Full Description
Judah Loew, better known as the Maharal of Prague, was a pivotal personality in late medieval European Judaism. Best known from the popular legend that credited him with the creation of a golem - an artificial human with superhuman powers - his true importance lay in his comprehensive exposition of a unique expression of Jewish mystical theology, his call for a reformation of Jewish communal life, and his influence on subsequent Jewish life and thought. Byron Sherwin's lucid exposition of the life, legend, works, and ideas developed in Loew's massive writings 'reveals the concealed' by unravelling the often obscure nature of his mystical theology, his polemical jousts against past and contemporary Jewish scholars, and his innovative programme for social and educational reform.
Contents
1 Rabbi Loew in Legend
2 Judah Loew and Modern Jewish Scholarship
3 The Man Behind the Legends: The Life of Judah Loew
4 Judah Loew: Writings and Sources
5 Judah Loew and the Jewish Mystical Tradition: Introductory Remarks
6 The Nature of God
7 The Nature of the Torah
8 Jew and Gentile: Theoretical Considerations
9 Jew and Gentile: Halakhic Concretizations
10 Man and Cosmos: The Quest for Perfection
11 Beyond Human Perfection: 'Cleaving to God'
12 Messianic Redemption
13 Mystical Theology and Social Reform
14 Conclusion
Appendix 1: When was Judah Loew Born?
Appendix 2: In What Order did Loew Write his Works?
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography
Index
