DOCSLIB.ORG

The First Step

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The First Step בס“ד Parshat Beshalach 15 Shevat, 5777/February 11, 2017 Vol. 8 Num. 23 This issue of Toronto Torah is sponsored by Esther and Craig Guttmann and Family בריינדל בת ישעיהו ז“ל in honour of the yahrtzeit of Clara Berglas The First Step Adam Friedmann The parshah details the harrowing save them, he didn’t know how this was This explanation dovetails nicely with account of the Egyptians, chariots going to happen. Suddenly, he found Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch’s reading battle-ready, chasing Bnei Yisrael into himself and Bnei Yisrael in desperate of these verses. (Shemot 14:15) He a seemingly inescapable trap at the straits, and therefore he cried out to notes that in reassuring the people, sea. The Jews cry out to G-d, then G-d for help. Ramban answers the Moshe emphasized that they need not turn to Moshe to express their fear of second question by arguing that in this act. They can “stand” (hityatzvu) and perishing. Moshe reassures the people: context the desperation implied by watch G-d’s salvation unfold. Moshe “Do not fear. Stand and see the “crying out” was inappropriate. Moshe therefore engaged in crying out. salvation of Hashem that He will do for had already been told that Pharaoh you today.” (Shemot 14:13). Moshe’s would pursue Bnei Yisrael. His request G-d’s response served to educate Moshe encouragement sets the stage for the should have been a calmer one, which that with the freedom of Bnei Yisrael, dramatic and climactic event of the simply sought instructions about how the situation had changed. Bnei Yisrael splitting of the Yam Suf. What comes to proceed. were now called upon not only to cry next is somewhat jarring. G-d asks out to G-d, but to express their trust in Moshe, “Mah titzak eilai? Why cry out Perhaps one might suggest a similar, G-d through tangible action, and, by to Me? Speak to Bnei Yisrael and they though distinct, explanation by doing so, to become partially will go forward (ibid. 14:15),” but the considering Moshe’s previous instance responsible for shaping their own text does not include any prayer from of crying out. During the plague of destiny. Bnei Yisrael had to take the Moshe. Some associate the “crying Frogs Moshe mollified a panicked first steps into the sea, attempting, out” here to that done by Bnei Yisrael Pharaoh by telling him that he would however feebly, to save themselves. earlier on (see Ibn Ezra). However, our pray to G-d for the plague to end. There, Only after this attempt would G-d Sages (Mechilta DeRashbi) and many too, the Torah uses the verb tzaakah, to intervene. commentators (see Rashi, for example) cry out. The cry there described the assume that after completing his turn to G-d for help in an otherwise This perspective is reflected in Rashi’s remarks Moshe had begun to pray, impossible situation. Moshe was comment: “Speak to Bnei Yisrael and and G-d reacted by asking him why he demonstrating that it was G-d, and G-d they will go forward – All they need to do was doing so. alone, who had the power to end the is go forward because the sea is not plague. G-d will intervene to save man, [actually] standing in their way. The Two questions emerge here. First, but only after man develops humility, merits of their ancestors and their given Moshe’s initial confidence that acknowledging that he is utterly having faith in Me and leaving [Egypt] G-d would intervene, we may ask why powerless to help himself. [See are enough to split the sea for he subsequently found it necessary to Rambam, Laws of Fasts 1:1-3 and Ikar them.” (Shemot 14:15) With hearts full pray at all. Did he suddenly become #5 of his Introduction to Perek Chelek in of faith, we can trust that G-d will be uncertain? Second, if he did indeed Sanhedrin.] The tzaakah is the cry of there to guide Bnei Yisrael through even feel the need to pray, why was this the Jew, ravaged by the forces of cruel the most menacing terrain, provided we wrong? The moment was one of fate and despairing, calling out to his are ready to take the first step. extreme danger for the whole Father in Heaven to save him. Moshe community. What more fitting assumed that the same approach was [email protected] circumstance is there to pray to G-d called for at the sea, which was as for help? desperate a situation as possible. G-d would intervene fully and save Bnei Ramban (14:15) addresses the first Yisrael once they had initiated the question by explaining that while interaction with tzaakah. Moshe was confident that G-d would OUR BEIT MIDRASH ROSH BEIT MIDRASH ABBI ORDECHAI ORCZYNER R M T SGAN ROSH BEIT MIDRASH RABBI JONATHAN ZIRING AVREICHIM DAM RIEDMANN ARON EREZ A F , Y P CHAVERIM EZER DIENA, URI FRISCHMAN, NADAV GASNER, SHIMMY JESIN, BJ KOROBKIN, YOSEPH LEVI, ZACK MINCER, RONI PEREZ, JOSH PHILLIP, JACOB POSLUNS, DAVID RIABOY, MORDECHAI ROTH, ARIEL SHIELDS, DAVID SUTTNER, DAVID ZARKHINE Find our upcoming shiurim on-line at WOMEN’S BEIT MIDRASH MRS. ORA ZIRING, MRS. ELLIEZRA PEREZ www.torontotorah.com CHAVEROT YAKIRA BEGUN, NOA BORDAN, MAYTAL CUPERFAIN, MIRA GOLDSTEIN, KAYLA HALBERSTADT, LEORA KARON, RIVKA SAVAGE, KAYLA SHIELDS, ARIELA We are grateful to SNOWBELL, SARAH WAPNER Continental Press 905-660-0311 Book Review: Musar for Moderns Rabbi Baruch Weintraub Musar For Moderns are presented and addressed considered the ‘typical’ Musar Rabbi Elyakim Krumbein throughout the book, another purpose approach. Ktav and Yeshivat Har Etzion, 2005 also emerges. It is not only the modern man who needs the old Musar books To whom is the book addressed? Who is the author? such as Mesilat Yesharim (Path of the This book can serve as a welcome Rabbi Krumbein is a 1972 graduate of Just), rather, it is also the world of resource for anyone interested in self- Yeshiva University. Upon graduation, Musar which needs to be revisited and improvement, either in the realm he made aliyah, first joining the Kollel maybe rebalanced. On topic after between man and G-d or between man in Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush) and later topic, Rabbi Krumbein delicately hints and his fellow. Its neat structure and teaching in different Yeshiva programs – that some of the classical Musar views self-contained chapters make it a a role he continues to this day, and in show a strong tendency towards comprehensible and enjoyable read. which this reviewer had the merit to “sternness, severity, [and] withdrawal study under him. In addition to this from the world ‘out there’ and its Nonetheless, a word of warning is due. deep immersion in the sea of Torah, temptations.” (pg. x) While not denying While the book is written for ‘moderns’, Rabbi Krumbein is also an expert in the merits of such an approach, Rabbi confronting the specific challenges of pedagogy, serving as the pedagogical Krumbein’s efforts are directed our times and using a systematic and counselor at Yaakov Herzog Teacher’s towards the cultivation of a almost scientific approach, it is in no College. His extensive and thorough supplementary thread – one which way a book for beginners. Periodically, knowledge of our tradition, and emphasizes “openness… general the writer uses Hebrew and Aramaic understanding of contemporary humanity… and man’s innate words and concepts without psychology and teaching techniques, intelligence as a source of moral translation or explanation, and enable him to reexamine Jewish imperative.” (pg. ix) mentions books and the names of educational tradition and translate it rabbis without elaboration. This is into terms suitable for modern readers. Thus, Rabbi Krumbein treats many of under the assumption that the reader the topics discussed in classic moral is either knowledgeable, or at least What is the book’s goal? literature – the relationship between familiar enough with the material to As is apparent from the book’s name, this world and the next, humility and search for explanations by himself. the main goal is to convince the modern courage, and also methodological Perhaps a better name for the book, person that studying ‘Musar’ (morality topics such as how to learn Musar – in albeit less catchy, would have been and ethics) is relevant to him, and to a balanced and careful way, many “Musar for the Modern Ben Torah”. give him the right tools to do so times arriving at practical conclusions effectively. However, while these goals quite different from what may be [email protected] Israel’s Chief Rabbis: Rabbi Tzefaniah Drori Yaron Perez Rabbi Tzefaniah Drori conversion courts in the north, and he participated in the b. 1937, Israel commission to establish the new Conversion Law in Israel. Chief Rabbi, Kiryat Shemonah 1977-present He was among the founders of the Agudah l’Hitnadvut (the first agency for national service for women), he was among Life the founders of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, and he Rabbi Tzefaniah Drori was born in Israel in 1937; he was was among the founders of the Takanah Forum for raised in the Sdeh Yaakov yishuv in the Galil. He attended addressing sexual abuse by community leaders. yeshiva high school in Kfar haRoeh, and he was among the students who established Yeshivat Kerem b’Yavneh. After Rabbi Drori’s educational philosophy, absorbed from Rabbi some time he went to Yeshivat Mercaz haRav, where he was Zvi Yehudah Kook, is to blend the holy and the mundane in among the close students of Rabbi Zvi Yehudah Kook.