Read the latest updates and short essays from the Sepharadismo blog below.
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In Chapter 5 of The Horizontal Society, Rabbi José Faur presents a transformative reading of the Torah, not as a set of religious decrees but as a legally binding contract between God and Israel. The Berith Sinai-Moab, he argues, established a horizontal legal framework, where divine law operates within a constitutional system rather than as … Read more
In Chapter 4 of The Horizontal Society, Rabbi José Faur examines the profound implications of Hebrew alphabetic literacy, contrasting it with the manipulative tendencies of anti-writing oral traditions. By emphasizing the Hebrew alphabet’s consonantal structure and the role of sopherim (scribes), Rabbi Faur presents a compelling argument for Alphabetic Judaism—a tradition that prioritizes intellectual engagement, … Read more
In Chapter 3 of The Horizontal Society, Rabbi José Faur deepens his exploration of Judaism’s intellectual and theological foundations by presenting God as a writer and Creation as a text. This chapter expands the metaphor of authorship to frame the universe and the Torah as semiotic systems that reveal divine will while requiring human engagement … Read more
In Chapter 2 of The Horizontal Society, Rabbi José Faur delivers a penetrating critique of hierarchical systems that rely on monolingualism and pure orality to sustain dominance. Through an analysis of language, textuality, and culture, Rabbi Faur exposes the intellectual stagnation fostered by what he calls the “analphabetic mind,” contrasting it with Judaism’s dynamic, participatory … Read more
Jewish history has witnessed numerous transformative moments, but few revolutions have been as profound and enduring as the one initiated by Rabbi Yitshaq Alfasi (the Rif), carried forward by Rabbi Yoseph Ibn Megas, and completed by Rambam (Maimonides). This revolution, spanning the realms of Talmudic study, halakhic practice, politics, and institutional authority, dismantled hierarchical structures … Read more
In The Book of Creation, the first chapter of The Horizontal Society, Rabbi José Faur lays out a compelling vision of Judaism as a civilization built on the intellectual act of reading and interpreting divine texts. By presenting Creation as a semiotic system authored by God, Rabbi Faur redefines humanity’s role as interpreters and co-creators … Read more
In the introduction to the first section of The Horizontal Society, The God of Israel, Rabbi José Faur presents a profound analysis of Judaism’s foundational principles, positioning it as a unique intellectual and societal paradigm. By framing Creation itself as a text and portraying the God of Israel as a “writer” and “reader,” Rabbi Faur … Read more
The Jewish world is often described as divided into two broad categories: Ashkenazi and Sepharadi. This distinction, while convenient for shorthand, is historically reductive, obscuring the diversity of Jewish communal identities and the dynamic exchanges that have shaped Jewish life across centuries. For the most part, the simple binary framework is a modern construct, largely … Read more
The preface and introduction of Rabbi José Faur’s The Horizontal Society lay a robust intellectual and ethical foundation for his exploration of Jewish civilization. Rabbi Faur positions Judaism as a horizontally structured society, rooted in law, equality, and an interpretive engagement with texts. These opening sections introduce key concepts such as “Alphabetic Judaism” and the … Read more
We’re thrilled to announce some exciting updates to Sepharadismo that open new opportunities for engagement with our growing community. Whether you’re looking to share your insights, promote events, or ask thought-provoking questions, we’ve created new ways for you to contribute to the conversation around Sepharadi Torah, thought, and tradition. 1. Submit Your Articles to the … Read more
