Studies on Eshkol haKofer by the Karaite sage Yehuda Hadassi, with Dr. Ḥakham Moshe Firrouz
- Chaim ben Abraham
- 29. Dez. 2025
- 2 Min. Lesezeit
עיונים בספר 'אשכול הכֹפר' לחכם הקראי יהודה הדסי, עם ד"ר החכם משה פיירוז
An excellent podcast with our esteemed Ḥakham Dr. Moshe Firrouz. In this episode of Bein HaKorah from Yad Ben-Zvi, Dr. Yaniv Mazuman hosts scholar Dr. Moshe Firrouz – a leading researcher in Jewish thought and one of the most prominent experts on Karaite history and philosophy – for an in-depth conversation about his doctoral dissertation, focused on Eshkol haKofer by Yehuda Hadassi. Written in Byzantium in the 12th century, the book is considered one of the foundational works of later Karaite intellectual tradition.
Hakham Dr. Moshe Firrouz presents Hadassi’s sources, the influence of Rabbanite and Karaite literature on him, and the ways in which he integrated ideas from Kalam and Muʿtazila into an originally Karaite philosophical framework. The discussion explores Hadassi’s worldview, questions of theodicy, reward and punishment, his perception of the Day of Judgment and resurrection of the dead, as well as his approach to the problem of evil.
The podcast also devotes significant attention to Hadassi’s anti-Christian polemics – one of the striking features of his work – and to topics such as biblical exegesis, divine anthropomorphism, critique of the Trinity and Incarnation, and the role of commandments in Karaite halakha vis-à-vis Christianity. In addition, the influence of the Avelei Tzion (“Mourners of Zion”) movement on Hadassi is examined, both regarding mourning practices and his stance toward the consumption of meat and wine – as expressions of communal, spiritual, and social identity.
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@Studies on Eshkol haKofer by the Karaite sage Yehuda Hadassi, with Dr. Ḥakham Moshe Firrouz
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