Why Did Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady Never Publish His Code of Law?
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1 Jews, Gentiles, and the Modern Egalitarian Ethos
Jews, Gentiles, and the Modern Egalitarian Ethos: Some Tentative Thoughts David Berger The deep and systemic tension between contemporary egalitarianism and many authoritative Jewish texts about gentiles takes varying forms. Most Orthodox Jews remain untroubled by some aspects of this tension, understanding that Judaism’s affirmation of chosenness and hierarchy can inspire and ennoble without denigrating others. In other instances, affirmations of metaphysical differences between Jews and gentiles can take a form that makes many of us uncomfortable, but we have the legitimate option of regarding them as non-authoritative. Finally and most disturbing, there are positions affirmed by standard halakhic sources from the Talmud to the Shulhan Arukh that apparently stand in stark contrast to values taken for granted in the modern West and taught in other sections of the Torah itself. Let me begin with a few brief observations about the first two categories and proceed to somewhat more extended ruminations about the third. Critics ranging from medieval Christians to Mordecai Kaplan have directed withering fire at the doctrine of the chosenness of Israel. Nonetheless, if we examine an overarching pattern in the earliest chapters of the Torah, we discover, I believe, that this choice emerges in a universalist context. The famous statement in the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 4:5) that Adam was created singly so that no one would be able to say, “My father is greater than yours” underscores the universality of the original divine intent. While we can never know the purpose of creation, one plausible objective in light of the narrative in Genesis is the opportunity to actualize the values of justice and lovingkindness through the behavior of creatures who subordinate themselves to the will 1 of God. -
A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism
eSharp Issue 20: New Horizons A Fresh Perspective on the History of Hasidic Judaism Eva van Loenen (University of Southampton) Introduction In this article, I shall examine the history of Hasidic Judaism, a mystical,1 ultra-orthodox2 branch of Judaism, which values joyfully worshipping God’s presence in nature as highly as the strict observance of the laws of Torah3 and Talmud.4 In spite of being understudied, the history of Hasidic Judaism has divided historians until today. Indeed, Hasidic Jewish history is not one monolithic, clear-cut, straightforward chronicle. Rather, each scholar has created his own narrative and each one is as different as its author. While a brief introduction such as this cannot enter into all the myriad divergences and similarities between these stories, what I will attempt to do here is to incorporate and compare an array of different views in order to summarise the history of Hasidism and provide a more objective analysis, which has not yet been undertaken. Furthermore, my historical introduction in Hasidic Judaism will exemplify how mystical branches of mainstream religions might develop and shed light on an under-researched division of Judaism. The main focus of 1 Mystical movements strive for a personal experience of God or of his presence and values intuitive, spiritual insight or revelationary knowledge. The knowledge gained is generally ‘esoteric’ (‘within’ or hidden), leading to the term ‘esotericism’ as opposed to exoteric, based on the external reality which can be attested by anyone. 2 Ultra-orthodox Jews adhere most strictly to Jewish law as the holy word of God, delivered perfectly and completely to Moses on Mount Sinai. -
Noahidism Or B'nai Noah—Sons of Noah—Refers To, Arguably, a Family
Noahidism or B’nai Noah—sons of Noah—refers to, arguably, a family of watered–down versions of Orthodox Judaism. A majority of Orthodox Jews, and most members of the broad spectrum of Jewish movements overall, do not proselytize or, borrowing Christian terminology, “evangelize” or “witness.” In the U.S., an even larger number of Jews, as with this writer’s own family of orientation or origin, never affiliated with any Jewish movement. Noahidism may have given some groups of Orthodox Jews a method, arguably an excuse, to bypass the custom of nonconversion. Those Orthodox Jews are, in any event, simply breaking with convention, not with a scriptural ordinance. Although Noahidism is based ,MP3], Tạləmūḏ]תַּלְמּוד ,upon the Talmud (Hebrew “instruction”), not the Bible, the text itself does not explicitly call for a Noahidism per se. Numerous commandments supposedly mandated for the sons of Noah or heathen are considered within the context of a rabbinical conversation. Two only partially overlapping enumerations of seven “precepts” are provided. Furthermore, additional precepts, not incorporated into either list, are mentioned. The frequently referenced “seven laws of the sons of Noah” are, therefore, misleading and, indeed, arithmetically incorrect. By my count, precisely a dozen are specified. Although I, honestly, fail to understand why individuals would self–identify with a faith which labels them as “heathen,” that is their business, not mine. The translations will follow a series of quotations pertinent to this monotheistic and ,MP3], tạləmūḏiy]תַּלְמּודִ י ,talmudic (Hebrew “instructive”) new religious movement (NRM). Indeed, the first passage quoted below was excerpted from the translated source text for Noahidism: Our Rabbis taught: [Any man that curseth his God, shall bear his sin. -
Scandalous Episodes in the History of Hasidism
David Assaf. Untold Tales of the Hasidim: Crisis and Discontent in the History of Hasidism. Translated by Dena Ordan. Waltham: Brandeis University Press, 2010. xxiii + 336 pp. $55.00, cloth, ISBN 978-1-58465-861-0. Reviewed by Marcin Wodzinski Published on H-Judaic (November, 2011) Commissioned by Jason Kalman (Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion) David Assaf ranks among the best-known portant publication broadening our understand‐ scholars of nineteenth-century East European ing of the movement in question. At the same Jewish history and is recognized as one of the time, this volume appeared scandalous in Jewish most important historians of Hasidism. His nu‐ ultra-Orthodox milieus. This was expressed by, in‐ merous publications have contributed to the ter alia, thousands of posts appearing in Web fo‐ canonical body of contemporary literature on the rums, which discussed almost every single aspect issue; some have set the discipline’s developmen‐ presented in the book (Assaf was proud to have tal trajectory. His biography of Israel of Ruzhin identified as many as 62,000 entries in one such (Różyn), one of the most famous nineteenth-cen‐ forum alone). That the book was a great success tury tsadikim, The Regal Way (Hebrew, 1997; Eng‐ and, simultaneously, a great scandal is not partic‐ lish 2002), was among the frst monographs to ex‐ ularly surprising: such was actually the intent be‐ tend the scholarly exploration of Hasidism be‐ hind writing it and is the result of the very subject yond the caesura of 1815, i.e., the date canonized matter it tackled. -
Mr. & Mrs. Ryan and Dinie Shapiro
B”H The Shul weekly magazine Weekly Magazine Sponsored By Mr. & Mrs. Martin (OBM) and Ethel Sirotkin and Dr. & Mrs. Shmuel and Evelyn Katz Shabbos Chol Hamoed Nissan 18 -19 April 14 - April 15 CANDLE LIGHTING: 7:26 PM SHABBOS ENDS: 8:19 PM Shvii - Acharon Shel Pesach Nissan 20 -22 April 16 -18 Candle lighting 1st Night: 7:26 pm Candle Lighting 2nd Night: After 8:20 Pm (from pre-existing flame) Over Tirty Six Years of Serving the Communities of Bal Harbour, Bay Harbor Islands, Indian Creek and Surfside 9540 Collins Avenue, Surfside, Fl 33154 Tel: 305.868.1411 Fax: 305.861.2426 www.TeShul.org Email: [email protected] The Shul Weekly Magazine Everything you need for every day of the week Contents Nachas At A Glance Weekly Message 3 Thoughts on the Parsha from Rabbi Sholom D. Lipskar Counselors of Camp Yeka set out across Celebrating Shabbos Ukraine, visiting 13 cities and reaching Schedules, classes, articles and more... Everything you 4 - 5 need for an “Over the Top” Shabbos experience over 1200 children with a model Matzah Bakery experience. Celebrating Pesach 6 - 7 Schedules, classes, articles and more... Everything you need for an “Over the Top” Yom Tov experience Community Happenings 8-9 Sharing with your Shul Family A Time to Pray 10 Check out all the davening schedules and locations throughout the week 11 -18 Inspiration, Insights & Ideas Bringing Torah lessons to LIFE Get The Picture 19 -24 The full scoop on all the great events around town Meyer Youth Center 25 The full scoop on all the Youth events around town 26 French Connection Refexions sur la Paracha Latin Link 27 Refexion Semanal In a woman’s world 28 Issues of relevance to the Jewish woman The ABC’s of Aleph 29 Serving Jews in institutional and limited environments. -
A Note Regarding Dayan Simcha Zelig Rieger's View of Opening A
A Note Regarding Dayan Simcha Zelig Rieger’s View of Opening a Refrigerator Door on Shabbat A Note Regarding Dayan Simcha Zelig Rieger’s View of Opening a Refrigerator Door on Shabbat Rabbi Michael J. Broyde Introduction Thank you to Rabbi Yaacov Sasson for his comments on footnote 59 of the article “The Use of Electricity on Shabbat and Yom Tov” found in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, 21:4-47 (Spring 1991) co-written by Rabbi Jachter and myself. It is always nice to have people commenting on articles written more than 25 years ago.[1] Before delving into the halacha, it is worth clarifying some preliminary facts – in particular, whether refrigerators even had automatic lights during the first half of the 1930s. Some commenters have suggested that such lights were not yet present, or that they were limited to rare and expensive refrigerators. This is not correct. I reproduce below a wide variety of newspaper ads from the early 1930s that show that a range of refrigerator models by many manufacturers at various price points featured automatic interior lights (see attachments here). These include a Frigidaire priced at $157.50, a GE priced at $99.50, a Majestic model with no price, a Frigidaire priced at $119.50, a Leonard priced at $114.75 and many more.[2] And while some of the publications appear targeted to the upper class, many others are clearly meant for wider audiences – particularly those available on installment plans (“$5 down, 15¢ a day”; “Nothing down! 20¢ a day!”; “$7 Initial Payment – enables you to enjoy any of these refrigerators immediately. -
Shulchan Arukh Amy Milligan Old Dominion University, [email protected]
Old Dominion University ODU Digital Commons Women's Studies Faculty Publications Women’s Studies 2010 Shulchan Arukh Amy Milligan Old Dominion University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/womensstudies_fac_pubs Part of the History of Religions of Western Origin Commons, Liturgy and Worship Commons, Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons, and the Yiddish Language and Literature Commons Repository Citation Milligan, Amy, "Shulchan Arukh" (2010). Women's Studies Faculty Publications. 10. https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/womensstudies_fac_pubs/10 Original Publication Citation Milligan, A. (2010). Shulchan Arukh. In D. M. Fahey (Ed.), Milestone documents in world religions: Exploring traditions of faith through primary sources (Vol. 2, pp. 958-971). Dallas: Schlager Group:. This Book Chapter is brought to you for free and open access by the Women’s Studies at ODU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Women's Studies Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ODU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Spanish Jews taking refuge in the Atlas Mountains in the fifteenth century (Spanish Jews taking refuge in the Atlas Mountains, illustration by Michelet c.1900 (colour litho), Bombled, Louis (1862-1927) / Private Collection / Archives Charmet / The Bridgeman Art Library International) 958 Milestone Documents of World Religions Shulchan Arukh 1570 ca. “A person should dress differently than he does on weekdays so he will remember that it is the Sabbath.” Overview Arukh continues to serve as a guide in the fast-paced con- temporary world. The Shulchan Arukh, literally translated as “The Set Table,” is a compilation of Jew- Context ish legal codes. -
Chabad Chodesh Marcheshvan 5771
בס“ד MarCheshvan 5771/2010 SPECIAL DAYS IN MARCHESHVAN Volume 21, Issue 8 In MarCheshvan, the first Beis HaMikdash was completed, but was not dedicated until Tishrei of the following year. MarCheshvan was ashamed, and so HaShem promised that the dedication of the Third Beis HaMikdash would be during MarCheshvan. (Yalkut Shimoni, Melachim I, 184) Zechariah HaNavi prophesied about the rebuilding of the Second Beis HaMikdash. Tishrei 30/October 8/Friday First Day Rosh Chodesh MarCheshvan MarCheshvan 1/October 9/Shabbos Day 2 Rosh Chodesh MarCheshvan father-in-law of the previous Lubavitcher Shlomoh HaMelech finished building the Rebbe, 5698[1937]. Beis HaMikdash, 2936 [Melachim I, 6:35] Cheshvan 3/October 11/Monday Cheshvan 2/October 10/Sunday Yartzeit of R. Yisroel of Rizhyn, 5611[1850]. The Rebbe RaShaB sent a Mashpiah and "...The day of the passing of the Rizhyner, seven Talmidim to start Yeshivah Toras Cheshvan 3, 5611, was very rainy. At three in Emes, in Chevron, 5672 [1911]. the afternoon in Lubavitchn, the Tzemach Tzedek called his servant to tear Kryiah for Yartzeit of R. Yosef Engel, Talmudist, 5679 him and told him to bring him his Tefilin. At [1918]. that time news by telegraph didn't exist. The Rebbitzen asked him what happened; he said Yartzeit of R. Avrohom, son of R. Yisroel the Rizhyner had passed away, and he Noach, grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek, LUCKY BRIDES - TZCHOK CHABAD OF HANCOCKI NPARK HONOR OF THE BIRTHDAY OF THE REBBE RASHAB The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Sholom ular afternoon he remained in that position for DovBer, used to make frequent trips abroad a much longer time than usual. -
The Lubavitcher Rebbe's Topsy-Turvy Sukkah
