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Project SEED
Middlesex House, 29 - 45 High Street, Edgware, Middx. HA8 7UU. 0181 381 1555
160, Whitehall Road, Gateshead, NE8 1TP. 0191 478 5434
47 Stanley Road, Salford, M7 4FR. 0161 740 0906.
http://www.amyisrael.co.il/seed
The object of the Project SEED Panorama of Jewish History Programme is to give participants an insight into some of the main areas of the fascinating panorama of Jewish History. Having gone through this programme, participants will have a clearer idea of the direction and content of their future study of Jewish History. A decision can be made as to which era they would subsequently like to study and in what manner.
The programme divides the panorama of Jewish History into nine periods.
(The division into units of 500 years is reasonably, but not entirely, precise and is done purely for convenience of memorising.)
1. 0 - 2 000 Creation / Adam & Chavah / Noach
2. 2 000 - 2 500 Abraham to entry into Israel
3. 2 500 - 3 000. Entry into Israel to building of first Temple
4. 3 000 - 3 500 Building of first Temple to destruction of first Temple, construction of second Temple, sealing of TaNaCH, (Bible), and end of Prophecy.
5. 3 500 - 4 000 Second Temple era.
6. 4 000 - 4 500 Destruction of second Temple to sealing of Talmud. Persecuted by Christendom.
7. 4 500 - 5 000 Sealing of Talmud to end of Geonic era, commencement of academic development in, and shift of Jewish centres to, Europe & North Africa. Rishonim. Persecuted by Islam.
8. 5 000 - 5 500 Commencement of academic development in Europe & North Africa, Islamic and Christian persecutions & expulsions, Spanish expulsion and end of period of Rishonim
9. 5 500 - 6 000 Modern times, Rennaissance, Reformation, French Revolution, Emancipation, affect Jews and make dramatic changes in fabric of Jewish society. Major displacements of virtually every Jewish community before and after WW II, WW II, State of Israel, highest (?) rates of assimilation in Jewish History, Ba'al Teshuva movement.... ???????????... Mashiach.
זכור ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור שאל אביך ויגדך זקניך ויאמרו לך. (דברים לב ז) "Remember the days of yore, understand the years of each generation, ask your father (prophet: Rashi) and he will relate them to you, (ask) your elders (chachomim: Rashi) and they will tell you." (Deut. 32 7)
Creation. There is only one method we can recommend for studying this period, which is covered by just one brief chapter. This is to use the commentary of MaLBIM (Rabbi Meir Leib ben Yechiel Michel of Bucharest, 19th Century). This work is available in English translation. (Beginning & Upheaval, translated by Dr.Zvi Faier. MP/Hillel Press Publications)
MaLBIM's commentary explains the text in accordance with Newtonian physics, and, is virtually up-to-date. He also incorporates fascinating Midrashic insights and Kabbalistic concepts.
This study should not be undertaken unless one, or both, of the partners has both a good grasp of physics to at least 'O'-level standard, as well as the capacity to read MaLBIM in the original. Be prepared for a long, but very rewarding, slog!
Evolution. (This subject is not history, certainly not Jewish history, in any sense of the word, but may come up for discussion.) MaLBIM does not consider Darwinian theories in his commentary. Recommended reading on this subject:- "Human Intelligence gone Ape" Josh Greenberger. NCSY Publications. (Layman's language.) "Not by Chance, The Fall of the Neo-Darwinian Theory" by Dr. Lee Spetner. JHRL Publications (Knowledge of biology essential to understand this book.)
Adam & Chava. The story of Adam & Chava, the garden of Eden etc. is more of a study of concepts than of history. Again, the MaLBIM's commentary can be recommended. "Nefesh HaChayim" and "Michtav MeEliyahu" discuss this topic. With a lot of preparation, Rashi's commentary may also prove a fruitful investment in this subject.
Noach. This may be studied with any commentary favoured by the partners as it does not present problems as do Creation and Adam & Chava.
By no means should "The Midrash Says" be used within the SEED partnership framework, specially for history.
