Elisabeth Goldwyn | University of Haifa (original) (raw)

Papers by Elisabeth Goldwyn

Choice Reviews Online, 2016

"This collection of essays is an attempt to capture the drama of the encounter, of the &#x27... more "This collection of essays is an attempt to capture the drama of the encounter, of the 'facing' of Levinas and the biblical text. It seeks to link Jewish experience and Levinasian themes such as responsibility, substitution, hospitality, suffering and forgiveness, and at the same time make the biblical text accessible in a new way. The book offers new insights on the opening up of Levinas's thought and biblical stories to one another; it considers the ways in which Levinas can open up the biblical text to requestioning, and how the biblical text can inform our reading of Levinas. Setting up in dialogue the heteronomic texts – the narrative texts of the bible and Levinas's philosophical texts – allows an enforced and renewed understanding of both. The examination of these issues is pursued from diverse perspectives and disciplines, probing the role biblical figures play in Levinas's thought and the manner by which to approach them. Do the biblical allusions serve in Levinas's thought merely as a rhetorical and literary device, as illustrations of his ideas, or perhaps they have a deeper philosophical meaning, which contributes to his project in general? Do the references to biblical figures work in Levinas's philosophy in a way that other literary figures are incapable of, and how do these references comply with his conflicted attitude towards literature?"

The Oncologist, 2019

Levinas underscored that we must meet the other where he is…not where we might want him to be. Su... more Levinas underscored that we must meet the other where he is…not where we might want him to be. Such a concept that embodies moral responsibility to the "other" can nourish the physician who struggles to muster compassion. For Levinas, the rules of the game were obvious: I owe the other everything, but this is not conditional upon what the other owes me. This narrative introduces the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas and its potential to affect clinical practice.

במאמר זה נראה כיצד התייחס לוינס אל דמויותיהם המקראיות של איוב ושל רצפה בת-איה כשני מודלים אפשריים... more במאמר זה נראה כיצד התייחס לוינס אל דמויותיהם המקראיות של איוב ושל רצפה בת-איה כשני מודלים אפשריים ושונים של תגובה אנושית לסבל בלתי מוסבר ובלתי ניתן להצדקה. בשונה מאיוב השוקע בסבלו, רצפה בת-איה מגלמת את טוּב הלב הבוטח שהוא נקודת האור היחידה הנותרת בעולם שאיבד כל צורה של עולם. היא מופת לזיק האנושי שאינו אובד גם בעולם שכולו רוע, ולכן, בזכות מעשיה מאפשרת שלא לאבד תקוה בנצחון הטוב, שלא לשקוע בייאוש מוחלט.
פורסם בספר "Levinas Faces Biblical Figures", בעריכת יעל לין, בהוצאת ספרי לקסיגטון אנגליה, עמ’ 79-94. בספר המאמר כתוב באנגלית. מובא כאן התרגום לעברית של המאמר.

In this article I explore Levinas' interpretation of Job and Ritzpah Bat Aiah , two Biblical prot... more In this article I explore Levinas' interpretation of Job and Ritzpah Bat Aiah , two Biblical protagonists who portray two different models of human response to evil and to incomprehensible suffering. Job is self-centered on his own righteousness and unjust suffering, while Ritzpah Bat Aiah embodies goodness confidently manifested in spite of her own grief. She personifies goodness as the only spark remaining in a world of darkness, in a world that lost its worldliness. Thus, she allows one not to lose faith in goodness, not to sink into total despair.

The fear of giving birth to a mamzer is one of the most powerful mechanisms enslaving Jewish wome... more The fear of giving birth to a mamzer is one of the most powerful mechanisms enslaving Jewish women seeking a divorce from their recalcitrant husbands, and denying them the elementary right to have children. In the state of Israel in the year 2017, the power of this threat still holds sway, even over the non-religious population fearful of "staining" its future generation. In this article, I claim that a social approach is needed to remove the stain of mamzerut. As long as people cooperate with the injustice and fear of mamzerut, its power will intensify. Only when people cease cooperating with, and according significance to, the notion of mamzerut, will its strength diminish. The way to do this is for each and every one of us to refrain from using the term "mamzer" and to simply stop cooperating with this needless injustice. In other words, I seek to claim and to implement that there is no evil in being defined as a mamzer; it has no significance at all.

