David Bakan's Study of Freud Traces Jewish
Mystical Influence Upon Psychoanalytic Man

Rosh Hashana in Own Home

Sigmund Freud was influenced I founder of Judaism. You are di g- an authoritative note to the evalua-
by Jewish mystical doctrines, it is Iging a trap for the Jewish people. tive work by Bakan.
to be implied from "Sigmund Have- you examined the birth rec-
The section dealing with Moses
Freud and the Jewish Mystical j ords and death records of ancient and monotheism is of extreme im-
Tradition," by David Bakan, pub- Egypt and found conclusive evi- portance. It reveals a messianic
lished by Schocken Books. Reissued dence that Moses was an Egyptian self-identification in Freud, Bakan
as a first paperback edition, this and the Jews killed him?" Freud indicating: "The idea that Freud
new work contains a revised in- was aghast end when this was said had of himself as a military hero
troduction by Bakan and a thor- to him he left the room. Bloch later who would die as a martyr, a fight-
ough study in which are presented wrote that he found in Freud's er against anti-Semitism, an inter-
the background of Freud's develop- library many volumes on Judaica. preter of dreams, a dweller in
ment of psychoanalysis, the milieu Bakan states that this reinforced Rome where he would realize his
of Jewish mysticism, the Moses' his view, expressed in the preface deepest wish, all become intel-
theme in Freud's thinking, psycho- to the first edition, that Frew d ligible if we assume that Freud
analysis and Kabbala and "the had had some contact with th e conceived of himself, at least to
devil as suspended superego."
Zohar.
some degree, as the military Mes-
There is an epilogue, "Heimlich-
A chapter in Bakan's study, siah of the,„Jews, the Messiah-ben-
keit," which further evaluates
related to the early years of Joseph, the Messiah-ben-Ephraim,
Freud's psychoanalytical efforts, the Messiah-ben-Menasseh."
Freud's Jewish identity and which
is explained as the subject of a
deals with "Anti-Semitism in
The various aspects of sexuality,
detailed analysis by Freud in an
Vienna. It deals at some length
with the Tisza-Eszler Hungarian dream interpretation, hypnosis
essay the title of which has been
ritual murder libel case of 1882, and other elements inherent in the
translated as The Uncanny." It
the horrible lies that were study of Freud's psychoanalytical
was published in 1919, and further
relevance to Freud's Jewishness is
spread, the untruths that were work are extensively dealt with in
said about the Talmud. Bakan this important work. As a study The house is small and the family large—but they are happy to
contained in his Bnai Brith speech
greet
of 1926 which also is referred to
writes that these events "pro- of the Jewish factors, as research
the year 5'727 in Israel where a Jew can breathe the pure air of free-
in. this epilogue.
vided the social and political into Freud's attitudes towards Jews dom. With immigrants continuing to pour into the country, the Jewish
context of the 'turning point' in and Judaism, this is especially su- Agency will have to provide housing for additional thousands of new-
Freud's early joining Bnai
perb. It is one of the most im-
Freud's life."
Brith was explained in his 1926
comers and more adequate housing for earlier arrivals still living
There were Jews who were wit pressive works on Freud in relation in badly crowded quarters. United Jewish Appeal dollars, raised in
speech, and "Heimlichkeit"
to
Jewry
and
Jewish
historical
the 1966 campaign for 573,420,000, will help meet the housing short-
further was explained by hi s nesses for anti-Semites in the ritua backgrounds.
age.
statement: "There remained murder cases, and Bakan quote s
enough other things to make the from Joseph Bloch's "Reminis
attraction of Judaism and Jews cences" in which Hitler is referre d
irresistible — many dark emo- to as having said that Karl Lueger
tional forces, all the more potent who was of Jewish descent and
for being so hard to group in who testified falsely against Jews,
words, as well as the clear con- was his hero.
Bakan asserts here that "it is
sciousness of our inner identity,
the intimacy that comes from difficult, in the perspective of mod-
Prof. Leo Strauss of the Univer- the term critique of religion,
ern America, where the Jews are
the same psychic structure."
ap- shows that Franz Rosenzweig con-
sity of Chicago, in his important plied as designation of Spinoza's
Bakan emphasizes that "we must under less oppression than ever
sidered "Cohen guilty of injustice
work
"Spinoza's
Critique
of
Reli-
before
in
their
history,
to
fully
ap-
critique of Maimonides, is errone- to Spinoza not because of defective
take very seriously the distinction
preciate
the
intensity
and
reality
gion,"
which
first
appeared
in
a
ous
in
principle.
It
makes
no
dif-
which
Freud made over and over of anti-Semitism at that time." German edition in Berlin in 1930 ference to this finding that Mai- objectivity but rather because of
again, the distinction between be-
