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David Weiss Halivni was born in Poland in 1927.
Answer: False
Explanation: The source indicates David Weiss Halivni was born in Kobyletska Poliana, Czechoslovakia (now Ukraine), not Poland.
David Weiss Halivni's original surname was Halivni, which he later changed to Weiss.
Answer: False
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni's original Hebrew name was David Weiss, which he later adopted as his surname, Halivni.
David Weiss Halivni was raised primarily by his father after his parents separated.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following his parents' separation when he was four, David Weiss Halivni was raised by his maternal grandfather, Rabbi Isaiah Weiss.
During World War II, David Weiss Halivni was deported to the Dachau concentration camp.
Answer: False
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni was deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II.
David Weiss Halivni was the only member of his immediate family to survive the Holocaust.
Answer: True
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni's parents and sister perished during the Holocaust, leaving him as the sole survivor of his immediate family.
After liberation, David Weiss Halivni was sent to a refugee camp in France before immigrating to the US.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following his liberation, David Weiss Halivni was sent to a Jewish orphanage in the United States.
Where was David Weiss Halivni born?
Answer: Kobyletska Poliana, Czechoslovakia
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni was born in Kobyletska Poliana, a town that was part of Czechoslovakia at the time of his birth and is now located in Ukraine.
Which historical event profoundly shaped David Weiss Halivni's adolescence and worldview?
Answer: The Holocaust and deportation to Auschwitz
Explanation: The Holocaust, including his deportation to Auschwitz at age sixteen, profoundly impacted David Weiss Halivni's formative years and shaped his subsequent worldview and theological reflections.
What is the meaning of Halivni's surname change from Weiss?
Answer: It was a translation of his German surname 'white' into Hebrew.
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni changed his surname from Weiss, the German word for 'white,' to Halivni, the Hebrew equivalent, signifying a connection to his heritage.
David Weiss Halivni passed away in which city?
Answer: Jerusalem
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni passed away at his residence in Jerusalem, Israel.
What was David Weiss Halivni's original surname?
Answer: Weiss
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni's original surname was Weiss, which he later changed to Halivni.
David Weiss Halivni received his rabbinic ordination (semicha) at the age of 25.
Answer: False
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni received his rabbinic ordination (semicha) at the significantly earlier age of fifteen.
Rabbi Saul Lieberman recognized David Weiss Halivni's talent and became his mentor in the United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: Upon arriving in the United States, Rabbi Saul Lieberman recognized David Weiss Halivni's intellectual capabilities and served as his mentor.
David Weiss Halivni earned his doctorate in Philosophy from New York University (NYU).
Answer: False
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni earned his doctorate in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS), after completing undergraduate and master's degrees in philosophy.
How did David Weiss Halivni's early life differ from many traditional scholars?
Answer: He began his Talmudic studies at a very young age, recognized as a prodigy.
Explanation: Recognized as a prodigy, David Weiss Halivni commenced his Talmudic studies at the age of five, distinguishing his early life from many traditional scholars who might begin later or under different circumstances.
David Weiss Halivni developed a 'source-critical approach' to Talmud study.
Answer: True
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni is renowned for developing a 'source-critical approach' that revolutionized academic Talmudic scholarship.
Halivni's source-critical approach views the Talmud as a single, unified work authored by the Amoraim.
Answer: False
Explanation: Halivni's approach posits the Talmud as a multi-layered text, distinguishing between attributed rabbinic opinions and anonymous elaborations, rather than a single unified work.
Halivni identified the anonymous elaborations in the Talmud as originating from the Amoraim period.
Answer: False
Explanation: Halivni attributed these anonymous elaborations to a group he termed 'Stamma'im,' who operated after the Amoraim but before the Geonim.
The term 'Stamma'im' refers to scholars who compiled the Mishnah according to Halivni.
Answer: False
Explanation: According to Halivni, 'Stamma'im' refers to the scholars responsible for the anonymous elaborations and dialectical reasoning within the Talmudic Gemara.
Halivni observed that the Jerusalem Talmud lacks the 'Stammaitic activity' found in the Babylonian Talmud.
Answer: True
Explanation: Halivni noted a significant difference between the two Talmuds, observing the absence of the 'Stammaitic activity' in the Jerusalem Talmud that characterizes the Babylonian Talmud.
Halivni's methodology for analyzing the Talmud was universally accepted by all Jewish religious movements.
Answer: False
Explanation: Halivni's source-critical methodology generated considerable debate and remains controversial among many within the Orthodox Jewish community.
What was David Weiss Halivni's primary academic contribution?
Answer: Establishing a 'source-critical approach' to Talmud study.
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni's most significant academic contribution was the development of a rigorous 'source-critical approach' to the study of the Talmud.
According to Halivni's source-critical method, who were the 'Stamma'im'?
Answer: Scholars responsible for the anonymous elaborations within the Talmud.
Explanation: Within Halivni's framework, the 'Stamma'im' are identified as the scholars who authored the anonymous elaborations and dialectical passages found within the Talmudic text.