החשש מהולדת ממזרים הוא אחד המנגנונים החזקים המשעבדים נשים יהודיות מסורבות גט לבעליהן, ומונעים מהן... more החשש מהולדת ממזרים הוא אחד המנגנונים החזקים המשעבדים נשים יהודיות מסורבות גט לבעליהן, ומונעים מהן את הזכות האלמנטרית ללדת ילדים. במדינת ישראל 2017, כוחו של האיום הזה עדיין תקף גם על הציבור שאינו שומר מצוות, החושש מיצירת 'כתם' על צאצאיו. במאמר זה אטען, שהדרך להסיר את כתם הממזרות היא חברתית. כל עוד אנשים ישתפו פעולה עם העוול ועם החשש מפני ממזרות, עוצמתו תגבר; וכאשר אנשים יפסיקו לשתף פעולה ולהעניק משמעות למושג הממזר, עוצמתו תקטן. הדרך לעשות זאת היא שכל אחד ואחת מאתנו יימנע מהשימוש במושג 'ממזר' ויחדל לשתף פעולה עם העוול המיותר הזה. במילים אחרות: אני מבקשת לטעון ולהטמיע בחברה את ההבנה כי אין רע במי שמוגדר כממזר; אין לכך כל משמעות.
המאמר מתפרסם בספר "ממזרים סימון ומחיקה". בנוסף מצורפים שני מדרשים בנושא ממזרים המופיעים בספר בעמודים 111 ו- 120.

Books by Elisabeth Goldwyn

האם יש דרך להיות יהודי, משכיל וגם מעורה בתרבות המערבית? האם יש סתירה בין יהדות לערכים הומניסטיים ... more האם יש דרך להיות יהודי, משכיל וגם מעורה בתרבות המערבית? האם יש סתירה בין יהדות לערכים הומניסטיים כגון פלורליזם, רב תרבותיות ופמיניזם? איך אפשר להיות יהודיה לאחר השואה? מהי משמעותה של מדינה יהודית ודמוקרטית? האם קדושת ישראל וירושלים יוצרות בהכרח מלחמת דמים אינסופית?

ספר זה מציע דיון בסוגיות אלה דרך פרשנותו התלמודית של עמנואל לוינס.

עמנואל לוינס, מגדולי הפילוסופים במאה העשרים, פרסם גם "שיעורים תלמודיים", בהם הציע פרשנות משלו לסוגיות תלמודיות. שיעורים אלו נלמדו במקורם בצרפתית, בכנסים השנתיים של "האינטלקטואלים היהודיים דוברי צרפתית" במחצית השניה של המאה העשרים. הקישור בין לימוד תלמוד לסוגיה בת הזמן ולפילוסופיה של לוינס יצר כתיבה בין-תחומית שסגנונה ותכניה ייחודיים. מהם מאפייני השיעורים הללו? האם הם דומים לפרשנות תלמודית אחרת, ובמה הם מתאפיינים ושונים מכל טקסט אחר?

אני ניגשת לשיעורים התלמודיים של לוינס לא רק כטקסטים פילוסופיים אלא גם כמדרשים, בעלי מאפיינים דומים למדרשי חז"ל למקרא. גישה זו מאפשרת למצוא בהם רובדי משמעות חדשים, להבין את המבנה המורכב שלהם ולראות בהם נדבך נוסף במסורת הדרשנית היהודית הנמשכת לאורך הדורות.

חלק ניכר מהשיעורים התלמודיים של לוינס כבר תורגמו לעברית. עם זאת, ובשל המפגש הנוצר בהם בין תלמוד לפילוסופיה, קריאתם מאתגרת. מוצעים בספר זה כלי עזר ללימודם.

התייחסותו של לוינס לסוגיות יהדות זמנו דרך לימוד תלמוד, היא דוגמה לאופן שבו אפשר ללמוד תלמוד גם היום במדינת ישראל, בהתייחס לסוגיות שמעסיקות את החברה הישראלית התוהה על משמעות היותה יהודית. לוינס מציע דרכי לימוד ותכנים רלוונטיים לחלוטין לקוראים עכשוויים מכל זרמי היהדות וסוגיה.

