This collected volume publishes the contributions of numerous scholars to the International Symposium Humor in Arabic Culture, by the editor in July 2007 at the Free University of Berlin. First of all, a critical view is taken of early Muslim religious writings - and against the background of relevant Jewish and Christian pronouncements - to determine more closely the Islamic discourse on the value and non-value of humor; here too the question is examined of the extent to which normative forces were thus released which were able to set boundaries for Arabic humor. Then the wide spectrum of the humorous in classical Arabic literature is reviewed and the common elements connecting the multifarious forms of its expression are revealed as a traditional Arabic understanding of humor. Finally, the papers discuss the way Arabic humor has changed with the onset of the modern age and globalization and examine the role of humor as a vehicle of social and political criticism in Arabic societies.
Author(s): Distefano, Michel G.
Edition: 1
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 227
INNER-MIDRASHIC INTRODUCTIONS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON INTRODUCTIONS TO MEDIEVAL RABBINIC BIBLE COMMENTARIES......Page 4
Preface......Page 8
Contents......Page 10
List of Tables......Page 14
Abbreviations......Page 15
1.1 Midrashim, Medieval Rabbinic Bible Commentaries, and Their Introductions......Page 18
1.2 Overview of a Form‐Analytical Method for Unveiling the IMI......Page 24
1.3 Goldberg’s Form‐Analytical Method Applied to the IMI......Page 30
1.4 The Influence of the Inner‐Midrashic Introduction on Introductions to Medieval Rabbinic Bible Commentaries......Page 48
1.5 The Plan of the Work......Page 52
2.2 Initial Remarks about the Lemmatization of the IMI......Page 54
2.3 Introductory Material in Stereotypical Discourse......Page 55
2.4 Introductory Material in Midrash Sentences......Page 57
2.5.1 Authorship and Inspiration......Page 59
2.5.4 Methods of Interpretation......Page 60
2.5.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 61
3.2 Initial Remarks about the Lemmatization of the IMI......Page 62
3.3.1 Petiḥtah 1......Page 63
3.3.2 Petiḥtah 2......Page 64
3.3.3 Petiḥtah 3......Page 65
3.3.4. Petiḥtah 4......Page 66
3.4 Introductory Material in Midrash Sentences......Page 67
3.5.1 Authorship and Inspiration......Page 70
3.5.3 Genre......Page 71
3.5.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 72
4.1 Textual Analysis of Song of Songs Rabbah......Page 73
4.2 Initial Remarks about the Lemmatization of the IMI......Page 74
4.3.1 Petiḥtah 1......Page 75
4.3.2 Petiḥtah 2......Page 84
4.3.3 Petiḥtah 3......Page 88
4.3.4 Petiḥtah 4......Page 90
4.3.5 Petiḥtah 5......Page 93
4.4 Introductory Material in Midrash Sentences......Page 95
4.5.1 Authorship and Inspiration......Page 98
4.5.2 Time of Composition; Historical Setting......Page 99
4.5.5 Themes of Song of Songs......Page 100
4.5.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 101
5.1 Textual Analysis of Lamentations Rabbah......Page 102
5.3 Introductory Material in the Opening Petiḥtaot......Page 105
5.3.1 Petiḥtah 1......Page 108
5.3.2 Petiḥtah 2......Page 109
5.3.3 Petiḥtah 3......Page 110
5.3.5 Petiḥtah 5......Page 111
5.3.7 Petiḥtah 7......Page 112
5.3.9 Petiḥtah 9......Page 113
5.3.11 Petiḥtah 11......Page 114
5.3.12 Petiḥtah 12......Page 115
5.3.14 Petiḥtah 14......Page 116
5.3.15 Petiḥtah 16......Page 117
5.3.18 Petiḥtah 18......Page 118
