Product Description

This is the first publication in English of Franz Rosenzweig's 1927 translation of and commentaries on ninety-two poems and hymns of the greatest medieval "singer of Zion," Yehuda Halevi (born circa 1080). Franz Rosenzweig (1886-1929) is widely recognized as one of the greatest Jewish philosophers of the modern period and his Star of Redemption is considered one of the most important twentieth-century contributions to Jewish--and Christian--theology.

Rosenzweig's original and brilliant commentaries open a window into the final developments of his own thought: his debates with Protestant theology, his reservations regarding modern science and culture, and his progressive appreciation for the wisdom of the Jewish tradition. They are a testament not only to the profound vision of Judaism embedded in the poetry of Yehuda Halevi, but to the ever vibrant and deepening sagacity of Franz Rosenzweig himself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1690180 in Books
• Published on: 1999-12
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 283 pages

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German, Hebrew

About the Author
Richard A. Cohen, Isaac Swift Distinguished Professor of Judaic Studies, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, is editor of Face to Face with Levinas, also published by SUNY Press, author of Elevations: The Height of the Good in Rosenzweig and Levinas and translator of four books by Emmanuel Levinas: Ethics and Infinity, Time and the Other, Discovering Existence with Husserl, and New Talmudic Readings.

Customer Reviews

R. Yahuda Halavi pomes brought me to tears
The Rabbi's words left me in tears. From his sole jerling prayes of peantice to his longing for Jresulm. It dosnt read like a 12 centery work eather- for the most part it's comptly undsatadable.

The only draw back is that seavel of his reluouse pomes are a bit esotric- as would be exaped by a 12 centery Spaish Rabbi, and as far as I can tell this coltaion is a enligh tranlation of a Greaman coppay from the Orailal Hebrew. (I think the oranail was in hebrew). Some of the vearse - line ogantion seems a bit odd;and some pomes are better then others.

But even with this factored in it's a encadable coations from one of Jewdism most skilled poets/rabbi/phlospers. Every bit as relvent now as they were 800 years ago. Very few books out there can tuch your sole like R. Halevi's poetery.Secntly very few are as humaman.

One finle note however- becaful looking for the or any other book by him.Both Yahudau and Halevi are very coman names amongew the Jewish commity- and there's no standerized speeling. (Not in Enlisgh anyway.) The Librayain only found this book after much seacrching and cross reffranceing. To make matters worce one of the founding members of the fraild of Modern Anthopgy caryies the same name.

In addtion some of the publishers footnotes were quite helpful.

Translations of a great poet
These translations into the English from the German translation of Franz Rosenzweig preserve the fundamental meaning of the poems. Halevi is the greatest figure of medieval Jewish poetry, and one of its greatest thinkers. His poems of longing for Zion(Tsion) are a central part of the Jewish liturgy especially on the day of mourning for the Temple, Tisha B'Av. He is a master of both personal poetry and communal poetry. He is above all a great religious poet who stirs the heart and mind in the deepest way.