^The José Faur Tora Studies Center
המרכז לתורת החכם יוסף פאור הלוי

Professor of Talmud, rabbi, and dayyan, the hakham José Faur has worked hard to educate Jews and non-Jews alike about rabbinic Judaism and the Talmudic tradition. Promoting Judaism as the essence of religious humanism, Faur has initiated a vast project of “re-articulating” Judaism in terms that are directly accessible to contemporary minds. Emphasizing the role played by the Sefaradi cultural and intellectual tradition in successfully continuing the Maimonidean legacy, Faur has especially sought to reacquaint Sefaradim – and the world – with the essence of their heritage.

Read about José Faur's latest book, “The Naked Crowd: The Jewish Alternative to Cunning Humanity.”

Below, you will find articles written by José Faur, as well as information about his books. At the bottom of the page is a list of the articles we are still missing – if you have any articles that you would like to share, please let us know!

>> Videos . Audio Lectures .

>> English Articles . Hebrew Articles . Spanish Articles . Divrei Tora on the Parasha . Book Reviews .
>> Books : The Naked Crowd . The Horizontal Society . Homo Mysticus . In the Shadow of History . Golden Doves with Silver Dots .
>> About José Faur . Missing Articles . Contact Us . Facebook

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Articles (English)

• A Crisis of Categories: Kabbalah and the Rise of Apostasy in Spain (PDF)

• Anti-Maimonidean Demons (PDF)

• Anti-Semitism in the Sepharadi Mind [Translated by David Ramirez] (PDF)

• Basic Concepts in Rabbinic Hermeneutics (PDF)

• Delocutive Expressions in the Hebrew Liturgy (PDF)

• Don Quixote - Talmudist and Mucho Mas (PDF)

• Early Zionist Ideals Among Sephardim in the Nineteenth Century (PDF)

• Esoteric Knowledge and the Vulgar - Parallels between Newton and Maimonides (PDF)

• Four Classes of Conversos - A Typological Study (PDF)

• God as Writer: Omnipresence and the Art of Dissimulation (PDF)

• Intuitive Knowledge of God in Medieval Jewish Theology (PDF)

• Jewish and Western Historiographies - A Post-Modern Interpretation (PDF)

• Jews, Conversos, and Native Americans: The Iberian Experience (PDF)

• Law and Hermeneutics in Rabbinic Tradition - A Maimonidean Perspective (PDF) (Text File)

• Maimonides on Imagination: Towards a Theory of Jewish Aesthetics (PDF)

• Monolingualism and Judaism (PDF) (Text File)

• Newton, Maimonidean (PDF)

• Newton, Maimonides, and Esoteric Knowledge (HTML)

• Of Cultural Intimidation and Other Miscellanea: Bar-Sheshakh vs. Raba (PDF)

• One-Dimensional Jew, Zero-Dimensional Judaism (PDF)

• Reading Jewish Texts with Greek Eyes (PDF)

• Rhetoric and Hermeneutics: Vico and Rabbinic Tradition [Translated by David Ramirez] (PDF)

• Sephardic Thinking and the Enlightenment [Translated by David Ramirez] (PDF)

• Sephardim in the Nineteenth Century - New Directions and Old Values (PDF)

• The Biblical Idea of Idolatry (PDF)

• The Fundamental Principles of Jewish Jurisprudence (PDF) (Text File)

• The Legal Thinking of the Tosafot: A Historical Approach (PDF)

• The Targumim and Halakha (PDF)

• Understanding the Covenant (PDF)

• Vico, Religious Humanism, and the Sephardic Tradition (PDF)

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Articles (Hebrew)

• המצווה הבראשיתית אצל הרמב"ם (HTML)

• מעשה דפום בדיתא: סטאטוס הנדל"ן של ישראל בחוץ-לארץ (PDF)

• עליית קטן לקרוא בתורה (HTML)

• רשימה מהאותיות הגדולות והקטנות שבמקרא מהגניזה הקאהירית (PDF)

• תוספות הרא"ש למסכת ברכות (PDF)

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Articles (Spanish)

• Dos Estudios Sobre Vico y La Tradicion Hebrea (PDF)

