<p>This study examines how rabbinic texts from the land of Israel explain and respond to poverty. Through this investigation, I also analyze images of the poor in this literature, asking whether the rabbis considered poor persons to be full participants in communal religious life. Within the context of rabbinic almsgiving, this study describes how Palestinian rabbis negotiated both the biblical commands to care for the poor and Greco-Roman notions of hierarchy, benefaction and patronage. </p><p> The sources at the heart of this study are Tannaitic texts: the Mishnah, the Tosefta and Tannaitic midrashim; and Amoraic texts: the Yerushalmi (Palestinian Talmud) and the classical Amoraic Midrashim - Genesis Rabbah, Leviticus Rabbah and Pesiqta de Rab Kahana. Other texts such as Babylonian Talmud, non-rabbinic and non-Jewish texts are included in this study only when they are able to shed light on the texts mentioned above. In reading rabbinic texts, I pay close attention to several textual features: distinctions between Tannaitic and Amoraic compositions, as well as between rabbinic texts from the land of Israel and the Babylonian Talmud, and evidence of texts that were influenced by the Babylonian Talmud. This method of careful assessment of texts according to their time of composition and geographic origin forms the basis of this investigation. </p><p>The investigation yields several key findings: </p><p>I suggest various factors that shaped Palestinian rabbinic approaches to poverty and almsgiving, including: the biblical heritage, the Greco-Roman and Byzantine environments, the diverse socio-economic status of the rabbis, and their adherence to "measure for measure" as a key hermeneutic principle. </p><p>The study also portrays how the rabbinic charitable system evolved as an expansion of the biblical framework and through engagement with Greco-Roman notions and practices. This unique system for supporting the poor shows evidence of the adoption of select Greco-Roman customs and views, as well as the rejection of other aspects of its hegemonic patterns. We have seen that the language of patronage is absent from the Mishnah's articulation of the rabbinic charitable model. </p><p>Several of the texts analyzed in this study indicate that, for the rabbis, the poor were not necessarily outsiders. Following the main stream of biblical thinking, where the ordinary poor are rarely considered sinners who bear responsibility for their abject situation, Palestinian rabbinic texts seldom link ordinary poverty to sinful behavior. In these texts, the poor are not presented as passive recipients of gifts and support, but as independent agents who are responsible for their conduct. Moreover, rabbinic teachings about support for the poor reveal not only provisions for basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter but also attention to the dignity and the feelings of the poor, as well as their physical safety and the value of their time.</p> / Dissertation

Este trabalho se propõe a estudar Janusz Korczak e sua relação com o judaísmo e o sionismo. Korczak foi um judeu-polonês, nascido em Varsóvia em 1878, e pertencia a uma família de eruditos bastante assimilada, sentindo-se um verdadeiro polonês. Foi médico, educador, jornalista, escritor e criador de dois orfanatos baseados nos princípios democráticos de educação: um judaico, Don Sierot (1912-1942); e outro cristão, Nasz Dom (1919-1936). A análise de correspondências, relatos de viagem, entrevistas, entre outros documentos associados à relação de Korczak com o judaísmo, o sionismo e a Terra de Israel, permitiu conhecer a visão de Korczak sobre a questão judaica em uma Polônia antissemita dos séculos XIX e XX. No tocante aos relatos de viagem, foram analisados documentos referentes às duas viagens do autor à Terra de Israel, incluindo impressões pessoais referentes tanto aos benefícios dessa Terra, como às dificuldades de adaptação à terra dos ancestrais e o abandono da terra natal. Korczak pretendia emigrar para a Palestina, porém foi vítima da Shoá e juntamente com as duzentas crianças judias e os educadores do orfanato, foi levado do Gueto de Varsóvia para o trem que os levaria a Treblinka. / The present work intends to study Janus Korczak and his relation with judaism and sionism. Korczak was a polish jew, borned in Warsaw, in 1878, who belonged to a family of assimilated scholars and felt trully polish. He was a phisician, an educator, a journalist, a writer and founder of two orphanages, that followed the democratic principles of education: one of them jewish, Don Sierot (1912-1942) ) and the other one christian, Nasz Dom (1919-1936). The analysis of correspondences, interviews, and other documents related to judaism, sionism and the land of Israel, allowed us to aknowledge Korczaks vision of the jewish question in an antisemitic Poland of the 19th and 20th centuries. The documents analised referred mainly to the two trips that Korczak made to the land of Israel, and included his personal impressions of the benefits of the Land, as well as the difficulties of adaptation to this ancestral ground, and of leaving the homeland for good. Altough Korczak intended to emigrate to Palestine, he was not able to do it, because as a victim of the Shoah, he was sent, with the 200 jewish children and the teachers of his orphanage, from the Guetto of Warsaw to the train hat would lead them to Treblinka.