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Contexts of Religion and Violence
    Journal of Religion & Society Supplement Series 2 The Kripke Center 2007 The Contexts of Religion and Violence Edited by Ronald A. Simkins Terror at the Holy of Holies Christians and Jewish Builders of the Temple at the Turn of the Twenty- First Century Yaakov Ariel, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Introduction [1] In August of 1969, a young Australian, Dennis Michael Rohan, set fire to the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount. Rohan was motivated by a desire to bring about the messianic age and thought that clearing the ground for the building of the Temple would set the apocalyptic clock going (see the explanations in his criminal file in the Jerusalem District Court, 69/173). Psychiatrists later diagnosed Rohan as insane, and many at the time chose to believe that the burning of the mosque was the act of an unstable fanatic. Since the 1970s, however, while only few have tried to damage the Temple Mount mosques, a number of Christian and Jewish groups have strived for the rebuilding of the Temple and some have even begun preparations for the reenactment of the Temple’s ancient rituals. Their cooperation has brought about a new chapter in Jewish-Christian relations, inspiring unprecedented alliances and new visions on the part of Jews and Christians for the Messianic times. Rohan’s setting of fire was the first act that highlighted the explosive potential of the Christian and Jewish messianic hopes. Of special concern for Israeli officials, as well as peace-hopefuls, in Israel and other countries, has been the possibility that people holding such beliefs might destroy the Muslim mosques on the Temple Mount and bring about a 63 The Contexts of Religion and Violence regional doomsday.
    [Show full text]
  • An Mora Constrts
    Yitzchak Blau Rabbi Blau is a Ram at Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat, IsraeL. PLOUGHSHAS INTO SWORDS: CONTEMPORA RELIGIOUS ZIONISTS AN MORA CONSTRTS AUTHOR'S NOTE: When Jewish communities are threatened, we rightfully incline towards communal unity and are reluctant to engage in internal criti- cism. In the wake of recent events in Israel, some of which I have witnessed firsthand, one might question the appropriateness of publishing this article. Nevertheless, the article remains timely. It attempts to correct a perceived misrepresentation of yahadut, irrespective of political issues, and such a step is always relevant. Furthermore, the decision to delay our own moral ques- tioning during difficult times could lead in modern Israel to a de facto deci- sion never to raise such questions. Finally and most significantly, times of heightened anger, frustration and fear can cause cracks in the moral order to widen into chasms. I hope the reader will agree that the issues analyzed in the article remain very much worthy of discussion. The article does not advocate a particular political approach. While readers of a dovish inclination will no doubt find the article more congenial, it is the more right wing readers who truly stand to benefit from the discussion. It is precisely the militant excesses of the dati le)ummi world that enable and lead others to ignore their legitimate criticisms. The ability to combine a more right wing political view with a more moderate expression of Judaism would be both a kiddush hashem and more successful politically as well. "In ths situation of war for the land of our life and our eternal free- dom, the perfected form of our renewal appears: not just as the People of the Book-the galuti description given us by the genties- but rather as God's nation, the holy nation, possessors of the Divine Torah implanted therein, for whom the Book and the Sword descended intertwned from the heavens .
