Our good friend at
The Blog of Garnel Ironheart recently ran three posts culminating in, as I would describe it, a challenge to the world of Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism to set its path and strive to become the strong force for a certain vision of Torah that is much needed. We reproduce these three posts below and welcome your comments. We also invite you to look at Garnel's own site and see the comments that were made to these posts at his site. It is my hope, iy"H, to present my thoughts on the matter in a later post.
(We should note a caveat that, of course, our posting of these posts on the Nishmablog site does not necessarily mean that we are in agreement with everything that Garnel writes nor do we necessarily advocate for his style or presentation. There is no doubt, though, much thought to what he has written.)
Rabbi Ben Hecht
*****
Guest posts from The Blog of Garnel Ironheart
One of the things about Modern Orthodoxy that often gets overlooked is the meaning of the word "modern".
It seems to usually mean that MO's dress in modern clothes, have modern
interests, appreciate modern secular knowledge, and so on.
Unfortunately it also gets implied that the "modern" doesn't so much
influence the "orthodox" as the other way around.
But the problem with the word "modern" is the same problem with the word
"now". Neither really indicates much. If "now" is this instant in
time, well by the time I've finished typing that the "now" that was is
in my past, much further back by the time you read this.
It's the same with "modern". Folks back in First and Second Temple
times didn't call themselves "ancient". That term was reserved for the
original Egyptians and Hittites, possibly also our ancestors who came
out of Egypt. And as much as we like to call ourselves a modern society
nowadays, folks in the 23rd century will be talkin about us as living
on "old Earth". Watch
Star Trek if you don't believe me.
If this is the case, then the "modern" in "Modern Orthodox" cannot refer
to simply being trendy with whatever is hip in secular society while
maintaining an Orthodox approach to life. Rather, it should refer to
the way Judaism interacts with the surrounding culture and how it takes
from it elements of use to one's practice.
It seems that there's an intrinsic tension in the word "modern" since
what it defines is always changing but in another respect it's always
the same since it's the latest and greatest. How does one bring that
concept into our practice of Judaism?
Years ago a Conservative rabbi (I think it might have been Elliot Dorf but don't quote me) compared the
halachic decision
making process to a game of chess. After the Torah was given and the
Oral law develop the pieces moved into different positions as new
situations came up. The Orthodox approach nowadays, he contended, was
to place a glass dome over the board so the pieces could no longer move.
The Conservatives, on the other hand, were still moving the pieces and
allowing
halacha to evolve.
He never mentioned the Reform but I could suggest that their approach
was to clean all the pieces off and use the board as a coaster for their
drinks.
I don't think this analogy is very accurate, though. For one thing,
there is clearly continued motion of the pieces on the Orthodox
chessboard. It's just that the Chareidi approach to moving the pieces is
to create new rules that limit options, like allowing the queen to
either go straight or diagonal but not both, or restricting the rooks to
a maximum move of 4 spaces at a time. For them, the
mesorah is
defined as unchanging but this is clearly not correct if one looks at
how normative Orthodox practice has evolved over the centuries.
For another, it could
quite easily be
proven that while the Conservatives are still moving the pieces but
that they've tossed the rule book into the garbage. For them, queens
(and this is not a backhanded reference to their recent legitimization
of homosexual marriage) can move in any direction and jump like horses
while pawns can move backwards and rooks can jump over bishops. The
pieces and board are the same but the game being played is
unrecognizable to someone familiar with the rules. For them, change is
the whole point and the guiding light is secular society.
Where does that leave Modern Orthodoxy? Well, to persist with the chess
analogy, both the Chareidi and the non-Orthodox approach leave an
excellent option to be used: playing with the actual rules. The rules
of chess which guide the motion of the pieces are unchanging. They are
the "Modern" in Modern Orthodoxy.
What this means is developing a model of Orthodoxy based both on traditional
halachic principles and academic scholarship to obtain a deeper and more accurate understanding of the
mesorah.
It means saying to the non-Orthodox that what they are playing is not
chess, no matter how much they want to think it is and that they
therefore cannot legitimately claim to be
halachic and taken seriously. And it means saying to the Chareidim that their limitations on the rules, their adjusting of how the
halacha is developed is also in violation of the rules.
