Within traditional Judaism, religious piety and intensity, representing the earnest and passionate desire to serve G-d, is often expressed in both the strictest observance of halakhah, Jewish law, and in practices above and beyond the demands of the law. The second such behavior is termed "super-erogatory," meaning "going beyond what is commanded or required." While it is discussed often in the Talmud, there is little attention given in the secondary literature to the rabbi's critique of self imposed religious stringency. Piety and Fanaticism: Rabbinic Criticism of Religious Stringency opens a discussion of the Talmudic rabbi's views. Sara Epstein Weinstein writes: "This study is extremely timely, given the recent proliferation of religious extremism in various countries throughout the world. The atmosphere of extreme stringency that prevails within today's Orthodox Jewish community seems, to some extent, to be a part of this global trend." The danger of super-erogatory behavior is that it easily distorts one's religious beliefs to a level of fanaticism, which places unreasonable value on one particular doctrine at the expense of other, more fundamental religious values. Also, unrestrained religious fervor can lead to an elitist class of pietists who condescend to other Jews, thereby undermine Jewish unity. Another danger of super-erogatory conduct is its affinity to asceticism. Religious asceticism was certainly recognized by the rabbis as one means to attain spiritual perfection through the denial of physical desires. It is also understood by modern scholars that religious asceticism in the ancient world often came in response to oppressive social or political environs. However, the rabbis were cautious in their discussions of asceticism, tending to recommend that austere religious practices were only advisable for a highly developed character, and should be attended by an equally advanced friend or teacher, Certainly, asceticism in religious practice was not the Jewish norm. Piety and Fanaticism focuses its discussion on self-imposed stringency, which goes beyond the recommendations of a specific halakhic ruling, and evaluates the rabbis' decisions as to when super-erogation by an individual was generally permitted and when it was criticized. Also addressed is to what extent the rabbis' considered kavana, or why an individual chose to take on a specific stringency, in their criticism of such behavior. Weinstein considers the political and economic differences in Palestine and Babylon to explain differences in the rabbinic opinions of the Palestinian and Babylonian Talmuds. The historical development of Talmudic passages has been analyzed to discover the various layers of text and place them in proper historical context. The author also examines the relationship between Judaism and other religions of the Talmudic period, specifically early Christianity, which venerated practices that were regarded as super-erogatory by Judaism.
by Sara Epstein Weinstein