For those curious about pre-history, "Universal Jewish History", by Philip Biberfeld, makes fascinating reading, as he shows connections between the Jewish Written and Oral Traditions and the discoveries of archaeology.
The basic study methods recommended are the same as we have included in our general Panorama Programme, modified however, to take into account that it is the historical slant which is being researched.
What Is The Chumash?
An Overview
Definition Of The Concept Of Prophecy
Jewish History cannot be divorced from prophecy. The historians of the first 3 500 years of world history were all prophets and they recorded history from a Divine viewpoint. The prophecy of Moshe Rabeinu and its relationship to the prophecies of others is crucial to our understanding of Torah and of all subsequent Jewish history. The pamphlet "Ani Ma'amin, Maimonides' Principles", by Aryeh Kaplan, NCSY, Principle 6 and, (very important), Principle 7, will be an excellent place to begin.
How Can We Study Chumash? (Options)
Weekly Sedra Basis - The more knowledgable partner will prepare an overview of the week's Sedra, selecting points of major interest. This will foster familiarity with the Sedra upon attending Shul on the coming Shabbat and the ablility to discuss it with one's family. Not all sedras, however, are historical, some are legal or ethical.
Sequential Overview System - Select a starting point (see section 5 below) and read reasonably rapidly using (preferably) "The Living Torah" by Aryeh Kaplan (Moznaim Publishers), or the Artscroll "Stone" Chumash, as a text. In this system do not stop for long on questions which may arise.
With Commentaries - Select a starting point.(see section 5 below.) The more knowledgable partner will select some commentaries in advance, most popularly Rashi, and you will study the text together. Linear, block letter texts are available for beginners. As an alternative to Rashi study, one could try any of the the Artscroll Chumashim or the Soncino Chumash, Cohen, (repeat, Cohen) edition. For a more advanced study one can use Ramban, which is also available in English translation. (See our "Looking At Books" for further ideas.) Commentaries based on the Oral Tradition are essential for a correct understanding of our Biblical historical texts.(See below 6)
A tailor-made combination of a, b & c may also be considered.
Selecting A Starting Point for Historical narratives.
Lech-lecha through the end of the Book of Bereshit. Shemot through the end of Yithro. Bamidbar, most of the book with a few exceptions. Please discuss at this stage the contents of the suggested Sedras.
Oral Transmission.
It is essential to know that the Torah was not designed to be read as a book. Rather, it was given in note form, and the Oral Transmission is an integral part of Torah study (hence the SEED partnership). Without the Oral Transmission the Torah would be totally meaningless. Rashi incorporates large quantities of Oral Transmission in his commentary, both in the form of deeper insights and in the form of filling in incidents or facts which were not openly recorded in the Torah text.
As far as translations (which will always be incomplete) are concerned, some readily accessible translations of the Biblical text which take the Oral Transmission carefully into account are, "The Living Torah", the Artscroll Chumashim, and, the translation in both editions of the Hirsch Chumash. The translations of the biblical text in some Rashi Chumashim are not fully based on the Oral Transmission, neither is the translation of the Jewish Publication Society.
Further clarification on the subject of the reliability of the Oral Transmission is given at SEED Seminars. A special set of tapes on this subject may be purchased from our London Office.
Which part of the period should we study?
The Book of Joshua. Written by Joshua except for the last part recording his death.. Conquest and division of the land of Israel.
The Book of Judges. Written by the prohet Samuel. Religious and political fluctuations prior to the monarchy. A varied and fascinating record.
The Book of Ruth. Written by the prophet Samuel. A very limited "history" dealing only with the family antecedents of King David.
The First Book of Samuel. Mostly written by the prophet Samuel.(To chapter 24) The commencement of the monarchy in Israel. King Saul. David as a young man.
The Second Book of Samuel (and the First Book from chapter 25). Written by the prophets Gad and Nathan. The reign of King David.