The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Topsy-Turvy Sukkah he hallmark of a true sage of the mesorah (tradition) is Rabbi Yosef Bronstein the radical embracement of a Tparadox. On the one hand, the talmid Judaic Studies Faculty, Isaac Breuer College and chacham is completely beholden to Stern College for Women the Torah received from previous generations. But simultaneously, 3 העולם נחשב בעינינו כתוהו וכצל ולכך אמרו /he has the ability and obligation to innovativeness. It was this new )סוכה ב.( צא מדירת קבע ושב בדירת עראי breathe new life into these ancient old philosophy that fueled Chabad’s להורות כי גרים אנחנו עלי ארץ מבלי קבע. sources by offering innovative singular activities in the second half of interpretations and novel theories.1 the twentieth century. Behold, the Torah counselled us that It is the proper balance between The Rebbe’s approach to the mitzvah on Sukkot, which is the end of the days these two poles that allows the talmid of sukkah is a prime example of his of repentance, we should accept upon chacham to stay true to the timeless interpretive method and philosophy. ourselves an exile, so that the entire world mesorah while making the eternal In this essay, I will summarize what will be in our eyes like nothing and like a Torah timely and relevant to the I understand to be his central thesis shadow. And therefore they said (Sukkah people of his generation. regarding the nature of the sukkah and 2a) “leave your permanent dwelling and stay in a temporary dwelling” to This description is perfectly apt for contextualize it within the broader framework of his thought. -
JO1989-V22-N09.Pdf
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The Piaseczner Rebbe Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira and the Philosopher
“Mending the World” in Approaches of Hassidism and Reform Judaism: The Piaseczner Rebbe Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira and the philosopher Emil L. Fackenheim on the Holocaust By Anna Kupinska Submitted to Central European University Department of History In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Supervisor: Professor Carsten Wilke Second Reader: Professor Michael Laurence Miller CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary 2016 Copyright in the text of this thesis rests with the Author. Copies by any process, either in full or part, may be made only in accordance with the instructions given by the Author and lodged in the Central European Library. Details may be obtained from the librarian. This page must form a part of any such copies made. Further copies made in accordance with such instructions may not be made without the written permission of the Author. CEU eTD Collection Abstract Holocaust raised many theological and philosophical problems that questioned and doubted all previous human experience. Many believers asked is it possible to keep faith in God after mass exterminations, many thinkers were concerned with a future of philosophy that seemed to lose its value, facing unspeakable and unthinkable. There was another ontological question – how to fix all the damage, caused by Holocaust (if it is possible at all), how to prevent new catastrophes and to make the world a better place to live. On a junction of these problems two great works appeared – Esh Kodesh (The Holy Fire) by Kalonymus Kalmish Shapira and To Mend the World by Emil Fackenheim. The first was a Hassidic leader, the Rabbi of the Polish town Piaseczno and also the Rabbi in the Warsaw ghetto, who didn’t survive Holocaust but spent rest of his days, helping and comforting his Hasidim likewise other fellow Jews. -
Days in Chabad
M arC heshvan of the First World War, and as a consequence, the Hirkish authorities decided to expel all Russian nationals living in Eretz Yisrael. Thus, teacher and students alike were obli gated to abandon Chevron and malte the arduous journey back to Russia. Tohioi Chabad b'Eretz Hakodesh Passing of Rabbi Avraham Schneersohn, 2 Mar- FATHER-IN-LAW OF THE ReBBE, R, YOSEF YiTZCHAK Cheshvan 5 6 9 8 /1 9 3 7 Rabbi Avraham Schneersohn was bom in Lubavitch, in S ivan 5620 (1860). His father was Rabbi Yisrael Noach, son of the Tzemach Tkedek ; his mother, Rebbetzin Freida, daughter of Rebbetzin Baila, who was the daughter of the Mitteler Rebbe. In the year 5635 (1875), he married Rebbetzin Yocheved, daughter of Rabbi Yehoshua Fallilc Sheinberg, one of the leading chasidim in the city of Kishinev. After his marriage, he made his home in !Kishinev and dedicat ed himself to the study of Torah and the service of G-d. Rabbi Avraham was well-known for his righteousness, his piety and his exceptional humility. When his father passed away, his chasidim were most anxious for Rabbi Avraham to take his place, but he declined to do so and remained in Kishinev. In order to support himself he went into business, even then devoting the rest of his life to the study of Torah and the service of G-d. He was interred in Kishinev. Hakriah v’Hakedusha Passing of Rabbi Yehuda Leib, the “M aharil” 3 Mar- OF KoPUST, son of THE TZEMACH TZEDEK Cheshvan 5 6 2 7 /1 8 6 6 Rabbi Yehuda Leib, known as the “Maharil,” was bom in 5568 (1808).