Moses Mendelssohn Hebrew Writings

The first annotated English translation of the Hebrew writings of the great eighteenth-century Berlin philosopher

German Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn (1729–1786) was one of the most influential Enlightenment thinkers. While many of his German works have been translated into English, the majority of his Hebrew works have been largely inaccessible. This volume of expertly translated works makes an important contribution to modern Jewish thought. Refuting the notion that Mendelssohn led a bifurcated intellectual and spiritual existence, these texts demonstrate Mendelssohn’s ability to transform traditional religious genres into vehicles for philosophical argumentation, thereby allowing for a fuller understanding of this formative figure.

Edward Breuer teaches at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he also lives. David Sorkin is the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Modern Jewish History at Yale University. He lives in New Haven, CT, and New York City.