Heresy in Judaism - Jews Accused of Heresy

Jews Accused of Heresy

See also: Censorship by religion#Censorship by Jewish religious authorities

The present section lists individuals who have been declared heretical, independent of the particular criteria applied in the assessment. The list below is intended to be inclusive, and thus contains both individuals who have been fully excommunicated, as well as those whose works alone have been condemned as heretical. (The list is in chronological order.)

  • Kórach: considered a heretic by the Talmudic Sages
  • Jesus
  • Elisha ben Abuyah: heretical Talmudic Sage.
  • Anan ben David: His works reject the Oral Torah.
  • Maimonides: His works condemned and burned by Solomon of Montpellier and Yonah Gerondi (who, it should be noted, later publicly repented of his actions)
  • Gersonides: His works condemned by Shem Tov ibn Shem Tov
  • Abraham Abulafia: His works condemned by Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet.
  • Shabbethai Zvi: The famous "false messiah" who converted to Islam
  • Jacob Frank: A second wave "failed Messiah" who later converted to Christianity
  • Baruch Spinoza: Excommunicated in the Netherlands for his pantheistic views
  • Moshe Haim Luzzatto: Excommunicated in Italy for teachings regarding the messianic era
  • Jonathan Eybeschutz: Charged with the Sabbatean heresy by Jacob Emden
  • Shneur Zalman of Liadi: Charged with heresy by the Vilna Gaon
  • David Zvi Hoffman: His work Mar Samuel judged to contain heresies by Samson Raphael Hirsh
  • Mordecai Kaplan: Excommunicated by Union of Orthodox Rabbis following the publication of his Sabbath Prayer Book.
  • Louis Jacobs: Prevented from becoming British Chief Rabbi and removed from his pulpit due to his published views.

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