The First Book of Kings ( Building of Temple is in chapter 8). Written by the prophet Jeremiah. Death of David and the commencement of the reign of Solomon, leading to the building and dedication of the Temple, 480 years after the Exodus.
It is up to the partnership to decide which section of the era to study. All these books are available in modern edition with good translations and commentaries. For a quick, sequential overview reading, the "Living Nach" or the Artscroll TaNach may be used. For English-language study in depth, Artscroll has published Joshua. Judaica Press has published all these books with translated commentaries. The life of Samson has been given in-depth treatment in a work by the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan.
Note on the study of NaCh in general. In the study of NaCh, no serious student will ignore the commentary of RaDaK, Rabbi David Kimchi, Narbonne, 1160 - 1235.
Many actions carried out by the heroes of these books are very puzzling. They often seem to do acts which we would consider illegal or immoral. This is the result of a superficial reading of the text. In a proper study it is essential to clarify the rights and the wrongs from a halachic perspective. For example, some killings or attempted killings were based on the simple and basic halachah that 'lese majeste', rebellion against the crown, carries a mandatory death penalty in Jewish Law. This simple bit of information explains many otherwise baffling incidents in the books of Samuel and Kings. All puzzling situations need careful scrutiny through the eyes of our Sages, whose comments are often quoted by RaDak.
Which part of the period should we study?
The Book of Kings, l & ll (from l, 9 to the end covers this period). Written by the prophet Jeremiah. Reign of Solomon, split of kingdom led by Jeroboam in days of Rechavam, parallel histories of two kingdoms, records of many kings and prophets, miracles and wars, varied and fascinating narratives. Exile and disappearance of ten northern tribes, Concluding with the destruction of the first temple and exile to Babylon.
Selections from Isaiah. Chapters 36 - 39. Written by Isaiah, published after his death by the Sanhedrin set up by King Chizkiyahu. These chapters supply information on the invasion of Israel by Sannherib, the sickness of Chizkiyahu and the fall of Sannherib. Coresponding to Kings ll, chapters 18 - 20.
Selections from Jeremiah. Chapters 26 - 29, 32 - 44, 52. Written by Jeremiah. These chapters elaborate on the history of the last days of Yerushalayim, describing the siege and destruction, followed by the assassination of Gedaliah ben Achikam and the total scattering of Jews, leaving the land of Israel virtually desolate.
The Book of Daniel. Written by Daniel, published by the Great Assembly under Ezra. Only parts of this book are historical. Interspersed are vivd imageries of what were, in his day, forthcoming historical incidents.
The Books of Ezra & Nechemia. Written by Ezra. The return of the Babylonian exiles to Israel and the rebuilding of Yerushalayim and the new Commonwealth in Israel. Dealing with the problems of poor Shabbos observance, intermarriage and assimilation faced by the returnees. (Sounds familiar?)
The Book of Esther. Written by Mordechai & Esther and published by the Great Assembly under Ezra. During the seventy year exile between the destruction of one temple and the building of the next, Haman, Prime Minister of the dominant Persian Empire threatens to destroy the whole of the Jewish nation. G-d's invisible Hand saves the Jews through the offices of Mordechai and Esther.
Important Note: This book introduces the concept of G-d's hidden Hand controlling history from now on, as opposed to the revealed Hand of earlier perids.
The Book of Chronichles l & ll. Written by Ezra. A review of the history of the Jewish nation with special emphasis on King David and his dynasty. We do not recommend studying this book till some solid grounding is achieved in other books of TNaCh.
The Great Assembly, under Ezra, seals the TaNaCh, Bible. Henceforth there will be no more history books written with prophetic or divine inspiration.
We repeat the advice given above in section 3, with modifications.
It is up to the partnership to decide which section of the era to study. All these books are available in modern edition with good translations and commentaries. For a quick, sequential overview reading, the "Living Nach" or the Artscroll TaNaCh may be used. For English-language study in depth, Artscroll has published Daniel, Ezra, Nechemia, Esther and the Book of Chronicles (in what must be the best edition ever published in any language). Judaica Press has published all these books with translated commentaries.