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 3, 2020
    JMJS Vol. 3, 2020 ISSN : ISSN 2379-836X Volume 3, 2020 The Journal of Messianic Jewish Studies Volume 3 Summer 2020 Journal of Messianic Jewish Studies ~ Journal of Messianic Jewish Studies Editorial Staff Executive Editor ~ Mitch Glaser General Editor ~ Alan Shore Managing Editor ~ Gregory Hagg Assistant Editor ~ Brian Crawford Assistant Editor ~ Robert Walter Assistant Editor ~ Richard Flashman Typesetting and Design ~ P. H. Brazier All material is copyright protected and may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted without written permission (except where a licence exists to do so). Typesetting Times New Roman, Minion Pro, & SBL (The Society of Biblical Literature) BibLit fonts 10.5pt on 14.5pt © Journal of Messianic Jewish Studies 2020 Charles L. Feinberg Center, New York ISSN : ISSN 2379-836X www.journalofmessianicjewishstudies.com The Journal of Messianic Jewish Studies ~ CoreValues Theology: We believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, the Triune nature of God and full deity and sinless humanity of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah, salvation through faith in Yeshua alone. We also believe that God is faithful to His covenants and promises to the Jewish people and in the importance of Jewish evangelism. Editorial: Our goal is to reflect the best of Evangelical and Jewish scholarship in our articles and to demonstrate how Christianity and Judaism intersect and inform one another on a variety of scholarly and practical areas of study. Therefore, submissions to JMJS are to be supported by a thoughtful, biblical, and theological analysis and relevant to Messianic Jewish thought, Jewish evangelism and the interplay between Judaism and Christianity. Contributions: The editors welcome contributions from all who respect the role of the Jewish people in the plan of God and who wish to explore the inter-relatedness between faith in Yeshua the Messiah and Judaism.
    [Show full text]
  • Messianic Movements and Failed Prophecies in Israel
    Messianic Movements and Failed Prophecies in Israel Five Case Studies Motti Inbari ABSTRACT: This article examines several examples of messianic individuals and movements in Israel that have had to confront the failure of their predictions of imminent collective Redemption. These case studies suggest that individuals who expect Messiah's immediate coming, but who do not share this conviction with others, may experience greater freedom to reinterpret their prophecy and then proselytize a new vision of Redemption. When a small group's predictions are publicized widely and then fail, its members may find themselves facing a particularly sharp crisis of faith because of social pressure and may decide to abandon both the prophecy and group membership. Participants in large and diffuse messianic movements may become anxious when events begin to indicate that their predicted Redemption will fail, thus they are likely to adjust the prophecy and take steps to actualize it. failed prophecy constitutes a critical turning point in the history of any messianic or millenarian1 movement; thus, the subject of prophetic failure is critical to an understanding of messianic or A 2 millennial faith. In this article, I present examples of ways that mes­ sianic movements in Israel of various sizes responded when their pre­ dictions of messianic Redemption failed, and I analyze the discourse that emerged from the resulting cognitive dissonance.3 This research addresses three major types of messianic crises. The first section reviews how two individuals—Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, founder of Nova Religio: TheJournal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, Volume 13, Issue 4, pages 43-60, ISSN 1092-6690 (print), 1541-8480 (electronic).
