David Zvi Hoffmann
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David Zvi Hoffmann (November 24, 1843,
He was an expert in Midrash halakha and the foremost halakhic authority in Germany in his generation.
He is well known for his strident literary opposition to the Graf-Wellhausen theories of Biblical origin, while he quotes prominent Wissenschaft figures in his researches on Mishnah and Talmud.[1]
His commentary on the Pentateuch is still often referred to.
Education and career
Born in
Shortly after obtaining his degree, he became employed as a teacher in
A selective Wissenschaft practitioner
David Hoffmann is in some ways the prototype of the contemporary
He employed the critical scientific method to the
Hoffman was the leading authority on traditional
I willingly agree that, in consequence of the foundation of my belief, I am unable to arrive at the conclusion that the
Pentateuch was written by anyone other than Moses...We believe that the whole
Bible is true, holy, and of divine origin. That every word of the Torahwas inscribed by divine command is expressed in the principle Torah min Ha Shamayim... We must not presume to set ourselves up as critics of the author of a biblical text or doubt the truth of his statements or question the correctness of his teaching...The Jewish commentator must (therefore) constantly be on guard against interpreting the passage in such a way as to appear to be in conflict with traditional
Halachah. Just as the Torah as a divine revelation must not contradict itself, in the same way it must not contradict the Oral Law which is of divine origin.
Yet, despite the piety of the above sentiments, and his repeated proclamations regarding the divinity of the Oral Law, Hoffmann was still very much the
The extent to which Hoffmann resided in the Wissenschaft movement can also be seen from the criticism he received from such opponents of the movement as Samson Raphael Hirsch. Hildesheimer notes regarding Hirsch's opinion of his Rabbinical Seminary (where Hoffmann worked[2] after leaving Hirsch's institution) that "a question certainly exists as to whether Rabbi Hirsch considers the seminary to be an Orthodox institution." Hirsch's opposition extended to Hoffmann's own work, judging Hoffmann's book Mar Samuel to contain heresies (Ellenson & Jacobs 1988).
Hoffmann's resolution of this tension between faithfulness to tradition and textual criticism is found by Ellenson & Jacobs (1988) in the following passage from the introduction to The First Mishna:
Thus, in the study of the
halachahfixed in the Talmud) as well as any research as to the age of the Mishna and the time of its expression in the extant form is not only considered permissible to us, but even required for the scientific examination of the tradition.
Writings
Hoffman produced the Die Erste Mishna (The First Mishna), mentioned above, a historical and linguistic analysis of the Mishnah. Die Erste Mishna posits an early, uniform, undisputed, and therefore authoritative collection of the Oral Law, attempting to understand the historical development of the Mishnah from within itself and from rabbinic and non-rabbinic sources related to it.[3] In this and the below work, Hoffmann draws on his expertise in midrash halakha and Semitic languages. For further context, see Oral Torah #In rabbinic literature and commentary.
His commentary on the
Hoffmann's Melamed Le-ho'il, are responsa on then contemporary issues, as based on historical evidence of tradition. He also published a translation of two of the orders of the Mishna into German.
Most of his writings were in German and remain so to this day. The First Mishna was translated into English, and a selection of his comments on the
References
General
- .
Cited
- ^ David Zvi Hoffmann, sefaria.org
- ^ a b c d
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Singer, Isidore (1901–1906). "Hoffmann, David". In Singer, Isidore; et al. (eds.). The Jewish Encyclopedia. New York: Funk & Wagnalls. Retrieved Jan 30, 2017.
- ^ Prof. Michael Chernick (2016). "The Modern Study of Mishna: Rabbi Dr. David Zvi Hoffmann’s Approach"
- ^ Dr A. Rock. Radatz Hoffmann, etzion.org.il
- ^ "פירושי הרב דוד צבי הופמן - שמות". מוסד הרב קוק (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2024-01-25.
- ^ at alhatorah.org
External links
- His Pentateuch commentary translated into Hebrew: Genesis, Deuteronomy
- Zur Einleitung in die halachischen Midraschim
- The first Mishna / The highest court by Rabbi Dr David Hoffmann, translated by Paul Forchheimer
- Digitized works by David Zvi Hoffmann at the Leo Baeck Institute, New York