This encyclopaedia article aims to provide an exhaustive investigation of the concept of Teshuva ... more This encyclopaedia article aims to provide an exhaustive investigation of the concept of Teshuva in Jewish thought, with a focus on its historical trajectory and multifaceted interpretations. The term teshuva in Hebrew etymologically means 'return', suggesting a journey back to an original state or condition or to the divine. Originating from biblical precepts, Teshuva has undergone substantive elaboration in Rabbinic literature and further intellectual treatment in subsequent Jewish writings. This article underscores the theological gravitas of Teshuva. To bring depth and nuance to this investigation, it integrates the contributions of four seminal Jewish scholars-Moses Maimonides, Nachman of Breslov, Abraham Isaac Kook, and Joseph B. Soloveitchik-each offering a unique conceptual framework of Teshuva. Their divergent viewpoints serve as a prism through which the richness and complexity of Teshuva are elucidated.
In this essay, I examine the intersection between the concepts of freedom, the self, God, and cre... more In this essay, I examine the intersection between the concepts of freedom, the self, God, and creativity in the works of one of the most prominent twentieth-century Jewish thinkers, Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (1865-1935), exploring his use of these concepts through the lens of the Lebensphilosophie of the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941). I first draw a historical and thematic parallel between Bergson's and Kook's philosophies that to date has not been considered extensively. I then argue that five different interpretative puzzles related to the topic of freedom in Kook's teachings can be explained against the background of Bergson's thought. This Bergsonian interpretation enables the reader to appreciate in what way different aspects of Kook's thought-the metaphysical, ethical, epistemological, and theological-are interconnected and can be understood as an organic whole. I thereby show that the Bergsonian philosophical and systematic models are an important, and yet unexplored, interpretative tool for the study of Kook's theological and philosophical thought.
This article holds that it is possible to conceptualize Aharon Appelfeld’s experience
of the Hol... more This article holds that it is possible to conceptualize Aharon Appelfeld’s experience
of the Holocaust through the Nietzschean framework of the Dionysian/Apollonian
dichotomy. To Nietzsche, in the Dionysian state, things appear to humans as
they actually are, and existence is chaotic, meaningless, and terrifying. In the
Apollonian state, on the contrary, order and meaning prevail. Tragic art allows
the individual, via the intervention of the Apollonian, to embrace the Dionysian
insight without succumbing to it. I argue that, in the novel Badenheim 1939,
Appelfeld describes the Holocaust as an eruption and takeover of Dionysian violent
and chaotic instincts, which fail to be mitigated by the Apollonian. Consequently,
artistic expression acquires a fundamental role in the elaboration of the trauma of the
Holocaust. Art becomes the Apollonian medium, which, similar to tragedy, enables
survivors and readers to come in contact with the Dionysian experience of the
Holocaust without surrendering to it.
This article reexamines Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook’s (1865–1935) approach to Zionism, by pr... more This article reexamines Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook’s (1865–1935) approach to Zionism, by proposing a reading of Kook’s Zionism through the lens of the Lebensphilosophie (The Philosophy of Life) of the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859–1941). I show that we can clarify Kook’s view of freedom, the self and creativity and its essential connection to Zionism, therefore, proposing a new understanding of the meaning that Jewish nationalism assumes in Kook’s thought, thanks to the application of the model of freedom and creativity developed by Bergson to Kook’s writings. Especially for Kook, I show that Jewish nationalism is seen as a means for the Jewish People to return to their true self and through this connection attain true freedom. Only when a nation realizes its freedom by a return to its own original self, it can be creative. This is how I explain the connection that Kook draws between a return to the Land of Israel and the ability of Israel as a people to finally be able to be creative. Finally, I argue that this understanding of nationalism adds a new layer to the essential place that the territory assumes in Kook’s thought. A State of Israel outside its original land can attain the goal of autonomous self-governance but lacks the ability to inspire the reconnection of the nation to its own original self. The Jewish People as a collective cannot connect to their authentic self away from the Land of Israel, consequently, the Land of Israel is the only place in which they can be truly free.
The question of the nature, truthfulness and value of mystical and spiritual experiences is thoug... more The question of the nature, truthfulness and value of mystical and spiritual experiences is thought-provoking and puzzling. Even today, it is not possible to provide a clear and univocal answer. There are multiple unsolved questions: What is a mystical or religious experience? Does a mystical experience supply knowledge about the transcendental? Are psychological, theological, and metaphysical speculations forever relegated to the limbo-land of mere possibility, or do they, on any level, reflect anything real? This article is an attempt to analyze these questions and to elaborate upon them; if not to find a definite answer to these questions, then to propose possible answers. I start by analyzing the account of the pragmatist American philosopher and psychologist William James, mostly focusing on two chapters of his work The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Secondly, I discuss how James' account supports and expands upon that of Aldous Huxley as set out in his work The Doors of Perception.
The book Perspectives on 2021 was published in February 2022 and is a collection of articles writ... more The book Perspectives on 2021 was published in February 2022 and is a collection of articles written by the EARS analysts. It offers new insights into themes and topics related to religion and society, such as politics, COVID-19, and wellbeing.
EARS, the European Academy on Religion and Society, is a European network of Departments and/or F... more EARS, the European Academy on Religion and Society, is a European network of Departments and/or Faculties of Theology and/or Religious Studies. The 19 participating universities and their theologians aim to interpret and to explain societal issues from a theological perspective. Leadership, social dilemmas, politics, economics, technology: we offer perspectives on these and more topics, to inspire and to motivate. This book covers an overview of our 2020 publications.
This encyclopaedia article aims to provide an exhaustive investigation of the concept of Teshuva ... more This encyclopaedia article aims to provide an exhaustive investigation of the concept of Teshuva in Jewish thought, with a focus on its historical trajectory and multifaceted interpretations. The term teshuva in Hebrew etymologically means 'return', suggesting a journey back to an original state or condition or to the divine. Originating from biblical precepts, Teshuva has undergone substantive elaboration in Rabbinic literature and further intellectual treatment in subsequent Jewish writings. This article underscores the theological gravitas of Teshuva. To bring depth and nuance to this investigation, it integrates the contributions of four seminal Jewish scholars-Moses Maimonides, Nachman of Breslov, Abraham Isaac Kook, and Joseph B. Soloveitchik-each offering a unique conceptual framework of Teshuva. Their divergent viewpoints serve as a prism through which the richness and complexity of Teshuva are elucidated.
In this essay, I examine the intersection between the concepts of freedom, the self, God, and cre... more In this essay, I examine the intersection between the concepts of freedom, the self, God, and creativity in the works of one of the most prominent twentieth-century Jewish thinkers, Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook (1865-1935), exploring his use of these concepts through the lens of the Lebensphilosophie of the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941). I first draw a historical and thematic parallel between Bergson's and Kook's philosophies that to date has not been considered extensively. I then argue that five different interpretative puzzles related to the topic of freedom in Kook's teachings can be explained against the background of Bergson's thought. This Bergsonian interpretation enables the reader to appreciate in what way different aspects of Kook's thought-the metaphysical, ethical, epistemological, and theological-are interconnected and can be understood as an organic whole. I thereby show that the Bergsonian philosophical and systematic models are an important, and yet unexplored, interpretative tool for the study of Kook's theological and philosophical thought.
This article holds that it is possible to conceptualize Aharon Appelfeld’s experience
of the Hol... more This article holds that it is possible to conceptualize Aharon Appelfeld’s experience
of the Holocaust through the Nietzschean framework of the Dionysian/Apollonian
dichotomy. To Nietzsche, in the Dionysian state, things appear to humans as
they actually are, and existence is chaotic, meaningless, and terrifying. In the
Apollonian state, on the contrary, order and meaning prevail. Tragic art allows
the individual, via the intervention of the Apollonian, to embrace the Dionysian
insight without succumbing to it. I argue that, in the novel Badenheim 1939,
Appelfeld describes the Holocaust as an eruption and takeover of Dionysian violent
and chaotic instincts, which fail to be mitigated by the Apollonian. Consequently,
artistic expression acquires a fundamental role in the elaboration of the trauma of the
Holocaust. Art becomes the Apollonian medium, which, similar to tragedy, enables
survivors and readers to come in contact with the Dionysian experience of the
Holocaust without surrendering to it.
