Abstract

The place of “Jewish wisdom” in Emmanuel Levinas’ writings has been widely discussed among scholars, with a great emphasis placed on Levinas’ engagement with the Talmud and the philosophical possibilities to be uncovered in Talmudic interpretation, as well as the ethical insights that Talmudic wisdom contributes to the discourse of the philosophy of ethics. The Hebrew Bible does not occupy a central role in Levinas’ writings, and despite the many references to the Bible as a book and to biblical narratives, we may still inquire as to how one should understand the status of the Bible in shaping Levinas’ teachings. Levinas devoted a number of articles to distinctly biblical topics, both through such Talmudic readings as "For a Place in the Bible" and "The Translation of the Scripture", and through polemical articles such as his disagreement with Simone Weil or his arguments against Spinoza regarding Scriptures. A careful reading of his notebooks from his time as a prisoner of war, which have been published in recent years, reveals that despite the absence of a systematic approach to the Bible in the work of the young Levinas, the Bible and its characters are in his thoughts and concern him as a basis for philosophical discourse and as an exegetical matter that should be addressed. This article attempts to relate to this general question, but through the focused lens of a single biblical character—Joseph—as Levinas read and interpreted his story. Joseph is not a major figure in Levinas’ thought, but he can serve as a very good example for our inquiry into Levinas’ ethics and theology. We will explore the ethical dimensions of the Joseph’s life and the way that Levinas was inspired by him. The story of Joseph, or, in Thomas Mann’s phrase, “Joseph and his Brothers,” is one of the most impressive and complete narratives in the Hebrew Bible. This story raises questions about family psychology and about theology, and as a result of that it makes ethical demands. As readers of the Bible, we perceive that the entire book of Genesis directs us to this end. And according to one strand of Jewish tradition, the story of Joseph has never come to an end. Our examination of Levinas’ thought and the manner in which he interprets the Joseph stories has significance that extends well beyond understanding the Joseph cycle itself. It will lead us to inquire into Levinas’ philosophy and the role played by which his Jewish writings in shaping that philosophy. It enables us to reexamine the meaning of a philosophical reading of the Bible and of the way in which the Bible plays a role in establishing Levinas’ philosophical thinking. Beyond that, our inquiry may enable us to consider the possibilities opened up by a philosophical interpretation of Scriptures.