    [Show full text]
  • Tz7-Sample-Corona II.Indd
    the lax family special edition Halachic Perspectives on the Coronavirus II נקודת מבט על נגיף הקורונה ב׳ Tzurba M’Rabanan First English Edition, 2020 Volume 7 Excerpt – Coronavirus II Mizrachi Press 54 King George Street, PO Box 7720, Jerusalem 9107602, Israel www.mizrachi.org © 2020 All rights reserved Written and compiled by Rav Benzion Algazi Translation by Rav Eli Ozarowski, Rav Yonatan Kohn and Rav Doron Podlashuk (Director, Manhigut Toranit) Essays by the Selwyn and Ros Smith & Family – Manhigut Toranit participants and graduates: Rav Otniel Fendel, Rav Jonathan Gilbert, Rav Avichai Goodman, Rav Joel Kenigsberg, Rav Sam Millunchick, Rav Doron Podlashuk, Rav Bentzion Shor General Editor and Author of ‘Additions of the English Editors’: Rav Eli Ozarowski Board of Trustees, Tzurba M’Rabanan English Series: Jeff Kupferberg (Chairman), Rav Benzion Algazi, Rav Doron Perez, Rav Doron Podlashuk, Ilan Chasen, Adam Goodvach, Darren Platzky Creative Director: Jonny Lipczer Design and Typesetting: Daniel Safran With thanks to Sefaria for some of the English translations, including those from the William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noé Talmud, with commentary by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz www.tzurba.com www.tzurbaolami.com Halachic Perspectives on the Coronavirus II נקודת מבט על נגיף הקורונה ב׳ Introduction “Porch” and Outdoor Minyanim During Coronavirus Restrictions Responding to a Minyan Seen or Heard Online Making a Minyan Using Online Platforms Differences in the Tefilla When Davening Alone Other Halachot Related to Tefilla At Home dedicated in loving memory of our dear sons and brothers יונתן טוביה ז״ל Jonathan Theodore Lax z”l איתן אליעזר ז״ל Ethan James Lax z”l תנצב״ה marsha and michael lax amanda and akiva blumenthal rebecca and rami laifer 5 · נקודות מבט הלכתיות על נגיף הקורונה ב׳ צורבא מרבנן Introduction In the first shiur concerning the coronavirus, we discussed some of the halachic sources relating to the proper responses, both physical and spiritual, to an epidemic or pandemic.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel׳S Classroom Wars
    s Classroom׳Israel Wars The religious right’s attempt to overtake secular education in Israel June 2017 Israel’s Classroom Wars 2 In June 2017, Molad published an in-depth report on the infiltration of religious nonprofit organizations - ideologically affiliated with the religious right and politically aligned with the Jewish Home party – into Israel’s State school system. The report was covered extensively in the Israeli press and generated a heated public debate. While the report itself is currently available only in Hebrew, the following introduction provides relevant context and analysis. The introduction is followed by some key findings from the report. Introduction „They will take over the children, and far removed from current habits, which their parents possess, they will bring them up in their own ways and laws„ Plato, Republic1 This report is the outcome of an investigation by Molad into the means by which a small group of Israelis – who see themselves as the country’s spiritual and political avant-garde – have undertaken to reshape the national, cultural, moral and civic identity of the general Jewish public in Israel to suit their worldview. To that end, this group has chosen the State school system (i.e., the general public schools, attended by 60% of students) as the target of an organized takeover, which it justifies on the grounds that the children of the secular majority in Israel are suffering from an alarming depletion of values and identity2. Based on a simplistic, superficial understanding of global trends and processes within Israeli society, many on the religious right assume that Jewish identity and Israeli patriotism cannot be sustained without the ideological foundations of religious Zionism.
