All content for Down The Rabbi Hole is the property of Elli Fischer and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
Deep dives into forgotten corners of Jewish culture and social, material, and intellectual history.
Using Non-Jewish Names - a Close Reading of Rav Asher Weiss's Essay
Down The Rabbi Hole
58 minutes 38 seconds
2 years ago
Using Non-Jewish Names - a Close Reading of Rav Asher Weiss's Essay
According to a well-known narrative, the Bnei Yisrael did not change their names, language, or dress in Egypt. Elsewhere I have written about the origins and iterations of this and related ideas. See: https://www.academia.edu/28574595/_They_did_not_Change_their_Names_their_Language_or_their_Dress_The_Life_cycle_of_a_Peculiar_Midrashic_Variant. An interesting treatment of this issue is found in a "quasi-responsum" or "pseudo-responsum" of Rav Asher Weiss: Minchas Asher on Shemos, siman 1. Available here: https://minchasasher.com/shiur/shmot-shmot-shiurim/jewish-identity-shelo-shinu-5778/. I think this essay actually helps us understand Rav Asher and his public persona, how he perceives himself as a bridge between different worlds.
Down The Rabbi Hole
Deep dives into forgotten corners of Jewish culture and social, material, and intellectual history.
