Studies in Judaism First Series by Solomon Schechter, M.A., Litt.D. Philadelphia The Jewish Publication Society of America 1911 CONTENTS Preface Introduction I. The Chassidim II. Nachman Krochmal and the “Perplexities Of The Time” III. Rabbi Elijah Wilna, Gaon IV. Nachmanides V. A Jewish Boswell VI. The Dogmas Of Judaism VII. The History of Jewish Tradition VIII. The Doctrine of Divine Retribution in Rabbinical Literature IX. The Law And Recent Criticism X. The Hebrew Collection of the British Museum XI. Titles of Jewish Books XII. The Child in Jewish Literature XIII. Woman in Temple and Synagogue XIV. The Earliest Jewish Community in Europe Index Footnotes [Cover Art] [Transcriber’s Note: The above cover image was produced by the submitter at Distributed Proofreaders, and is being placed into the public domain.] TO THE EVER‐CHERISHED MEMORY OF THE LATE DR. P. F. FRANKL, RABBI IN BERLIN THESE STUDIES ARE REVERENTLY DEDICATED PREFACE These studies appeared originally in their first form in _The Jewish Quarterly_ and _The Jewish Chronicle_. To the Editors of these periodicals my best thanks are due for their readiness in placing the articles at my disposal for the purposes of the present volume. The Introductory Essay is new. I desire to express my sincere gratitude to Mr. J. G. Frazer, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and Dr. J. Sutherland Black, of London, for their great kindness in revising the proofs, and for many a valuable suggestion. To Mr. Claude G. Montefiore I am indebted for the English version of the Essay on “Chassidim”—my first literary effort in this country, written at his own suggestion. In the transliteration of Hebrew names, I have given the familiar English forms of the authorised version. As regards post‐Biblical names, I have with few exceptions followed Zedner’s _Catalogue of the Hebrew Books in the Library of the British Museum_. A Hebrew word will be found here and there in the text; I have purposely avoided bewildering devices for representing the actual sound of the word, contenting myself with the ordinary Roman alphabet, in spite of its shortcomings. The authorities used for the various Essays will be found indicated in the Notes at the end of the volume, where the reader will also find short biographical and bibliographical notices, together with brief explanations of technical terms for which no exact equivalent exists in English. The index will, it is hoped, facilitate reference. _S. S._ CAMBRIDGE, _February 1896_. INTRODUCTION