Note on the study of Nach in general.
In the study of NaCh, no serious student will ignore the commentary of RaDaK, Rabbi David Kimchi, Narbonne, 1160 - 1235.
Many actions carried out by the heroes of the books of Kings are very puzzling. They often seem to do acts which we would consider illegal or immoral. This is the result of a superficial reading of the text. In a proper study it is essential to clarify the rights and the wrongs from a halachic perspective. For example, some killings or attempted killings were based on the simple and basic halachah that lese majeste, rebellion against the crown, carries a mandatory death penalty in Jewish Law. This simple bit of information expalins many otherwise baffling incidents in the books of Samuel and Kings. All puzzling situations need careful scrutiny through the eyes of our Sages, whose comments are often quoted by RaDak.
Records for this period are reconstructed from the reliable, disorganised references in the Talmudim and Midrashim.and the unreliable, organised writings of Josephus Flavius.
This is the era in which the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, invade Israel and become the dominant foreign power. Some (mainly rich) Jews Hellenise (assimilate) and attempt to overthrow Judaism, replacing it with the "modern" Greek culture.The Hasmoneans revolt and achieve religious and political independence, only to lose it to the Romans, who, by now, are the dominant power in the Mediterranean lands. The Romans interfere extensively with Jewish institutions, primarily the Sanhedrin which is the Supreme Court and Legislative Assembly of the nation. This causes the first disruptions in the transmission of the Oral Tradition. A study of this period must include a study of the Sanhedrin-system of Government, in order to understand the subsequent tribulations with the transmission of the Oral Law. The era ends with the destruction of the temple by the Romans and the slaughter of hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of men, women and children. The deviant sects, Saduccees and Essenes, now disappear, and the scab of Christianity falls off the body of the Jewish nation shortly afterwards.
Study possibilities:
The well-chronicled Channuka story. Artscroll has produced an excellent work by this name.
Artscroll has also produced a very readable History of the Second Temple Era. Rabbi Berel Wein's "Echoes of Glory" covers this period in the first part of the book.
Probably the easiest work to use in order to garner the vital information about the Sanhedrin is the "Handbook of Jewish Thought" by the late Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, selecting from chapters 9,10,11. The RaMBaM's introduction to the Mishna, published by Judaica Press in English translation by Zvi Lampel, entitled "Introduction to the Talmud", contains a lot of relevant information and, for the more advanced students, selections may be chosen from the RaMBaM's Yad on the subject.
Rabbi Zechariah Fendel covers the history of the Mesorah, the Oral Transmission, in his works, e.g., "Legacy of Sinai".
We repeat, no study of this period will be complete without an understanding of the workings of the Sanhedrin and the development of the Oral Law.
At this time too, the nation is busy rebuliding itself after the destruction of the land by the Romans. Religious persecution leads to the Bar Kochva rebellion followed by the savage suppression known as the Shmad.
With Josephus out of the way, kings and politicians no longer feature in Jewish history. The emphasis has changed. The only records come from the pens of Sages who see history from a Torah perspective as the prophets before them had done.
Study possibilities: Selections from:-
Introduction of the Meiri to Pirkei Avot.
Artscroll History, "Yabneh to Pumbedisa".
Rabbi Berel Wein's "Echoes of Glory".
Rabbi Zechariah Fendel's "Legacy of Sinai".
This must be the most poorly chronichled era of Jewish history. Enormous communities thrived for years in Babylon, totally devoted to the study and practice of Judaism, yet so little is recorded about them. Even less is known about the communities scattered throughout the Islamic and Christian Empires.The one major source of information about the Babylonian community is the Iggeret (Letter) of Rav Sherira Gaon. Rav Sherira was the last but one of the famous Geonim, (heads of the Babylonian Yeshivot) who was internationally recognised as the leader of world Jewry. He was asked for information about the development of the Oral Law and he wrote a little book in which he recorded the transmission of the Oral Law and the leading personalities involved from the late second temple era till his time. Rav Sherira had access to the archives of the Baylonian academies and compiled a history of the leadership of the academies and, as such, of the rabbinic (as opposed to the Resh Galuta political) leadership of the nation.
