Understanding YHWH - The Name of God in Biblical, Rabbinic, and Medieval Jewish Thought

This book unlocks the Jewish theology of YHWH in three central stages of Jewish thought: the Hebrew bible, rabbinic literature, and medieval philosophy and mysticism. Providing a single conceptual key adapted from the philosophical debate on proper names, the book paints a dynamic picture of YHWH's meanings over a spectrum of periods and genres, portraying an evolving interaction between two theological motivations: the wish to speak about God and the wish to speak to Him. Through this investigation, the book shows how Jews interpreted God's name in attempt to map the human-God relation, and to determine the measure of possibility for believers to realize a divine presence in their midst, through language.

List of contents

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Compassionate Presence: Hwh And The Measure Of Mercy.- Chapter 3: Omnipresence: Invoking The Divine Name Yhwh In Rabbinic Blessing.- Chapter 4: Personal And Non-Personal Divine Presence: The Name Yhwh In The Thought Of R. Abraham Ibn Ezra And R. Judah Halevi.- Chapter 5: "Silence Is Praise To Thee": The Name Yhwh In The Negative Theology Of Medieval Judaism.- Chapter 6: A Dynamic Linguistic Picture - The Name Yhwh In Sefer Ha-Bahir And In Early Provencal And Geronese Kabbalah.                   

About the author

Hillel Ben-Sasson is a scholar of Jewish theology and political philosophy. His academic appointments include positions in Israel, Germany, and the United States.

Product details

• Authors: Hillel Ben-Sasson
• Assisted by: Michelle Bubis (Translation)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Original title: The Name YHWH: The Meaning of the Name of God in Scripture, Rabbinic Literature, and Jewish Thought in the Middle Ages
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.01.2019
• EAN: 9783030323110
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3032311-0
• No. of pages: 304
• Dimensions: 151 mm x 218 mm x 23 mm
• Weight: 534 g
• Illustrations: XII, 304 p.
• Series: Jewish Thought and Philosophy
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > Religion/theology > Judaism