Yishuv Medinah and a Rabbinic Alternative to Greek Political Philosophy

Abstract

The Greek tradition of political philosophy, with its prominent focus on the forms of government, should be distinguished from the discourse typical of many rabbinic sources, with its concern for collective goals. This discourse commonly deploys broad, mid-level goals to mediate between abstract theology and practical law. Among these goals, yishuv medinah focuses on the economic and social development of a region or district, articulating the character of local needs. This is compared to related goals—the settling of the world (yishuv ha-ʿolam) and the ordering of the world (tikkun ha-ʿolam)—and contrasted with Aristotle’s approach, which in many ways typifies the Greek tradition.