The Kuzari

description of book Arguments in defense of Judaism ”The Kuzari is one of the most important works in the history of Jewish thought. Although close to a thousand years have passed since its composition, it is still very relevant.” — Rabbi Itamar Eldar The king of Khazaria is deeply troubled. He is devoted to the pagan religion of the Khazars, but in his dreams, an angel tells him that his actions are not pleasing to God. Spurred by the dreams, he decides to examine the various philosophical options available to him. After listening – and rejecting – proponents of Christianity and Islam, he calls for a rabbi to present his religion and beliefs. The king has low expectations. “I had already decided not to question a Jew, because I am aware of the Jews’ reduced condition and deficient beliefs. Their misery has left them nothing commendable.” How will the rabbi present his religion and defend the principles of his faith? The Kuzari is a classic work of Jewish philosophy, written in 1140 by celebrated Jewish poet and philosopher Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi. His goal was to defend Judaism against attacks from philosophers, Christian and Muslim theologians, and Karaites. The book takes the form of a dialogue between the pagan king of the Khazars and a Jewish scholar who was invited to instruct him in the tenets of the Jewish religion. It is based on the true story of the conversion of the Khazar royalty and aristocracy to Judaism in the 8th century. Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi wrote his magnum opus in Judeo-Arabic, the Arabic dialect spoken by Jews living in the Arab world. This English translation is based on Rabbi Yitzhak Shilat’s faithful translation into Hebrew, Sefer Ha-Kuzari: Precise Hebrew Translation in the Style of the Period of Its Composition. The book includes a biography of Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi and a summary of the central arguments of The Kuzari. “In defending Judaism… against the philosophers, he was conscious of defending morality itself and therewith the cause, not only of Judaism, but of mankind at large.” –Leo Strauss “The Kuzari is the beginning, the foundation. From here you will build your world of faith.” — Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook