Moses Mendelssohn

Question 1

What was Mendelssohn?

Answer 1

A secular Jew

Question 2

Who was Mendelssohn influenced by?

Answer 2

Spinoza

Question 3

What did Spinoza reject?

Answer 3

He rejected medieval synthesis of faith and reason, he also rejected Maimonidian belief the Torah contianed a hidden esoteric ( mysterious) meaning.

Question 4

What did Spinoza believe religion was?

Answer 4

A framework for ethical religion

Question 5

What did Mendelssohn translate?

Answer 5

He translated the Pentateuch ( first 5 books of the bible) into German - Jews could now learn the language of the country in which they lived

Question 6

How did Mendelssohn spear head commentaries on the scripture ( the blur ( Mendelssohn’s Hebrew commentary) )?

Answer 6

He combined Jewish scholarship and secular thought.

Question 7

What type of followers did Mendelssohn have?

Answer 7

Prussian followers during the Masaklim ( 18-19 century of europe) in which they fostered the Haskalah. This encouraged Jews to abandon Medieval patterns of life and thought

Question 8

What did Mendelssohn encourage in education?

Answer 8

He encouraged the modernization of Jewish education to include the teaching of secular culture.

Question 9

During the Masaklim what else did Mendelssohn try to reform?

Answer 9

He attempted to reform Jewish education by wiidening the curriculum to include secular subjects e.g. they wrote textbooks in Hebrew and established Jewish schools

Question 10

During the Masaklim period what was produced?

Answer 10

The first Jewish literary magazine, the Gardener in 1783, it included poems and fallacies in classical biblical Hebrew.

Question 11

In 1840 where did the Haskalah spread?

Answer 11

It spread to Russia, this is where important contributions to Hebrew literature was made. Textbooks and European literature were translated into Hebrew.

Question 12

In Russia, what where peoples thought on traditional Rabbinical Judaism?

Answer 12

They were critical of traditional Rabbinic Judaism and it was a way of hostility for Jews to preserve faith of their fathers.

Question 13

What is the idea of Interfaith dialogue?

Answer 13

The idea of different religions cooperating together through positive interactions.

Question 14

Interfaith dialogue is discussed in relation to what?

Answer 14

The holy land

Question 15

What does Mendelossohn say about truth?

Answer 15

The knowledge of truth is a indispensable part of human life, so truth must be accessible to all, regardless of creed or nation. Therefore we should work together to find this.

Question 16

What does Mendelssohn say about Jersulaem?

Answer 16

It is a plea for religious tolerance ( were all religions are welcomed the holy land)

Question 17

What does Mendelossohn say about Judaism being the only path to truth?

Answer 17

No religion, not even Judaism can be the only path to Gods truth, therefore freedom of thought and tolerance to other systems of thought are a required for happiness.

Question 18

What does Mendelossohn believe the disapora helped?

Answer 18

It helped Jews integrate themselves into the cultures that host them, integrating with other cultures doesn’t mean you are abandoning your religion.

Question 19

How did Mendelssohn trigger Jewish enlightenment ?

Answer 19

With his Passionate double emphasis on the modernization of Jewish culture, paired with the emancipation of Diaspora Jewry.

Question 20

What did Mendelssohn believe lead to a rise in?

Answer 20

Led to a rise in the reform movement.

Question 21

So what are the ways Mendelssohn has contributed to Judaism?

Answer 21

1) The Haskalah movement ( leading to a rise in reform Jews)
2) He translated the Penteauch into German ( increasing jewish number)
3) Encouraged Jewish intergration into secular societies
4) The disapora encouraged loyalty to God and Israel ( talk about Holocaust)

Question 22

What are additional contributions of Mendelssohn?

Answer 22

Ideas of free will
Immorality of the soul
Beliefs about Judaism
Existence of God.

Question 23

What did Mendelssohn believe about Free will?

Answer 23

Every act has a cause, meaning that human freedom cannot exist, so we don’t truly have free will, so we cant truly be held responsible for our actions. So therefore God will decide whether it is goodness or not.

Question 24

What is Mendelssohn believe about the immortality of the soul?

Answer 24

There are an infinite number of souls that form our inner part of the universe, which imposes itself on our body,it is the same and God’s goodness guarantees that the soul will retain its consciousness.

Question 25

What did Mendelssohn believe about the beliefs about Judaism?

Answer 25

A humans have a innate capacity to discover the existence of God and revealed law, Divine commandments are not dogmas and we should still follow them but adapt them.

Question 26

What did Mendelssohn believe about the Existence of God

Answer 26

He used a modification of the ontological argument, Humanity has an idea of God, its prori. There must be a connection between an absolute perfect being and its existence, becuase existence must be one of its attributes

Question 27

What would be the 4 points for the question Analyse the claim that Mendelssohn has made greater contributions to Judaism than Maimonides (20)

Answer 27

1) Interfaith dialogue ( the diaspora has helped to connect Jews)
2) Mendelssohn translated the first 5 books of the bible into German, known as the Pentateuch. ( increasing Jews numbers into a secular tradition.
3) His work during the Haslakah stressing the importance of philosophical ideas and rabbinic ideas
4) Maimonides work on the 13 principles of faith / Disagrees with Interfaith dialogue.

Question 28

What would be the 2 points for the question ‘Explore two ways that Mendelssohn brought about transformation of Jewish life and beliefs?

Answer 28

1) The hasklah movement ( collaborating Jewish and secular ideas
2) Ideas of interfaith dialogue.

Question 29

What 2 points would you say for the question Explore the strengths and weaknesses of Mendelssohn work?

Answer 29

1 Strength encourages interfaith dialogue with secular societies ( first female rabbi )
2) Orthodox rabbis would say he disrespects the intergrity of the law.

Question 30

What 2 points would you say for the question Explore Mendelssohn’s work on the Pentateuch ( 8)?

Answer 30

1) Increased the number of German Jews reading the bible into a secular society
2) Helps Jews to understand faith better and question it as Mendelossohn encourages.