How is “kedusha” conceptualized in Judaism?
Use at least two of the following sources to support your answer. You must craft an original thesis in response to the question. You might focus on one notion of kedusha or examine contrasting notions.
-“The Missing Temple” by Dalia Marx
-“The Centrality of Eretz Yisrael in Nachmanides” by Aryeh Newman
-Texts from the collection labelled “Midrash on the Land of Israel”
-Texts from the collection labelled “Midrash on the Temple”
-“The Sabbath” by Abraham Heschel
-The Temple (in class sources)
-The Land of Israel (in class sources)
Important Instructions:
This is a 3-4 paged double spaced paper. It must be 12 pt. Times New Roman Font with 1 in margins. Place only the prompt number at the top, skip a line and start writing. Points will be deducted for failure to follow proper formatting guidelines.
The paper must include a short introduction with a clear thesis statement at the end of the introductory paragraph. The thesis should clearly answer the prompt and provide a “roadmap” for the following paper, letting the reader know exactly what the order of your arguments will be.
Body paragraphs should be clear and focused on a single main idea. They should begin with clear topic sentences and transitions between different ideas/body paragraphs should be smooth and logical.
Use sufficient textual support for your claims. All claims must be backed up by textual evidence in the form of short quotations and/or paraphrasing the text with in-text citations. DO NOT USE LONG QUOTES (this takes up space in a short paper and does not demonstrate your understanding. Try to only quote the exact words or phrases needed to make your point. If you use quotes, they should always be embedded in a complete sentence and followed by a clear explanation/elaboration of the quote in your own words.
End your paper with a very brief conclusion. No need to restate and repeat your main arguments.
What does it mean to “use a text” to support your answer? This does NOT mean simply cherry picking some quotes from the sources to include in your paper. Using a text means demonstrating your clear understanding of it. It means creatively analyzing the text and applying the text to your main argument in a way that is logical and clear to the reader.
Citations:
You must include in-text citations whenever directly quoting or summarizing a source. Citations should be clearly embedded into a complete sentence. Since all of our sources will be coming from the syllabus or from in class handouts, you do not need to include a bibliography.
How to cite the Torah:
Abraham’s spiritual transformation begin when God commands him to the familiarity of his home and travel to the land that his ancestors will inherit .
How to Cite the Midrash:
The midrash teaches us that Adam and Eve represent the fusion of divine and earthly realms made up of both celestial and terrestrial elements (Midrash Text #169).
How to Cite an academic text with an Author:
*Use Author, page
According to Nachmanides, holiness is to be found only in the land of Israel which he views as infused with supernatural power providing a direct connection to God .
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