The Ramban’s relationship with kabbalah runs deep, but it is hidden in a subtle way that might not reveal itself to an untrained reader. This was intentional, of course. Since its inception, Jewish mysticism has always been an insider world of contemplative work. It is considered inappropriate for those not already perfectly learned in the Oral and Written Torah to even approach learning the kabbalah. The Ramban did not write “the kabbalah tells us,” for he wanted the kabbalistic nature of his insights to be subtle, and not boastful. Instead, specific sections of Ramban commentary that are from the kabbalah are given the prefix of “By the way of truth...” Every time a Ramban commentary begins in that manner, a kabbalistic insight is to follow. An example is the Ramban’s commentary on the blowing of the Shofar during the High Holidays, one of the most important times of year for the Jewish people. In his commentary on Vayikra 23:24, which states “a memorial of the terua,” the Ramban gives kabbalistic insight on the word terua, which is the sound created by the shofar-blower with the ram’s horn. Of course, the passage begins “By the way of truth,” and the Ramban says that the terua represents that which has stood by the Jewish people, and he quotes Tehillim 89:15, which states that …show more content…
“Happy is the people that know the terua.” (Chavel 1) It is undoubtable that the Ramban’s greatest work is the totality of his Torah commentaries, which branch off from Rashi with great respect and more than occasional disagreement on textual interpretations.
Just as with everything else the Ramban wrote in his life, his Torah commentaries were created with the well-being of others foremost in his mind. The Rambam explicitly stated that he hoped his Torah commentaries would be learned by those who were unable to live in Israel, helping them continue to keep the commandments and honor God with their attention to his words. It will be informative and helpful to cover a few of the Ramban’s greatest commentaries on the Five Books of the
Torah. In Bereishit 2:18, it is stated that “It is not good that man should be alone; I shall make him a helpmate across from him.” Of course, the basic understanding of this pasuk is quite simple: God has decided that man shouldn’t live alone. However, the Ramban takes this thought deeper, lending it greater credence and insight. He says that the word “tov,” or good, in Bereishit, is only used to refer to eternal creations. Meanwhile, he continues, “lo tov,” or not good, is only used to refer to creations that are not eternal--that are, by nature, finite in their existence. From that, the Ramban says, we can reason that man’s loneliness, which God has labeled with this pasuk as “not good,” was never meant to be eternal. This interpretation serves two purposes for the Ramban, and both of them are essential to a proper understanding of the pasuk. First of all, the commentary makes it clear that God isn’t being wishy-washy, or changing his mind. It may appear that God only intended on creating man, and then, seeing man was lonely, created woman. But to a strict traditionalist like the Ramban, this would not have fit into his worldview. By arguing that man’s loneliness was by design a finite, short-lived concept, the Ramban is able to show that God created man knowing that he would be lonely, always planning on the later creation of women for companionship. (Internet Parsha Sheet 3-4)
Hammurabi is best known for his succession in writing down the first complete set of laws, titled Hammurabi’s Code. He strived as a king to bring protection, fairness, and justice to the weak of society using laws from the God of justice, Shamash. Hammurabi’s Code was written on a large stone pillar called a stele. In addition to writing a set of 282 laws, he expanded the territory of Babylon northward and westward, encouraged agriculture, and oversaw the erection of many buildings and temples. One may argue that since Hammurabi changed and eliminated some of the laws before he published the complete set, he was changed by the times. However, revising some of the laws was necessary to ensure the best protection and fairness for the people. Overall, King Hammurabi laid the foundation for the laws that we have today and his legacy continues on in our justice
One of the most important aspects of any society is the ruling system. A society simply could not function without any sort of rules or regulations. With the tremendous growth of Babylonian society came the need for law systems. Perhaps one of the most well known law systems was Babylonian ruler Hammurabi’s compilation of Mesopotamian laws known as Hammurabi 's Code. Hammurabi 's Code contained laws pertaining to trade, marriage, property, crime, social class, and more (Judge and Langdon, 25). So much can be learned about early societies through this famous artifact. Although these laws may have been accepted by the Babylonian citizens at the time, it is now clear to see that the code was extremely unjust. Hammurabi 's Code uncovers the social
To conclude my speech today, Hammurabi was the sixth king of Babylon (Hammurabi). He was a successful military leader and ruler that concentrated on building defensive protection, establishing a basis of law and order, and specializing irrigation. Hammurabi is arguably most remembered for his code of the laws governing Babylonian life. The Code of Hammurabi consists of 282 laws ranging from divorce, property and inheritance, and fairness in commercial exchanges (Code of Hammurabi: Ancient Babylonian Laws). Punishment and severity varied within social structure. “It symbolizes not only the rise of justice in the minds of men, but also man’s rise above ignorance and barbarism toward the peaceful and just societies that we still pursue today” (EAWC Anthology: Hammurabi's Code of Laws).
