Old Truth and New Clichés: The Cabalah and Modern Man
Isaac Bashevis Singer
In this lecture hosted at 92NY, novelist and translator Isaac Bashevis Singer considers the role of the Kabbalah and what the modern man can learn from this school of thought. Singer defines the modern man as one who does not believe in any authority or rely on old texts but is looking for the truth in a scientific manner, and that when he comes to the higher questions, such a man is naturally skeptical. He therefore calls his lecture, “What can a skeptic learn from the Kabbalah?” In this lecture, Singer—a self-declared skeptic—quotes scriptures such as the Bible, Talmud, and the Midrash, cites David Hume and Immanuel Kant as his early intellectual influences, and conveys to the audience his own feelings about the Kabbalah. He contemplates whether the method holds any value for such a man today, or whether it is only a part of the history of human faith and superstition. The talk concludes with audience questions and subsequent discussion.
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