Nurturers, Emasculators or Competitors? On the Relation of Jewish Studies to Jewish Thought
Should Jewish Studies strive to affect public discourse or should it focus only on research? Do the high standards that must be met for good research stifle philosophical creativity? And is it possible that scientific discourse is itself, this fact being the source of its power?
A member of the teaching staff at the Shalom Hartman Institute, Moshe Meir teaches modern Jewish thought at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and leads a number of secular Jewish study groups. Moshe has published numerous articles on Jewish thought, as well as three collections of poems. He is director of the Kolot Beit Midrash and leads a workshop for Writing in Jewish Thought at the Van Leer Institute. His book, My Father, My Father
Should Jewish Studies strive to affect public discourse or should it focus only on research? Do the high standards that must be met for good research stifle philosophical creativity? And is it possible that scientific discourse is itself, this fact being the source of its power?
By Moshe Meir
The problem with Jewish Studies and in particular research into Jewish philosophy lies in the anomaly to which it is subject. Let us compare the situation to the study of literature. In this field, there is a balance between its profuse creativity and the research that studies it, critiques it and nurtures it. In the study of the Jewish sources, in contrast, there is no such balance.
There is almost no Jewish philosophical creativity and thus the subject of research consists of works created long ago. There is no active interaction in which research tries to catch up to creativity that has preceded it, in order to identify its focuses, clarify it and explain it. As a result, an additional distortion is created. In the field of literature, there is a razor-sharp distinction between the writer and the researcher.
In Jewish philosophy, the line is blurred. Since there is no creativity, researchers imagine that they themselves can fulfill this function, which in fact requires totally different skills and abilities. What is needed in the research of Jewish philosophy is a measure of modesty and the creation of space for creative individuals who can revive the field. Research should embrace these creative individuals, understanding that they are the living core of the discipline and that research should encourage and nurture the creative dimension of Jewish philosophy through its investigation.
Through this, research will then be fulfilling its public function. Creativity will reach the public by its very definition; research can follow it and through it also reach the audience.
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