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International Conference Warren Zev Harvey Chair, Department of Jewish Thought The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Family and Religion in Judaism In Rome and Jerusalem (letter 1), the 19th-century Jewish philosopher Moses Hess writes of the "infinite love of family" that characterizes the Jewish tradition, and asserts it is the source of the amor Dei intellectualis discussed in Spinoza's Ethics. According to Hess, therefore, familial love has consummate theological significance, since it makes possible the love of God. This connection between love of family and love of God may explain in part why the Bible uses familial metaphors in referring to God: He is the loving husband of Israel (e.g., Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea 2:21), He is our Father and we are his children, and thus we are all brethren (e.g., Malachi 2:10). Judaism is primarily a family religion or a home religion. While the Synagogue has an important role in Judaism, that of the home is more important. In order to illustrate the importance of family in Judaism, I would like to examine two examples: Sabbath and Passover. My discussion will be based on the Bible, the Talmud and Midrash, and medieval and modern sources. Prof. Warren Zev Harvey studied philosophy at Columbia University, New York (Ph.D. 1973). He taught at McGill University, Montreal, before moving to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1977. He is currently Chair of the Department of Jewish Thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of many studies on medieval and modern Jewish philosophy, including Physics and Metaphysics in Hasdai Crescas (1998). Personal website Conference Main Page | Theme | Travel Programme | Call for Papers | Information | |
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