Alexander A. Dubrau | Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen (original) (raw)

Books by Alexander A. Dubrau

Mohr Siebeck Publisher, 2020

This collaboration brings into conversation scholars of Jewish and Islamic studies, theologians, ... more This collaboration brings into conversation scholars of Jewish and Islamic studies, theologians, and cultural historians to shed new light on the enduring intertwining between the Abrahamic faiths in the Mediterranean and Central Europe since
the Middle Ages. Drawing on interdisciplinary expertise, the volume presents a series of case studies re􀀽ecting – in either a constructive or a disruptive way – the interactions between the dynamics of transfer and the role of religion in society. The long durée of the book's chronology helps outline the making of religious transfers in the medieval times and their transformations up to the twentieth-century challenges of nationalism and secularism. Considering a variety of distinct implications and reactions to religious transfer, the volume contributes to pinpointing past and present challenges towards
religious conceptions, doctrines and narratives in the interaction between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The purpose of my dissertation ‘Sifre Zuta. Textual History, Characteristics, and Exegesis of Sif... more The purpose of my dissertation ‘Sifre Zuta. Textual History, Characteristics, and Exegesis of Sifre Zuta Numeri in the Context of Textual Parallels’ (in German) is to provide a critical textual analysis of the important and – from both the perspective of textual history and midrashic exegesis – the almost inaccessible so-called Tannaite Midrash ‘Sifre Zuta’ (Aramaic for ‘small book’) to the Book of Numbers, while placing the text in its tradition-historical context. Although Sifre Zuta is attributed to the school of R. Aqiva, its special status within this school in particular, and early rabbinic halakhic literature in general, emphasizes through its transmitted midrashic terminology, its exegetical methods, the obvious partial independence from mishnaic traditions, as well as the quoted or missing rabbis in Sifre Zuta. Together with the Tannaite Midrash ‘Sifre Zuta Deuteronomy’ (edition M. I. Kahana 2002) Sifre Zuta represents the work of a subgroup of the so-called Aqiva school (the ‘Zuta-group’). The dissertation analyzes this work while focussing mainly on three issues: the textual and transmission history of Sifre Zuta (Part I), the interdependence of Sifre Zuta with the Mishnah (Part II), and a textual analysis of the Sifre Zuta commentary to Numeri 19 based on Ms. Firkovitch in the light of Tannaite parallels and non-rabbinic sources (Part III). Special attention is paid to the research history on the phenomena of textual characteristics, exegetical methods, and theses on the redaction of Sifre Zuta, besides the different research approaches of the 19th century ‘Wissenschaft des Judentums’ especially S. Lieberman (ספרי זוטא. תלמודה של קיסרין, New York 1968) and M. I. Kahana (ספרי זוטא דברים, Jerusalem 2002).

Papers by Alexander A. Dubrau

Der Beitrag hat zum Ziel, Schöpfungsnarrative im Judentum näher zu beleuchten. Da es unmöglich is... more Der Beitrag hat zum Ziel, Schöpfungsnarrative im Judentum näher zu
beleuchten. Da es unmöglich ist, eine Gesamtschau dieses umfas-
senden Gegenstands innerhalb eines Beitrags zu bieten, wird dem
Thema anhand ausgewählter Diskurse nachgegangen, die von der
Frage getragen werden, wie sich die Hebräische Bibel zur Balance
zwischen dem Menschen und der Schöpfung Gottes verhält.

Halberstadt ist im 19. Jahrhundert ein Zentrum der jüdischen Neo-Orthodoxie. Mit der Halberstädth... more Halberstadt ist im 19. Jahrhundert ein Zentrum der jüdischen Neo-Orthodoxie. Mit der Halberstädther Ordthodoxie verbindet sich vor allem der Name des in Halberstadt geborenen Rabbiners Esriel Hildesheimer. Dieser vertrat einen im Vergleich zur Frankfurter Neo-Orthodoxie pragmatischeren Ansatz, dessen Strahlkraft weit über das deutschsprachige Judentum hinausreichte. Der Beitrag zeichnet die Spuren der Halberstädter Austrittstheologie und ihres intellektuellen Erbes nach, die sich bis in die Gegenwart verfolgen lassen.

