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Sarah and Sitis an Aggadah Inspired by N

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Two biblical women, Sarah and Sitis, embark on a desert journey to confront God about the divine tests that brought suffering to their families - the binding of Isaac and the trials of Job. Through their imagined encounter, this original aggadah (rabbinic narrative) grapples with post-Holocaust questions of divine justice and the presence of evil in the world. The narrative employs traditional aggadic storytelling techniques, including anthropomorphic language and intertextual references, to explore complex theological terrain. Building on Neil Gillman's approach to Jewish theology, the work continues the rabbinic tradition of using narrative to interpret religious experience and construct meaning from suffering. As the women systematically challenge conventional theodical explanations—divine incomprehensibility, punishment for sin, future reward, and ennobling suffering—they ultimately face God's own admission that worldly evil defies adequate explanation. Their response of laughter, rather than despair, represents a theological position that embraces religious uncertainty while maintaining divine engagement. This creative application of traditional literary forms demonstrates how contemporary Jewish theology can address modern crises of faith, particularly the challenge of sustaining belief after historical trauma while acknowledging the limits of rational explanations for human suffering.

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  • Publication Information

    Published 2008-2009

    ISBN

  • Publication Credits

    Rachel Kahn-Troster