The Code of Hammurabi was written by King Hammurabi, who began ruling the Babylonian Empire in about 1800 BC. Hammurabi came to power using his strengths as a military leader, conquering many smaller city-states to create his Empire. Hammurabi believed that the gods appointed him to bring justice and order to his people, and he took this duty very seriously. Not long after his ascent to power, he created his Code, 282 laws written to define all relationships and aspects of life in the kingdom. The laws were displayed in a public place so that all the people could have the opportunity to study them. The laws applied to everyone, though application of the laws and punishment differed according to social class. The punishments for disobeying the laws were swift and harsh, further encouraging compliance.
... for future people to witness; and shows us how written works are the only acceptable form of proof because of the historical accuracy of the work. Hammurabi’s laws were part of the beginning of a new era in the history of the ancient near east because as a result of these laws, early principles of law and order were created, which influenced to a certain extent Babylonian society. Also, the importance of the observable proof of Hammurabi’s and Babylonians beliefs and customs is immeasurable because we get to observe how early rulers created codes of law as proof of their divine right to rule. By people continuing to place all of their efforts to find and observe important ancient artifacts can we hope to understand our past better. Only through diligence and hard work can humanity fill in the gaps in history and learn from its past in order to have a better future.
"If a man has knocked out the eye of a free man, his eye shall be knocked out." This is one of the most well-known laws of Hammurabi. Hammurabi's code was made in Babylon, Iraq in the 18th century B.C. His code contained 282 written laws that he wrote by the command of Shamash, to protect his people. So even though a god commanded him to create the law, Was Hammurabi's code just? There are three areas of law where Hammurabi's code can be shown to be unjust. These are Personal Law, Family Law, and Property Law.
Throughout the 1980’s, the graffiti scene was very familiar with the name “Basquiat.” Jean-Michel Basquiat is an American graffiti artist who was born in Brooklyn, New York. His artwork is mostly defined as neo-expressionism with a bit of primitivism. His medium was usually a combination of oils, acrylics and spray cans. One could look at Basquiat’s pieces and say they are as if a child scribbled on a canvas, but to me, there is more than that. I admire Basquiat not for what he is, but for what he is not. I believe it requires a lot of bravery to showcase your art that is less than perfect as in the social standards for fine art. Basquiat did just that and was still well respected for it. I feel as if he conquered in keeping his childhood creativity
Selah Saterstrom’s The Pink Institution is a novel set in the Deep South following the Civil War. It tells the story of a family over many generations from the point of view of the narrator (who is assumed to be the author of the novel). Saterstrom’s novel is considered to be a historic autobiographical gothic novel. Over the years, this novel has been the topic of many enthusiastic debates over whether the work is actually a novel or even gothic in nature. After reading and analyzing the work at length, there is no doubt that this work illustrates many themes found commonly in gothic literature.
