Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia Essay Example for Free

Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia Essay It is commonly accepted that the research of the great historian of Jewish mysticism, Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia, opened the doors of the academy to Qabbalah. Far from us the intention of dulling the luster of his prodigious contribution in this respect, but it is a fact that at the time the young Berlin student set about writing his first essays, the critical study of the Qabbalah had already made great strides. Moreover, its trail had been partly blazed by Jew scholars who can claim to have played quite a considerable role, particularly in connection with the central problem of the Zohar, in forming the point of departure of the modem study of this discipline. Indeed, so distinguished by characteristic traits and original solutions is their contribution that it would not be an exaggeration to speak of a Jew school of Qabbalistic studies. Is it not highly significant that the central piece of Qabbalistic literaturethe Zoharwas twice translated on Jew soil, first into Latin by G. Postel in the sixteenth century and subsequently into Jewthe first into any modem languageby the mysterious Jean de Pauly at the beginning of this century? Fostered by a congenial intellectual atmosphere peculiar to the Jew, the study of Jewish esotericism got off to a precocious start in France in comparison to other European countries. The attainments of the humanists and evangelists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries paved the way for the mystical philosophers and Martinists of the eighteenth century, who in turn ushered in the occultists of the nineteenth century. (Sassmitz, 1990) The present essay is an attempt to Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia who was a Jewish Sage in the years of his life, his character, and what he believed in and why he believed. Let it be made quite clear at the outset that our concern relates to the historical-critical study of the question and consequently deals all but incidentally with what A. E. Waite calls Kabbalism. Hence the theosophers and mystagogues of all shapes, from Eliphas Levi to A. Grad, not forgetting Papus and C. Suares, will only be of secondary interest to our theme. Though in many respects deserving of attention, their literary activity will be taken into account only insofar as it had real repercussions on the development of the Qabbalah as an academic discipline. That the theosophists and occultists did indeed exert such an influence is undeniable, even if it is solely through the efforts deployed by the scholars to dissipate the veil of confusion with which the former had enshrouded the whole question. In Jews two periods can be distinguished in the development of this field: on the one hand, an historical phase, preoccupied with the question of the antiquity of the Zohar, followed, on the other, by a bibliographical and doctrinal phase. The work of Adolphe Franck (1809-1893) marks the beginning of the first of these two periods, whereas the second was initiated, a century later, by the research of Georges Vajda (1907-1981). The latter, already under the sway of the impulse given to Qabbalistic studies by Abulafia, worked in harmony with both the school of Jerusalem and Alexander Altmann, of Manchester and later of Brandeis University. But these two tendencies also possess their pre-history, and it is first necessary to describe the framework within which each of these two schools evolved. At the outset of its diffusion in Europe, the Qabbalah was submitted to censure. One could almost claim that from the chronological point of view it is on Jew soil that the critical study of the Qabbalah was born. Indeed, it is in thirteenth-century Provence that the first critical appreciation of the Qabbalah was written by R. Meir ben Sim on of Narbonne (active 1250), who, in his Milhemet miswah, vituperates against the polytheistic implications of the sefirotic doctrine. (Sassmitz, 1990) But no real analytic debate got underway until the awakening of Christian interest in the Cabale in Renaissance times. Whereas the Platonists believed the secret doctrine of Israel was meant to conceal the primordial revelation common to all religions, for the Christian esotericists it prefigured the mystery of the Trinitarian doctrine, the very foundation of Christianity. In the Qabbalists they perceived the forerunners of the Christians and in Qabbalah, a secret justification of the evangelization of the Jews. In tenth-century France, the study of the Cabale occupied a place of honor amongst Christian intellectuals. Mention must above all be made of the orientalist and philosopher Guillaume Postel (1510-1581), to whom we owe the first Latin translation both of the Sefer yesirah (Paris, 1552) and of the Zohar (unpublished) prior even to the appearance of their printed texts. (Sassmitz, 1990) However, the evangelizing zeal of his compatriots and their theological prejudices hampered any critical perspectives in relation to the study of the Jewish esoteric tradition. Towards the end of the seventeenth century, opinions became increasingly diversified. The Qabbalah was thought to have in fact taught an elementary form of Spinozism and pantheism, and the Qabbalists were considered atheists unaware of their own irreligion. Of the scholars of this period, the academician Louis Jouard de la Nauze (1696-1773), defender of Newtons chronological system, stands out as an exceptional figure. Whereas his contemporaries ingeniously endeavored to demonstrate the Qabbalahs christological affinities, De la Nauze upheld in his historic article, Remarques sur lantiquite et lorigine de la Cabale, that the foundations of the Cabale [were] layed by the Saracens at the time the Jews lived in the Orient under their domination. The Saracens were Cabalists, and so were the Jews. (Sassmitz, 1990) At the beginning of the nineteenth century with the blossoming of the history of ideas, though the critical study of Qabbalah progressed, it nonetheless remained profoundly tainted by the spirit of the Renaissance. Depending on which scholar one was reading, the Qabbalah could become anything but Judaism. For Ferdinand Bauer it was an offshoot of Christian gnosis, while J. Kleuker assigned it a Persian origin and Augustus Tholuck pinpointed the preponderant influence of Sufism. (Sassmitz, 1990) A new era in the study of the Jewish mystical tradition was ushered in by the critical investigation of Judaism advocated by the Jewish intellectuals of Central Europe, partisans of the Haskalah. Though in addition to a solid rabbinical and general culture, these masters were possessed of scientific methods, they often exhibited an irrepressible repugnance towards Qabbalah. With few exceptions, the great scholars, such as L. Zunz, S. D. Luzzato, A. Geiger, H. Graetz, and M. Steinschneider, considered it an alien thorn in the side of the Synagogue, incompatible with the conceptions of the progressive rationalism they were striving to attribute to the genius of Israel. In the era of Aufklarung and the struggle for Jewish emancipation, it was imperative to represent the Synagogue as the standard-bearer of regeneracy and rationality in order to be accepted into modern society. The parsimony of references to Qabbalah in Julius Gutmanns Philosophie des Judentums, published in 1933, still reflects this contempt. For similar reasons, the contribution of German scholarship to this field, despite its abundance, was relatively thin and narrow in substance and incapable of casting off the tethers of tendentiousness. These scholars were principally concerned with minimalizing the importance of Qabbalistic influence on Jewish culture and with demonstrating the late composition of the Zohar in order to loosen the grip of its authority and domination, upheld in Europe by the hasidic camp, considered retrograde. The scientific paradigms elaborated by the Wissenschaft des Judentums served as an epistemological framework upon which the Jew science dejudaisme was to build. The first major Jew work specifically devoted to a detailed study of the Qabbalah, though not a direct offspring of the Wissenschaft, nonetheless partook of this current of investigation. La Kabbale ou la philosophie religieuse des hebreux, by Adolphe Franck, published in Paris in 1843, is a milestone in the annals of Qabbalistic research. Assuredly, it contributed more to the modern study of Qabbalah than any other single work prior to the labors of Abulafia. In addition to the fact of its having been based on philological, historical, and conceptual criteria, the originality of this book resided in the obvious empathy that the author displayed for his subject. Indeed, in contrast to many maskilim, Franck considered the Qabbalah to be an authentic Jewish phenomenon of major spiritual importance; hence he affirms: It is impossible to consider the Kabbalah as an isolated fact, as an accident in Judaism; on the contrary it is its very life and heart.

