The Meaning of the Akedah in Israeli Culture and Jewish Tradition
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12454646 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Avi Sagi (corresponding author) |
| Year | 1998 |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 45-60 |
| Publication date | 1998-04-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Israel Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1084-9513 • E-ISSN: 1527-201X |
| Publisher | Indiana University Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.2979/isr.1998.3.1.45 |
| OpenAlex | W3150767283 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
BIBLICAL MYTHS ARE A RECURRING motif in the self-interpretation of Israeli culture, reflecting this culture's perception of its unique plight. A process of self-interpretation through myths, however, implies a particular reading, whether conscious or unconscious, of the myths themselves. Israeli culture thus adds a layer to traditional interpretations. A myth that is central to this process of self-reflection is that of the Akedah [the binding of Isaac]. purpose of this paper is two-fold: to consider the interpretation of this myth within Israeli culture, and to examine whether this interpretation represents a continuity or a break with traditional Jewish perceptions of the Akedah. TheAkedah myth features as a code word used by Israeli society to talk with itself about itself and its troubled fate. Moshe Shamir, a leading writer from the founders' generation, excelled in formulating its meaning in Israeli culture: The story of the Akedah is the greatest, most magnificent, and most deeply meaningful of all. It is the story of our generation.' Changes in attitudes toward the Akedah point to shifts in the ways Israeli society approaches the meaning of its existence. Two basic attitudes can be discerned in relation to the myth. Whereas the first views theAkedah as the deepest symbol of modern Israeli existence, epitomizing the Zionist revolution and the sacrifices it exacted, the second rejects both the myth and its implications. Historically, the first precedes the second. A complex picture develops, however, since the rejection of the myth is a process rather than a single, specific event. two views have been involved in a prolonged contest that also mirrors cultural changes. us begin with the first. Akedah myth has been sanctified by many writers. Thus, for instance, Uri Zevi Greenberg writes: Let that day come ... / when my father will rise from his grave with the resurrection of the dead/ and God will command him as the people commanded Abraham./ To bind his only son: to be an offering-/ ... let that day come in my life! I believe it will. When speaking of the Zionist experience, Abraham
Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Interpretation (philosophy · Judaism · Linguistics · Literature · Meaning (existential · Mythology · Sociology · Symbol (formal · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.2 |
| Citation span | 2011 - 2020 (10) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |