The Ḥavurot That Were in Jerusalem
A tradition in the name of R. Eleazar b. R. Zadok in Tosefta Megillah 4:15 tells of the activities of certain ḥavurot, or societies "that were in Jerusalem". This article tries to clarify: a) the historical veracity of the existence of such societies; b) their social and/or religious funct...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
HUC
1985
|
| In: |
Hebrew Union College annual
Year: 1984, Volume: 55, Pages: 55-74 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
|
| Summary: | A tradition in the name of R. Eleazar b. R. Zadok in Tosefta Megillah 4:15 tells of the activities of certain ḥavurot, or societies "that were in Jerusalem". This article tries to clarify: a) the historical veracity of the existence of such societies; b) their social and/or religious function; and above all, c) the ideonic motivation behind them. Checking this last point brings us to examine the place of a "pragmatic" reasoning for doing acts of kindness, coming to assure a kind of "social contract" for the mutual benefit of all involved. This, as against the usual reasoning for doing the good for "its own sake" or because it was commanded by God. Another point explored is the possible connection between charity and prayer as corelated social functions. |
|---|---|
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Hebrew Union College annual
|