People Apart

Daniel H. Frank is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Kentucky. He is the editor of Autonomy and Judaism: The Individual and the Community in Jewish Philosophical Thought.

"This book deals with two problems central to Jewish theology: the chosenness of the Jewish people and the rationale of the ritual commandments in Judaism. The two topics are naturally connected since the ritual commandments of Judaism most clearly demarcate Judaism from other religions and therefore contribute to the sense of chosenness so widespread among Jews." — Michael Wyschogrod, Baruch College"These philosophical reflections sharpen our understanding of Jewish existence and deepen our knowledge of the history of Jewish philosophy, both medieval and modern. In addition, the book represents an important methodological breakthrough for the academic discipline of Jewish philosophy. By incorporating models from the field of anthropology and philosophy of language, the essays on Jewish ritual integrate Jewish philosophy into the larger academic discipline of religious studies. The philosophical reflection on Jewish particularism is very significant. It sheds light on the meaning of Jewish existence, the nature of Jewish philosophy, and the central questions of post-modernity." — Hava Tirosh-Rothschild, Indiana University

• Introduction Part 1 Choseness Chapter 1 The Election of Israel: Outline of a Philosophical AnalysisDavid Novak Chapter 2 Chosenness, Not Chauvinism: Maimonides on the Chosen peopleMenachem Kellner Response to Menachem KellnerNorbert M. Samuelson Reply to Norbert SamuelsonMenachem Kellner Chapter 3 Judaism and Chosenness: On Some Controversial Aspects from Spinoza to Contemporary Jewish ThoughtZe'ev Levy Part 2 Ritual Chapter 4 Rational Law / Ritual LawL. E. Goodman Chapter 5 Mitzvah as MetaphorMoshe Sokol Chapter 6 Jewish Ritual and the Experience of "Rootedness"Joshua L. Golding Chapter 7 The Concept of Worship in JudaismNorbert M. Samuelson Contributors Index