Rabbinic literature (Atlanta, Georgia: SBL Press), 133–157, 2022

Based on the disputations between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael, the present chapter aims to sho... more Based on the disputations between Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Yishmael,
the present chapter aims to show, on the basis of two textual examples,
to what extent the hermeneutical perspectives of different schools of
thought instigate questions regarding gender. In other words, for the eval-
uation of rabbinic gender discourses, the basic hermeneutic principles
attributed to rabbinical authorities are of fundamental importance. The
first textual example shows how the hermeneutical perspective attributed
to Rabbi Akiva in the rabbinic debate about the sotah rite (Num 5:11–31)
allows for a more active role for women than the statement attributed
to Rabbi Yishmael. For Rabbi Yishmael, the consequences of exegetical
decisions are the main justification for his decision, but this is not the
case for Rabbi Akiva. While Rabbi Yishmael’s position combines factual
arguments with exegetical considerations, Rabbi Akiva’s position applies
only to exegetical argumentation. The second example deals with Rabbi
Akiva’s statement about excluding women from certain cultic activities in
the rite of the red heifer (Num 19). I wish to show, however, that in a fur-
ther textual development based on Rabbi Akiva’s exegetical techniques,
the rabbis do include women in the cultic process to a limited extent. This
could be interpreted as a concession to the position of Rabbi Yishmael,
who integrates women through his exegetical approach and worldview
from the very beginning.

Literatura rabínica, eds. Tal Ilan, Lorena Miralles-Maciá y Ronit Nikolsky , 2021

Journal of Jewish Studies, 2021

The present article explores Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann’s (1843–1921) exegetical writings – especi... more The present article explores Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann’s (1843–1921) exegetical
writings – especially his approach to biblical criticism – in the hitherto unexplored context of German-Jewish Orthodoxy’s struggle over the dogmatic principles of Torah. It highlights the parallels and the differences between Hoffmann and other important exegetical protagonists of German Judaism, especially German-Jewish Orthodoxy, as well as the outstanding significance of his enterprise for the latter. Though Hoffmann’s exegetical conclusions conform to a large extent with traditional Jewish exegesis, his methodological principles, his language and the problems he deals with are closely related to contemporary Wissenschaft. So far as the crisis of German-Jewish Orthodoxy at the beginning of the twentieth century is concerned, the question of how much Hoffmann’s exegesis succeeded in bridging the dichotomy between the dogmatic principles of Torah and Wissenschaft remains open.

Transfer and Religion. Interactions between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020

Kohlhammer: Stuttgart, 2020

Ausgehend von den Kontroversen zwischen Rabbi Aqiva und Rabbi Jishmael geht der vorliegende Beitr... more Ausgehend von den Kontroversen zwischen Rabbi Aqiva und Rabbi Jishmael geht der vorliegende Beitrag anhand von zwei Textbeispielen auf verschiedene die Genderfrage betreffende exegetische Prinzipien ein. Dem Aufsatz liegt damit die Auffassung zugrunde, dass durch die Analyse der rabbinischen Hermeneutik ein unmittelbares Verständnis des rabbinischen Gender-Diskurses möglich ist. Das erste Textbeispiel diskutiert ein Kommentar von Rabbi Aqiva zum sogenannten Sota-Ritus (Num 5,11–31, hier Vers 5,28), der Frauen im Vergleich zur exegetischen Auslegung von Rabbi Jishmael eine aktivere Rolle zuschreibt. Während Rabbi Jishmael faktische Argumente mit exegetischen Erwägungen kombiniert, lässt Rabbi Aqiva nur exegetische Argumente gelten. Rabbi Jishmaels Zugang wirkt sich in dieser Exegese im Vergleich zur Position Aqivas negativ auf den Genderdiskurs aus. Das zweite Textbeispiel setzt sich mit einer Aussage Rabbi Aqivas auseinander, die Frauen von kultischen Aktivitäten während der Herstellung von Reinigungswasser aus der Asche der roten Kuh ausschließt (Num 19). Dabei soll gezeigt werden, wie die Rabbinen, aufbauend auf den exegetischen Prämissen Rabbi Aqivas, in der Entwicklung dieser Tradition Frauen in diese rituellen Aktivitäten partiell integrieren.

Published in: A. A. Dubrau, D. Scotto, R. Vimercati Sanseverino (eds.), Religion and Transfer. Interactions between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020), 273–304, 2020

This article analyzes a Jewish orthodox approach to allegations of immorality concerning Jewish l... more This article analyzes a Jewish orthodox approach to allegations of immorality concerning Jewish law and the conception of the Jewish God that surfaced in Germany at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century. It takes as its case study Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann (1843–1921), an outstanding representative of the Berlin Jewish Neo-Orthodoxy and a legal authority (posek) for European orthodox Jewry. Conflict about the morality of Jewish law in nineteenth century Germany and other European countries revolved around
the question of whether the Jews could become citizens of a Western European nation. Could they be trusted despite (or because) of their religious affinities? Is the religious normative system of Halakha compatible with the German legal system? Could Jews truly participate in the German society in spite of their (hidden) disloyalty to the German Fatherland?