How did Halivni's view of the Talmud's structure differ from traditional perspectives?
Answer: He proposed the Talmud was a multi-layered text with distinct layers of authorship.
Explanation: Contrary to traditional views that often perceived the Talmud as a monolithic work, Halivni proposed it was a composite text with distinct layers of authorship and development.
What key difference did Halivni note between the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds?
Answer: The Jerusalem Talmud closely resembled the Babylonian Talmud but lacked 'Stammaitic activity'.
Explanation: Halivni observed that while the Jerusalem Talmud shares similarities with the Babylonian Talmud, it notably lacks the extensive 'Stammaitic activity' characteristic of the latter.
What was the reception of Halivni's source-critical methodology among Orthodox Jews?
Answer: It was considered controversial by many Orthodox Jews.
Explanation: Halivni's methodology was met with significant controversy among many within the Orthodox Jewish community, although it found broader acceptance in non-Orthodox circles and parts of Modern Orthodoxy.
What is the meaning of the Aramaic phrase 'stama d'Talmuda' in Halivni's work?
Answer: The anonymous material found within the Gemara.
Explanation: The Aramaic phrase 'stama d'Talmuda' refers to the anonymous material present within the Gemara, which Halivni identified as the work of the 'Stamma'im'.
Halivni's concept of *Chate'u Israel* suggests that biblical texts became corrupted during the Babylonian exile.
Answer: False
Explanation: The concept of *Chate'u Israel* proposes that biblical texts became corrupted during the period following the Israelite conquest of Canaan until the time of Ezra, not solely during the Babylonian exile.
In 'Revelation Restored,' Halivni argued that Ezra played a key role in recompiling and editing the Torah text.
Answer: True
Explanation: In his work 'Revelation Restored,' Halivni posited that Ezra and his associates were instrumental in the recompilation and editing of the Torah text upon the return from Babylonian exile.
Halivni's views on biblical text corruption align perfectly with Maimonides' thirteenth principle of faith.
Answer: False
Explanation: Halivni's theories regarding the corruption of biblical texts potentially conflicted with Maimonides' thirteenth principle of faith, which asserts the divine immutability of the Torah.
The central thesis of 'Breaking the Tablets' is that Auschwitz represents a revelation of God's complete absence from history.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 'Breaking the Tablets,' Halivni argues that Auschwitz signifies not merely divine absence but an ontological withdrawal of God from human history.
David Weiss Halivni believed the Holocaust was a divine punishment for the sins of the Jewish people.
Answer: False
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni vehemently rejected the notion that the Holocaust constituted divine punishment, distinguishing it from the concept of 'hester panim' (God hiding his face).
Halivni believed that oral tradition became less important after the corruption of the biblical text.
Answer: False
Explanation: Halivni argued that oral tradition remained crucial for preserving Jewish law, even as the written biblical text may have undergone corruption.
What does Halivni's concept of *Chate'u Israel* propose?
Answer: That the original biblical texts given to Moses became corrupted over time.
Explanation: The concept of *Chate'u Israel* (Israel has sinned) posits that the original biblical texts received by Moses suffered corruption over the centuries.
According to 'Revelation Restored,' when did Halivni suggest biblical texts became corrupted?
Answer: Following the Israelite conquest of Canaan until the time of Ezra.
Explanation: In 'Revelation Restored,' Halivni proposed that biblical texts became corrupted during the period of neglect and syncretism after the conquest of Canaan, continuing until Ezra's era (circa 450 BCE).
What role did Halivni attribute to Ezra in relation to the Torah text?
Answer: Ezra and his associates recompiled and edited the Torah text upon return from exile.
Explanation: Halivni suggested that Ezra and his contemporaries played a critical role in reassembling and editing the Torah text following the return from the Babylonian exile.
Halivni's theory about biblical text corruption potentially conflicted with which traditional Jewish theological principle?
Answer: Maimonides' principle that the Torah is divinely dictated and immutable.
Explanation: Halivni's assertion that biblical texts had become corrupted could be seen as challenging Maimonides' thirteenth principle of faith, which posits the divine origin and immutability of the Torah.
What does 'Breaking the Tablets' identify as the two opposing 'revelations' in Jewish history?
Answer: Sinai and Auschwitz
Explanation: In 'Breaking the Tablets,' Halivni frames Jewish history through two pivotal 'revelations': the divine encounter at Sinai and the catastrophic experience of Auschwitz.
How did Halivni interpret the significance of Auschwitz in his theological writings?
Answer: As an ontological withdrawal of God from human history.
Explanation: Halivni viewed Auschwitz not merely as divine abandonment ('hester panim') but as a profound ontological withdrawal of God from the course of human history.
How did Halivni attempt to reconcile biblical criticism with traditional religious belief?
Answer: By proposing the concept of *Chate'u Israel* regarding text corruption and Ezra's editing.
Explanation: Halivni sought to bridge biblical criticism and traditional faith by introducing the concept of *Chate'u Israel*, which addresses the potential corruption and subsequent editing of biblical texts.
What theological theme is explored in Halivni's book 'Breaking the Tablets: Jewish Theology After the Shoah'?