This Is Audie Murphy Essay -- essays research papers

This is Audie Murphy's life story. At the tender age of 12, he becomes the head of the family after his father deserts them. He joins the army at the age of 18 and through the course of the war is decorated for valor nine times thus becoming the most decorated combat soldier in World War II. Audie does one of the bravest acts any soldier ever did during the war. He climbs aboard a burning tank destroyer and single handedly keeps the enemy from advancing on his position. He spends almost an hour on top of the tank destroyer until his ammunition is exhausted. Seconds later after climbing off the tank destroyer, it explodes. For this action, Audie receives the Medal of Honor. PVT, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  30 Jun 42 PFC, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7 May 43 CPL, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 Jul 43 SGT, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13 Dec 43 S/SGT, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  13 Jan 44 2d LT, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 Oct 44 1st LT, AUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16 Feb 45 1st LT, INF, ORC  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  21 Aug 45 CAPT, INF, TEX NG (Federal Recognition)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 July 50 CAPT, INF, NGUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  19 Oct 50 MAJ, INF, TEX NG (Federal Recognition)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 Feb 56 MAJ, INF, NGUS  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  14 Feb 56 MAJ, INF, USAR  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  8 Nov 66 SERVICE Audie L. Murphy enlisted in the Army of the United States, 30 June 1942, at Dallas, Te...