Full
halachic practice requires knowledge and confidence. It
requires knowledge is that a person needs to know the sources he is
dealing with, from the Torah through the Talmud down past all the
Poskim. It requires confidence in that difficult situations or a lack
of ready facts cause people to say "
assur " just to be careful. This is not
halachic practice. It is a cop-out.
Therefore it must be proposed that Modern Orthodoxy develop this model: a traditional model of
halacha including the traditional rules for adjusting it to changing circumstances while maintaining absolute fealty to the
mesorah.
I've never been a big fan of
kabbalah or other parts of the
mystical side of Judaism. For one thing, I'm very much a rationalist
and stuff that intrinsically doesn't make physical sense isn't something
I latch on to easily. For another, I've always been bothered by the
Zohar. Never mind the controversy surrounding
its origins.
It's just that having struggled with the complexities of learning
Talmud for so long, it bugs me that there's another "Talmud" out there,
one infinitely more complex and that for many people it's the real thing
while the Talmud I'm learning is just for us simpletons who haven't
reached that exalted level yet. These assertions make me wonder why the
Chazal would go to the effort of making an incredible book like the
Talmud when they knew that "real"
halachic practice wasn't in accordance with it but with the Zohar.
Having said that, I do recognize the incredible importance and
legitimacy of the mystical part of Judaism. When explaining it to
people, I analogize it to neurosurgery. Kabbalah, I tell them, is the
neurosurgery of medicine. Most doctors aren't neurosurgeons, nor do
they have the skills or aptitude to be, but that doesn't mean
neurosurgery
isn't really important and
that neurosurgeons aren't top-flight doctors. It's the same with
Kabbalah. Real kabbalah isn't for everyone although everyone is aware
that it exists and to become a real practitioner of it requires training
and respect for the material that not everyone has an aptitude for.
I think what's also hurt my impression of Kabbalah is the contradiction
between the description I've just given and the way "popular Kabbalah"
has spread throughout Jewish society. It's annoying to be told
something is forbidden, to reply "But the Shulchan Aruch says it's okay"
and be told "Yes, but the Zohar says it isn't" or "The Arizal said it's
not allowed".
Real kabbalists
are not like this, of course, but kabbalah isn't restricted to them
anymore. It seems, for example, that it's a standard grade 9 course in
every Chabad yeshivah. That allows them to say stuff like "Well maybe
that's what 'X' says but the Rebbe said only the
sod matters". And let's not bring up Madonna/Esther. Please, let's not.
Having said all that, it occurs to me that one of the biggest difference
between Chareidism and Modern Orthodoxy is the learning and utilizing
of kabbalah in the Jewish life. Both Misnagdim and Chasidim incorporate
it into their studies and behaviours while MO's, perhaps because of the
more rationalist bent of the movement, are aware and maybe have learned
some kabbalah but in general it isn't as prevalent or influential. And
I think that should change.
No, I'm not implying that MO should develop
chaburot where people sit in a circle in the lotus position and scan the universe for the mystical energy sent out from
Shamayim by the holy
neshama of
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. (Yes, I once met someone who claimed it was an
important ritual, more important than davening but he also seemed
unaware of the existence of nail clippers) However, understanding the
role of Kabbalah in Jewish practice and promoting a greater awareness of
its proper role in
halachic decision making, appreciating the concepts of
pshat, drash, remez and
sod in
Scriptural interpretation and encouring its study at the highest levels
of MO institutions is a change the movement should make.
The reason for that I will bring in my next post.
In his book on the history of Religious Zionism, aptly titled
Religious Zionism, Rav Dov Schwartz notes that nowadays there are essentially two main streams of Religious Zionist philosophy.
The first is the mystical/messianic as exemplified by the writings of
Rav Kook, zt"kl. Rav Kook's followers see the return to Israel as the
aschalta d'geula and
the resettling of the Land as the fulfillment of the Divine promise of a
return of our nation to Israel at the end of days.