A distinguished feature of rabbinic halakhic discourse is its culture of argumentation. In the ju... more A distinguished feature of rabbinic halakhic discourse is its culture of argumentation. In the juridical traditions that have been passed down, topoi of argumentation exhibit peculiar literarily structure and linguistic form. The present study of the Jachol pattern (יכול ... ת"ל) in Talmudic texts tries to give a systematic account of this argumentative structure through a philosophical and rhetorical analysis.

“She shall be Free and Conceive Children” – Female Fertility, Embryogenesis and Legal Approaches... more “She shall be Free and Conceive Children” –
Female Fertility, Embryogenesis and Legal Approaches
in Rabbinic Interpretations of Numbers 5:28

This paper deals with various rabbinic interpretations of Numbers 5:28 from a halakhic legal perspective. This verse in Numbers 5 appears in the context of a description about a rite which aims to prove whether or not a married woman is under suspicion of adultery (Sota). While in the biblical context the exact meaning of the lemma regarding an innocent woman is unclear, the Tannaite Midrashim, Sifre Bemidar and Sifre Zuta, open a discussion about merit (Zekhut) which becomes apparent in female fertility discussions. I claim that the controversy between R. Ishmael and R. Aqiva concerning female fertility, and (in the case of R. Ishmael) antenatal influence over the fetus, is to be understood as a controversy between teleological (R. Ishmael) and exclusively exegetical (R. Aqiva) oriented approaches. While the former approach combines factual arguments with exegetical considerations, the latter negates this possibility by applying only to exegetic argumentation. These approaches shape the ongoing discussion concerning fertility for the innocent Sota. The paper explores insights of rabbinic legal methodology based on the example of rabbinic discussions of female fertility with recourse to Numbers 5:28, and discusses their development trajectories in Tannaite, Talmudic and post-Talmudic literature.

Die Vorstellung von der Heiligkeit des Landes Israel (im Folgenden auch Eretz Israel) und dessen ... more Die Vorstellung von der Heiligkeit des Landes Israel (im Folgenden auch Eretz Israel) und dessen Orten -insbesondere Jerusalems mit dem Tempel und dem Tempelareal -nimmt innerhalb der jüdischen Gruppierungen der zweiten Tempelzeit in der Spätantike sowie bei der sich herausbildenden rabbinischen Bewegung nach der Tempelzerstörung 70 n. Chr. eine zentrale Stellung ein. Dabei ist zunächst auf die Bedeutung des Landes Israel in der hebräischen Bibel zu verweisen. Neben der Landverheißung (Gen 15 und Num 34) kommen in der hebräischen Bibel auch viele Bestimmungen zur Sprache, welche nur für das Land Israel gelten und das Eigentumsrecht Gottes am Land unterstreichen, zum Beispiel das Verbot der Bestellung des Feldes im Siebentjahr (Ex 23,10-11; Lev 25,1-7; Dtn 15,1-11), die Abgabe der Priesterhebe (Num 18,8.11-12.25-32; Lev 22,10-14 sowie Dtn 12,6 und 18,4), Zehntabgaben (Num 18,(21)(22)(23)(24) Lev 27,(30)(31)(23)(24)(25)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(12)(13)(14)(15), Erstlingsfrüchte (Ex 23,19 und 34,26; Num 18,13 sowie Dtn 26,1-11) sowie zahlreiche weitere Bestimmungen. Damit wird deutlich, dass sich das Volk Israel durch die im verheißenen Land verpflichtend darzubringenden Opferabgaben ein örtlich definiertes Wohnrecht verdient, wobei der Tempel in Jerusalem als kultisches und politisches Zentrum fungiert. Mit Eretz Israel wie auch mit Jerusalem und mit dem Tempelareal verbindet sich nicht zuletzt deshalb ein Heiligkeitsstatus, dessen politische und theologisch-philosophische Implikationen bis in die Gegenwart wirken. 1

des augenscheins im rabbinischen Diskurs Die rabbinische literatur berichtet wiederholt von Ereig... more des augenscheins im rabbinischen Diskurs Die rabbinische literatur berichtet wiederholt von Ereignissen, in denen sich eine rabbinische autorität auf den ‚augenschein' beruft, um einer bestimmten aussage Gültigkeit zu verleihen . Die meisten dieser Quellen teilen einen durch einen Weisen in der ersten Person vorgetragenen ‚Erlebnisbericht' mit, nur wenige texte erörtern die thematik des Beweisverfahrens durch augenschein explizit . Der vorliegende Beitrag möchte zwei texte beleuchten, in denen die Rabbinen die Gültigkeit des augenscheinbeweises erörtern .