Este trabalho se propõe a estudar Janusz Korczak e sua relação com o judaísmo e o sionismo. Korczak foi um judeu-polonês, nascido em Varsóvia em 1878, e pertencia a uma família de eruditos bastante assimilada, sentindo-se um verdadeiro polonês. Foi médico, educador, jornalista, escritor e criador de dois orfanatos baseados nos princípios democráticos de educação: um judaico, Don Sierot (1912-1942); e outro cristão, Nasz Dom (1919-1936). A análise de correspondências, relatos de viagem, entrevistas, entre outros documentos associados à relação de Korczak com o judaísmo, o sionismo e a Terra de Israel, permitiu conhecer a visão de Korczak sobre a questão judaica em uma Polônia antissemita dos séculos XIX e XX. No tocante aos relatos de viagem, foram analisados documentos referentes às duas viagens do autor à Terra de Israel, incluindo impressões pessoais referentes tanto aos benefícios dessa Terra, como às dificuldades de adaptação à terra dos ancestrais e o abandono da terra natal. Korczak pretendia emigrar para a Palestina, porém foi vítima da Shoá e juntamente com as duzentas crianças judias e os educadores do orfanato, foi levado do Gueto de Varsóvia para o trem que os levaria a Treblinka. / The present work intends to study Janus Korczak and his relation with judaism and sionism. Korczak was a polish jew, borned in Warsaw, in 1878, who belonged to a family of assimilated scholars and felt trully polish. He was a phisician, an educator, a journalist, a writer and founder of two orphanages, that followed the democratic principles of education: one of them jewish, Don Sierot (1912-1942) ) and the other one christian, Nasz Dom (1919-1936). The analysis of correspondences, interviews, and other documents related to judaism, sionism and the land of Israel, allowed us to aknowledge Korczaks vision of the jewish question in an antisemitic Poland of the 19th and 20th centuries. The documents analised referred mainly to the two trips that Korczak made to the land of Israel, and included his personal impressions of the benefits of the Land, as well as the difficulties of adaptation to this ancestral ground, and of leaving the homeland for good. Altough Korczak intended to emigrate to Palestine, he was not able to do it, because as a victim of the Shoah, he was sent, with the 200 jewish children and the teachers of his orphanage, from the Guetto of Warsaw to the train hat would lead them to Treblinka.

AFRIKAANS : Waar die meeste nasies in die wêreld hul aanspraak op `n eie land baseer op besetting of verowering deur hul voorgeslagte, baseer die Jode hulle aanspraak op die land Israel op godsdienstige, historiese en politieke gronde. Hierin speel die Hebreeuse Bybel (TeNaK) `n sentrale rol. Twee Ou Testamentiese verbonde, die Abrahamitiese verbond en die Deuteronomiese (Land-van-Israel/Palestina) verbond, vorm die basis hiervan. Die aanname dat die Jode van vandag `n voortsetting van Bybelse Israel is en gevolglik aanspraak op hierdie verbondsbeloftes kan maak, asook God se doel met die insluiting van die land Israel in Sy verbond met Abraham en die rol van die land in die verhouding tussen Hom en Sy uitverkore volk, ondersteun Jode se godsdienstige aansprake. Vanuit `n historiese perspektief word aangevoer dat die Jode `n teenwoordigheid in die land behou het sedert die Israeliete se inname van die land Kanaän tot en met vandag, ten spyte daarvan dat die land deur die geskiedenis heen deur verskeie wêreldryke beheer is. In aansprake op politieke gronde word verwys na die aanbevelings van die Verenigde Nasies wat die gebied met die Partisieplan amptelik verdeel het in `n Joodse en Arabiese gedeelte; waarna Israel in 1948 die Joodse staat afkondig het. Hoewel Christene nie aanspraak maak op die land Israel nie, het hulle wel bepaalde sienings oor Israel, die Jode en Joodse aansprake op die land. In `n Christelik-teologiese evaluering van hierdie aansprake, blyk dit dat verskille met die Joodse beskouinge in hoofsaak te doen het met die godsdienstige aansprake omdat die betekenis van die term Bybel vir Jode en Christene verskil. Onder Christene is daar ook nie eenstemmigheid oor wát die Bybel is en hoe dit vertolk behoort te word nie. Twee breë denkrigtings binne die Christelike geloof, Vervangingsteologie en Christen-Sionisme, bied verskillende sieninge in dié verband. Die konflik in die Midde-Ooste raak elke