Isaac Abravanel’s Question and Joseph Hayyun’s Answer: A New Stage in the Issue of Moses’ Role in the Composition of the Torah
Issue: Vol 35 No. 1 (2016)
Journal: Religious Studies and Theology
Subject Areas: Religious Studies Buddhist Studies Islamic Studies Biblical Studies
DOI: 10.1558/rsth.27802
Abstract:
In the second half of the 15th century, Isaac Abravanel addressed a question to Rabbi Joseph Hayyun, the spiritual leader of the Lisbon Jewish Community: Did God dictate the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) to Moses word by word as he did in the case of the other four books of the Torah, or was this book created independently by Moses? According to the author, Abravanel’s question and Joseph Hayyun’s answer mark a new chapter in the history of examining the level of creative freedom Moses had in writing the Torah.
Author: Eran Viezel
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