The second is the
halachic approach as detailed in the writings
of Rav Joseph B Soloveitchik, zt"l. Consistent with his style
elsewhere, the Rav saw a return to Israel as necessary to create a fully
functional
halacha. After all, there are many
mitzvos that
can only be observed in the Land of Israel. There are many more than
only become relevant when the Temple (may it be speedily rebuilt) is
standing. Therefore a return to Israel and a building of a Torah state
is necessary to bring about the full flowing of Judaism.
According to Rav Schwartz, the Kook camp is currently ascendant within
Religious Zionism. Much of this occurred as a result of the Six Day War
and the messianic fervour it unleashed amongst Rav Kook's followers,
then led by his son Rav Tzvi Yehudah Kook, zt"l. As anyone following
the political history of Israel knows, however, this fervour for the
settling of a Greater Israel has consumed much of the movement. Whereas
once upon a time Religious Zionism was literally about that - Zionism
done
al pi halacha - it is now a movement based on, centred around and obsessed with the
chalutzim of Yesha.
Why does this matter? It is important to remember that for 1800 years
Jews didn't not pray three times daily for the creation of a secular
state in Israel that had a Jewish majority and some tokens of Jewish
ritual in its public life. We did not pray for the creation of a
society in which religious Jews either be parasites living off the teat
of the State while condemning its very existence. And we did not pray
for a country in which those who wish to see the rise of a Torah state
would be confined to the edges of the political discourse and seen by
the public majority as a fringe interest group.
Therefore, while the philosophy and influence of Rav Kook remains
extremely important to the existence of Religious Zionism, it cannot by
itself guide the movement into a thriving position. Religious Zionism,
remember, was supposed to be the national alternative to Secular
Zionism. While the latter posited creating a socialist state in Israel
with a Jewish majority, the former was based on the idea of Jews
returning to Israel to create a Torah state.
Is Religious Zionism in such a position today? Is there a Religious
Zionist party that is relevant to national discourse even in its own
community? Yes there is a party in the Knesset but tell me, what is its
economic policy? What is its foreign policy? What is its
environmental policy? If it were to accidentally win the election
tomorrow, how would it govern?
Is it any wonder that Religious Zionists vote for the Likud more than
they do for their own party? After all, the Likud is able to govern and
Religious Zionists, worried about the State and life there, are more
interested in supporting a party that can address many of their concerns
than the poor Mafdal which only seems interested in Yesha.
And what exactly is the
halachic approach of the Religious
Zionist movement today? As opposed to the practical definition of
Modern Orthodox - not Reformative, not Chareidi but somewhere in the
middle - Religious Zionism is all too inclusive. From the
chardalim on
the right to the Shirah Chadashah crowd on the left, Religious Zionism
seems to mean anyone who sees a value to the State other than just as an
emergency lifeboat for the Jewish people.
But this is where my
previous two posts
come into the mix. Both Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism, while
important movements each on their own, are missing something important.
For Modern Orthodoxy it's a connect to the deeper aspects of Judaism,
the
Chasidus of the matter as its were. For Religious Zionism there is a global unifying worldview that is missing.
In other words, Modern Orthodoxy needs the depth and richness of Rav Kook's approach to Jewish thought and
Shivas Tzion. Religious Zionism needs a consistent
halachic approach
so that it can present a vision of a Torah society that is palatable
and plausible for the population. Each movement has what the other is
lacking.
This is my vision, a counterweight to the strong Chareidi influence that
is constantly working to overwhelming all other Orthodox groups and
create a monolithic Torah-based society from their views and opinions
alone. I even have a name for such a community: Navonim, as in the verse
"Surely a wise and discerning people is this great nation!"
(Deuteronomy 4:6)
Navonim because I believe that God, while He demands our respect and
awe, does not so much want us to tremble at His world as to grasp at it,
study it, understand it and apply it in the world He has put us in. He
wants an intelligent practice of Judaism that leads to a confident Jew
who doesn't have to hide from the temptations of the world because he
knows that the Torah puts us above all that.
A merger between the philosophies of Modern Orthodoxy and Religious Zionism would create such a Judaism.