Commenting on the annihilation and now appears in a Schocken monides does not himself, from the defective 'subjectivity,' i.e. of 'in-
ing a Jew, and the acceptance of of
6,000,000 Jews under Hitler, he volume translated by E. M. Sin- outset, build up his position on the suffficient reflection about the
doctrine. His identification was
adds:
"It was this massacre- clair, clarifies the differences in basis of science, but merely de- conditions and foundations of his
rather with Jews as people and as
in-preparation
which provided the views between Spinoza and Mai- fends on that basis his pre-given own person. He ought to have
a continuous historical line."
social and political background in monides in a section dealing with Jewish position. For the pre-give- made his attack with a clearer
in the original preface to the which psychoanalysis was being "The Critique of Maimonides."
consciousness of the fact that, not
ness may be understood as the out- indeed he -himself, but the times
1958 edition, Bakan stated: "Our developed."
come
of
some
reasoning,
i.e.
of
a
Dr. Strauss, whose volume con-
attempt to understand Freud in
which had born and raised him,
As to the Freud's positive
tains excerpts from Maimonides' historiCal proof for the fact of Cohen himself, would not have
terms of Jewish history should
identification as a Jew, Bakan,
"Yesodeh Hatorah" and "Moreh" revelation."
not be taken as indicating that
been possible without Spinoza.' "
commenting on a letter Freud
in
Hebrew, denies contradictions
we believe Freud to have been a
* * *
And in the appended quotation
wrote in 1938 to Dr. Jacob and asserts:
secret scholar of Jewish lore. An
from "Moreh," Dr. Strauss asserts
Meitliss, writes that from it we
Dr.
Strauss'
comment is that:
image of him poring over Kab-
"Midway between the critique that "the agreement between Spi- "Cohen's critique of Spinoza does
learn that "Freud believed that
balistic books in the dead of
anti-Semitism w a s practically of Spinoza the renegade and that noza and Maimoni es is possible not come to grips with the fact
night is not supported by the
ubiquitous in either latent or of Maimonides the believing Jew, because Maimonides does not speak that Spinoza's critique is directed
facts; although to have done this
manifest form; the broad masses there stands the new founding of here of prophecy as such but only against the whole body of authori-
would not have been inconsis-
in England were anti-Semitic science by Descartes the Catholic. of the failure of prophecy, which tative teachings and rules known
tent with the patterns of the
'as everywhere;' he was of the In other words, from Descartes' as- is due entirely to the imagination." in Spinoza's time as Judaism and
Jewish mystical leaders. Never-
* * *
opinion that the book on Moses sumptions, Spinoza's radical criti-
still maintained in Cohen's time
theless, Jewish mystical thought
would anger the Jews; he ex- que of religion does not inevitably
Strauss'
criticisms
incorporate by Jewish orthodoxy . . . Cohen's
was in the air in those parts of
pressed a love for Hebrew and and immediately follow. Neverthe- a case against Spinoza. In a pre- critique remained helpful . , in
Europe from which his parents
Yiddish, according to Freud's less it must be stated that once face to the English edition, writ- so far as it destroyed the preju-
and large proportions of the
son; he refused to accept royal- Maimonides' position is adopted, ten in 1962, Dr. Strauss reviews dice in favor of Spinoza, or the
Jews of Vienna came, Jewish
ties on Hebrew and Yiddish once the union of faith and knowl- the condemnations of Spinoza by canonization of Spinoza by Ger-
mystical thought was largely
translations of his works; he edge peculiar to his position is ac- Hermann Cohen, the founder of man or Jewish romanticism, to say
embodied in the common oral ex-
was sympathetic to Zionism cepted as the point of departure, the Neo-Kantian School of Mar- nothing of the canonization by lib-
pressions of the Jews ... "
from the first days of the move- adoption of Cartesianism cannot burg, states that Cohen's under- eralism."
Thus, "attempting to understand
merit and was acquainted with but lead to critique of religion. standing of Spinoza is sobriety it-
"The antagonism between
the development of psychoanalysis
and respected Herzl; he had once This shows most plainly in Spin- self and declares:
Spinoza and Judaism, between
as an expression of Jewish mysti-
sent Herz! a copy of his works oza's critique of M a i m o n i d e s'
unbelief and belief, is ultimately
"Spinoza accepts, against his
cism," Bakan emphasizes the word
with a 'personal dedication; theory of prophecy. Maimonides,
not theoretical but moral," Prof.
mysticism as much as the word
Freud's son was a member of by not accepting, as do the 'Chris- better knowledge, the assertion of
Strauss states.
Jewish, and he declares: "Jewish
Kadimah, a Zionist organization, tian theologians, an essential dif- Jesus that Judaism commands the
Dr. Strauss' study includes
