"Rabbis of the Air": Poetic Explication

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Phillip Terman's poem "A Response to Jehuda Halevi" from "Rabbis in the Air," in which the speaker stresses that his own, personal and familial experience of Judaism is more important than the received tradition of scholars and prophets. The paper discusses the poet's inquisitive tone and the series of contrasts, between holy and revered images of Judaism and looks at the speaker's relatively secular but significant cultural and historical encounters with his faith.

From the Paper:

"Only after rereading the poem does the reader confront a curious paradox--Terman claims to reject mystical Judaism, but he clearly knows what the Pentateuch, Kabala, and Torah are--also, his poem is addressed to a relatively obscure poet. This suggests a final, additional nuance to the poem. Perhaps Terman is addressing himself, or his own tendency to be overly concerned with theory and art, rather than real, practical concerns. This explains why the poem is addressed to a Jewish poet, not merely a Jewish scholar. If Terman were not engaged in self-criticism as well as the criticism of the past, the poem could be addressed to a famous rabbi. Terman creates a strawman of a man whose life and works seems like a tempting path, but one Terman ultimately rejects in favor of his family, the beauty of mundane matzo balls, and a more fruitful way of coping with historical persecution and tragedy--to deal with things in a practical, earthly, and constructive manner."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abrahams, Israel. "Jehuda Halevi." Chapter 12: The Spanish-Jewish poets. Chapters on Jewish Literature. 6 Dec 2007. http://www.authorama.com/chapters-on-jewish-literature-12.html
• Terman, Phillip. Rabbis of the Air. Autumn House Press, 2007.

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