Book Summary
As A Driven Leaf is an historical novel that brings to life the
age of the Talmud. Set in Roman Palestine, it draws its readers
into the culture and drama of Rabbinic Judaism. In its pages
you will meet some of the great sages of the Talmud, watch them
at work in the Sanhedrin, hear them dispensing legal decisions,
become immersed in their arguments about theology and Torah,
agonize with them on whether to cooperate with or rebel against
increasingly oppressive Rome, and visit the centers of learning
in ancient Palestine.
The protagonist is Elisha ben Abuyah, a Talmudic rabbi who
lived in the first half of the second century and was
excommunicated for heresy Little is actually known of the
historical Elisha. The Talmud says of him:
Four men entered Pardes [the Garden, the realm of theosophy
and hidden teachings]... Ben Azzai died... Ben Zoma went
mad... Acher [Elisha] 'mutilated the shoots' [committed
heresy]... R. Akiva departed unhurt.
What we do know about Elisha comes mostly from his pupil and
disciple R. Meir, a major character in the novel who remained
loyal to Elisha and became an honored sage. R. Meir's teachings
laid the groundwork for the
Mishnah of Judah ha-Nasi.
Fascinated by Hellenism, Elisha became enchanted with the
allure of its systematic logic. Drawing on talmudic and
historical sources, Steinberg portrays the clash between
Judaism and a modern, secular society. Though the culture and
drama presented in As A Driven Leaf reflect Steinberg's
research of the Rabbinic period, the intellectual and
theological crises he depicts provide enough rich material for
the modern reader to consider those issues in the context of
today's world.
Readers will also encounter a budding Christianity, and the
debate over whether the Law of Moses had or had not been
annulled. Seeking a faith born of reason, Elisha was ultimately
left without faith or community, sadly disillusioned by the
mystery of religion on the one hand, and the barbaric side of
Roman and Greek culture on the other, and broken by the
realization that Greek philosophy, itself, was based upon
postulates and axioms--that is, on faith.
