DERRIDA AND THE JEWISH HERITAGE

Abstract

Faced with numerous references to major themes in Jewish thought, Jewish thinkers, and biblical narratives, it seems impossible for Derrida scholarship to disregard the profound influence of the Jewish tradition on Derrida's work. Yet, too few systematic inquiries have been undertaken so far to explore and elaborate this conspicuous issue. 1 The striking underexposure of this aspect of Derrida's oeuvre should however not come as too great a surprise. It should indeed be immediately stressed that Derrida certainly did not work from within what one too hastily could call the body of tradition of Judaism, nor did he ever make the latter a subject of systematic inquiry. After all, his most important works do not seem to contain any incontestable reference to an issue that is at stake in this tradition. Indeed, at first sight it does not even seem legitimate to dedicate an entire journal issue to this relationship at all. And yet, if one takes a closer look at his works, then one cannot deny that Derrida shows a particular preference for Jewish thinkers such as Levinas, Rosenzweig, Kafka and Celan and that he pays close attention to certain issues that have an inherent connection to the Jewish universe such as hospitality, the messianic, and exemplarity. How to make sense of this rather vague relationship between Derrida and Judaism? Of course, this question would not carry such a weight if it were not for the fact that Derrida was born in Algeria into a Sephardic Jewish family. And although he did not receive a traditional religious education, his childhood memories of growing up in a secular Jewish environment did leave a imprint on his later life and writings in the sense that there is clearly a link between