Religion and the Individual

This study demonstrates that, for all the admitted emphasis on peoplehood within Judaism, there are equally strong individualistic tendencies. Dr. Jacobs maintains that in any balanced view of Judaism it must be shown that what the individual does with his life has eternal significance for that same individual, not only for the Jewish people as a whole. Through a careful analysis of the primary texts, Jacobs conducts a thorough survey of some of the most important instances where the individual is discussed in the Jewish religious tradition. His aim is not to elevate individualism at the expense of the Jewish community, but to show that Judaism pivots centrally neither on the people nor on the individual; each needs to be taken equally into account if a balanced opinion of both is to be formed.