“Ki Li HaAretz”: Changes in Meaning of “The Holy Place” (and Zionism) in Heschel’s Thought
Shemittah’s social laws reflect a deep religious attitude to the “holy land.” Since the rise of Zionism, this term has taken on political implications, which caused Abraham Joshua Heschel to change his mind time and again about its meaning. In this course we will consider the various religious understandings of Shemittah in the Torah alongside the various interpretations of the “holy land” in Heschel’s thought.
