Nachman Krochmal

Nachman Krochmal, Rana said the ( Hebrew : "), is a philosopher , theologian and historian Galician Jew of the nineteenth ^century ( Brody , on 17 February 1785 - Tarnopol on 31 July 1840 ), known for his a commentary on the of Moses Maimonides. He is one of the founders of the Wissenschaft des Judentums ("science of Judaism").

Summary 1 Elements Biographical 2 Work 2.1 More Neboukhei Hazman 3 Notes and references 4 Source 5 Annexes External 5.1 Links 5.2 Bibliography

Biographical Elements

Shalom ben Nachman Hakohen Krochmalnik born in Brody, Galicia. It starts very early study of Talmud. At fourteen years, depending on the mores of the time, he was married to the daughter of a wealthy merchant Habermann and went to live with his stepfather kiew , near Lemberg , where he devoted himself entirely to his studies, beginning with the Guide for the Perplexed by Maimonides and by studying other philosophical works into Hebrew.

Krochmal then began to study the German and the German philosophers, especially Kant , to read classical works in Latin and French as well as books Arabic and Syriac. After a nervous breakdown due to overwork in 1808, he went to seek treatment in Lemberg where he tied up the friendship with SL Rapoport , he became the master, was most fruitful for Jewish knowledge. kiew income, having partially recovered, he began to study philosophy, reading Kant, Fichte and Schelling and later Hegel 's system, which seduced him and had a great influence on his designs. Furthermore Rapoport, who often visited him at kiew, he gathered around him a group of young students.

In 1814 the death of his wife's parents, forced to earn his own life and he made the trade. Twelve years later he lost his wife and his health is weakening. Despite his business failure, his poverty and loneliness, he refused a call to become a rabbi in Berlin , preferring to take kiew an accounting position he held from 1836 to 1838. A serious illness forced him to retire when his daughter to Tarnopol , and he died two years later.

Work

Brilliant conversationalist, Krochmal was nonetheless very careful in his work. For a long time he could not bring himself to publish any results of his research, because of the slander that was spread on him because he maintained a friendly correspondence with hakham community Karaite Kokusow nearby. Krochmal had to defend himself in a circular against these charges.

It was not a prolific author. Apart from some trials in Hebrew in periodicals (Shulamith, 1818; Ha efirah, Zolkiev, 1824, and Kerem Hemed, vols. IV, V), wrote only one book in Hebrew, namely Moreh ha Nebuke -Zeman (Lemberg, 1851), revised according to the last wishes of the author, by his friend Leopold Zunz. Other editions were published in Lemberg in 1863 and Warsaw in 1898.

More Neboukhei Hazman

Nebuke Moreh ha-Zeman (Guide for the Perplexed of the Time now) is divided into seventeen chapters, the first six deal with religion in general.

Sec. VII describes the spiritual gift of Israel as God's desire and ability to get him. The next three chapters contain a philosophical analysis of Jewish history, which corresponds to Israel's commitment to the Lord, that is to say to his religious development, is divided into three periods ending respectively: (1 ) with the death of Gedaliah after the destruction of the Temple (2) with the death of Bar Kokhba (circa 135), and (3) with the expulsion of Jews from Spain (1492). The author does not take into account the modern period where he himself lived. Ch. XI-XV address the post-exilic biblical literature and apocryphal and various religious movements. The author also examines the need for tradition and gives a summary of the evolution of the Halacha and Haggadah. Sec. XVI gives a brief overview of future development of Jewish religious philosophy based on the principles of Hegel. The work ends with an exposition of the philosophy of Ibn Ezra. The historical digressions in the book affect the deepest problems of Jewish knowledge, and what remains indisputable merit is to have paved the way for critical studies of Jewish history. This work has truly become, as was the intention of the author, a "guide" for students of Jewish science in the nineteenth century.

References