The Unbinding of Isaac: A Phenomenological Midrash of Genesis 22

137 Pages·2012·4.397 MB·English

by  Stephen J. Stern

Stern DD hardcover:GREENBERGdd.qxd 4/20/2012 10:27 AM Page 1
5
studies in judaism / 5
In The Unbinding of Isaac, Stephen J. Stern upends traditional understand-
ings of this controversial narrative through a phenomenological midrash or
interpretation of Genesis 22 from the Dialogic and Jewish philosophies of Franz
S
Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and, most notably, Emmanuel Levinas. With great T
The Unbinding
E
originality, Dr. Stern intersects Jewish studies, Biblical studies, and philos- R
N
ophy in a literary/midrashic style that challenges traditional Western philo-
sophical epistemology. Through the biblical narrative of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, /
T Isaac
and Rebecca, Dr. Stern explains that Rosenzweig, Buber, and Levinas
h
Judaically exercise and offer an alternative epistemic orientation to the study OF
e
of ethics than that of traditional Western or Hellenic-Christian philosophy. The

U
Unbinding of Isaacmakes the works of these three thinkers accessible to those
n
outside philosophy and Jewish studies while also introducing readers to the
b
playfulness of how Jewish tradition midrashically addresses the Bible.
i
n
A Phenomenological
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i
n
Midrash of Genesis 22
STEPHEN J. STERN is Associate Professor of Religious and Judaic g

Studies and Affiliate of the Department of Philosophy at Gettysburg O
F
College. He is also the Director of Judaic Studies and Chair of the
I
Department of Religious Studies. Dr. Stern received his Ph.D. in s
a
philosophy at the University of Oregon.
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S T E P H E N J . S T E R N
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WWW.PETERLANG.COM
Stern DD hardcover:GREENBERGdd.qxd 4/20/2012 10:27 AM Page 1
5
studies in judaism / 5
In The Unbinding of Isaac, Stephen J. Stern upends traditional understand-
ings of this controversial narrative through a phenomenological midrash or
interpretation of Genesis 22 from the Dialogic and Jewish philosophies of Franz
S
Rosenzweig, Martin Buber, and, most notably, Emmanuel Levinas. With great T
The Unbinding
E
originality, Dr. Stern intersects Jewish studies, Biblical studies, and philos- R
N
ophy in a literary/midrashic style that challenges traditional Western philo-
sophical epistemology. Through the biblical narrative of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, /
T Isaac
and Rebecca, Dr. Stern explains that Rosenzweig, Buber, and Levinas
h
Judaically exercise and offer an alternative epistemic orientation to the study OF
e
of ethics than that of traditional Western or Hellenic-Christian philosophy. The

U
Unbinding of Isaacmakes the works of these three thinkers accessible to those
n
outside philosophy and Jewish studies while also introducing readers to the
b
playfulness of how Jewish tradition midrashically addresses the Bible.
i
n
A Phenomenological
d
i
n
Midrash of Genesis 22
STEPHEN J. STERN is Associate Professor of Religious and Judaic g

Studies and Affiliate of the Department of Philosophy at Gettysburg O
F
College. He is also the Director of Judaic Studies and Chair of the
I
Department of Religious Studies. Dr. Stern received his Ph.D. in s
a
philosophy at the University of Oregon.
a
c
S T E P H E N J . S T E R N
P
E
T
E
R
L
A
N
G
The Unbinding
Isaac
OF
Studies in Judaism

Yudit Kornberg Greenberg
General Editor

Vol. 5

PETER LANG
New York (cid:121) Washington, D.C./Baltimore (cid:121) Bern
Frankfurt (cid:121) Berlin (cid:121) Brussels (cid:121) Vienna (cid:121) Oxford
STEPHEN J. STERN

The Unbinding
Isaac
OF

A Phenomenological
Midrash of Genesis 22

PETER LANG
New York (cid:121) Washington, D.C./Baltimore (cid:121) Bern
Frankfurt (cid:121) Berlin (cid:121) Brussels (cid:121) Vienna (cid:121) Oxford
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stern, Stephen J.
The unbinding of Isaac: a phenomenological midrash of Genesis 22 /
Stephen Stern.
p. cm. — (Studies in Judaism; v. 5)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Jewish philosophy. 2. Philosophy, Modern. 3. Isaac (Biblical patriarch)—
Sacrifice. 4. Bible. O.T. Genesis XXII, 1–19—Criticism, interpretation, etc.
I. Title.
B5800.S74 181’.06—dc22 2010043807
ISBN 978-1-4331-1160-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4539-0849-5 (e-book)
ISSN 1086-5403

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data is available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.

Chapter four, “The Unbinding of Isaac,” first appeared as an essay in
Sacrifice, Scripture and Substitution: Readings in Ancient Judaism and
Christianity, edited by Ann Astell and Sandor Goodhart, University of Notre
Dame Press, June 2011.

Chapter five, “Rebecca,” first appeared as “Rebecca: The First Dialogic
Philosopher,” an article in Women in Judaism: A Multidisciplinary Journal,
volume six, June 2009.

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council of Library Resources.

© 2012 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
www.peterlang.com

All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.

Printed in Germany
In Memory of Beth Deborah Stern

Contents

Preface ........................................................................................................................ ix

Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................xix

Chapter I: A Historical and Philosophical Sketch: Rosenzweig,
Buber and Levinas ...................................................................................................... 1
Franz Rosenzweig .................................................................................................. 3
Martin Buber .......................................................................................................... 9
Emmanuel Levinas ............................................................................................... 15
The Binding of Rosenzweig, Buber and Levinas ............................................... 19
A Collagical Approach ........................................................................................ 22
Concluding Remarks ........................................................................................... 23

Chapter II: Terah’s Shop of Idols And Ethics as First Philosophy ........................ 26
Terah’s Shop of Idols ........................................................................................... 29
Idolatry ................................................................................................................. 34
Ethics as First Philosophy .................................................................................... 38
Concluding Remarks ........................................................................................... 41

Chapter III: Gesticulative Mischaracertizations: When Fiction
is a Bodily Fact ......................................................................................................... 44
Abram and Sarai .................................................................................................. 46
Egypt ..................................................................................................................... 46
Inside Egypt .......................................................................................................... 52
Witnessing ............................................................................................................ 55

Chapter IV: The Unbinding of Isaac ...................................................................... 59
Kierkegaard’s Notion of Faith ............................................................................. 60
Critique of Kierkegaard’s Notion of Faith .......................................................... 62
God, Abraham, and The Purpose of the Test ..................................................... 64
Taking the Test: When Peace is Announced ..................................................... 65
Isaac’s Lesson ....................................................................................................... 69
Isaac’s Liberation ................................................................................................. 71
Sarah’s Light ......................................................................................................... 72
Concluding Remarks ........................................................................................... 75
viii A The Undbinding of Isaac B

Chapter V: Rebecca ................................................................................................. 78
Rebecca ................................................................................................................. 78

Chapter VI: Conclusion .......................................................................................... 94
A Collagical Method and Teleodogma ............................................................... 95

Notes ....................................................................................................................... 101

Index....................................................................................................................... 113