History and Halakhah, Intellect and Spirit

History and Halakhah, Intellect and Spirit gathers the major scholarly essays, including many newly translated from Hebrew, of a master of medieval and early modern Jewish intellectual history. Isadore Twersky (1930–1997) was one of the outstanding Maimonidean scholars of his time, whose work spanned Jewish historical creativity from Geonic times through the seventeenth century, and also touched on contemporary issues and figures. He was the Littauer Professor of Hebrew Literature and Philosophy at Harvard University and founder of its Center for Jewish Studies. This volume presents Twersky’s works on Maimonidean studies, halakhic scholars and literature, Halakhah and meta-halakhah, Jewish intellectual history and contemporary themes. The introduction surveys Twersky’s life and presents the major themes and ideas in his scholarship to a new readership.