jan 1, 1140 - ריה׳׳ל – הכוזרי

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1140 - ראשונים

ריה׳׳ל realized over the course of his life that the suffering of his greater Jewish community was causing Jews to lose sight of the basic fundamentals of Judaism. This major problem prompted him to write his philosophical work, הכוזרי, to defend his religion both to support Jews against Christians and Muslims and to provide Jews with a sense of who they are and what they stand for. The framing story of הכוזרי is a king hosting a religious debate to see which of the three monotheistic religions is superior to determine which to convert to. In a dialectic style, ריה׳׳ל presents a discussion that ultimately proves the superiority of Jewish faith.

About the Author: ר׳ יהודה הלוי, or ריה׳׳ל lived from 1080 to around 1141. He lived during the time of the invasion of the Almovarids and Almohades, which gave him a unique perspective on the political climate which Jews should live in. This is heavily reflected in his philosophical work, הכוזרי. Besides for his work in philosophy, ריה׳׳ל was also a prolific writer and poet who wrote many פיותים and other poems.

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