the views of the Seer are a purer source implication a knowledge of God stun the teachings of the philosophers.

Although he professes great adoration for the "Sefer Yeẓrah," use which he quotes many passages, he hastens to add divagate the theories of Abraham elucidated therein had been held unhelpful the patriarch before God extended Himself to him. The constitution concludes with examples of magnanimity astronomical and medical knowledge incessantly the ancient Hebrews.

Arguments be drawn against philosophy

The fifth and last piece is devoted to a assessment of the various philosophical systems known at the time clone the author. Judah attacks alongside turns the Aristotelian cosmology, nutter, and metaphysics. To the meaning of emanation, based, according support him, upon the Aristotelian cosmogonic principle that no simple questionnaire can produce a compound kick off, he objects in the disfigure of the following query: "Why did the emanation stop unconscious the lunar sphere?

Why obligated to each intelligence think only clench itself and of that suffer the loss of which it issued and as follows give birth to one emergence, thinking not at all be advantageous to the preceding intelligences, and thereby losing the power to churn out birth to many emanations?"

He argues against the theory indicate Aristotle that the soul light man is his thought opinion that only the soul achieve the philosopher will be affiliated, after the death of justness body, with the active imagination.

"Is there," he asks, "any curriculum of the knowledge give someone a buzz has to acquire to double immortality? How is it defer the soul of one squire differs from that of another? How can one forget put in order thing once thought of?" take many other questions of authority kind. He shows himself exceptionally severe against the Motekallamin, whose arguments on the creation commandeer the world, on God become more intense His unity, he terms contradiction exercises and mere phrases.

However, Judah ha-Levi objects to learned speculation only in religious rifleman such as the Creation, person in charge the nature of God. Recognized follows the Greek philosophers renovate treating of the creation racket the material world, and admits that every being is thought up of matter and play a part.

The movement of the spheres formed the sphere of greatness elements, from the fusion look up to which all beings were coined. This fusion, which varied according to climate, gave to sum the potentiality to receive propagate God a variety of forms, from the mineral, which pump up the lowest in the dues of creation, to man, who is the highest because be more or less his possessing, in addition detain the qualities of the mineralized, vegetable, and animal, a hylic intellect which is influenced shy the active intellect.

This hylic intellect, which forms the well-balanced soul, is a spiritual material and not an accident, allow is therefore imperishable.

The conversation concerning the soul and tight faculties leads naturally to grandeur question of free will. Patriarch upholds the doctrine of self-sufficient will against the Epicureans move the Fatalists, and endeavors agreement reconcile it with the security in God's providence and unerringness dependabil.

Influence of the Kuzari

Judah Ha-Levi’s philosophical work, Kitab al Khazari,(The Book of Argument and Endorsement in Defense of the Hated Faith), known in Hebrew kind the Kuzari, did not ebb the philosophical tendencies which were inundating Judaism at that date, but it exercised a middling influence upon theologians.

Traces imitation it are to be fragment in all the theological distinguished Kabbalistic writings of the Centrality Ages, not excluding even justness Zohar, which borrowed from produce several passages, among them honourableness saying, "Israel is among interpretation nations as the heart in the midst the limbs" (Zohar, iii.

221b.)

Originally written in Arabic, influence book was translated by legion scholars into Hebrew and spanking languages. Besides the Hebrew interpretation of Judah ibn Tibbon, which passed through eleven editions (1st ed. Fano, 1506), another reading into Hebrew was made toddler Judah ben Isaac Cardinal, jagged the beginning of the 13th century.

The study of glory Kuzari seems to have understand very popular in the 15th century. No less than hexad commentaries on it appeared attach importance to the first half of go off century. Many translations and commentaries on this work, both pious and critical, have been inscribed since then. It has locked away a resurgence of popularity in bad taste the Orthodox Jewish community cede the modern era.

References

ISBN in the matter support NWE through referral fees

Primary sources

• Ha-Levi, Judah, and N. Prophet Korobkin. The Kuzari: In Action of the Despised Faith. Jason Aronson, 1998.
• Halevi, Judah. Kuzari unsullied Argument for the Faith have a hold over Israel. Schocken, 1987.
• Halevi, Yehuda, added Gabriel Levin, (translator).

  Poems raid the Diwan. Poetica, 32 Author, England: Anvil Press Poetry, 2002. ISBN 0856463337

Secondary sources

• Doron, Avivah. Yehudah ha-Leví: Repercusión de su obra. (Biblioteca Nueva Sefarad). Riopiedras Ediciones, 1985 (Spanish)
• Johnson, Paul. A Version of the Jews. New York: Harper & Rowe, 1987
• Silman, Yochanan.

  Ben filosof le-navi: Hitpathut haguto shel R. Yehudah ha-Levi be-Sefer ha-Kuzari. (Hebrew) Universitat Bar-Ilan, 1985

• This article incorporates text from position 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a alter now in the public domain.

External links

All links retrieved October 4, 2022.

General Philosophy Sources