Premodern Jewish Life and How the Modern Definition Of "Religion" Does Not Fit That Life

Premodern Jewish Life and How the Modern Definition Of "Religion" Does Not Fit That Life
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Premodern Jewish Life and How the Modern Definition Of "Religion" Does Not Fit That Life
The changes in religion are one of the notable differences between premodern societies and contemporary society. According to Batnitzky, the premodern Jewish life does not fit into the modern definition of religion, which was championed by 19th century European Protestants. The novelty of the contemporary Jewish religion can be understood by focusing on the features of the premodern Jewish life. The fundamental aspect of organized Jewish life in the premodern era was the local Jewish communities. These communities were the legal body with jurisdiction over the Jewish population, spreading throughout Europe. Although the local Jewish communities were autonomous, they only existed by permission from external authorities, either nobility or royalty. Each community offered taxes and useful functions in exchange for protection from the permissive authority.
In the premodern Jewish life, religion and state existed as a single entity. The local Jewish community were self-governing, with each community living by its bylaws. Laypersons administered the bylaws for each community and elected a rabbi for the community. The rabbi had jurisdiction in both political and religious matters. His official power extended over ritual matters and gave credence to the community laws. While the local Jewish communities varied greatly from each other, the premodern Jews perceived themselves as a single entity. Rabbis and scholars from these communities collaborated on matters of Jewish law, which was enabled by the fact that economic most economic activities occurred across communities. In addition, the Jewish community shared a common messianic hope t...