Answer: The concept of divine absence and withdrawal from history following the Holocaust.
Explanation: 'Breaking the Tablets' delves into the theological implications of the Holocaust, focusing on the concept of divine absence and withdrawal from history.
What did Halivni suggest about the role of oral tradition in Jewish law?
Answer: It played a crucial role in preserving laws despite potential corruption of the written text.
Explanation: Halivni posited that oral tradition was vital in maintaining the integrity of Jewish law, serving as a safeguard even when the written biblical text might have been compromised.
Zipporah Hager, David Weiss Halivni's wife, was a descendant of the Vizhnitzer Rebbes.
Answer: True
Explanation: Zipporah Hager, whom David Weiss Halivni married in 1953, was indeed a descendant of the prominent Vizhnitzer Hasidic dynasty.
David Weiss Halivni taught Talmud at Princeton University for most of his career.
Answer: False
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni held significant positions at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) and later at Columbia University, not Princeton.
Halivni retired from Columbia University in 2005 and subsequently moved to England.
Answer: False
Explanation: Upon retiring from Columbia University in 2005, David Weiss Halivni relocated to Israel, where he continued teaching.
Halivni's autobiography is titled 'The Book and the Sword: A Life of Learning in the Shadow of Destruction'.
Answer: True
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni's autobiography, chronicling his life experiences, particularly in the context of the Holocaust and his subsequent scholarly pursuits, is indeed titled 'The Book and the Sword: A Life of Learning in the Shadow of Destruction'.
David Weiss Halivni won the Israel Prize for his work in philosophy.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Israel Prize, awarded in 2008, recognized David Weiss Halivni's significant contributions to Talmudic studies, not philosophy.
The Bialik Prize was awarded to Halivni for his contributions to Jewish thought in 1985.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1985, David Weiss Halivni was a recipient of the Bialik Prize, acknowledging his significant contributions to Jewish thought.
Halivni's book 'Midrash, Mishnah, and Gemara' examines the Jewish tradition's inclination towards law supported by reasoning.
Answer: True
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni's 1986 work, 'Midrash, Mishnah, and Gemara: The Jewish Predilection for Justified Law,' explores the development of Jewish law and its emphasis on reasoned justification.
The image accompanying the article shows David Weiss Halivni in his youth.
Answer: False
Explanation: The image referenced depicts David Weiss Halivni in 2016, not during his youth.
Who was David Weiss Halivni?
Answer: A rabbi and scholar of Talmud, professor of Jewish studies.
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni was a distinguished rabbi and scholar of Talmud, holding professorial positions in Jewish studies.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a notable published work by David Weiss Halivni?
Answer: The Guide for the Perplexed
Explanation: While Halivni authored numerous significant works, 'The Guide for the Perplexed' is a seminal text by Maimonides, not by Halivni.
For which work did David Weiss Halivni receive the National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship?
Answer: Revelation Restored: Divine Writ and Critical Responses
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni received the National Jewish Book Award in Scholarship in 1997 for his work 'Revelation Restored: Divine Writ and Critical Responses'.
In what year was David Weiss Halivni awarded the prestigious Israel Prize?
Answer: 2008
Explanation: David Weiss Halivni was honored with the Israel Prize in 2008 for his profound contributions to Talmudic studies.
Which university appointed David Weiss Halivni as the Littauer Professor of Talmud and Classical Rabbinics?
Answer: Columbia University
Explanation: Columbia University appointed David Weiss Halivni to the distinguished position of Littauer Professor of Talmud and Classical Rabbinics.
What is the subject of Halivni's 2013 book, 'The Formation of the Babylonian Talmud'?
Answer: The historical development and structuring of the Babylonian Talmud.
Explanation: Halivni's 2013 publication, 'The Formation of the Babylonian Talmud,' likely examines the historical processes and editorial stages involved in the compilation of the Babylonian Talmud.
What did Halivni's autobiography, 'The Book and the Sword,' primarily focus on?
Answer: His experiences during the Holocaust and subsequent life.
Explanation: 'The Book and the Sword: A Life of Learning in the Shadow of Destruction' is David Weiss Halivni's autobiography, detailing his life, with a significant focus on his Holocaust experiences and subsequent academic journey.
David Weiss Halivni supported the immediate ordination of women rabbis at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1983.
Answer: False
Explanation: Halivni believed that while halakhic pathways for women's ordination might exist, he advocated for more time and deliberation rather than immediate implementation.
What was the core issue in the 1983 controversy at JTS involving David Weiss Halivni?
Answer: The training and ordination of women as rabbis.
Explanation: The central point of contention in the 1983 controversy at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) involving David Weiss Halivni concerned the institution's policies on the training and ordination of women as rabbis.
How did Halivni view the decision by JTS regarding women's ordination in 1983?
Answer: As a policy decision requiring further rabbinic deliberation.
Explanation: Halivni characterized the JTS decision on women's ordination as a policy matter rather than a final halakhic ruling, suggesting that more time was needed for thorough rabbinic consideration.