The Book of the Kuzari is one of the most famous works of the medieval Spanish Jewish philosopher and poet Judah Halevi. It is regarded as one the most important apologetic works of Jewish philosophy. The Kuzari takes place during a conversion of some Khazar nobility to Judaism. Divided into five parts it takes the form of a dialogue between a rabbi and a pagan. The pagan is then mythologized as the king of the Khazars who has invited the rabbi to instruct him in the tenets of Judaism. The Kuzari's emphasis is on the uniqueness of the Jewish people. The ideas and style of the work played an important role in debates within the Haskalah or Jewish Enlightenment movement.

This book approaches Judah Halevi's Book of the Kuzari by focusing on its reception.

This book relates the various strata of Halevi's Book of Kuzari to the different periods of Halevi's philosophical development.

In the Footsteps of the Kuzari is an exciting work that guides readers through Judaism's views on the most pressing philosophical issues of the day. Combining a keen sensitivity to the religious dilemmas of our day with the intellectual rigor of the university, this book serves as an introduction to Jewish philosophy, and unapologetically argues that Judaism presents a coherent and sophisticated religious worldview that is as relevant today as it has been for millennia. Building on the classic work of Jewish thought, The Kuzari, noted Orthodox thinker Prof. Shalom Rosenberg takes readers through the Jewish views that have been voiced throughout the ages and shows how they can be transformed into a compelling worldview in this postmodern age. Intellectually stimulating and philosophically creative, this important work made large waves when published in Hebrew and is now being offered to the English reading public. Take a tour through Jewish philosophy over the ages, from the Talmud to Maimonides to Rav Kook and beyond, and learn where the next stage of Jewish thought will take us.

Judah Ha-Levi (1075–1141), a medieval Jewish poet, mystic, and sophisticated critic of the rationalistic tradition in Judaism, is the focus of this ground-breaking study. Diana Lobel examines his influential philosophical dialogue, Sefer ha-Kuzari, written in Arabic and later translated into Hebrew, which broke religious and philosophical convention by infusing Sufi terms for religious experience with a new Jewish theological vision. Intellectually engaging, clear, and accessible, Between Mysticism and Philosophy is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the intertwined worlds of Jewish and Islamic philosophy, religion, and culture.

Our mesorah about Matan Torah securely connects us to maamid Har Sinai - or so the Kuzari Argument would have you believe. Breaking the Kuzari is a fascinating exploration of one of the most popular arguments for Judaism. As the only book to focus exclusively on the Kuzari Argument, it is a must-read for anyone interested in the rational underpinnings of Judaism. Never before has the Kuzari Argument been so clearly laid out or had its often-hidden premises so insightfully examined. This eye-opening exploration is essential reading for everyone from those who think that their emunah is based on self-evident truths to those who have gone Off the Derech. Many frum people believe that arguments such as the Kuzari are so strong that no one can reject Orthodoxy on intellectual grounds. But is this true? Are people who go Off the Derech broken, the victims of trauma or their own uncontrollable desires? For those who believe the Kuzari Argument is unassailable, this book will help them evaluate an important component of their beliefs. For the intellectually curious who are exploring the question of frumkeit's truth, this book will help them understand that there is more than one rational answer to that question. And for those who are Off the Derech, this book will validate their repudiation of the Kuzari Argument. Anyone with a stake the truth of Judaism needs to know if the Kuzari Argument is sound, and only Breaking the Kuzari definitively answers that question. Buy your copy now, and delve into the fascinating details of this famous argument! The Second Son has been an active and prolific participant in the Jewish skeptic blogosphere and online community for over a decade, where he has been using the pseudonym G*3 since 2008. He has been blogging under the name "The Second Son" since 2009 about various intellectual issues with Orthodox Judaism and with religion in general. Fellow bloggers and readers have described him as, "erudite and insightful," and his writing as, "some of the most thoughtful, balanced, and intelligent comments," in the Jewish blogosphere.

Publisher Description

The systematic formulation of the status of the People of Israel as the Chosen People of God stands at the heart of Judah Halevi's famous theological and polemical treatise - the Kuzari. The idea of the Chosen People is an ancient one and is deeply rooted in Judaism. Through a wide-ranging textual and phenomenological investigation, this book highlights the novel and systematic presentation of the Chosen People in the Kuzari and shows how Judah Halevi draws, in a creative manner, on terms, concepts, and themes borrowed from the Shi'i doctrine of the Imam as presented in Shi'i literature. This book presents a historical perspective for understanding the basis of Judah Halevi's attraction to Shi'i theology, with its unique category of God's Chosen. The polemical argument over the issue of the legitimate successor to leadership in early Islam, as well as the debate around the legitimate successor-group in medieval interreligious disputes, emerges as the historical background for the seemingly surprising link between the Shi'i Imam doctrine and the idea of the Chosen People in Judah Halevi's thought. This link on the one hand portrays Halevi as a bold, original thinker and, on the other, portrays the Shi'i Imam doctrine as exceedingly fruitful and reaching beyond the bounds of Islam.

The book provides the first comprehensive study on Judah Halevi's use of sceptical tactics in his wrestling with the dogmatic-rationalistic trends of the Arabic culture of his period (11th- 12th centuries).