Description
Book SynopsisWhat holds a society together, what makes it dissolve, and how is a society in crisis restored? These are the questions explored in this study, which brings the Serek ha-Yahad (IQS) into dialogue with mimetic theory. It thus aims to shed light on the forms of life and thought in the yahad, as well as on their underlying reason and purpose. From the analysis emerges an image of a community that not only has a strong awareness of the mechanisms of violence, but also of its cure. Its hierarchical organization and strict regulations are motivated by a perceived dissolution of contemporary society. By subordinating personal desire to community discipline and by establishing a system of differentiation, the yahad seeks to provide a model of how a society ought to be functioning.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1 The Mimetic Theory of René Girard 1 Desire Is Triangular and Mimetic 2 Sacred Violence 3 Things Hidden since the Foundation of the World 4 That Only One Man Should Die 5 Satan, Scandal, and the Holy Spirit 2 The Imperative of the Ritual (I, 1–III, 12) 1 Introduction 2 The Internal Organization of the Section 3 The Bond Restraining Acquisitive Mimesis (I, 1–20) 4 Expelling Scapegoat Mechanisms (I, 21–II, 10) 5 “Woe to the One by Whom Scandal Comes!” (II, 11–18) 6 Restoring Differences (II, 19–III, 12) 7 Conclusions: Becoming the Surrogate Victim 3 Myth Subverted (III, 13–IV, 26) 1 Introduction 2 The Internal Organization of the Section 3 The Prince of This World (III, 13–IV, 1) 4 The Two Ways (IV, 2–8, IV, 9–14) 5 Changing the Matrix of Society (IV, 15–26) 6 Conclusions: The Birth of a Movement 4 The Imperative of the Prohibition (V, 1–VII, 25) 1 Introduction 2 The Internal Organization of the Section 3 Establishing a Differential System (V, 1–VI, 8a) 4 Rules of Speech and Rules of Admission (V, 8b–VI, 23) 5 Forbidden Behaviors (VI, 24–VII, 25) 6 Conclusion: The Hidden Truth 5 A Foundation for Truth (VIII, 1–IX, 11) 1 Introduction 2 The Internal Organization of the Section 3 A Voice in the Wilderness (VIII, 1–19) 4 Transgressions of the Torah (VIII, 20–IX, 2) 5 A Foundation of Holy Spirit (IX, 3–11) 6 Conclusion: The Stone That Rebuilds Society 6 The Innocent Victim Revealed (IX, 12–XI, 22) 1 Introduction 2 The Internal Organization of the Section 3 The Knowledge of the Maśkîl (IX, 12–21a) 4 This World and the World to Come (IX, 21b–X, 5) 5 Text Analysis 6 Establishing Boundaries (X, 6–17a) 7 To Pursue Humanity with Goodness (X, 17b–XI, 15a) 8 The Knowledge of the Victim (XI, 15b–22) 9 Conclusion: The Suffering Servant Identified General Conclusions: A New Social Contract Bibliography Index
