(Leviticus) Right Action Right Thought (Hertz Pentateuch)

hertz

So far, not so much to say about the commentary to Leviticus in the classical Hertz Pentateuch & Haftorahs (1936), but there was a little and illuminating note in the introduction. On the one hand, Hertz argues that the intent of Scripture is to sublimate the “immemorial institution” of animal sacrifice into an ethical and “purely spiritual plane.” On the other hand, of great interest, sounding like it was taken from the Eightfold Path of Buddhism, is the characterization of “holiness” in terms of “purity of life, purity of action, purity of thought” (p.409).

About zjb

Zachary Braiterman is Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at Syracuse University. His specialization is modern Jewish thought and philosophical aesthetics. http://religion.syr.edu
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