• La Doctrina de la Ley Natural en el Pensamiento Judio del Medioevo (PDF)

• La Ruptura del Logos: Alguna Observaciones Sobre Vico y La Tradicion Rabinica (PDF)

• La Teoria del Conocimiento de Francisco Sanchez y el Verum/Factum de Vico (PDF)

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Divrei Tora on the Parasha

• Vayera: And By My Name, "The Lord," I Did Not Make Myself Known To Them (HTML)

• Remember What Amalek Did To You (HTML)

• Shelah: Politics and Religion, Then and Now (HTML)

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Reviews

• A Creative Exposition of Halakhah: Jacob Neusner's Encyclopedia of the Law of Judaism (PDF)

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About José Faur

José Faur graduated from the University of Barcelona in 1961, with a degree in Semitic Philology and an M.A. in Semitic Languages; the title of his master's thesis was “La Espiritualidad Judia,” a basic explanation of Jewish spirituality. In 1963, Faur received his rabbinic ordination, and stayed on at the University to receive his doctorate in 1964 (also in Semitic Languages) writing a thesis on “The Masorah to the Targum Onqelos.” Later that year he left Spain to participate in a three-year fellowship at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, under the supervision of the eminent professor of Talmud, Saul Lieberman. In 1966, Faur was ordained as a dayyan in Family Law (Even ha-Ezer) by hakham Matloub Abadi, and in 1968 was again ordained as a dayyan, this time in Civil Law (Hoshen Mishpat). Over the next forty years, Faur taught rabbinic law at the School of Judaica and the Graduate Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Spertus College, Bar Ilan University, and Netanya Law School.

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Missing Articles

Although we have posted over thirty articles to this site, we are still missing many more. If you have a copy of any of the articles listed below and would like to share it with the world, please let us know!

• “Abraham de Boton,” Ha-Doar 54 (1975)

• “Alepo, Códice de,” Enciclopedia de la Biblia vol. 1 (1961)

• “Alphabetic Memory,” Mentalities 19 (2005)

• “El Antisemitismo en la Mente Sefaradí,” Rassegna Mensile di Israel (August 1983)

• “Beyond Ordination: The Procedural Aspects,” Sh'ma (Feb. 1980)

• "The Character of Apophatic Knowledge in Maimonides' Guide" Theodicy (1997)

• “The Character of the Sephardic Culture,” Jewish Spectator (Spring 1976)

• "Concerning the term qore be-iggeret" (Heb.) Alei Sefer 15 (1988-1989)

• "Correlations: The Iberian and German Experiences" Midstream (June-July 1992)

• "David Nassy: On Prejudice and Related Matters" In eds. Lea Dasberg and Jonathan N. Cohen. Neveh Ya'akov: Jubilee Volume Presented to Dr. Jaap Meijer. (1982)

• "De-authorization of the Law: Paul and the Oedipal Model" Journal of Psychiatry and the Humanities 11 (1989)

• “Délégitimation de la Loi: Paul et le modèle oedipien,” Pardès 27 (1999)

• “De-Oraita, de-Rabbanan ve-Dinim Muflaim be-Mishnato shel ha-Rambam,” (Heb.) Sinai 67 (1972)

• “Don Quichotte: un talmudiste au passé souillé,” Pardes 29 (2000)

• “Le droit du medecin de percevoir un salaire dans la tradition juive, ” Pardes, 8 (1988)

• “Leishev ba-Sukkah: Between Ashkenaz and Sepharad,” Rabbinics Today 1 (October 1992)

• "Francisco Sanchez's Theory of Cognition and Vico's verum/factum" New Vico Studies 5 (1987)

• "Freedom and Linguistic Expression in Maimonides" Semiotica 46,1 (1983)

• “Genesis’ Numerology: Meir Bar-Ilan” Review of Rabbinic Judaism 7 (2004)

• “La guida degli smarriti: che cosa significa?” La Rassegna Mensile di Israel 52 (1986)

• “Ha-‘Aboda Zara ba-Miqra le-Or ha-meqorot ha-Eliliyim," (Heb.) in Hagut ‘Ibrit be-America vol. 1 (1972)

