The Making Of A Sage: A Study In Rabbinic Ethics

The Making of a Sage This book was published with the support of the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies of the University of Wisconsin– Madison. The Making of a Sage A Study in Rabbinic Ethics Jonathan Wyn Schofer the university of wisconsin press The University of Wisconsin Press 1930 Monroe Street Madison, Wisconsin 53711 www.wisc.edu/wisconsinpress/ 3 Henrietta Street London WC2E 8LU, England Copyright © 2005 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System All rights reserved 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Schofer, Jonathan Wyn. The making of a sage : a study in rabbinic ethics / Jonathan Wyn Schofer. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-299-20460-X (hardcover: alk. paper) ISBN 0-299-20464-2 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Talmud. Minor tractates. Avot de-Rabbi Nathan—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Rabbinical literature—History and criticism. 3. Ethics in rabbinical literature. 4. Ethics, Jewish. I. Title. BM506.4.A943S36 2005 296.1´237—dc22 2004012862 Contents Preface vii Acknowledgments xi Conventions Introduction xiii 3 Part 1. The Text and Its Sages 23 1a. Rabbi Nathan and Its Contexts 25 1b. The Text Instructs 42 1c. Concepts and Tropes 54 1d. The Text and Its Sages: Conclusion 65 Part 2. Rabbinic Tradition 67 2a. Torah and Transgressive Tendencies 71 2b. The Heart and Its Formation 84 2c. Rabbinic Tradition: Conclusion 116 Part 3. Rabbinic Theology 121 3a. Divine Reward and Punishment 125 3b. Motivation and Emotion 147 3c. Rabbinic Theology: Conclusion 161 Conclusion 167 Notes 175 v Contents vi Bibliography 275 Index of Sources 295 Index of Names, Ancient and Modern 299 Index of Subjects 305 Preface The Making of a Sage offers the first theoretically framed examination of rabbinic ethics in several decades, asking questions such as: How did late ancient rabbis name and discuss their emotions, desires, and impulses? What ideals did they establish for character and action? How did they strive to transform themselves and attain those ideals? This study centers on a large and influential anthology entitled The Fathers According to Rabbi Nathan and situates that text within a broader spectrum of rabbinic thought relevant to character ethics. My analysis is based upon close examination of primary sources, with a developed theoretical account at the opening and briefer discussions framing the chapters. Built on a foundation in scholarship concerning rabbinic literature and thought, this book is also intended for readers interested in the self, ethics, late antiquity, and the history of religions. Given my attention to a broad audience, I strive to explain every term and concept. Most technical discussions, whether about rabbis or about contemporary theory, are in the ext