The Shabbat Elevator and Other Sabbath Subterfuges: An Unorthodox Essay on Circumventing Custom and Jewish CharacterThere are literally hundreds if not thousands of books written about Judaism and Jews, but this book is unlike any previously published. It focuses on the topic of 'circumventing custom' with special emphasis on the ingenious ways Orthodox (and other) Jews have devised to avoid breaking the extensive list of activities forbidden on the Sabbath. After examining the sources of Sabbath observance as set forth in the Old Testament, the New Testament, and rabbinical writings, some of the most salient forms of circumvention are described. These include: riding a special Shabbat elevator, unscrewing the lightbulb in the refrigerator, constructing an eruv (a space extending one's domicile so that objects may be carried outside the home), and relying on the services of the so-called 'Shabbes Goy, ' among others. Dundes respectfully analyzes such facets of Jewish characteristics as an undue concern with purity, and a long-established tradition of indulging in nit-picking and argumentation. The resultant picture of Jewish character is drawn from an unusual mixture of religious written texts and oral tradition (jokes and proverbs). The sources range from ancient Israel to works from the twenty-first century. In many ways, it is an authentic and striking Jewish self-portrait that is painted for the very first time in this fascinating volume |
Contents
The Concept of Custom | 1 |
The Sabbath in the New Testament | 19 |
The Sabbath in Rabbinical Tradition | 26 |
Copyright | |
13 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
The Shabbat Elevator and Other Sabbath Subterfuges: An Unorthodox Essay on ... Alan Dundes No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
Abraham According anal erotic character asked Babylonian Talmud Broyde and Jachter carry child children of Israel circumcision circumvent clean Cohen Commandments cubits custom death defecation defiling dishes dung electricity eruv essay example of circumvention excrement Exod feces folklore forbidden form of circumvention Freud Friday Ganzfried 1961 Gentile God's Halachic Halachic law Halperin hand Hebrew holy impurity Jacobs Jesus Jewish joke Judaism Kolatch legal fiction lighting a fire Lord means meat Milgrom milk minhag Mishnah Moses Neusner Neuwirth non-Jew number seven observant Jews obsession Old Testament one's Oral Torah Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Jews permitted pilpul pretear prohibition proverb purity rabbi reason recite referred refrigerator religious ritual Rosten Sabbath day Sabbath restrictions Sabbath rules seventh day Shabbat elevator Shabbat tractate Shabbes Goy shinui shit smell synagogue taboo Ten Commandments thee thou shalt tion Torah tradition turn unclean unto violating wash word Yiddish