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Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906
Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses 1-1-2010 A Rabbi in the Progressive Era: Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906 Mordechai Ben Massart Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Massart, Mordechai Ben, "A Rabbi in the Progressive Era: Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906" (2010). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 729. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.729 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. A Rabbi in the Progressive Era: Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Ph.D. and the Rise of Social Jewish Progressivism in Portland, Or, 1900-1906 by Mordechai Ben Massart A thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History Thesis Committee: David A. Horowitz Ken Ruoff Friedrich Schuler Michael Weingrad Portland State University 2010 ABSTRACT Rabbi Stephen S. Wise presents an excellent subject for the study of Jewish social progressivism in Portland in the early years of the twentieth-century. While Wise demonstrated a commitment to social justice before, during, and after his Portland years, it is during his ministry at congregation Beth Israel that he developed a full-fledged social program that was unique and remarkable by reaching out not only within his congregation but more importantly, by engaging the Christian community of Portland in interfaith activities. -
Was the Chasam Sofer Inconsistent? a Review Essay
239 Setting the Record Straight: Was the Chasam Sofer Inconsistent? A Review Essay By: NOSSON DOVID RABINOWICH In this essay we will discuss claims made in two recent articles, published by two leading scholars, to the effect that the Chasam Sofer was inconsistent and contradicted himself. I will attempt to show that those supposed “contradictions and inconsistencies” are either simply nonexistent or can be properly explained by careful and deliberate analysis of the actual sources and the issues involved. While my respect for Rabbi Moshe Sofer, the late “Chasam Sofer,” of blessed memory, is not merely that reserved for a great rabbi and outstanding scholar, I have endeavored to maintain a balanced and critical approach throughout. Nevertheless I feel it appropriate to note that from my perspective, Rabbi Sofer was a holy rabbi, a saint if you wish, whose towering scholarship in so many areas of Jewish studies was unmatched by his peers or by any rabbi from any subsequent generation. I do not hesitate to apply to him this popular saying: “From R. Moshe [Ben-Maimon; Maimonidies] until [R.] Moshe [Sofer] there was no one of the stature of R. Moshe [Sofer].”1 1 As the halakhic authority of his generation, he was probably more prolific than any other rabbi going back six hundred years, since the leading halakhic authority of the Golden Age in Spain, Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet. Of R. Sofer’s peers, only Rabbi Yosef Shaul Nathanson, She-elot Sho’el U’Maishiv, was known to have written more responsa. ______________________________________________________ Nosson Dovid Rabinowich is the Mara d'Asra of Beis Medrash Ahavas Torah, a prolific author, and teacher. -
Mattos Chassidus on the Massei ~ Mattos Chassidus on the Parsha +
LIGHTS OF OUR RIGHTEOUS TZADDIKIM בעזרת ה ' יתבר A Tzaddik, or righteous person , makes everyone else appear righteous before Hashem by advocating for them and finding their merits. Kedushas Levi, Parshas Noach (Bereishis 7:1) MATTOS ~ MASSEI _ CHASSIDUS ON THE PARSHA + Dvar Torah – Mattos Keep Your Word The Torah states (30:3), “If a man takes a vow or swears an oath to G -d to establish a prohibition upon himself, he shall not violate his word; he shall fulfill whatever comes out of his mouth.” In relation to this passuk , the Midrash quotes from Tehillim (144:4), “Our days are like a fleeting shadow.” What is the connection? This can be explained, says Rav Levi Yitzchok, according to a Gemara ( Nedarim 10b), which states, “It is forbidden to say, ‘ Lashem korban , for G-d − an offering.’ Instead a person must say, ‘ Korban Lashem , an offering for G -d.’ Why? Because he may die before he says the word korban , and then he will have said the holy Name in vain.” In this light, we can understand the Midrash. The Torah states that a person makes “a vow to G-d.” This i s the exact language that must be used, mentioning the vow first. Why? Because “our days are like a fleeting shadow,” and there is always the possibility that he may die before he finishes his vow and he will have uttered the Name in vain. n Story The wood chopper had come to Ryczywohl from the nearby village in which he lived, hoping to find some kind of employment. -
אוסף מרמורשטיין the Marmorstein Collection
אוסף מרמורשטיין The Marmorstein Collection Brad Sabin Hill THE JOHN RYLANDS LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER Manchester 2017 1 The Marmorstein Collection CONTENTS Acknowledgements Note on Bibliographic Citations I. Preface: Hebraica and Judaica in the Rylands -Hebrew and Samaritan Manuscripts: Crawford, Gaster -Printed Books: Spencer Incunabula; Abramsky Haskalah Collection; Teltscher Collection; Miscellaneous Collections; Marmorstein Collection II. Dr Arthur Marmorstein and His Library -Life and Writings of a Scholar and Bibliographer -A Rabbinic Literary Family: Antecedents and Relations -Marmorstein’s Library III. Hebraica -Literary Periods and Subjects -History of Hebrew Printing -Hebrew Printed Books in the Marmorstein Collection --16th century --17th century --18th century --19th century --20th century -Art of the Hebrew Book -Jewish Languages (Aramaic, Judeo-Arabic, Yiddish, Others) IV. Non-Hebraica -Greek and Latin -German -Anglo-Judaica -Hungarian -French and Italian -Other Languages 2 V. Genres and Subjects Hebraica and Judaica -Bible, Commentaries, Homiletics -Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, Rabbinic Literature -Responsa -Law Codes and Custumals -Philosophy and Ethics -Kabbalah and Mysticism -Liturgy and Liturgical Poetry -Sephardic, Oriental, Non-Ashkenazic Literature -Sects, Branches, Movements -Sex, Marital Laws, Women -History and Geography -Belles-Lettres -Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine -Philology and Lexicography -Christian Hebraism -Jewish-Christian and Jewish-Muslim Relations -Jewish and non-Jewish Intercultural Influences -
Schreiber QX
AARON M. SCHREIBER The H. atam Sofer’s Nuanced Attitude Towards Secular Learning, Maskilim, and Reformers Introduction abbi Moshe Sofer (1762-1839), commonly referred to as H. atam RSofer (after the title of his famous halakhic work), served as Rabbi of Pressburg, a major city in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, beginning in 1806. Subsequently, he became one of the principal leaders of the Orthodox Jewish community in Central Europe in the first four decades of the 19th century. R. Sofer was at the forefront of the orthodox strug- gles against the Jewish Reform movement.1 A towering halakhic author- ity whose rulings and opinions were sought by many from near and far, he was also known as a z.addik and as a person of unwavering principles to which he adhered regardless of the personal struggle required.2 He was charismatic and was reputed to be graced with the Divine Spirit, AARON M. SCHREIBER has been a tenured Professor of Law at a number of American law schools, and a founder and Professor of Law at Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Law in Israel. His published books include Jewish Law and Decision Making: A Study Through Time, and Jurisprudence: Understanding and Shaping Law (with W. Michael Reisman of Yale Law School). He has authored numerous articles on law, jurisprudence, and Jewish subjects, and was the Principal Investigator for many years of the computerized Jewish Responsa (She’elot u-Teshuvot) Project at Bar-Ilan University. 123 The Torah u-Madda Journal (11/2002-03) 124 The Torah u-Madda Journal even to receive visions of events in the future and in far away places.3 As a result, he had a profound influence on religious Jewry, particularly in Hungary, Poland, and all of Central Europe, both during and after his lifetime. -
