Hewn from the divine quarry. An examination of Isaac of Radvil's ʼwr jṣḥq

Though the author died in the first part of the nineteenth century, אור יצחק, The Light of Isaac, a collection of homilies by Isaac of Radvil, was discovered over a century later and printed initially in 1961. The collection has its own emphases and themes which comprise a powerfully radical and spi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Weinman, Arjē (Author)
Format: Print Article
Language:English
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Published: College 2006
In: Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion
Year: 2006, Volume: 77, Pages: 179-207
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Judaism / Modern age
IxTheo Classification:BH Judaism
Further subjects:B Jewish literature
B Jewish theology
Description
Summary:Though the author died in the first part of the nineteenth century, אור יצחק, The Light of Isaac, a collection of homilies by Isaac of Radvil, was discovered over a century later and printed initially in 1961. The collection has its own emphases and themes which comprise a powerfully radical and spiritual statement of hasidic teaching revolving around a central assertion that the soul is an actual part of God, hewn from the Divine. The implications of that core immanentist belief can be seen to color both Isaac's views on Revelation, which transcend the concept of Sinaitic Revelation as such, and his rendition of sacred history. Some of Isaac's basic ideas echo much earlier kabbalistic concepts relating to a re-spiritualization of reality and consequent annulment of physical commandments with Redemption. The Radviller's theological complexity and sophistication and perhaps the core of his mystic thought is evident in his discussion of divine Names as he suggests that everything, including the Divine, has an external and internal character, and a higher level of spiritual understanding enables the true devotee to go beyond more external conceptions to the inner nature of the Divine.
ISSN:0360-9049
Contains:In: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual / Jewish Institute of Religion