His property laws are basically insurance for those who are taken advantage of. Such as in Hammurabi’s code it states “If the robber is not caught the man who has been robbed shall formally declare whatever he has lost before a god, and the city and the mayor whose territory or district the robbery has been committed shall replace for him whatever he has lost.” (doc D, law 23) This is an example of how Hammurabi protected those who couldn't help themselves. There is also evidence that he supports the poor through the property laws was through a law that stated that” if a man has borrowed money to plant crops and a natural disaster destroys his crops he is not in debt to his creditor” (doc D, Law 48) Both of these laws as well as documents A,B, and C are a testimony that Hammurabi’s code was a just system that protects the weak and the
Hammurabi was an ancient ruler and the sixth king of the dynasty of Babylon, he was a celebrated, loved and rejoiced leader. Through his reign, Hammurabi was able to conquer all of Ancient Babylon by the end of his reign in 1750 BC. (2011, Hammurabi Code.) Hammurabi had brilliant military strategies, and was able to compile alliances and orchestrate detailed political maneuvers in order to reach his success. Looking at all of his advancements and accomplishments, the most renowned and important would be, the Code of Hammurabi, a set of codified laws which he made during his time in the Kingdom of Babylon. By creating the first set of organized laws, Hammurabi created a model which modern society has adhered to. Hammurabi based
The feminist movement we have today may seem rather new, since an increasing number of people, regardless of gender, are beginning to speak out. However, there were a multitude of brave, intelligent women before us who helped evolve the movement, women like Marija Gimbutas. Archaeologist and feminist Marija Gimbutas opened up the conversation of feminism, or at least pseudo-feminism, in Old Europe by sharing her “evidence” of matrilineal communities and an overall gynocentric society. Naturally, this led to vehement opposition from other archaeologists, like Lynn Meskell. Meskell found some if not all of Gimbutas’ arguments farfetched. Some of Gimbutas’ conclusions were indeed plausible though most of them seemed too fabricated so Meskell was right to be highly skeptical of Gimbutas. It was commendable for her to share such information on a large scale but unfortunate that the information was researched and concluded with a political agenda in mind.
Sherman Alexie was born on October 7th 1966. He is a novelist that lives in Seattle, Washington. Alexie is not only known for his novels, he is also known for being a story writer, a poet, and also a filmmaker. Sherman’s childhood was not the greatest. When Alexie was born, he was not expected to live. As a child, he had many problems with seizures, and an enlarged skull. He lived on a reservation, and was bullied by a lot of other children. Alexie’s mother wanted him to learn English, so she moved him to other schools. Alexie’s father was not around much when he was a child. He was an alcoholic and left the family from days on end. Sherman Alexie influenced Indian/Native American culture through his literary works including Face, One Stick Song, and First Indian on the Moon.
It was made abundantly clear to me after my previous post that the genocide of the Rohingya, even the existence of the Rohingya in general, is not common knowledge to most people. For this reason, I am beginning this post with a little bit of background on the situation. Myanmar, a country in southern Asia, was first colonized by Britain in 1886, after a series of violent wars between the native people and the colonizers. It stayed in British hands until 1948, when it became its own free country. The country was originally named Burma, but the name was changed to Myanmar in 1989. The Rohingya people are a Muslim minority located in the poor province of Rakhing on the western border of the country.
In 1831 in Brunswick, Germany, Richard Dedekind was born. He was the youngest of four children. At first Dedekind was pursuing the chemistry and physics, but the logic of physics didn’t make sense to him. So he changed focus to algebra, calculus, and geometry. He made this change at the center of science in Europe, Gottingen where he was going to school for collage. There he became friends and colleagues with a few famous mathematicians, like Gauss and Georg Riemann. Not much is known about why Dedekind decided to change his mind set, but it was probably at Gottingen where he took his first math class with Gauss, another mathematician, as the teacher. 50 years later he said he could still remember the lectures as the most beautiful ones he has heard.
Much like Benjamin Franklin believed, I feel that a person should take advantage of the time the person has in life with activities a person wants to do or needs to do. A person should not spend much time on activities the person does not want to do. Life is way too short to concern oneself with work or other activities one wants nothing to do with all the time. When possible, I try to forget about my responsibility and just let go of the ‘things’ that do not matter to me. I think a person should try to occupy oneself with something productive, worthwhile, or necessary at all times. Even though a person’s life is left up to a person to live, I cannot imagine thinking that I owe my time to society through working a job that I simply despise. I am a compassionate person, but I do not owe anyone anything regarding my time.