This article reexamines Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook’s (1865–1935) approach to Zionism, by pr... more This article reexamines Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook’s (1865–1935) approach to Zionism, by proposing a reading of Kook’s Zionism through the lens of the Lebensphilosophie (The Philosophy of Life) of the French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859–1941). I show that we can clarify Kook’s view of freedom, the self and creativity and its essential connection to Zionism, therefore, proposing a new understanding of the meaning that Jewish nationalism assumes in Kook’s thought, thanks to the application of the model of freedom and creativity developed by Bergson to Kook’s writings. Especially for Kook, I show that Jewish nationalism is seen as a means for the Jewish People to return to their true self and through this connection attain true freedom. Only when a nation realizes its freedom by a return to its own original self, it can be creative. This is how I explain the connection that Kook draws between a return to the Land of Israel and the ability of Israel as a people to finally be able to be creative. Finally, I argue that this understanding of nationalism adds a new layer to the essential place that the territory assumes in Kook’s thought. A State of Israel outside its original land can attain the goal of autonomous self-governance but lacks the ability to inspire the reconnection of the nation to its own original self. The Jewish People as a collective cannot connect to their authentic self away from the Land of Israel, consequently, the Land of Israel is the only place in which they can be truly free.
The question of the nature, truthfulness and value of mystical and spiritual experiences is thoug... more The question of the nature, truthfulness and value of mystical and spiritual experiences is thought-provoking and puzzling. Even today, it is not possible to provide a clear and univocal answer. There are multiple unsolved questions: What is a mystical or religious experience? Does a mystical experience supply knowledge about the transcendental? Are psychological, theological, and metaphysical speculations forever relegated to the limbo-land of mere possibility, or do they, on any level, reflect anything real? This article is an attempt to analyze these questions and to elaborate upon them; if not to find a definite answer to these questions, then to propose possible answers. I start by analyzing the account of the pragmatist American philosopher and psychologist William James, mostly focusing on two chapters of his work The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. Secondly, I discuss how James' account supports and expands upon that of Aldous Huxley as set out in his work The Doors of Perception.
The book Perspectives on 2021 was published in February 2022 and is a collection of articles writ... more The book Perspectives on 2021 was published in February 2022 and is a collection of articles written by the EARS analysts. It offers new insights into themes and topics related to religion and society, such as politics, COVID-19, and wellbeing.
EARS, the European Academy on Religion and Society, is a European network of Departments and/or F... more EARS, the European Academy on Religion and Society, is a European network of Departments and/or Faculties of Theology and/or Religious Studies. The 19 participating universities and their theologians aim to interpret and to explain societal issues from a theological perspective. Leadership, social dilemmas, politics, economics, technology: we offer perspectives on these and more topics, to inspire and to motivate. This book covers an overview of our 2020 publications.
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of the Holocaust through the Nietzschean framework of the Dionysian/Apollonian
dichotomy. To Nietzsche, in the Dionysian state, things appear to humans as
they actually are, and existence is chaotic, meaningless, and terrifying. In the
Apollonian state, on the contrary, order and meaning prevail. Tragic art allows
the individual, via the intervention of the Apollonian, to embrace the Dionysian
insight without succumbing to it. I argue that, in the novel Badenheim 1939,
Appelfeld describes the Holocaust as an eruption and takeover of Dionysian violent
and chaotic instincts, which fail to be mitigated by the Apollonian. Consequently,
artistic expression acquires a fundamental role in the elaboration of the trauma of the
Holocaust. Art becomes the Apollonian medium, which, similar to tragedy, enables
survivors and readers to come in contact with the Dionysian experience of the
Holocaust without surrendering to it.
Books by Ghila Amati
of the Holocaust through the Nietzschean framework of the Dionysian/Apollonian
dichotomy. To Nietzsche, in the Dionysian state, things appear to humans as
they actually are, and existence is chaotic, meaningless, and terrifying. In the
Apollonian state, on the contrary, order and meaning prevail. Tragic art allows
the individual, via the intervention of the Apollonian, to embrace the Dionysian
insight without succumbing to it. I argue that, in the novel Badenheim 1939,
Appelfeld describes the Holocaust as an eruption and takeover of Dionysian violent
and chaotic instincts, which fail to be mitigated by the Apollonian. Consequently,
artistic expression acquires a fundamental role in the elaboration of the trauma of the
Holocaust. Art becomes the Apollonian medium, which, similar to tragedy, enables
survivors and readers to come in contact with the Dionysian experience of the
Holocaust without surrendering to it.