The essay focuses on a Tannaitic pattern that is not yet reflected as a specific form of expressi... more The essay focuses on a Tannaitic pattern that is not yet reflected as a specific form of expression in contemporary research. The presented argumentational form is mainly used in the Tosefta
and occasionally in the Mishna. Additional the original form lo nehlequ (= modim) … al ma nehlequ? al …; (N. N. and N. N. did not disagree concerning the halakhic case X [= N. N. and N. N. agree concerning the case X] What did they disagree about? They disagree about the case Y) several slightly modified variations exist. Examining these forms, the essay analyzes the phenomena of the emergence and development of a specific halakhic tradition. This tradition is based on the diverging statements of
different rabbinic authorities, scholarly traditions, or groups. As a hermeneutic method, it was developed in the Talmud and was called Oqimta in the late Amoraic period. Following the introduction and the description of the hermeneutic pattern in Tannaitic texts, the essay develops a critical comparison of the pattern’s transformation within parallel traditions in Mishna (mPea
6,2–3), Tosefta (tPea 3,2) and Yerushalmi (yPea 6,2 19b).

The article discusses various aspects of the oblivion of traditions in rabbinic literature. It fo... more The article discusses various aspects of the oblivion of traditions in rabbinic literature. It focuses on a tradition complex dealing with the loss of oral traditions in many sources. Hence, the aggadic traditions about oblivion in tannaitic, amoraic, and gaonic sources show a connected leitmotiv. Aggadic sources regarding the oblivion of traditions are crucial for the process
of development of the oral Torah: Moses forgets the tradition revealed at Sinai, Joshua – his successor – forgets the oral tradition grieving over Moses’ death, hundreds of Mishna orders
are lost in the period of Hillel and Shammai in the first Century C. E., and finally even Rabbi Jehuda haNasi forgets collections of Halachot. Yet, the consequences of the process of oblivion
are interpreted differently by the Rabbis. The different omissions mark a break in continuity of traditions, and therefore justify new forms of transmitting the oral Torah. This article analyzes the development of this paradigm.

Conference Presentations by Alexander A. Dubrau

In his studies of the Pentateuch, David Zvi Hoffmann challenges the hermetical Jewish canon and t... more In his studies of the Pentateuch, David Zvi Hoffmann challenges the hermetical Jewish canon and thus opens it up to new exegetical explanations, hitherto unknown within the German Neo-Orthodoxy. In his commentary of the Bible, he relies upon views of contemporaneous leading Protestant scholars, utilizing their terminology and methods. Thus, one could argue that Hoffmann acknowledges the principles of lower criticism of the Bible as valid. In the aftermath of the Shoah, Hoffmann’s exegetical approach discontinued and a further development of his approach in the Post-war German-Jewish context became impossible. The present paper is focused on the broad impact of Hoffmann’s innovative exegetical approach to the Torah and his attempt to connect the historical-critical approach and the religious approach to the Torah.

Neben Frankfurt am Main galt Halberstadt als geistiges Zentrum der sogenannten jüdischen Neo-Orth... more Neben Frankfurt am Main galt Halberstadt als geistiges Zentrum der sogenannten jüdischen Neo-Orthodoxie im 19. Jh. Diese keineswegs homogene Bewegung des deutschsprachigen Judentums wurde maßgeblich von dem ab 1851 in Frankfurt wirkenden Rabbiner Samson Raphael Hirsch (1908-1988) begründet. Mit der Halberstädter Orthodoxie verbindet sich vor allem der Name Esriel Hildesheimer, 1820 in Halberstadt geboren und 1899 in Berlin verstorben. Der spätere Rabbiner der Berliner Adass Jisroel Gemeinde und Direktor des dortigen Rabbinerseminars vertrat einen im Vergleich zur Frankfurter Elite der Neo-Orthodoxie pragmatischeren Ansatz, der über das deutschsprachige Judentum hinauswies. Deutlich wird dies am pädagogischen Konzept des Rabbinerseminars und dem späteren Wirken der in Berlin ausgebildeten Rabbiner. Grundlage dieser vermittelnden und weitsichtigen Position werden bereits in Hildesheimer Halberstädter Kindheit und Jugend gelegt. Der Vortrag zeichnet die Spuren der Halberstädter Austrittsorthodoxie nach und verfolgt das vor allem mit Hildesheimer verbundene intellektuelle Erbe dieser Bewegung. Hildesheimer Bildungsideal und seine Positionen in der Auseinandersetzung mit dem liberalen Judentum und den Zionismus lassen sich dabei bis in die Gegenwart verfolgen.

