Hasdai Crescas - The Lifschitz Edition Collected Writings (The Library of the Jewish People, 2023, Edited by Roslyn Weiss)

Reviewed by Rabbi Moshe Maimon, Jackson, NJ

I hold in my hands a magnificent and beautifully produced volume containing critical and elucidated editions of all the known writings of Rabbi Hasdai Crescas, a volume which is sure to help bring this very important Jewish sage to the attention of the public and to finally give him the kudos he so richly deserves.

R. Hasdai, perhaps better known to chovshei beis hamidrash as Rabbeinu Chisdai, Crescas (or “Krashkash”!), was a primary student of the Ran (Rabbenu Nissim of Gerona, author of important Talmudic commentaries), and the rebbi of R. Yoseph Albo, author of his own important work on Jewish belief, the Sefer ha-Ikkarim. The life of R. Hasdai (ca. 1340–1410) spanned a tumultuous period in Jewish history for the Jews of Spain, in which Jewish belief was constantly assailed from without by the heavy-handed Catholic Church, which wielded significant influence and power in Spain. Jewish belief was also undermined from within by an intellectual elite which, while claiming fealty to Maimonidean philosophy, had grown disenchanted with traditional Jewish values.

R. Hasdai, one of Spanish Jewry’s most important leaders during this period, played a significant role in responding to the intellectual challenges of his time, leaving his indelible mark on Jewish thought in the process.

He is perhaps best known for his philosophical work, Or Hashem (Light of the Lord), in which he critiques Aristotelian philosophy, particularly the ideas of Maimonides, and offers an original synthesis of Jewish tradition using various philosophical and scientific sources. This work, while notoriously a difficult read, combines sophisticated philosophical erudition with penetrating (and perhaps sometimes pilpulistic) analysis of rabbinic theological statements, to produce a strict-interpretationist hashkafah, one that was more rigorous than what he considered to be Maimonides’ loose-interpretationist and rationalistically flexible model.

As one example from many, reference can be made to R. Hasdai’s rejection of the Maimonidean doctrine of free-will, opting instead for complicated dichotomy whereby determinism reigns supreme in the realm of action, and choice is restricted primarily to matters of conscience and emotion. To R. Hasdai, this represents a more theologically sound position, and one that adheres to a stricter interpretation of rabbinic statements pertaining to God’s uncontested foreknowledge and control of earthly, even human, events (This discussion make up Part Five of Book Two, beginning on p. 918; compare also the translator’s introductory remarks, pp. 337-340).

Among later Spanish authors, we find some, such as R. Judah Lirma (active in Italy in the 16^th century) who, in his commentary to Avot (1:14), Lechem Yehuda, would take up R. Hasdai’s position, albeit with no reference being made in this work to Or Hashem. Despite the disparity in language—the latter work is written in a popular dialect which bears no resemblance to the heavy philosophical tone of Or Hashem—we may rightly assume that only after Rabbi Crescas had staked out this territory could later authors confidently identify with an opinion that Maimonides had so severely proscribed (see the latter’s Laws of Repentance, Chapter 5, and Introduction to Avot, Chapter 8).

Other of R. Hasdai’s polemical and exegetical works sought to combat the tenets of Catholicism which were being force-fed to the Jewish minority in the inquisitorial climate of Spain of the late Middle Ages, which would eventually escalate into widespread persecution, expulsion, and forced conversions. These works provided tactical support, as well as solace and relief for the beleaguered masses, while demonstrating R. Hasdai’s great courage and leadership abilities.

Students of rabbinic writings are well aware of the challenges of finding good editions of R. Hasdai’s works, and then of properly understanding them when they can be found. So much so, that the following paraphrase of Kohelet (7:24) suggests itself as wholly appropriate: That which is far off (רחק – רבי חסדאי קרשקש), and exceedingly deep, who can find it?

Thus, the Lifschitz Edition of the Collected Writings of Hasdai Crescas, curated under the pioneering initiative of the Library of the Jewish People and edited by Roslyn Weiss, is a magnificent addition to the scholarly world. This compact yet comprehensive volume, spanning nearly 1500 pages, presents Rabbi Crescas's seminal work, Or Hashem, alongside the entirety of his literary oeuvre, arranged in the order of their composition.

From the Epistle to the Jews of Avignon to Crescas's Refutation of Christian Principles and The Passover Sermon, culminating of course with R. Hasdai’s aforementioned magnum opus, this edition offers readers a chronological journey through the intellectual evolution of one of Judaism's most influential thinkers. By contextualizing these works within Rabbi Crescas's life and the historical backdrop of 13th and 14th-century Jewish thought, readers gain a deeper appreciation for the ideas presented.

The volume affords us meticulously prepared Hebrew texts—including, in the case of Or Hashem, the recently published critical edition by Rabbi Levin—while the English translation maintains a superb quality, ensuring accessibility without compromising the nuances of R. Hasdai's complex writing style. This attention to detail allows readers to engage with Rabbi Crescas's ideas with clarity and depth.

The introductions and notes add crucial background along with explanations for R. Hasdai’s sometimes obtuse language. Moreover, the volume opens with a timeline spanning from 1263 to 1492 CE, providing valuable context for understanding Rabbi Crescas's intellectual milieu, beginning with the famous Barcelona disputation of Nahmanides in 1263, which serves as a crucial backdrop for Rabbi Crescas's thought.

In summary, The Lifschitz Edition of the Collected Writings of Hasdai Crescas is a scholarly triumph, offering both seasoned scholars and curious readers alike an unparalleled opportunity to delve into the mind of one of Jewish philosophy's most profound thinkers. Readers who have longed to access the thought of this important personage can now do so easily and affordably. It is hoped that they take advantage of this wonderful contribution by the Library of the Jewish People, and help spread the luminous Light of the Lord, as brilliantly refracted by R. Hasdai, among all the Jewish people.

Purchase the new edition here.

Listen to an episode on Seforimchatter with R’ Daniel Levin discussing bis new edition of Ohr Hashem here.

To submit an essay for the substack please email seforimchatter@gmail.com.