Introduction Emmanuel Levinas, one of the twentieth century's greatest philosophers, frequently e... more Introduction Emmanuel Levinas, one of the twentieth century's greatest philosophers, frequently engaged in Jewish thought and Talmudic interpretation as well. From my first encounter with his Talmudic Readings I was drawn to their style and written form and intrigued by them. As one who loves, studies, and teaches Talmud, the contents of his interpretation appeared to me bold and fascinating, its methods creative and original. Levinas often wrote about learning Torah; about its value as a practice to be pursued, with all its ethical and religious meanings; about its role in the shaping and rejuvenation of Judaism in times of crisis, for example after the Holocaust. He emphasized the Torah's universal appeal, the human values that it teaches, and the responsibility of the Jews to translate these into a language comprehensible to everyone, to promote them in the world. His Talmudic Readings are first and foremost Torah study, practical application of this value. This learning uses a method associated with the Jewish tradition of Torah study and in his writings Levinas often imbues the principles of study with meaning that exceeds their form. His many comments on methodological issues indicate that not only was he completely aware of the principles guiding his learning, rather he also saw the method as strongly connected to the contents, as a matter worthy of consideration. This volume sets out to clarify the interpretive method utilized by Emmanuel Levinas and its link with the contents it conveys.

Drafts by Elisabeth Goldwyn

From the very beginning of his own original writing, Emmanuel Levinas wrote about the need to esc... more From the very beginning of his own original writing, Emmanuel Levinas wrote about the need to escape the "il-y-a", the suffocating state of the Being. The "il-y-a" is an ontological cage; it is the being of the self that is closed on itself, or the Being without any specific being, without any subject. In his early text 'De l'évasion'1, published in 1935, transcendence of the Being, of this impersonal and terrifying il-y-a, is perceived in the needs of the self and the search for their satisfaction. One needs food, housing, things that are not oneself. The search for these things and the pleasure that accompanies their satisfaction are transcendental relations of the self with what is not itself. Thus, the self emerges from the Being. But this is temporary, and once satisfied, the self is again in its cage of existential being, trapped in the "il-y-a". Levinas, throughout his philosophy, persists in this search of a real transcendence, a real escape from the ontological cage of the "il-y-a". In his book 'De l'existence à l'existant' that was written mostly during captivity in Germany during World War II and was published on 1947, Levinas proceeds with his search of an escape from the "il-y-a". One of the ways perceived in this book is via the relationships to the other person who shakes my hand or to whom I talk. This relationship is transcendent and, unlike the food I eat, remains so as the other person doesn't merge with me. He remains other. Towards the end of the book, Levinas explores the idea of language as a conversation between two separate people in time. It is not only and always a quiet dialogue of the mind with itself.2 Starting from these few sentences, Levinas has developed his approach to language in most of his books. It is central to his philosophy. In this article, I will describe this evolution and analyze its originality.

In search of an emphatic paradigm of the relationship Doctor – Patient, that would empower both, ... more In search of an emphatic paradigm of the relationship Doctor – Patient, that would empower both, respect their common humanity and autonomy, and would increase treatments’ efficiency, we turn ourselves to Care Ethics. It relies on the assumption that caring is a very basic and fundamental human capacity.

Levinas' philosophical project is dedicated to the thought of non-violent relationships between p... more Levinas' philosophical project is dedicated to the thought of non-violent relationships between people as the way to achieve goodness. Meeting the other person, one is always responsible for him. A personal caring relationship is at the core of this ethic. But in Leninas' later writings, there is a self-sacrificial turning point, and the language towards the subject who must substitute himself or herself for the other becomes violent. Is such violence to the self, capable of preserving goodness? From a common concern with goodness, defined as a personal caring relationship, care ethics preserves subjectivity, and thus avoids the self-sacrificial turning point. The caring relationship is based on the assumption that every person is vulnerable and dependent on others, including the self. Care ethics is non-violent. Taking this thought one step further, political institutions must be influenced by care ethics, and by its assumption of vulnerability as a universal aspect of the human condition, in order to avoid any type of violence, to nurture goodness.

This article will focus on the question of the “limit to the expression of thinking” which is cen... more This article will focus on the question of the “limit to the expression of thinking” which is central to Wittgenstein Tractatus as the author writes in its preface. I will analyze the connection between the problem of the limits of language and ethics, and then I will show that Emmanuel Levinas’s approach to language might offer a partial solution to Wittgenstein’s problem as appears in his early thought. Levinas’s developing approach to language will be shown from his very early texts via his more mature writing.
In spite of the limitations of language to contain infinity, described by both of them, conversation between people with a response-able attitude can not only convey ethics but allow it; conversation can transcend being, and, in addition, can create truth and exclude violence.

Choice Reviews Online, 2016

The Oncologist, 2019

ספר זה מציע דיון בסוגיות אלה דרך פרשנותו התלמודית של עמנואל לוינס.