5.3.21 Petiḥtah 21......Page 119
5.3.22 Petiḥtah 22......Page 120
5.3.23 Petiḥtah 23......Page 121
5.3.24 Petiḥtah 24......Page 122
5.3.25 Petiḥtah 25......Page 123
5.3.27 Petiḥtah 27......Page 124
5.3.28 Petiḥtah 28......Page 125
5.3.30 Petiḥtah 30......Page 126
5.3.31 Petiḥtah 31......Page 127
5.3.32 Petiḥtah 32......Page 128
5.3.34 Petiḥtah 34......Page 129
5.4 How the Petiḥtaot Function as Part of the IMI......Page 130
5.4.2 Summary of Paraphrases of the Base Verse......Page 131
5.5 How the Dicta and Paraphrases Function as Part of the IMI......Page 133
5.5.2 Time of Composition; Historical Setting......Page 134
5.5.5 Themes of Lamentations......Page 135
5.6 Introductory Material in Midrash Sentences......Page 136
5.7 Summary of the IMI in Lamentations Rabbah......Page 139
5.7.4 Methods of Interpretation......Page 140
5.7.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 141
6.3 Introductory Material in the Opening Petiḥtaot......Page 143
6.3.2 Petiḥtah 2......Page 144
6.3.4 Petiḥtah 4......Page 145
6.3.5 Petiḥtah 5......Page 146
6.3.6 Petiḥtah 6......Page 147
6.4 Introductory Material in Midrash Sentences......Page 148
6.5.1 Authorship and Inspiration......Page 149
6.5.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 150
7.2 Initial Remarks about the Lemmatization of the IMI......Page 152
7.3 Introductory Material in the Opening Petiḥtah......Page 153
7.4 Introductory Material in Midrash Sentences......Page 155
7.5.1 Authorship and Inspiration......Page 158
7.5.5 Themes of Proverbs......Page 159
7.5.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 160
8.1.1 The Signification of the Lemma......Page 161
8.1.2 Form of Thematic Discourse......Page 162
8.2.1 Authorship and Inspiration......Page 163
8.2.2 Time of Composition; Historical Setting......Page 165
8.2.3 Genre......Page 166
8.2.4 Methods of Interpretation......Page 167
8.2.6 Literary Forms and Unity......Page 168
9.1 Rashi’s Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Leviticus......Page 170
9.2 Rashi’s Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Psalms......Page 173
9.3 Rashi’s Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Proverbs......Page 175
9.4 Rashi’s Haqdamah and Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Song of Songs......Page 177
9.5 Rashi’s Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Lamentations......Page 181
9.6 Rashi’s “Introduction” to Genesis/The Torah......Page 183
10.1 Ibn Ezra’s Knowledge of the Ṣadr, Muḳaddima, and Prooemium......Page 184
10.2 Ibn Ezra’s Haqdamah to Psalms ‐ Second Recension......Page 185
10.3 Ibn Ezra’s Haqdamah to Song of Songs ‐ Second Recension......Page 190
11.1 Ibn Tibbon’s Adoption of the Prooemium......Page 194
11.2 Ibn Tibbon’s Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Ecclesiastes......Page 198
12.1 Radak’s Haqdamah to Genesis......Page 203
12.2 Radak’s Haqdamah to Psalms......Page 205
13.1 Ramban’s Haqdamah to Genesis......Page 209
13.2 Ramban’s Haqdamah and Inner‐Commentary Introduction to Leviticus......Page 211
13.3 Ramban’s Haqdamot and Inner‐Commentary Introductions to Numbers and Deuteronomy......Page 213
14 Conclusion......Page 214
15.2.1 Editions, Manuscripts, Translations......Page 218
15.2.2 General Studies......Page 223
15.2.3 Textual Criticism......Page 224
15.2.4 Form Analysis......Page 226
15.4.1 Editions, Translations......Page 229
15.4.2 General Studies......Page 232
15.4.3 Commentary Introductions......Page 233
16.1 Names......Page 236
16.2 Sources......Page 238
