Customer Reviews

Maimonides: and the Biblical Prophets

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a superb book. The current emphasis in Judaism, as in all other faith groups, tends to be conservative. In comparison, Drazin offers a rational and new approach that will open the eyes of his readers, Jews and non-Jews alike. I recommend his book highly. It should be read.

Israel Drazin has wrote an extremely provocative and relevant book on how to view the Bible. He addresses questions like "Did God really part the Red Sea" and gives the reader insight as to how the greatest Jewish Philosopher, Moses Maimonides, views miracles and the natural world.

There are those with a fundamentalist view who will find this book challenging, as Drazin gives a very different way of viewing biblical events. However, for the modern, by interpreting Maimonides and explaining his thought process, Drazin provides a way to view ancient Jewish events from a far more rational perspective.

The book is written in a very logical way. Chapters consist of questions, followed by issues for consideration, and then clear and concise content.

This book is highly recommended, particularly for those who are trying to synthesize modern thinking and Biblical events.

A creative reader, ready to learn a new way of thinking about Jewish traditions and texts, will find an "aha!", if not a "eureka!" moment in every chapter of Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets, by Dr. Israel Drazin.

This is an exploration of the rational exegetical approach championed by Maimonides. It ranges far beyond both Maimonides and the prophetic writings. I found the book exciting because of the challenging heuristic method employed by the author.

Dr. Drazin begins by developing a background for the rational method of interpretation. He then takes us through the application of this approach to 27 troubling passages found in the Bible. These passages are troublesome because they appear to violate the laws of physics, or the laws of human nature, or Halacha, the laws of human behavior spelled out in the Torah. They create a tension in the reader that cries out to be resolved.

Drazin introduces a passage, and points out the core problem. He then examines how a range of commentators have dealt with the apparent contradiction. Next, he develops a rational solution, one that relieves our tension without introducing new problems. And finally, Rabbi Drazin shows that this is a legitimate solution, one that is in accord with similar solutions found in the Talmud and other Jewish texts.

Following the application of Maimonidean rationalism to biblical passages, the focus of the book broadens to include issues such as the dietary laws, the extension of holidays to two days, and Jewish views of the hereafter.

In the concluding section of Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets, the author uses the analytical approach of Maimonides to examine ancient Jewish practices, such as why we announce the new moon in synagogue, the significance of the number seven, sympathetic magic in the Friday evening liturgy, and the traditional belief in the power of The Evil Eye.

Dr. Drazin's use of rational analysis to resolve such a broad range of issues leaves the reader with a comprehensive appreciation of the Maimonidean method.

LIKE HIS FIRST BOOK ON MAIMONIDES HE NOT ONLY MAKES IT UNDERSTANABLE
BUT HONEST.I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.HE GAVE ME ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT SCRIPTURE IN A RATIONAL WAY BUT TRUE TO TRADITIONAL THOUGHT.MAIMONIDES WAS
VERY COMPLEX & DR DRAZIN MADE MAIMONIDES WRITINGS ACCESSABLE TO ALL OF US.
I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL HIS NEXT ONE COMES OUT.
DENNIS SOLOMON

As a non-Jew, I found Maimonides very interesting. It gave me a greater insight into the Jewish religion and the fact that it has different factions. Although I often found myself disagreeing with the author and Maimonides, the book was very thought-provoking and will lead me to further research into the Torah.

I feel that the book was very well researched. I would recommend this book to anyone (Jew or non-Jew) who has an interest in religion or history.

Israel Drazin's presents his analyses showing how people can see Judaism in a rational way. Dr. Drazin shows his readers in easily understandable English, how Maimonides' approach to life, which he considers correct, differs from the approach of others, including that of his father and his descendants. Drazin also introduces his readers to Maimonides medical teachings and his law code, showing how this twelfth century thinker's ideas are still relevant.

In his introduction to Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets, Rabbi Israel Drazin tells us that the reason for writing the book is that the teaching of the biblical prophets is neglected in many Jewish schools because the books generate too many issues that Jewish educators don't want to deal with. Rabbi Drazin found in Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed certain principles that he applies in his book to events in the biblical prophets to provide a rational explanation.
Rabbi Drazin does address a lacuna in Jewish education. Yeshivot and Jewish Day Schools spend little time and effort in the teaching of the prophets in comparison to the amount of time spent on studying chumash and Gemara. These books are extremely important to Jewish thought and are necessary in a world where Jews are bombarded with alternate interpretations of their own legacy. Even a casual glance at the shelves in a Jewish book store reveals the same priorities. Many of the books that are available are in Hebrew. There is a great need for good English books on the prophets.
I was, however, very disappointed in Rabbi Drazin's book. I am not convinced that Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed represents his true views on such matters as prophecy, God's role after creation, miracles and more. It seems that Maimonides was a very complex person whose body of writings presents starkly differing views of issues from one work to the next. I also did not find some of his rational explanations compelling. For example, in a chapter discussing the story of David and Bat Sheva, Rabbi Drazin makes the statement: "David acknowledged that his acts were wrong and repented, but none of the punishments were lessened." The preceding paragraph detailed some of the tragedies that befell David during his lifetime. While the death of children is a heart-wrenching event, we don't know whether David's repentance caused the punishments to be lessened or not. There are a number of cases where Rabbi Drazin appears to leap to conclusions that prove his points, whether or not there is a logical framework that could lead to these conclusions. I also don't like Rabbi Drazin's interpretation of the theory Maimonides cites in his Guide of the Perplexed regarding God setting the world in motion and not intervening since creation. I'm familiar with the Watchmaker theory or the Intelligent Design theory apparently espoused by Maimonides. These theories have far ranging influences on society that may not be beneficial.

Maimonides and the Biblical Prophets is a scholarly book aimed, not at a general audience, but at readers interested in amateur study of the prophetic books of the bible. Maimonides was twelfth-century Jewish philosopher and Torah scholar. Drazin examines biblical prophets and certain biblical stories and ideas in light of Maimonides' writings. Some basic understanding of both the biblical references and Maimonides' ideas would be helpful to a good appreciation of this book.

Drazin uses a textbook format that keeps the ideas well-organized but gives the narrative a herky-jerky flow.

Excellent and great read.
Great book and very thought provoking.
Rational approach to Judaism and an important book to read.
Agree or disagree, but read it and comment on it.
Disagree with other reviewers with own agenda.

Drazin's style is certainly engaging, and it certainly might SOUND like he knows what he's talking about (to those who are non-scholars), but anyone shoe DOES know what they are talking about would dismiss Drazin's works as laughingly amateurish, uninformed, and misleading.

For instance, Google Drazin and yediah, which is a blog devoted to Maimonides and to rational thought.