A study of the Iggeret will be found fascinating by men who have already studied Mishnah and Gemara. (It is available with English translation, useful because the original is in Aramaic.)
This period may also be studied in the introduction of the Meiri to Pirkei Avot.
This period ends with the death of Rav Hai (son of Rav Sherira) Gaon, last of the great Geonim to lead the whole Jewish world.
In English-language publications, this period is covered by:-
Artscroll History, "Yabneh to Pumbedisa".
Rabbi Berel Wein's "Herald of Destiny", ( first part)
Rabbi Zecharia Fendel's "Legacy of Sinai"& "Masters of the Mesorah".
Records are now more easily available. European sages are prolific in their writings and this, followed by the advent of printing, supplies a wealth of information.
The Karaites who denied the authority of the Oral Tradition were still a threat, and this prompted Rabbi Abraham ibn David (b. Cordova 1110 - d. Toledo c. 1180) to write his "Sefer HaKabbalah" in which he shows the authenticity of the transmission of the Oral Law.
He records the facinating story of the growth of Torah study in Spain in the two centuries preceding him. This makes extremely interesting reading and has been copied into his introduction to Pirkei Avot by Rabbi Menachem Meiri. (1249 - 1306)
This period sees the soaking of the ground of Europe with Jewish blood. starting with the crusades, Christendom goes on an all-out campaign to make life intolerable for the Jew unless he converts. Many do in Spain, but few do in Germany. The church fails in its attempts to obliterate the Jewish nation and religion.
Great works of codification are written; Rif, RaMBaM, SMaG, SMaK, Rosh, Tur, etc. These could be discussed within the partnership framework.
In English-language publications, this period is covered by:- Rabbi Berel Wein's "Herald of Destiny", ( first part) and Rabbi Zecharia Fendel's "Legacy of Sinai" & "Masters of the Mesorah".
In modern times, the reformation of the Church followed by Moses Mendelsohn's agenda and the Napoleonically inspired emancipation of European Jews, make dramatic changes in the fabric of Jewish society. Chassidism, the Mussar movement, Haskala, Reform, Secular Zionism, and other movements, emerge. We experience major displacements of virtually every Jewish community in the 19th & 20th centuries with the accompanying damage to Jewish Community structure and to Jewish education. During WWII Germany (ably assisted by other European Nations) wreaks havoc with European Jewry. The State of Israel, is founded and its security threatened time after time, whilst a bitter battle between secularists and religious Jews for the control of the soul of the Jewish nation takes place within its borders. Jewry experiences what must be the highest rates of assimilation in its history, with North & South American Jewry, Russian Jewry, and many other communities heading for a demographically-predicted virtual disappearance by 2050. At the same time the almost unprecedented Ba'al Teshuva movement commences whilst religious Jewry experiences an extraordinary, major demographic and educational boom. Observant Jews carry on anticipating the Mashiach.
Mayer Schiller, in "The Road Back", published by Feldheim, gives a beautiful overview of modern European Jewish intellectual history which puts this period into perspective. Highly recommended, ...if you can find it.
The Arstcroll Biography of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch comprehensively tackles the background of the Reform Movement. Highly recommended for an understanding of this period and how it affected the next century.
Two volumes by Rabbi Berel Wein, "Herald of Destiny" and "Triumph of Survival" are available.
Philosophical problems arising from the contemplation of Holocaust history are dealt with in the Artscroll English-language publication, "Shoah".
Now that you have surveyed the rich panorama of Jewish history, you may decide to pick one particular period to study. Practically speaking, it is usually easier for a SEED partnership to home in on a period which has original Hebrew texts available, Biblical or Rabbinical. The modern English-language publications are more conveniently read at home, then discussed at the SEED Centre in subsequent meetings.
Enjoy your study of Jewish History! It is absolutely fascinating!