About

The vast body of Jewish moralistic writings (known in Hebrew as musar) has enjoyed an unbroken popularity within traditional circles of Jewish society. In the early modern period, musar was arguably one of the most popular literary modes. However, there are comparatively few studies that deal with this phenomenon in detail. Rather, the majority of scholars still tend to regard musar first and foremost as a medium that serves the purpose of disseminating other bodies of knowledge. For this reason, the intrinsic value of musar as a driving force in the shaping of early modern Judaism(s) has largely been ignored.

The "Jewish Moralistic Writings of the Early Modern Period" Emmy Noether Junior Research Group aims to establish new tools that will help to make the vast body of musar more accessible to the scholarly community. The systematic documentation of works composed between the beginning of Hebrew book printing and the 1830s will serve as a basis for future research. At the same time, the in-depth individual studies conducted by the group’s members will provide new research impulses and show the great potential that lies in a thorough analysis of musar in its different socio-historical, linguistic, and cultural settings.

The Emmy Noether Program of the German Research Foundation supports outstanding young researchers and prepares them for leading academic positions. Established in 2017, “Jewish Moralistic Writings of the Early Modern Period: 1600–1800” is the first Emmy Noether group in the field of Judaic and Jewish studies.