Edmond Jabes: Rabbi-Poet of the Book

Abstract

The paper locates the writings of Edmond Jabes in the context of the Rabbinic interpretive tradition. This tradition has been suppressed throughout much of Western+ history under the dominance of Christian and Greek construals of reality. The paper suggests that the history of interpretation has been shaped by the schism between Jews and Christians and their different understandings of the interpretation of text. It draws some contrasts between Western and Rabbinic interpretive traditions, suggesting that whereas the Christian metaphor of 'fulfillment' has influenced much of Western interpretive practice, the Jewish metaphor of 'exile' runs a counter-history to the dominant Christian tradition.