History of the Kuzari
Judah Samuel Ha-Levi (1075-1141) was a Hebrew poet and philosopher in medieval Spain. His most notable work, Kuzari, defended the Jewish religion against Christianity, Islam, and philosophy. The work is written in the form of a dialogue between Ha-Levi and Khazari, a Khazar king. The dialogue’s arguments defend Judaism while criticizing opponents of Rabbinic Judaism (Lobel, 2000). The context is based on the intensified religious conflicts mainly projected towards the Jewish religion at the time.
Ha-Levi was determined to develop a defense of the Jewish religion, which Christians and Muslims regarded as superseded and blind. Furthermore, philosophical teachings contested the authenticity of Judaism teachings, such as God’s creation and the divine will’s involvement in the affairs of humans. The dialogue answers the questions regarding the Jewish religion in the context of the search for true religion. The essay illustrates that Ha-Levi’s criticism of Islam, Christianity, and Aristotelian philosophy is based on the romanticization of Judaism and mimicry of other religions.
Critique of Islam, Christianity, and Aristotelian Philosophy
Ha-Levi’s critique of his rivals relates to his defense of Judaism. Ha-Levi argues that the unique Jewish revelations are superior to Christianity and Islam. Jews are the only religion with a written history of the development of the human race thus is superior as it’s based on religious truths passed down through generations. The Jewish revelations regarding the religious truths of the entire Jewish race are compared to its rivals, whose teachings are based on individuals. Ha-Levi, therefore, concludes that the Christian and Muslim revelations are susceptible to misconception.
Ha-Levi refers to the Sinai revelation regarding the delivery of the ten commandments. According to the Jewish religion, there was a shared experience of this divine revelation, later conveyed by prophets and sages who were regarded as God’s chosen individuals. This shared experience makes the Jewish religion the most genuine and reliable. Ha-Levi states that the Jews did not receive the ten commandments from self-proclaimed entities such as prophets but from God. He emphasizes that the ten commandments were not creations of Moses’s mind since the divine literature conveyed to Moses was followed by writing.
The Jews heard the divine words and witnessed the divine writing; thus, Judaism is the only authentic religion as it is a product of divinity. In addition, Ha-Levi states that the Jewish religion has attachments to divine will through chosen individuals such as Adam and Enoch, who are ancestors to the children of Israel (Judah, 1990). Israelites were considered God’s chosen people, thus validating the authenticity of the Jewish religion. However, one may question the reasons why the Jews were favored with God’s instructions while the rest of humanity was shunned.
Ha-Levi specifies the difference between universalism and individualism regarding the Jewish religion and its rivals. Judaism is special as it is based on the experience and reality of the Jews; thus, the religion is exclusivist in nature. In contrast, Islam and Christianity are universal and embrace people from different cultures. Ha-Levi states that Judaism’s dependence on Jewish people makes the religion authentic as it is not corrupted. In contrast, Islam and Christianity are depicted as failed religions as they are universally accepted.
Ha-Levi states that other religions do not have divine will entailed in the Jewish religion. He quotes the Quran stating that Muslims were promised that a prophet would come at an appointed time and deliver them from bondage. Ha-Levi compares this situation with how Moses led Israelites to invade the seven nations and conquer them within a short time. During the invasion, the miracles show that the message was divinely protected. In contrast, the Islamic message is vague as it states that the prophet would lead the world to a righteous path without divine intervention.
Comparing Judaism with Christianity and Islam based on the successful message delivery is inaccurate. Both Christianity and Islam do not promise to bring humanity under the two religions, as Ha-Levi claimed, but rather be a guide to people. The guidance of Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ means that the message brought by the prophets was the complete version, and no other revelation would occur. Ha-Levi proclaims that Islam has an inherent deficiency as it is written in Arabic and thus an inferior religion. He states that people would be unable to practice the Islamic laws until they understood the language. Therefore, the revelations would be testified by people who God did not choose.
Ha-Levi argues that Moses conveyed the message to the Jews who understood the Judaic language. God promised to expound the law depending on current situations and as long as the Jews accepted the new changes. Ha-Levi asserts that the possibility of altering the law based on input from Jews only makes the religion authentic. The correlation between the Hebrew language and the Sinai revelations compounds this concept. This argument is flawed since it shows that the Quran and Torah’s message depends on understanding the written language. In addition, knowledge of a language is not an advantage or disadvantage in embracing a scripture message.
Ha-Levi proclaims that the Jewish religion is primordial as it developed through divine command, while other religions are products of human origin and thus transient. This notion is corrupted as all religions follow a gradual development path when applied to humans. All religions emerge and spread gradually. Thus, the Jewish religion is a product of continued development. In addition, Islam and Christianity are products of the divine will as God revealed them to humans through prophets such as Muhammad and Abraham.
Ha-Levi is considered the first medieval Jewish philosopher to defend Judaism using philosophical arguments against the Aristotelian philosophy. He criticizes the Aristotelian philosophers as they thrived in the Muslim culture, and the philosophy gained traction through the writings of Muslim philosophers. According to Ha-Levi, Aristotelian philosophical knowledge is based on speculation and thus is a fallacy. Ha-Levi states that Aristotle’s theory that the human soul is connected to his thoughts, but only the soul will be reconnected after death is a fallacy. He questions how the soul differs among people and how people can forget what they once knew (Judah, 1990). The dialogue regarding the soul leads to the question of free will. Ha-Levi states that the Jewish religion upholds the doctrine of free will as God’s providence is eternal. Ha-Levi’s statements are incorrect as the soul and brain are not interconnected, as one may forget things he once knew while still alive.
Summary
The essay demonstrates that Ha-Levi’s criticism of Islam, Christianity, and Aristotelian philosophy is based on the romanticization of Judaism and mimicry of other religions. Ha-Levi’s view of an authentic religion that is exclusivist is flawed. The Jewish religion is consistent with relevant teachings and is authentic based on Jewish history. The authenticity of Judaism is inherent in Christianity and Islam based on their followers. The arguments against Aristotelian philosophy are unfounded as he attacks the philosophy based on the doctrine’s criticism of Judaism. The dialogue shows the intersection between medieval Spain’s Jewish, Muslim, and Christian religions. It emphasizes the need for the Jews in Medieval Spain to return to the authentic Judaic religion instead of corrupting the religion with Muslim and Christian culture. Ha-Levi’s arguments help expound the decision of the Khazar king to convert to Judaism.
References
Judah, M. (1990). Book of the Kuzari: A book of proof and argument in defense of a despised faith: A 15th Century Ladino Translation. (Ms. 17812, B.N. Madrid). Culver City, Calif: Labyrinthos
Lobel, D. (2000). Between mysticism and philosophy: Sufi language of religious experience in Judah Ha-Levi’s Kuzari. Suny Press.