Levinas and Talmudic Reading of Sacred Text: a response to the crisis of modern human autonomy

This article aims to present a study about the Jewish notion of revelation and the principles of Talmudic commentaries in the theological and philosophical works of Emmanuel Levinas and to examine his quest for the possibility of reconciliation between tradition and human autonomy. Levinas is a philosopher who seeks help from religious tradition, especially the notion of Jewish revelation, for his critique of modern philosophical thought. However, he is not retrospective and doesn`t aim to reject human autonomy in favor of the authority of revelation. In Levinas`s Talmudic reading of Scripture adherence to revelation does not oppose rationality and freedom expected by the modern age, since in this reading, rather than knowledge about God, revelation is speaking to God, mainly receiving the ethical order, an order that is not a call for blind adherence Furthermore, the principles of Talmudic commentaries assure the renewal of its tradition and insist on the role of the commentator as the participant in revelation. Attempting to prove his claims, Levinas argues based on the form of revelation in Judaism, the relation of Jews with their sacred text, and the principles of the tradition of Talmudic commentaries. Levinas`s views on these subjects are intimately bound to his philosophy of language. He attempts to show that the language of revelation cannot be reduced to a mere tool for communicating thoughts and information but also consists of a realm that attests to the revelatory nature of language.