A Note on Historiography, Printing, and the Power of Hearsay in a Position of Rabad
“It Is Upon Him to Bring the Proof”: A Note on Historiography, Printing, and the Power of Hearsay in a Position of Rabad Yaakov Jaffe and David Shabtai One of the most original but also controversial positions of the twelfth-century Talmudist Rabad (Rabbi Abraham ben David) of Posquières was his ruling that the prohibition that prohibits kohanim from incurring ritual defilement no longer applied.1 Rabad’s ruling has been consistently challenged and called into question on both logical and historical-critical grounds. Historically, the analysis of Rabad’s opinion is a paradigmatic case of the power of hearsay, the role of “luck” in publishing the positions of the rishonim, and the impact of these positions on Jewish law, particularly in light of what the authors believed to be the Rabad’s true opinion on the matter. Rabad’s position is formulated succinctly in his glosses to Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah. Rabad challenges Maimonides’ read- ing of a key Talmudic passage in Nazir 42b and concludes: 1 Rabad uses the words ba-zeman ha-zeh, “in our days,” over the course of his presentation—implying that the law is entirely inapplicable in our day and that even infant kohanim who had never come into contact with impurity could be lenient. Responsa Hatam Sofer no. 340 takes the phrase literally, but still argues that Rabad did not mean to say the prohibition did not categorically apply today. A nonliteral reading seems to be the most accurate, though, when the words are viewed in the context of Rabad’s and the Talmudic discussions, as will be dis- cussed below. -
9 Sivan 1807.Dwd
SIVAN Life's splendor forever lies in wait 1 Sivan about each one of us in all its fullness, but veiled from view, deep down, Day Forty-five, making six weeks and three days, of the invisible, far off. It is there, though, Omer not hostile, not reluctant, not deaf. If Rosh Hodesh Sivan Hillula of Bohemian-born Austrian writer Franz Kafka, you summon it by the right word, by its pictured at right. Kafka was an admirer of right name, it will come. –Franz Kafka anarcho-communist theoretician Pyotr Kropotkin. As an elementary and secondary school student, Kafka wore a red carnation in his lapel to show his support for socialism. (1 Sivan 5684, 3 June 1924) Hillula of Polish-born U.S. labor lawyer Jack Zucker. When Senator Joseph McCarthy impugned Zucker’s patriotism, Zucker retorted, “I have more patriotism in my little finger than you have in your entire body!” (1 Sivan 5761, 23 May 2001) Hillula of Samaritan High Priest Levi ben Abisha ben Pinhas ben Yitzhaq, the first Samaritan High Priest to visit the United States (1 Sivan 5761, 23 May 2001) Hillula of U.S. labor leader Gus Tyler, pictured at right. Born Augustus Tilove, he adopted the sur- name Tyler as a way of honoring Wat Tyler, the leader of a 14th-century English peasant rebellion. (1 Sivan 5771, 3 June 2011) Hillula of Annette Dreyfus Benacerraf, niece of 1965 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine Jacques Monod and wife of 1980 Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine Baruj Benacerraf (1 Sivan 5771, 3 June 2011) 2 Sivan Day Forty-six, making six weeks and four days, of the Omer Hillula of Rebbe Israel Hager of Vizhnitz, pictured at near right. -
CONTENTS Editor's Introduction to the Kislev 5765 Edition Eugene Korn
