A Philosophical Path to Spiritual Awakening

(4 Credits)

Normative, traditional Judaism focuses on obedience to Jewish law (halakha) for the sake of a divine reward, while contemporary Judaism is often conceived as about communal, ethnic affiliation. Jewish spirituality is generally attributed to Kabbalah, a non-rational esoteric Jewish mystical tradition. This course will explore a forgotten rationalist Jewish spiritual tradition whose aim is enlightenment and freedom. Major texts to be studied include Biblical Wisdom literature, especially the Book of Ecclesiastes, plus selections from rabbinic aggadic literature, Maimonides, Spinoza, Moses Mendelssohn, Mendel Lefin, and Emmanuel Levinas.