David Zvi Hoffmanns exegetische Ausführungen zum Pentateuch entstanden während seiner 47 jährigen... more David Zvi Hoffmanns exegetische Ausführungen zum Pentateuch entstanden während seiner 47 jährigen Lehr- und Rektorentätigkeit am Berliner Rabbinerseminar und umfassen unter anderem die Übersetzung und Kommentierung von Levitikus (zwei Bde., Berlin 1905–1906) und Deuteronomium (bis Dtn. 31, zwei Bde., Berlin 1913 und 1922). Eine Besonderheit dieser eng mit dem Kommentar verwobenen Übersetzung der Bücher Leviticus und Deuteronomium besteht in der Auseinandersetzung Hoffmanns mit der zeitgenössischen Bibelkritik und den Argumenten der führenden (zumeist protestantischen) Exegeten seiner Zeit. Hoffmanns Eintreten für die Integrität des hebräischen Bibeltextes in Bezug auf die von der Bibelwissenschaft aufgeworfenen kritischen Fragen fordert einen Wissenschaftsdiskurs, der sein Übersetzungs- und Kommentarwerk sprachlich, stilistisch und inhaltlich prägt. Die Komposition von Hoffmanns Werk, der Übertragung des in der Regel mehrere Bibelverse umfassenden Sinnzusammenhangs mit nachfolgendem Kommentar, stellt sich, in Anlehnung an mittelalterliche Exegeten, in die Tradition von Moses Mendelssohn und Samson Raphael Hirsch, verzichtet jedoch auf die Wiedergabe des hebräischen Originaltexts. Hoffmanns Übersetzung grenzt sich somit nicht nur von Hirschs Bibelkommentar ab, sondern bricht auch mit anderen Entwürfen deutsch jüdischer Bibelübersetzungen.

Mohr Siebeck Publisher, 2020

Rabbinic literature (Atlanta, Georgia: SBL Press), 133–157, 2022

Literatura rabínica, eds. Tal Ilan, Lorena Miralles-Maciá y Ronit Nikolsky , 2021

Journal of Jewish Studies, 2021

Transfer and Religion. Interactions between Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020

Kohlhammer: Stuttgart, 2020

In the second half of the long 19th-century Jewish scholars produced for the first time a signifi... more In the second half of the long 19th-century Jewish scholars produced for the first time a significant number of translations of Talmudic literature from Hebrew or Aramaic into German. They also published several anthologies in German that contained Jewish non-Biblical traditional translations from Late Antiquity up to the present. A closer look at the nature of 19th-century Jewish debates concerning translations of Talmudic literature into German reveals fundamental ideological differences among the parties engaged in these debates. Tracing this process as an inner-Jewish cultural translation between Jewish history and the present time or between Jewish tradition and the individual self, the paper focuses both on the perspectives of outstanding Jewish translations of Talmudic literature, their cultural meanings, social and educational significance and their receptions within 19th-century. In doing so, the paper fleshes out the ideological background behind those translation projects, their creativity and (new) interpretations, as well as their educational features of Talmudic literature.

While Jewish traditionalism in the 19th Century considered translations of Talmudic literature in... more While Jewish traditionalism in the 19th Century considered translations of Talmudic literature into modern European languages as redundant or even forbidden, Leopold Zunz programmatically encouraged translation as an expression of the transcultural character of Jewish literature. Recognizing rabbinic literature within its historical context, Wissenschaft oriented scholars as well as representatives of German-Jewish Orthodoxy and Reform Judaism translated Mishnaic, Midrashic and Talmudic literature and published Talmudic anthologies particular in the second half of the 19th century. These translations often triggered heated inner-Jewish debates concerning Talmudic philology, exegetical terminology and rabbinic conceptions. However, a closer look at the nature of these debates reveals fundamental ideological differences behind the parties engaged in these debates concerning the translatability of Talmudic literature and the methods of Talmudic textual criticism in general. The paper fleshes out the ideological background behind those fierce debates over Talmudic philology and lexicology. An illustrious example of this debate was sparked by Lazarus Goldschmidt’s translation of the entire Babylonian Talmud into German (from 1896 on).

