Gersonides on Providence, Covenant, and the Chosen People

Robert Eisen is Assistant Professor of Religion and Judaic Studies at George Washington University.

"The book is a sober and careful examination of an important issue in Jewish thought: the doctrine of the chosen people. It advances the field of Gersonides' studies; it is the first in-depth treatment of Gersonides' biblical commentaries." — Charles H. Manekin, University of Maryland"It is an important study of a completely original sort. It is a pioneering work, not only in the specific topic which it treats, but especially in its bringing together the philosophical and exegetical works of one of the most important philosophers of the later Jewish Middle Ages. In so doing, it opens up a major area of study that has been seriously neglected. In the case of Gersonides, as with other medieval Jewish thinkers, there is a tendency to treat the exegetical works as having no philosophical value or interest. This book establishes the philosophical importance of the exegetical works and shows that they are of critical value for an understanding of the philosophy of Gersonides." — Marvin Fox, Brandeis University

• Preface List of Abbreviations 1. Introduction 2. The Philosophical Background Providence, Miracles and Inherited Providence in The Wars of the Lord ProvidenceMiraclesInherited Providence 3. The Covenant with Abraham Gersonides' Interpretation of Genesis 15 4. From Slavery in Egypt to the Conquest of Canaan 5. The Covenant at Sinai The Torah as Philosophical Guidebook The Prophecy of MosesThe Philosophical Content of the TorahThe Torah as Covenant 6. The Torah and Esoteric Discourse 7. From the Conquest of Canaan to the Present Exile The Original Covenant with AbrahamThe Extension of the CovenantThe Function of Inherited Providence after the ConquestThe Present Exile 8. The Messianic Era 9. The Language of Providence in Gersonides' Biblical Commentaries 10. Conclusions Gersonides on Jewish Chosenness: Analysis and AssessmentThe Place of the Biblical Commentaries in Gersonides' Philosophy Appendix: The Pinnot Ha-Torah in Gersonides' Thought NotesBibliographyIndex