The Kabbalah, or The Religious Philosophy of the Hebrews

Adolphe Franck

1843

At a time when the worship of the dead letter degenerated into idolatry; at a time when men passed their lives in counting the verses, the words and the letters of the Law, at a time when the official preceptors, the legitimate representatives of religion, saw nothing better to do than to crush the intellect as well as the will under an always…

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Creator Bio

Adolphe Franck

1809–1893

Born in Liocourt, France, Adolphe Franck had a long career teaching philosophy and, later, natural and civil law. Author of one of the first critical histories of the Kabbalah, Franck published numerous works of philosophy. He took advantage of his early training in Hebrew studies to defend Judaism, whether through teaching, lectures, and journalism, or through work in organizations such as the Anti-Atheist League, the Society for Translation of the Scriptures, and the Society for Jewish Studies. He argued that the grounds for civil law and punishment derived from society’s right to defend itself, rather than from the ancient tradition of retribution.

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