International Conference "The Reception of Biblical Women and Gender in Rabbinic Literature", 4th... more International Conference "The Reception of Biblical Women and Gender in Rabbinic Literature", 4th December, 2017 - 5th December, 2017

במסגרת הליכים משפטיים כנגד תיאודור פריטש (1933–1853) באשמת אנטישמיות, שביסס את עוינותו כלפי היהוד... more במסגרת הליכים משפטיים כנגד תיאודור פריטש (1933–1853) באשמת אנטישמיות, שביסס את עוינותו כלפי היהודים בעיקר על סמך מבואות משולחן ערוך ומהתלמוד הבבלי, התבקש הרד"צ הופמן לחבר חוות דעת מומחה במשפטו השני של פריטש, שנערך בלייפציג בין השנים 1912–1913. חוות דעת זו ממשיכה את סוגת כתביו האפולוגטיים של הרדצ"ה, המוכרת בעיקר מספרו "שולחן ערוך", שיצא לאור בשנת 1884. בהרצאה זאת נדון על כתב ההגנה זה של הרד"צ הופמן, שבו מעבר לשאלות שבית הדין הפנה אליו, מצא הוא לנכון אף להוסיף הערות היסטוריוגרפיות ביחס להתפתחותן של הלכות אחדות, וכן פרשנות, הסבר וטעם מוסרי לאמונה ולהלכה היהודית ביחס לאתיקה הכללית.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann was one of the leading orthodox fi... more At the beginning of the 20th century, Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann was one of the leading orthodox figures in German-speaking Europe. He was a Poseq, teacher, and the successor of Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer, rector of the Berlin Rabbinical Seminary, from 1899 until his death in 1921. His writings, mainly in German, are partially forgotten today. His biblical writings include an (incomplete) Torah commentary, a monograph on a refutation of Wellhausen’s theory of biblical criticism, introductory writings to the Pentateuch, and various exegetical essays which were published in his books and articles in the Jewish Press. In modern Bible studies, Hoffmann's theses on Pentateuch studies have been increasingly discussed.
Almost all of Hoffmann’s biblical writings were composed during a period of intensive Bible and Talmud-teaching at the Berlin Rabbinical Seminary within the last twenty years of his life and should be explained upon this socio-cultural background. In this lecture, I wish to analyze his biblical scholarship approach as expressed in his biblical writings after he had already published groundbreaking works in the field of Mishna and Midrash studies. I will discuss the integration of Old Testament biblical scholarship discussed at Protestant theological faculties with his biblical and exegetical writings, especially with Wellhausen's hypothesis of biblical criticism. If so, what concept of Wissenschaft did Hoffmann decided upon for his biblical writings? What were the reactions of his Christian contemporaries? And, why is Hoffmann’s approach to biblical scholarship unique in Jewish Orthodox thought? In doing this, the lecture highlights Hoffmann’s biblical approach in his Berlin period as reflected by German-Jewish Orthodoxy. This subject did not receive due and serious attention in biblical and rabbinical scholarship.

This paper highlights the medical and healing aspects of two outstanding rites described in the H... more This paper highlights the medical and healing aspects of two outstanding rites described in the Hebrew Bible in Numbers 5 and 19 as they have been interpreted in Talmudic literature. Numbers 5 describes a rite which aims to prove whether or not a woman who is under suspicion of adultery has indeed committed it. Numbers 19 outlines the preparation of the red heifer's ashes for the purification rite of those who became impure through contact with a dead body. In contrast to their literal interpretation as a divinely ordained ritual procedure in the Hebrew Bible, some Talmudic sources associate these rites with healing knowledge and medical science that also involve the practice of magic and sorcery.
This paper emphasizes the medical and healing knowledge that underlie the practice of both rites as transmitted and controversially discussed by the Rabbis in the Talmudic sources and in rabbinic commentaries of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. In order to examine this apparent dichotomy, I shall examine relevant rabbinic texts in reference to the purpose of these medical and healing procedures. The discussion of these texts includes questions of sacred fictional or factual practices (Sitz im Leben), the exegetical and hermeneutical rabbinic discourse on framing this knowledge, as well as the interrelation of magical and medical skills. In conclusion, I will explore the process in which rabbinic medical knowledge on healing skills and folk medicine derive from the legal ritual traditions in the Bible. Thus, using these two biblical rites as examples, the paper demonstrates the relevance of medical science and healing knowledge within rabbinic ritual Halakhah, its framing, development, and trajectories within rabbinic sources.

