The Kuzari - In Defense of the Despised Faith

The chaver describes how tradition is necessary to interpret the Torah, as he exposes hypocrisy in the positions of the Karaites. He also discusses why the Rabbis have authority in some cases to add to the mitzvot of the written Torah.

The Chaver describes how tradition is necessary to understand how to practically interpret and understand how to fulfill the Torah.

The Chaver explains why a pious Jew yearns for closeness to God and the "world to come" is not a primary concern. We begin in paragraph 23 to describe why Rabbinic Jews reject Karaism.

The chaver describes why Jewish prayer is a community endeavor and not a personal one. He emphasizes the importance of community responsibility.

The Chaver describes how living with purpose and intent brings joy, love and meaning into every aspect of life. He also describes the experience of prayer and the meaning of the blessings in the order of prayer.

The Chaver explains the behavior of a pious Jew, how he lives always conscious of God's providence, and how he/she always moves forward despite hardship. The question of theodicy and the Kuzari's approach to this question is discussed as well.

The Chaver describes what a pious Jew is supposed to be. Someone in full control of his thoughts and actions and directs them to God and spirituality. He describes the nature of prayer as self improvement and the rhythms of the Jewish calendar.

We finish the second essay with a discussion of the special nature of the Hebrew language. The third essay begins a lengthy discussion of who is considered a pious person in Judaism.

The Chaver discusses the special significance of the Hebrew language.