    [Show full text]
  • Tzarich Iyun: Jews with Tattoos
    Tzarich Iyun: Jews with Tattoos ou.org/torah/machshava/tzarich-iyun/tzarich_iyun_jews_with_tattoos/ Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky Misconception:[1] A Jew with a tattoo may not be buried in a Jewish cemetery. Fact: This belief has no basis in Jewish law. Just as a Jew who violated other Torah laws may be buried in a Jewish cemetery, so too may one who violated the prohibition against being tattooed. Background: This misconception is widespread amongst American Jews. References to it are often found in general American culture;[2] for example, it was mentioned on the TV show The Nanny[3] Tattoos are Biblically prohibited.[4] The Torah states (Vayikra 19:28): “You shall not make gashes in your flesh for a dead person; you shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves. I am God.” The Torah uses the term ketovet ka’aka when referring to a tattoo; ketovet is derived from the root letters kaf, tav, vet, which means to write, while the second word, ka’aka, is difficult to translate as this is the only time it appears in the Bible.[5], [6] Onkelos translates the term as “rushmin charitin, incisions.” The Septuagint translates it as “grammata stikta, tattooed writing/drawing.” Clarifying the Biblical prohibition, the Mishnah (Makkot 3:6) and Gemara (Makkot 21a; Yerushalmi, Makkot 3:6) state that it only applies if the individual performs a two-step process: perforating the skin and filling the resulting hole with ink. Injecting ink into the deep layers of the skin causes the mark to become permanent. Rashi (Leviticus 19:28; cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Department of Political Science
    1 University of Toronto Department of Political Science POL 381 H1 (F) Topics in Political Theory: Zionism: Between Secular Ideology and Religious Redemption Thursday 12:00 – 2:00 Room: UC 163 Instructor: Merom Kalie Office hours: Thursday 2:30 - 4:30 pm, room SS3118 Email: [email protected] Course description: The course will examine different perspectives on the relationships between Zionism - the Jewish national movement - and the Jewish religion. It will discuss a range of views, from those who perceive Zionism to be a secular movement that defied tradition and religion, to those who perceive Zionism in religious and Messianic terms. During the first half of the course, we will discuss the evolution of the subject from the origins of the Zionist movement to the establishment of the state of Israel and the Six Days War. In the second half of the course, we will discuss current views about the subject and its implications for contemporary Israeli society and the Israeli-Arab conflict. Course requirements: th 1. One short paper, due on October 17P ,P 2013 (maximum 1250 words, 20% of the final mark). th 2. One research paper, due on November 14P ,P 2013 (maximum 2500 words, 40% of the final mark). A list of suggested topics together with detailed instructions will be posted. You are welcome to write your research paper about a topic that is not on the list, with the instructor’s approval in advance. 3. A final exam, at a date to be determined by the Faculty of Arts and Science (40% of the final mark).
    [Show full text]
  • A Critical Investigation Into Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli's Views on The
    HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 7 Original Research A critical investigation into Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli’s views on the phenomenon of labour Author: Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli (1909–1995) was one of religious Zionism’s greatest rabbis and 1 Amir Mashiach adjudicators. He served for many years as the rabbi of Moshav Kfar Haroeh, sat as a judge Affiliation: in the supreme Rabbinical Court and was head of the Merkaz Harav yeshiva. The purpose 1The Israel Heritage of this study is to shed light on Yisraeli’s attitude towards work. Did he see work as a basic Department and the School human obligation spelled out by the physical need for survival? Did he associate an of Education, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel ideological value with work, as part of a worldview integrating religious values with extra- religious ones, similar to socialism? Or did he see work as a religious value, one that stemmed Corresponding author: from his theology? Amir Mashiach, [email protected] Keywords: Rabbi Yisraeli; Religious Zionism; Rabbi Kook; Work; Labour; Mizrachi; Ha-poel Dates: Ha-Mizrchi; Activism. Received: 17 Dec. 2018 Accepted: 31 May 2019 Published: 23 Oct. 2019 This article seeks to understand the concept of work in the teachings of Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli (1909–1995). Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli was one of religious Zionism’s greatest rabbis and adjudicators How to cite this article: (ed. Sharir 1999; Roness 2012). He was born in Belarus, and only at the age of 24, he made Aliyah Mashiach, A., 2019, ‘A critical 1 investigation into Rabbi Shaul to the land of Israel.