Ziel des Beitrags ist es, den Charakter von Hinzufügungen und Streichungen von Textstellen, die t... more Ziel des Beitrags ist es, den Charakter von Hinzufügungen und Streichungen von Textstellen, die tannaitischen Autoren zugeschrieben werden, im babylonischen Talmud beispielhaft vor Augen zu führen. Der Umgang der Amoräer mit den Traditionen der Tannaiten zielt auf das Selbstverständnis der Redaktoren des Talmud. Thematisiert wird die talmudische Argumentationsfigur שתי תקנות הוו („zwei Takkanot gab es“). Dabei wird am Beispiel einer Sugya analysiert, wie die Amoräer mit dieser Formel eine tannaitische Rechtsentscheidung kommentieren. Das amoräische Verfahren der Entscheidungsfindung hebt sich von anderen vergleichbaren Phänomenen im Talmud ab, da die Institution der ‚Takkanah’ als eine Form der rabbinischen Rechtssetzung in ihrer zweifachen Anwendung bezüglich eines Rechtsfalls den tannaitischen Prozess der Rechtsfindung auf eine neue Grundlage stellt. Den Amoräern geht es dabei primär um die der tannaitischen Argumentation widerstrebenden Rechtsfindung und deren hermeneutische Intention, die letztlich das Bemühen um eine neue Erschließung des tannaitischen Verfahrens begründet.

This paper deals with rabbinic stories of a legal realistic and non-realistic nature in rabbinic ... more This paper deals with rabbinic stories of a legal realistic and non-realistic nature in rabbinic literature which refer to the application range of a law. A peculiar example is the well-known polemical story, likely of Amoraic origin, about a non-Jew (goy) who, addressing Rabban Yohanan ben Zaqqai, accused the Jews of exercising sorcery which he ascribes to the purity-ritual of the red heifer as it is unfolded in Numbers 19 (see Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana 4,7 [74] and parallels). Rabban Yohanan ben Zaqqai defines the Biblical commandments for the non-Jew as being of a universally religious nature. But for his disciples he explicitly negates any realistically oriented legitimization by postulating a strong nominalistic approach to the laws of the impurity of the deceased: “Neither the dead defile nor the waters purify […] rather, it is an ordinance from God”. I will argue that these well structured narrative pericopes allow the Rabbis to reflect strong positivistic elements and deal with methodological problems they had in their process of decision making in halakhic writing. Within the framework of a systematic-critical analysis of these stories, the ideological significance of those traditions within rabbinic literature should be emphasized.

The study of the exegetical terminology (termini technici) in the halakhic texts of Tannaitic lit... more The study of the exegetical terminology (termini technici) in the halakhic texts of Tannaitic literature dates back to the 19th century period of the “Wissenschaft des Judentums” and has generated new impulses in the second half of the 20th century as well as in the research of the past decade. Following these lines of research, this paper is focused on a historical-systematic study of the widespread Tannaitic formula mikan amru (“from here they said”) in the context of its variants such as amru. In doing so, I refer to this terminology in a wider range of exegetical matters and not in statements like “R. x says” (R. x omer). I wish to question whether the formula mikan amru is a citation formula for halakhic Midrashim or an exegetical formula that links the biblical verse with a transmitted halakha. This question should be asked in order to clarify the sources of the mikan amru pericopes and the usage of this term in some textual compilations.

בהרצאה נעסוק במקבילות בין ספרי זוטא ובין המשנה בפרט ובין מדרשי הלכה והמשנה בכלל. לאחר שנפתח בשאלו... more בהרצאה נעסוק במקבילות בין ספרי זוטא ובין המשנה בפרט ובין מדרשי הלכה והמשנה בכלל. לאחר שנפתח בשאלות מתודולוגיות נדון בסוגית המקבילה של ספרי זוטא יט,יח (314) עם משנה פרה יב,י. בעיון בסוגיה זאת תועלה הטענה כי הגרסא בספרי זוטא קודמת למקבילה המשנאית. נחתום את ההרצאה בשאלה עד כמה מייצגת המקבילה הנידונה את קדמותן של מסורות אחדות בספרי זוטא המקבילות למשנה.

PaRDeS 12-15, Zeitschrift der Vereinigung für Jüdische Studien e.V., ed. by Alexander Dubrau and ... more PaRDeS 12-15, Zeitschrift der Vereinigung für Jüdische Studien e.V., ed. by Alexander Dubrau and Nathanael Riemer, 2006-2009

Organizer of the panel “The Doctrine of Rav David Zvi Hoffmann: New Sources, New Approaches”, at ... more Organizer of the panel “The Doctrine of Rav David Zvi Hoffmann: New Sources, New Approaches”, at the 17th World Congress of Jewish Studies (WCJS) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (August 7, 2017)

Cultural Transfers as Interreligious Challenges – Case-Studies of Jewish and Christian/Western In... more Cultural Transfers as Interreligious Challenges – Case-Studies of Jewish and Christian/Western Interactions with Islam

The establishment of Islamic theology in Germany raises fundamental questions about the way in which Islam can be perceived and assumed in a European context. Rationality, secularism and pluralism form the framework for presenting the Islamic theological discourse in a scientifically understandable and socially acceptable way. In order to discuss the issues this exciting project gives rise to, the research group Rationality and Reason in the Life and Thought of Muslims in a Global
and Pluralistic Context – Conceptions of Islamic Theology organizes each semester between 2014-2016 a series of lectures. International
scholars from diverse scholarly backgrounds are invited to discuss the relevant topics with the public. The research group consists of eight researchers from the Zentrum für islamische Theologie (ZiTh), the
Evangelisch-theologische Fakultät and the Orientalisches Seminar in Tübingen, and the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg (HfJS).

Book Review: לייב מוסקוביץ, הטרמינולוגיה של הירושלמי: המונחים העיקריים, ירושלים תשס"ט, בתוך: פרדס... more Book Review: לייב מוסקוביץ, הטרמינולוגיה של הירושלמי: המונחים העיקריים, ירושלים תשס"ט, בתוך: פרדס 17 (2011), עמ' 237-235 (Leib Moscovitz, The Terminology of the Yerushalmi. The Principal Terms, Magnes Press: Jerusalem 2010, in: PaRDeS 17 [2011], pp. 235-237).

Book Review: Carlos Bakhos (ed.), Current Trends in the Study of Midrash (Supplements to the Jour... more Book Review: Carlos Bakhos (ed.), Current Trends in the Study of Midrash (Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism Vol. 106) Brill/Boston/Leiden 2006, in: PaRDeS 13 (2007), pp. 133–136.

Book Review: מנחם יצחק כהנא, ספרי זוטא דברים: מובאות ממדרש תנאי חדש, ירושלים תשס"ג 2002, in: PaRD... more Book Review: מנחם יצחק כהנא, ספרי זוטא דברים: מובאות ממדרש תנאי חדש, ירושלים תשס"ג 2002, in: PaRDeS 13 (2007), pp. 130–133 (Menachem Kahana, Sifre Zuta Deuteronomium. Citations from a New Tannaitic Midrash, Magnes Press: Jerusalem 2002, reprint 2005, in: PaRDeS 13 [2007], pp. 130–133).

Book Review: Judith Hauptman, Rereading the Mishnah. A New Approach to Ancient Jewish Texts (Text... more Book Review: Judith Hauptman, Rereading the Mishnah. A New Approach to Ancient Jewish Texts (Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism Vol. 109), Tübingen 2005, in: Judaica 64/2-3 (2008), pp. 217–220.

Book Review: Hans-Joachim Hahn, Tobias Freimüller, Elisabeth Kohlhaas, Werner Konitzer (ed.): Kom... more Book Review: Hans-Joachim Hahn, Tobias Freimüller, Elisabeth Kohlhaas, Werner Konitzer (ed.): Kommunikationsräume des Europäischen – Jüdische Wissenskulturen jenseits des Nationalen (Leipziger Beiträge zur Jüdischen Geschichte und Kultur VIII 2010), Leipzig 2014, in: Judaica 70 (2014), pp. 428–430.

Book Review: Vladislav Zeev Slepoi, Halachische Literatur in Aschkenas in den Jahren 1350–1500 (S... more Book Review: Vladislav Zeev Slepoi, Halachische Literatur in Aschkenas in den Jahren 1350–1500 (Schriften der Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg, Bd. 19), Heidelberg 2016, in: Judaica 72/4 (2016), pp. 580–582.

Book Review: Moshe Halbertal, Maimonides - Life and Thought, Princeton Univ. Press 2014, in: Juda... more Book Review: Moshe Halbertal, Maimonides - Life and Thought, Princeton Univ. Press 2014, in: Judaica 72 (2016), pp. 286-288