Interpreting Jewish Liturgy

Rabbi Elie Kaunfer

The Literary-Intertext Method

This study conducts a close literary analysis of a variety of Talmudic-era prayers in order to develop a method of interpretation, called the “literary-intertext” method. Drawing on literary theory and the work of intertextuality in biblical and midrashic fields, this method offers a literary reading of prayer texts based on the juxtaposition with biblical intertexts. This was Mechon Hadar Director Elie Kaunfer's PhD thesis.