• “Ha-Messora leTargum Onqelos,” Sinai 60 (1967)

• “Ha-Sugya ha-Kefula: le-Bi’ur ha-Sugya ha-Rishona be-Massekhet Shabbat,” (Heb.) Asufot 3 (1989)

• "The Hebrew Personal Pronoun" in Perspectives on Jews and Judaism (1979)

• "The Hebrew Species Concept and the Origin of Evolution: R. Benamozegh's Response to Darwin" Rassegna Mansile di Israel 63 (1997)

• “Hiddushim le-Seder Zera‘im me-Ketibat Yad ha-Rab Mordekhai Romano,” (Heb.) Sinai 60, (1967)

• “Hilkhot Shehita le-Rab Yehudai Gaon,” (Heb.) Talpioth 9 (1965)

• “Hilufe Otiyot Alef be-Yod ba-masora le-Targum Onqelos,” (Heb.) Peraqim 4 (1966)

• “Hora’at Ha-Miqra ba-Qehilot Ha-Sefardiyot,” (Heb.) Sheviley Hahinuch 35 (1974)

• "Hora'at ha-Talmud ba-Masoret ha-Hinnukhit ha-Sfaradit" (Heb.) Shebile Hinnukh 35 (1975)

• "Imagination and Religious Pluralism: Maimonides, ibn Verga, and Vico" New Vico Studies 10 (1992)

• “The Inclusion of a Sefardi Dimension in American Jewish Education,”in ed. Jane S. Gerber, Sephardic Studies in the University (1996)

• “Introducing the Materials of Sephardic Culture to Contemporary Jewish Studies,” American Jewish Historical Quarterly 63 (1974)

• “Intuitive Knowledge of God: A Study in Intercultural Ideas between Islam, Karaism, and Rabbanaite Judaism,” in Ben Zvi Institute (1974)

• “‘Iyyunim be-Hilkhot Teshuba le-Harambam,” (Heb.) Sinai 61 (1969)

• "The Jewish Mentality of Francisco Sanchez" Mentalities 7 (1992)

• “Law and Justice in Rabbinic Jurisprudence,” in Samuel K. Mirsky Memorial Volume (1972)

• “Lessons for our day from Sephardic Halakhic Sources,” in Proceedings of the Rabbinical Assembly (1978)

• “Lezioni per il Nostro Tempo dalle Fonti Halachiche Sefardite,” Rassegna Mensile di Israel (August 1983)

• "The Limits of Readerly Collusion in Rabbinic Tradition" Soundings 76 (1993)

• “Le Juif unidimensional et le degré zéro du judaism,” Pardès 25 (1998)

• “Ma Ben Hamor Ze Le-Hamor Ha-Hu,” (Heb.) Sinai 76 (1975)

• “Maimonides on Freedom and Language,” Helios 9 (1982)

• “Maimonides’ Water-Clock and its Epistemological Implications: Sánchez’s modus sciendi and Vico’s verum-factum,” in Jewish Responses to Early Modern Science (1995)

• “Meqor Hiyyuban shel ha-Misvot le-Da‘at ha-Rambam,” (Heb). Tarbiz 29 (1969)

• "On Martyrdom in Jewish Law" (Heb.) Annual of Bar-Ilan University 30-31 (2006)

• “Modern Sephardic Thought: Religious Humanism and Zionism,” in The Sephardi and Oriental Jewish Heritage (1982)

• “Monotheism and Magic,” Midstream (Aug./Sept. 1980)

• “On Studying Torah: An Apology,” Ikka D’Amre 7 (May 1979)

• “The Origin of the Distinction between Rational and Divine Commandments in Medieval Jewish Philosophy,” Augustinaum 9 (1969)

• “Le Penseé Sepharade Moderne: Humanisme Religieux et Sionisme,” in Les Temps Modernes Paris (1980)

• “El pensamiento Sefardí frente a la ilustración Europea,” in ed. Judit Targarona Borrás et al, Pensamiento y Mística Hispanojudía y Sefardí

