Abraham
It isn’t Moses, despite the four books devoted to his adventures—it’s Abraham. Why?
The story of Jethro, Moses’ intelligent and humane father-in-law, and a Gentile, illustrates the Hebrew Bible’s embrace of goodness whatever its origin. (June 1998.)
Uniquely described in the Bible as “old and contented,” Abraham provides a model for giving way to the next generation that other biblical characters struggle to emulate.
To the medieval philosopher Hasdai Crescas, knowing that God exists cannot be a commandment, as Maimonides taught; rather, one knows God through lived experience.
Beyond the distinctive insights offered by each respondent, the overall result is fascinating, not least because the four responses wind up unintentionally but profoundly disagreeing with one another.
From the Patriarchs and the Family to Sinai and the Nation. A video conversation with Leon R. Kass.