CONTENTS Editor’s Introduction to the Kislev 5765 Edition Eugene Korn ARTICLES Rabbis Joseph B. Soloveitchik and Abraham Joshua Heschel on Jewish-Christian Relations Reuven Kimelman Contemporary Fads and Torah u-Madda: A Response to Alan Brill Yitzchak Blau Response by Alan Brill Women and Writing the Megillah Ross Singer Edah in Israel Saul. J. Berman Moshe Tur-Paz From De’ot The Challenge of Unmarried Women: Does Defining Them as a “Problem” Meet a Social Need? Hagit Bartov REVIEW ESSAYS A Critique of Expanding the Palace of Torah: Orthodoxy and Feminism by Tamar Ross Yoel Finkelman Response by Tamar Ross Tears of the Oppressed by Aviad Hacohen Michael J. Broyde REVIEW What Makes a Book Orthodox? Wrestling With God and Men by Steve Greenberg Reviewed by Asher Lopatin The Edah Journal 4:2 Edah Inc. © 2004 Kislev 5765 The Edah Journal A Forum of Modern Orthodox Discourse Statement of Purpose The Edah Journal is a forum for discussion of Orthodox Judaism’s engagement with modernity. It is Edah’s conviction that such discourse is vital to nurturing the spiritual and religious experiences of Modern Orthodox Jews. Committed to the norms of halakhah and Torah, The Edah Journal is dedicated to free inquiry and will be ever mindful that, “Truth is the seal of the Holy One, Blessed be He.” Editorial Board Eugene Korn - Editor Naftali Harcsztark – Associate Editor Joel Linsider – Text Editor Moshe Halbertal (Israel) Richard Joel Norma Baumel Joseph Simcha Krauss Barry Levy Dov Linzer Tamar Ross (Israel) Directions for Submissions The Edah Journal invites submissions of original scholarly and popular essays, as well as new English translations of Hebrew works. -
Halacha Defining Death Jewish Medical Ethics: the Brain Death Controversy in Jewish Law by Rabbi Yitzchok A
החידון המדע הירושלמי Jerusalem Science Contest Part 3, Slides 14 thru 21 Jewish Law Decisions Halacha defining death Jewish Medical Ethics: The Brain Death Controversy in Jewish Law by Rabbi Yitzchok A. Breitowitz, 1996 Rabbi Breitowitz received his Rabbinical Ordination from the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in 1976; B.S. with honors from Johns Hopkins University; J.D (magna cum laude) from Harvard Law School in 1979; and a Doctorate in Talmudic Law from Ner Israel in 1992. He has lectured extensively throughout the US and Israel on medical, business, and family ethics. He has published numerous articles on bankruptcy, commercial law, medical ethics, family law, and halakha.In addition to being the Rabbi of the Woodside Synagogue in SIlver Spring MD, Rabbi Breitowitz is a Professor of Law at the University of Maryland. The issues that need to be decided under Jewish Law. 1. Is irreversible dysfunction of the entire brain a valid criterion of death under Jewish Law? a. If No, then, such a person is alive. b. If Yes, the following issue must be decided: 2. Are the medical tests currently utilized in establishing such a condition valid indicators of its presence under Jewish Law? a. Which Tests? b. Are the tests being utilized in the patient’s facility tests that qualify under Jewish law? Mishnah Oholot 1:6 ָאָדם ֵאינֹו ְמַטֵמא, ַעֶׁדשֵתֵצאַ נְפשֹו. ַוֲאִפּלּוְ מֻגָּיד, ַוֲאִפּלּוֵ גֹוסס. זֹוֵקק ַלִיּבּום ּופֹוֵטִר מןַ הִיּבּום, ַמֲאִכילַ ּבְתָּרּומהֵּופֹוסלַ ּבְתָּרּומה. וְכֵן ְּבֵהָּמהְ וַחָּיה ֵאָּינןְמַטְמִאין, ַעדֶׁ שֵתֵצאַ נְפָּשם. ֻהְתזּוָ רֵאשֶׁיהם, ַאףַ עִּל פיֶׁ שְמַפְרְכִּסים, ְטֵמִּאים, ְכָּגֹון זָּנֶׁב של ְלָּטָּאהֶׁשִהיא ְמַפְרָּכֶׁסת: A person does not defile [as a corpse] until he dies. -
Bal Tashchit : the Jewish Prohibition Against Needless Destruction Wolff, K.A
Bal Tashchit : the Jewish prohibition against needless destruction Wolff, K.A. Citation Wolff, K. A. (2009, December 1). Bal Tashchit : the Jewish prohibition against needless destruction. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14448 Version: Corrected Publisher’s Version Licence agreement concerning inclusion of doctoral thesis in the License: Institutional Repository of the University of Leiden Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14448 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). BAL TASHCHIT: THE JEWISH PROHIBITION AGAINST NEEDLESS DESTRUCTION Copyright © 2009 by K. A. Wolff All rights reserved Printed in Jerusalem BAL TASHCHIT: THE JEWISH PROHIBITION AGAINST NEEDLESS DESTRUCTION Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. mr P.F. van der Heijden, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op dinsdag 1 december 2009 klokke 15:00 uur door