Talmud's Theological Language-Game

Eugene B. Borowitz is Distinguished University Professor and the Sigmund L. Falk Distinguished Professor of Education and Jewish Religious Thought at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. He is the author of many books, including Studies in the Meaning of Judaism and The Mask Jews Wear: The Self-Deceptions of American Jewry, winner of the National Jewish Book Award in the realm of Jewish thought.

"Borowitz provides minute (yet always clear) analyses of how aggadah operates logically. He also gives the reader very good and concise discussions of some of the newer, more ‘literary’ … treatments of aggadah by younger scholars." — The Journal of Religion"As a scholar, philosopher, and rabbinic role-model, Eugene Borowitz made contributions to Jewish thought that spanned six decades. His influence will continue to be felt for generations to come, by rabbis, scholars and laypersons, regardless of denominational affiliation." — Jewish Book World "This is an important study of rabbinic methodology applying contemporary philosophical hermeneutics to help sort out the unique attributes and content of aggadah. Borowitz provides an excellent review of secondary scholarship in the modern and contemporary period on the nature of rabbinic thought, logic, and discourse." — Yudit Kornberg Greenberg, author of Better than Wine: Love, Poetry, and Prayer in the Thought of Franz Rosenzweig"Borowitz's book offers much-needed insight and is simply an invaluable contribution to Jewish philosophy." — Robert Gibbs, coauthor of Reasoning After Revelation: Dialogues in Postmodern Jewish Philosophy

• Preface Part One. Entering the Maze of Rabbinic Diction Introduction to a Religious Puzzle 1. What Is the Aggadah Problem?Part Two. Scrutinizing Talmudic Aggadah at Three Levels 2. The Surface Characteristics 3. The Substantive Concerns 4. The "Logic" 5. Does Extending the Sample Alter the Finding? Part Three. The Limits and Nature of Aggadah 6. Is Aggadic Discourse Self-Limiting? 7. Positively, What Is Aggadah 8. Reconstruing the Aggadah Problem AfterwordNotes Bibliography of Works CitedTina WeissIndex