mysticism was undoubtedly the
and Freud was an honorary ference between the natural dream hatred of the enemy. He opposes
major vehicle of transmission."
member of it."
that is-bestowed by grace, but by spiritual and universalistic Chris- analyses of orthodoxy, Calvinism,
In the new preface to the paper-
Freud's knowldege of Hebrew understanding prophecy as poten- tianity to carnal and particularis- revealed religion.
* * *
back, Bakan refers to the condem- and Yiddish terms, his many Jew- tially only from what is essential tic Judaism: the core of Judaism
nation of Freud by Joseph Bloch ish acquaintances, his knowledge to man as man, binds up his theory is the Mosaic law as a particularis-
There is an important chapter
for Freud's interpretation of the of Jewish history and of messianic of prophecy so closely with his tic not to say tribal law that serves on Uriel da Costa. Dr. Strauss ex-
Moses theme. Bloch had said: movements, his deep concern over own conception of man, and in no other end than the early or plains in evaluating the Marranos'
"Anti-Semites accuse us of killing many Jewish matters — these are particular with the Aristotelian political felicity of the Jewish na- critique of Christianity that, many
the founder of Christianity. Now a I reviewed in considerable detail conception of sensory perception tion; the Torah does not teach Jews had gone over to Christianity
Jew adds that we also killed the and with expertness which lends and of imagination, that his theory morality, i.e. universal morality; from conviction that the spiritual
stands or falls according to ac- the Mosaic religion is merely na- content of Judaism had faded from
ceptance or rejection of that Aris- tional; Moses' God is a tribal and Mariano minds, that da Costa's
totelian conception. Spinoza could in addition a corporeal God. By father. was a good Catholic. He re-
therefore all the more easily start denying that the God of Israel is lates about Uriel Da Costa that
from Jewish theology rather than the God of all mankind Spinoza he relinquished Christianity, re-
from Christian theology, adopt has blasphemed the God of Israel. turned to Judaism, later abandon-
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
The
rabbi
said
Ky
envisaged
an
Maimonides' view rather than the He reduces Jewish religion to a ing. the latter, that: "He mentions
to The Jewish News)
WASHINGTON — Reports from "uneven exchange." Rabbi Rubin view advanced by Descartes, in or- doctrine of the Jewish state. For his Alarrano origin and describes
Saigon received here Tuesday re- interpreted this as meaning that der to demolish with Cartesian him, the Torah is of merely human his path from Christianity by way
lated how a New York rabbi met Ky would swap more North means the unity which Maimonides origin. Cohen shows that the Chris- of Judaism to unbelief, without in-
with Premier Nguyen Cao Ky for Vietnamese prisoners than North had attempted to establish between tianity in the light of which Spi- dicating any connection between
noza condemns Judaism is not his- the two facts."
an hour and discussed possibilities Vietnam would return.
knowledge and faith."
torical or actual Christianity but
of bringing about release of U.S.
S * *
About 40 American airmen are
The doctrines of other important
an idealized Christianity, and
pilots held' by North Vietnam.
known to be held by North Viet-
figures of Spinoza's time—those of
Dr.
Strauss
maintains
further
hence
while
idealizing
Christianity,
Rabbi Schulem Rubin, spiritual nam. The rabbi quoted Ky as stat-
Isaac de la Peyrere and Thomas
leader of Young Israel Synagogue, ing that "I know the prisoners that Spinoza, in his controversy he degenerates Judaism. He shows Hobbes—also are evaluated'. These
New York, disclosed after the issue is an emotional one, and with Maimonides, 'can fight on his them that Spinoza admits the uni- are part of the analyses of
criti-
meeting that Ky is willing to ex- could bring on World War Three. own ground, on the basis of versalistic character of the Old ques of the Bible, of Spinozist
Testament prophecy, thus contra- ideas,
change North Vietnamese prison- And I know how the prisoners science," and states:
as related to the very im-
ers for U.S. - airmen held by are suffering terrible humiliation
"If Spinoza's critique of Mai- dicting himself grossly .. . " Thus p r e s s i v e Strauss study which
Spinoza's
action
is
branded
"amaz-
Hanoi.
monides
is
in
fact
not
critique
of
and hardship."
emerges as one of the most impor-
religion at all, but philosophic ingly unscrupulous."
tant works to appear in our time
40 Friday, August 26, '1966
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS critique of scholastic philosophy,
On the other hand, Dr. Strauss on Spinoza and his time.

-

'Spinoza's Critique of Religion' by Professor Leo Strauss
Demolishes View of Controversy With Mairnonides. and
Shows How Renegade Spinoza Had Denigrated Judaism

Premier Ky Willing to Trade POWs
to Viet Gong for Yanks, Rabbi Says

—

