Chapter 7 concerns religious brinkmanship: the delicate risky art of seeking a higher level of Je... more Chapter 7 concerns religious brinkmanship: the delicate risky art of seeking a higher level of Jewish life through challenging Orthodox taboos. ZAKA activists’ virtuosity is manifested in practicing death management that involves antinomian and hypernomian religiosity at the same time. The suicide terrorism arena provided a a controversial but still legitimate way to become haredi culture heroes while creatively violating traditional rabbinic norms. This point and others is illustrated with the help of Hindu analogy: A detailed comparison of two types of sacred death specialists. The chapter depicts the ritual prodedures by which both priests of the macabre make a bad death into a good one.
A particular body position commonly known as Oriental sitting has become a metonvm for the hardco... more A particular body position commonly known as Oriental sitting has become a metonvm for the hardcore indigenous Sabra. The empirical observation that ultra-orthodox Jews systematically avoid this charged behavioral pattern is the point of departure for the argumentation that there is a distinct radical-religious Jewish physicality. Ethnography of typical Haredi postures and movements like sitting, running, haircutting, caressing and sleeping, serves to further the understanding of Haredi culture. In the tradition of the Sociology and Anthropology of the Body this paper raises questions about certain aspects of traditionalist Jewish society and its current transformation.
... live within the metropolis of tolerant affluent society, mostly in Europe and North America, ... more ... live within the metropolis of tolerant affluent society, mostly in Europe and North America, and lately ... The threat to confidence, or rather sanity, reaches its peak with blurring the difference between ... They reconstruct the shape of the body, renew its boundaries, thus restoring to the ...
This chapter reports the traditional violent themes in religious Judaism as they seem in sacred t... more This chapter reports the traditional violent themes in religious Judaism as they seem in sacred texts, rites, customs, and chronicles, and provides a survey of the components of Jewish religion relating to violence while evaluating and illustrating their development and influence through history. It then describes the violent implications of two religious elements that are distinct and central in the Jewish legacy: Mysticism and Messianism. The case of Jewish violence is especially complicated, since Judaism is characterized by a close relationship and a substantial overlap between religious association and ethno-nationalist ties. The essence of Judaism became the interpretation and application of the Bible to historical realities. The Kabbalah presents historical reality as a mirror and integral component of a larger cosmic drama. A distinct minority of Jews use their own victimhood as a license to inflict violence upon others by way of compensation or revenge.
This article analyzes the Movement to Stop the Withdrawal (MSW) and its efforts to provoke contro... more This article analyzes the Movement to Stop the Withdrawal (MSW) and its efforts to provoke controversy in Israeli society over the evacuation of Israeli settlements from Sinai a condition of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The authors present the MSW as a messianic movement and discuss its context and ultimate aims, especially regarding the geopolitical conflict between traditional Judaism and modern Zionism. The article addresses the MSW's background, links with Gush Emunim -a movement seeking to restore the "greater Land of Israel" promised in the Bible-and environment. The authors note that the case of the MSW high-lights divisions in Israeli society between "hawks and doves" and especially between the secular and religious segments of the population.
Chapter 7 concerns religious brinkmanship: the delicate risky art of seeking a higher level of Je... more Chapter 7 concerns religious brinkmanship: the delicate risky art of seeking a higher level of Jewish life through challenging Orthodox taboos. ZAKA activists’ virtuosity is manifested in practicing death management that involves antinomian and hypernomian religiosity at the same time. The suicide terrorism arena provided a a controversial but still legitimate way to become haredi culture heroes while creatively violating traditional rabbinic norms. This point and others is illustrated with the help of Hindu analogy: A detailed comparison of two types of sacred death specialists. The chapter depicts the ritual prodedures by which both priests of the macabre make a bad death into a good one.
A particular body position commonly known as Oriental sitting has become a metonvm for the hardco... more A particular body position commonly known as Oriental sitting has become a metonvm for the hardcore indigenous Sabra. The empirical observation that ultra-orthodox Jews systematically avoid this charged behavioral pattern is the point of departure for the argumentation that there is a distinct radical-religious Jewish physicality. Ethnography of typical Haredi postures and movements like sitting, running, haircutting, caressing and sleeping, serves to further the understanding of Haredi culture. In the tradition of the Sociology and Anthropology of the Body this paper raises questions about certain aspects of traditionalist Jewish society and its current transformation.
... live within the metropolis of tolerant affluent society, mostly in Europe and North America, ... more ... live within the metropolis of tolerant affluent society, mostly in Europe and North America, and lately ... The threat to confidence, or rather sanity, reaches its peak with blurring the difference between ... They reconstruct the shape of the body, renew its boundaries, thus restoring to the ...
This chapter reports the traditional violent themes in religious Judaism as they seem in sacred t... more This chapter reports the traditional violent themes in religious Judaism as they seem in sacred texts, rites, customs, and chronicles, and provides a survey of the components of Jewish religion relating to violence while evaluating and illustrating their development and influence through history. It then describes the violent implications of two religious elements that are distinct and central in the Jewish legacy: Mysticism and Messianism. The case of Jewish violence is especially complicated, since Judaism is characterized by a close relationship and a substantial overlap between religious association and ethno-nationalist ties. The essence of Judaism became the interpretation and application of the Bible to historical realities. The Kabbalah presents historical reality as a mirror and integral component of a larger cosmic drama. A distinct minority of Jews use their own victimhood as a license to inflict violence upon others by way of compensation or revenge.
This article analyzes the Movement to Stop the Withdrawal (MSW) and its efforts to provoke contro... more This article analyzes the Movement to Stop the Withdrawal (MSW) and its efforts to provoke controversy in Israeli society over the evacuation of Israeli settlements from Sinai a condition of the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The authors present the MSW as a messianic movement and discuss its context and ultimate aims, especially regarding the geopolitical conflict between traditional Judaism and modern Zionism. The article addresses the MSW's background, links with Gush Emunim -a movement seeking to restore the "greater Land of Israel" promised in the Bible-and environment. The authors note that the case of the MSW high-lights divisions in Israeli society between "hawks and doves" and especially between the secular and religious segments of the population.
Uploads
Papers by Gideon Aran