Keith A. Wolff geboren te Fort Lauderdale (Verenigde Staten) in 1957 Promotiecommissie Promotores: Prof. Dr F.A. de Wolff Prof. Dr A. Wijler, Rabbijn, Jerusalem College of Technology Overige leden: Prof. Dr J.J. Boersema, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Prof. Dr A. Ellian Prof. Dr R.W. Munk, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Prof. Dr I.E. Zwiep, Universiteit van Amsterdam To my wife, our children, and our parents Preface This is an interdisciplinary thesis. The second and third chapters focus on classic Jewish texts, commentary and legal responsa, including the original Hebrew and Aramaic, along with translations into English. The remainder of the thesis seeks to integrate principles derived from these Jewish sources with contemporary Western thought, particularly on what might be called 'environmental' themes. -
Tzadik Righteous One", Pl
Tzadik righteous one", pl. tzadikim [tsadi" , צדיק :Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq [tsaˈdik] (Hebrew ,ṣadiqim) is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous צדיקים [kimˈ such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d- tzedek), which means "justice" or "righteousness". The feminine term for a צדק) q righteous person is tzadeikes/tzaddeket. Tzadik is also the root of the word tzedakah ('charity', literally 'righteousness'). The term tzadik "righteous", and its associated meanings, developed in Rabbinic thought from its Talmudic contrast with hasid ("pious" honorific), to its exploration in Ethical literature, and its esoteric spiritualisation in Kabbalah. Since the late 17th century, in Hasidic Judaism, the institution of the mystical tzadik as a divine channel assumed central importance, combining popularization of (hands- on) Jewish mysticism with social movement for the first time.[1] Adapting former Kabbalistic theosophical terminology, Hasidic thought internalised mystical Joseph interprets Pharaoh's Dream experience, emphasising deveikut attachment to its Rebbe leadership, who embody (Genesis 41:15–41). Of the Biblical and channel the Divine flow of blessing to the world.[2] figures in Judaism, Yosef is customarily called the Tzadik. Where the Patriarchs lived supernally as shepherds, the quality of righteousness contrasts most in Contents Joseph's holiness amidst foreign worldliness. In Kabbalah, Joseph Etymology embodies the Sephirah of Yesod, The nature of the Tzadik the lower descending -
Jahrbuch Des Simon-Dubnow-Instituts
Dan Diner, Jahrbuch des Simon-Dubnow-Instituts JAHRBUCH DES SIMON-DUBNOW-INSTITUTS (JBDI) SIMON DUBNOW INSTITUTE YEARBOOK (DIYB) 2012 © 2012, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG, Göttingen ISBN Print: 9783525369418 — ISBN E-Book: 9783647369419 Dan Diner, Jahrbuch des Simon-Dubnow-Instituts Herausgeber Editor Dan Diner Redaktion Manuscript Editor Petra Klara Gamke-Breitschopf Redaktionsbeirat Editorial Advisory Board Aleida Assmann, Konstanz · Jacob Barnai, Haifa · Israel Bartal, Jerusalem · Omer Bartov, Providence · Esther Benbassa, Paris · Dominique Bourel, Paris · Michael Brenner, München · Matti Bunzl, Urbana-Champaign · Lois Dubin, Northampton, Mass. · Ernst-Ludwig Ehrlich (1921–2007), Basel · Todd Endelman, Ann Arbor · David Engel, New York · Shmuel Feiner, Ramat Gan · Jonathan Frankel (1935–2008), Jerusalem · Norbert Frei, Jena · Sander L. Gilman, Atlanta · Frank Golczewski, Hamburg · Michael Graetz, Heidelberg · Raphael Gross, London/Frankfurt a.M. · Heiko Haumann, Basel · Susannah Heschel, Hanover, N.H. · Yosef Kaplan, Jerusalem · John D. Klier (1944–2007) · Cilly Kugelmann, Berlin · Mark Levene, Southampton · Leonid Luks, Eichstätt · Ezra Mendelsohn, Jerusalem · Paul Mendes-Flohr, Jerusalem/Chicago · Gabriel Motzkin, Jerusalem · David N. Myers, Los Angeles · Jacques Picard, Basel · Gertrud Pickhan, Berlin · Anthony Polonsky, Waltham, Mass. · Renée Poznanski, Beer Sheva · Peter Pulzer, Oxford · Monika Richarz, Berlin · Manfred Rudersdorf, Leipzig · Rachel Salamander, München · Winfried Schulze, München · Hannes Siegrist, Leipzig