• "Performative and Descriptive Utterances in Jewish Law" (Heb.) In ed. Arye Edrei, Studies in Jewish Law in Honor of Professor Aaron Kirschenbaum (Dine Israel 20-21, 5760-5761)

• "Person and Subjectivity: A Linguistic Category" Mentalities 6 (1990)

• “Reflections on Job and Situation Morality,” in Judaism (1970)

• “La Ruptura del Logos: Algunas Observaciones sobre Vico y la Tradición Rabínica,” Cuadernos sobre Vico 7 (1997)

• “R. Yisrael Moshe Hazzan,” Ha-Doar 54 (1975)

• “Safeq Berakhot le-Haqel: Kelal she-Teba‘a Ha-Rambam,” (Heb.) Asufot 1 (1987))

• "Sakhar ha-Rofe ba-Halakha..." (Heb.) Dine Israel 7 (1977)

• “Samkhut Maran esel ha-Posqim ha-Sefaradim,” (Heb.) Sinai 59 (1966)

• “Sánchez’ Critique of Authoritas: Converso Skepticism and the Emergence of Radical Hermeneutics,” in ed. Peter Ochs, The Return to Scripture in Judaism and Christianity (1993)

• “Sefer Ha-Yobel Li-khbod Professor Baron: Heleq Ha-‘Ibri,” (Heb.) Ha-Doar 54 (1975)

• “Sefer Ha-Yobel Li-khbod Professor Baron: Heleq Ha-Lo‘azi,” (Heb.) Ha-Doar 54 (1975)

• “A Sense of Language,” The Sephardic World (Winter 1973)

• “The Sepharadim: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” The Sephardic World (Summer 1972)

• “Signon ha-Mishna ve-ha-Shinnun be-‘al-pe,” (Heb.) Asufot 4 (1990)

• "Sir Isaac Newton - 'a Judaic Monotheist of the School of Maimonides'" In eds. Gorge K. Hasselhoff and Otfied Fraisse, Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) (2004)

• “Some General Observations on the Character of Classical Jewish Literature,” Journal of Jewish Studies 28 (1977)

• "The Splitting of the Logos: Some Remarks on Vico and Rabbinic Tradition" New Vico Studies 3 (1985)

• “Tefillot Keneged Temidim Tiqqenum le-Da‘at Ha-Rambam,” (Heb.) Asufot 2 (1988)

• “Tehiyat Ha-Lashon Ha-‘Ibrit esel Ha-Yehudim Ha-Sefaradim,” (Heb.) Ha-Doar 55 (1976)

• “La Teoría del Conocimiento de Francisco Sánchez y el verum/factum de Vico,” Cuadernos Sobre Vico 4 (1994)

• "Texte et Societe: histoire du texte revele" La Societe Juive a Travers l'Histoire 1,45 (1992)

• “The Theology of the Oral Torah: Revealing the Justice of God, by Jacob Neusner” Conservative Judaism 53 (2000)

• "The Third Person in Semitic Grammatical Theory and General Linguistics" Linguistica Biblica Bohn 46 (1979)

• “Tosafot Ha-Rosh le Pereq Ha-Maddir,” Sinai 57 (1965)

• "Two Models for Jewish Spirituality" Shofar 10 (1992)

• "Ve-Nishu Hakhme Ummot ha-'Olam et Hakhme Yisrael" (Heb.) In Minha Le-Yishaq (1999)

• “Vico el Humanismo Religioso y la Tradición Sefardita,” Cuadernos sobre Vico 7 (1997)

• “Yahas Hakhme ha-Sefaradim le-Samkhut Maran ke-Poseq,” (Heb.) In Rabbi Yosef Caro (1970)

• “Yahas Megurashe Sefarad vese’esa’ehem le-mosdot Hinnukh,'" (Heb.) in Shebet Va ‘am (1980

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Contact Us

Have questions, comments, or suggestions pertaining to this website? Or perhaps you have an article written by José Faur which you'd like us to add?
You can find us on Facebook and let us know about it - or you can send us an email at faur.merkaz@derushapublishing.com.

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A project of Derusha Publishing LLC. Updated January 04 2010.