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Terumah - Walter Benjamin's Aura and the War between God and Art - Episode 19

Terumah - Walter Benjamin's Aura and the War between God and Art - Episode 19

FromThe Schrift - Ancient Jewish Wisdom for Modern Times


Terumah - Walter Benjamin's Aura and the War between God and Art - Episode 19

FromThe Schrift - Ancient Jewish Wisdom for Modern Times

ratings:
Length:
1 minute
Released:
Feb 18, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Why do hundreds of people travel from distant lands to see the Mona Lisa but then when they finally get there, their first act is to take out their cameras and snap a picture of it? Walter Benjamin's 1936 essay "On the Reproducibility of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" discusses how, in modern times, art can be reproduced on a massive scale. This technology causes copies of art, even if identical to the original work, to seem paltry in comparison to the original work, which retains its "aura." When Moses ascends Mount Sinai, the first thing God tells him is how to build a temple in the wilderness, known as the Mishkan. Yet, the instructions God gives are awfully tedious and allow for the temple to be easily copied. The Torah, read ironically, suggests that this "replacement" for God, we might say, lacks the "aura" of the original work. In a war between Art and God, God will always have the last word.IG: Stevehead0001steventobyweinberg.comMusic: Led Zeppelin - "Kashmir"
Released:
Feb 18, 2021
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

It is time that we see philosophy as something rebellious and therapeutic rather than boring and esoteric. Using humor, personal anecdotes, and much hubris, the Schrift provides fresh and unexpected answers to life's most tricky and fateful questions. The anchor of the Schrift is the weekly reading of the Torah. These passages are analyzed not as religious dogma but as brilliant pieces of literature and anthropology which bring ancient wisdom back into our lives. The greatest philosophers and writers of the German canon also weigh in on these questions during the Schrift. Finally the lectures incorporate Buddhist teachings and the practice of Yoga to bring together East and West, body and mind, eternity and the moment. And the Schrift will always give you a "life tip" to carry with you along the way. IG: stevehead0001 s.t.weinberg@gmail.com