    [Show full text]
  • Israel's Religious Right and the Question of Settlements
    ISRAEL’S RELIGIOUS RIGHT AND THE QUESTION OF SETTLEMENTS Middle East Report N°89 – 20 July 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... i I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 II. NATIONAL-RELIGIOUS FRAGMENTATION AND RADICALISATION............ 3 III. THE TIME OF THE ULTRA-ORTHODOX............................................................... 12 IV. JEWISH ACTIVIST TOOLS ........................................................................................ 17 A. RHETORIC OR REALITY? ............................................................................................................17 B. INSTITUTIONAL LEVERAGE ........................................................................................................17 1. Political representation...............................................................................................................17 2. The military................................................................................................................................20 3. Education ...................................................................................................................................24 C. A PARALLEL SYSTEM ................................................................................................................25 V. FROM CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE TO VIOLENCE ....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • New Writings from R Kook Part 1 by Marc B. Shapiro,Some More
    Review of Shaul Stampfer, Families, Rabbis & Education Review of Shaul Stampfer, Families, Rabbis and Education: Traditional Jewish Society in Nineteenth-Century Eastern Europe by Marc B. Shapiro The continuation of my last post will be ready soon, but in the meantime I am posting my short review of Shaul Stampfer’s new book. It appeared on the H-Judaic listserv, but since most readers of Seforim Blog probably did not see it, I am posting it here as well. For many years, Shaul Stampfer has been recognized as an authority in all things dealing with nineteenth-century Jewish Eastern Europe. In his newest book, we have a collection of numerous essays representing more than twenty years of his scholarship, including one essay published for the first time (“The Missing Rabbis of Eastern Europe”). Stampfer’s focus is not on the purely intellectual debates between rabbinic elites. He is more interested in social history, how average people and in particular women lived. Even his discussions of rabbis emphasize such matters as inheritance of rabbinic positions and the rabbi’s role in communal life. His sources are quite broad: traditional rabbinic works as well as Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian texts and newspapers. I could write extensively about every essay, each of which taught me a great deal. (And I never imagined that an entire essay could be written on the pushke and its development.) Yet to remain within the word limit for this review, let me just mention some of Stampfer’s most important points, the major theses of the book. People have generally assumed that marriages in Jewish Eastern Europe were very stable, with divorce being quite rare.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing Motherhood Paradigms: Jewish Law, Civil Law, and Society Avishalom Westreich
    Hastings Women’s Law Journal Volume 28 Article 7 Number 1 Winter 2017 Winter 2017 Changing Motherhood Paradigms: Jewish Law, Civil Law, and Society Avishalom Westreich Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hwlj Part of the Law and Gender Commons Recommended Citation Avishalom Westreich, Changing Motherhood Paradigms: Jewish Law, Civil Law, and Society, 28 Hastings Women's L.J. 97 (2017). Available at: https://repository.uchastings.edu/hwlj/vol28/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Hastings Women’s Law Journal by an authorized editor of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WESTREICH_MACRO.DOCX (DO NOT DELETE) 1/6/2017 10:29 AM Changing Motherhood Paradigms: Jewish Law, Civil Law, and Society Avishalom Westreich* INTRODUCTION The focus of civil concepts of parenthood has moved in recent years from biological to functional parenthood. This paper reveals a similar paradigmatic change within Jewish law due to a fascinating interaction between three sides of a triangle: civil law, Jewish law, and society. The paper analyzes the mutual interaction between civil law and Jewish law regarding parenthood (and in particular: motherhood) in cases of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) on both the conceptual and the normative levels, and the influence of the societal reality on both. The paper argues that civil law and Jewish law are dynamic. They influence one another very deeply, and both are influenced by the social reality (which itself is, of course, dynamic by nature).
    [Show full text]