persoon, afgesien van sy godsdienstige affiliasie of afwesigheid daaraan. Vanuit `n bepaalde Christelik-teologiese perspektief is `n alternatiewe beskouing aangebied om die spirituele, eerder as die oënskynlike sekulêre en politieke aard daarvan, te beklemtoon. Israel se oorspronklike roeping om verlossing aan die wêreld te bring is ondersoek, terwyl die werkbaarheid van `n Twee-party-staat as oplossing vir vrede in die streek in die lig hiervan, bespreek is. Die aktualiteit en doel van die studie is daarin geleë dat inligting aan Christenlesers gebied word sodat `n ingeligte standpunt oor die aangeleentheid geformuleer kan word. ENGLISH : While most of the nations of the world claim the right to their own country as a result of occupation or conquest, the Jews claim the right to the land of Israel on religious, historical and political grounds. In this regard the Hebrew Bible (TaNaK) plays a central role. Two Old Testament covenants, the Abrahamic covenant and the Deuteronomic (Land of Israel/Palestine) covenant, form the basis of this claim. The assumption that the Jews of today are a continuance of the Biblical Israelites and consequently can lay claim to these covenants, God’s purpose for the inclusion of the land in His covenant with Abraham, as well as the role of the land in His relationship between Him and His chosen people, support these Jewish religious claims. From a historical perspective it is put forward that the Jews have maintained a presence in the land since the Israelites captured the land of Canaan up to and including the present, despitethe fact that the country has been ruled throughout history by various other powers of the world. In claims on political grounds one is referred to the recommendations of the United Nations which, according to the Partition Plan, divided the country into Jewish and Arab parts. Israel then, in 1948, declared the State of Israel. Although Christians do not lay claim to the land of Israel, they have indeed distinct views concerning Israel, the Jews and Jewish claims to the land. In a Christian-theological evaluation of these claims it appears that the differences with the Jewish views have mainly to do with religious claims because the meaning of the term Bible differs for Jews and Christians. Among Christians too there is also no unanimity about what the Bible is and how it should be interpreted. Two broad schools of thought within Christians beliefs, Replacement Theology and Christians-Zionism, present different views in this regard. The conflict in the Middle East affects every person, irrespective of his religious affiliation or absence of it. From a specific Christian-theological perspective, an alternative opinion is given to emphasise the spiritual, rather than the apparent secular and political nature. Israel’s original mission to bring redemption to the world is examined and the feasibility of a Two-party-state as a solution for peace in the land is discussed in this respect. The actuality and purpose of the study is to give the relevant information to Christian readers so that an informed opinion concerning the subject can be made. / Dissertation (MA(Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The thesis outlined the history of the Jewish settlement of Hebron from Biblical times to the year 1929, which was the milestone in the history of the Jewish settlement of this city. The thesis describes the aftermath of the Six-Day War (in June 1967) and the atmosphere in the Jewish society, which played into the hands of the spiritual authorities of religious Zionism - e.g. Abraham Isaac Kook and his son Tzvi Yehuda Kook. Their messianic expectations and teachings, which made the settlement of the Land of Israel the top priority, led to the expansion of the settlement in the territory of biblical Judea and the Samaria Area. We watched the beginning of settlement activities that significantly affected politics. We provided examples that led to the "resettlement" of Hebron after 1979 when the women and children of the settlers from Kirjath Arba occupied the former Jewish hospital Hadassa, which meant the actual "resettlement" of Hebron because up until then, their settlements had been built only on the outskirts of the city. I also tried to describe the settlement differences and motivations between both Jewish communities before and after the Six-Day War.