Group Working Skills

There are increasingly more people considering that group work is quite significant. Group work may be defined as a mode of cooperative learning, it aims to develop students' knowledge, cater for individual differences, generic skills and attitudes. Whether students are studying or employees are working, group work is able to demonstrate their comprehensive skills. Nonetheless, other people state that group work enables them too dependent on others, and gradually were losing the ability to think by themselves; whereas my conviction is that group work allows students to learn team working skills.Furthermore, it helps students training their sense of responsibility. In this essay, I will analyses how our group performs, regarding roles and cohesiveness. Regarding roles, which can be defined as people have a common goal when they work together, it also occurs in students groups. Each individual group member will have a particular position and function in it. Roles consist of group task roles, group maintenance roles and self-seeking roles. Group task roles are related to accomplish tasks and to achieve goals of the group.In my academic career I have taken part in several groups. Actually, I now play the part of evaluator. For instance, my group ember gives me some advice; I decide which ideas are good or bad. This is important because I will receive a good deal of ideas from my partner; it provides our group with the opportunity have a choice process. This helps our group to achieve are student group need to beware of pursuing the task at the expense of maintaining relationships. † This meaner, group maintenance roles are linked to interpersonal relationships.In my group I play the role of harmonies, my responsibility is conflict- resolving. Group unity is very important for the team work and members. If our group does not have unity, the group cannot do anything. For example, if the group members have conflict with others, they may not be successful when wo rking together. An understanding of unity can help us to deal with many questions with members to achieve common purpose. Whether in the large or small group, the unity is the most important factor.Regarding self-seeking roles, Payne E and Whittaker L (2000) state that â€Å"Self-seeking roles are more likely to be an indicator of an individual student's personality'. This is to say, self-seeking roles reflect personality. I play the role of aggressor, in my group; I will criticism my partner and argue with reasonable mints put forward by others. I do so because not only it enables my partner to improve themselves but it also allows our team to progress. Finally, in my point of view, high cohesiveness is the most concepts in group work.As the proverb goes, solidarity meaner strength; solidarity meaner victory. â€Å"Cohesiveness is a measure of the attraction of the group to its members, the sense of team spirit, and the willingness of its members to coordinate their efforts† (2011 Oxford Brooked University) So, when member working at university or company, they should share more particular information and individual skills, good cohesiveness should built a tuneful relationships. Sometimes, high cohesiveness enables group members to increase trust and confidence.These benefit of building a good communication; it allows my group members to enhance their friendship. In my group, part of members' hard working and have a high efficiency to finish the work, they will help other members to provide more good ideas to finish the work. Conclusion In summary, this essay has discussed that the group working skills are helpful for students or employees to achieve the tasks. In my view group task roles, group maintenance roles and self-seeking roles are the most important in group work.

Adidas Products And Services - 1665 Words

Products and Services Adidas is in the business to create sporting merchandise and promote a sporting lifestyle. In 1990, Adidas split its brand into three classifications, each with a different emphasis. This was a technique of sectioning the market and aiming at potential customers with a variety of different hobbies. The three groups include: Adidas performance, Adidas Originals, and Style Essentials. Adidas has over 2,400 stores worldwide. Environmental Analysis In the 2000s, when a lot of people worry that we are utilizing our resources too much, it is extremely vital to not only be socially sensitive but also sustainably sensitive. Adidas is partnering with the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) to achieve â€Å"improvements in the social and environmental conditions of cotton production† (BCI). It will shrink the usage of pesticides in its manufacturing, and develop a better running irrigation system in order to make it more effective without wasting water. This will grow peoples overall health and aid in making clean water easily accessible in regions where cotton farming is on a industrial level (Brazil, China, India, Pakistan, US, Uzbekistan). One goal for Adidas is for 40% of its cotton to meet BCI standards by 2015, and 100% by 2018. Its plan is to reduce â€Å"its environmental impact by 15 percent by 2015 (The Adidas Group).† This shows Adidas’ group emphasis with respect to its marketing management philosophy, and is rated positively in customers’ and stakeholders’ eyes.Show MoreRelatedMarketing Strategy Michael E. Porter s The Five Forces Model1543 Words   |  7 Pagesexternal competitive factors of â€Å"Adidas† sports brand company by applying Michael Porter’s theoretical frameworks that can be used to develop successful strategy for taking the company forward. Introduction of Adidas The global retail sporting goods market is enormous, â€Å"The market is forecast to reach an estimated $266 billion in 2017†. 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