Love and fear of God in the thought of Isaac of Corbeil

• Published in: Journal of Jewish studies Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 92 - 115
• Main Author: GALINSKY, JUDAH D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford Centre for Hebrew and 03-04-2024
• Subjects: Fear & phobias; God; Love
• ISSN: 0022-2097; 2056-6689
• DOI: 10.3828/jjs.2024.75.1.92

In this study I present Isaac of Corbeil’s thoughts on the topic of the love and fear of God, and their relationship to the other biblical commandments. His position is strikingly similar to that of Nahmanides (Ramban) found in his commentary on the Torah, although they both seem to have arrived at their understanding independently of the other. In the first part I show how his theological musings seemingly deepened and became better defined over time, and suggest that part of this development may be related to his changing assessment of his ultimate audience, the people for whom he crafted his religious message. In the second part I explore the possible medieval sources that influenced Isaac’s theological thinking. The two most likely sources were the writings of the German scholars known as
Ḥasidei Ashkenaz
, especially Eleazar of Worms, and the Andalusian Abraham ibn Ezra.