Nechama Leibowitz

Nechama Leibowitz (* 1905 in Riga, † April 12, 1997 in Jerusalem) was a Biblical scholar, commentator and teacher, who brought about a revival of Bible study among Israeli Jews in the second half of the 20th century.

Life

The sister of Yeshayahu Leibowitz was born in Riga and grew up in Berlin since 1919. There she studied at the Friedrich- Wilhelm- University in Marburg and where they dargest 1930 Karl Helm on the translation technique of the Jewish-German translations of the Bible in the 15th and 16th century. doctorate at d Psalms, and moved in the same year to Eretz Israel. 25 years she taught there at the Mizrachi Teachers seminar at Tel Aviv University and at other schools, including the Hesder yeshivot. Since 1957, she taught at Tel Aviv University itself and was eleven years later a full professor.

In 1942, she had begun to reproduce pages with questions about the weekly Torah portion and distribute. Over the years, these "pages" were (Hebrew dapim ) her trademark, and she managed to reach an ever wider audience. She was also a commentator on Israeli Radio ( Qol Yisra'el ) and received the 1956 Israel Prize for Education.

She became a professor at Tel Aviv University in 1968. The students called it simply " Nechama " or desired by its title " teacher " (instead of: Professor ); so is consistent " מורה " ( mora, " teacher " ) is the only word that is on her grave stone.

Many years passed Leibowitz 's "Pages " only questions that only the perseverance of the students, it is thanks to them that she was later willing to publish answers to the questions - but not without also appending new questions for further study.

Your biblical text interpretations show their extensive knowledge and great familiarity with traditional and modern biblical commentators and also show their sensitivity to the respective religious, literary and / or psychological meaning of the text. She was looking for - not unlike Rashi - always according to the simple sense of the word ( Pshat ). She wanted her students meet with the love of the Bible and with the belief that the levels of meaning of their text must be developed by the reader.

Leibowitz 's "Pages " have been translated into many languages ​​, reaching students and teachers around the world. Later it was collected and in book form as "studies" published ( in the final version five volumes, a strap for each book of the Pentateuch ). On the Internet, they are under the name " Gilyonot " published.

Nechama Leibowitz is one of the leading biblical scholars of the twentieth century and is consistent model for orthodox scientists and teachers.

She died in 1997 in Jerusalem - three years after its much more famous brother Yeshayahu Leibowitz.