Kol Hamevaser Contents Volume IV, Issue 3 October 22, 2010 / 14 Heshvan 5771 Letter to the Editor Dean Karen Bacon 3 Women’s Learning: Public Policy and Personal Commitment Editorials Staff Sarit Bendavid 3 The Dialectical Nature of “Nature” Editors-in-Chief Judaism and Nature Sarit Bendavid Shlomo Zuckier Chesky Kopel 4 The Evil of All Roots: Why Does the Yetser ha-Ra Exist? Associate Editors Rafi Miller 6 God, the Multiverse, Stephen Ilana Gadish Hawking, and You Jonathan Ziring Toviah Moldwin 8 A Biblical Approach to the Rela- Outgoing Editor-in-Chief tionship Between Man and the An- Shaul Seidler-Feller imal Kingdom An Interview with Rabbi David Layout Editor Shlomo Zuckier 9 Horwitz Chaim Cohen Tali Adler 10 Towards a Jewish Land Ethic Copy Editor Jerry Karp 12 “Bore u-Manhig le-Kol ha- Benjamin Abramowitz Beru’im:” Theistic Evolution in Modern Orthodox Discourse Staff Writers Daniela Aaron Eli Putterman 14 The Antithesis between Judaism AJ Berkovitz and Nature in the Thought of Yitzhak Bronstein Yeshayahu Leibowitz Ariel Caplan Danny Shulman 16 Does Jewish Tradition Recognize Avital Chizhik a Spirituality Independent of Ha- Chana Cooper lakhah Jake Friedman Noam Friedman Reuven Rand 17 On Bikinis and Earthquakes Nate Jaret Adam Hertzberg Ori Kanefsky 19 From Hasidut to “Avatar” Chesky Kopel Kaitlyn Respler 22 Korbanot, Kapparot, and What Danielle Lent Keeps Us Compassionate Alex Luxenberg Toviah Moldwin Ariel Caplan 23 Creation and Evolution: Toward a Eli Putterman Methodology of Addressing Chal- Danny Shulman lenges to Faith Yaakov Taubes Jonathan Ziring 26 How are You Different from an Animal, and Why Should You Webmaster Care?: A Halakhic-Biological Tax- Ariel Krakowski onomy Orthodox Forum Feature Cover Design Yehezkel Carl Rabbi Yosef Blau 28 The Orthodox Forum: What and Why About Kol Hamevaser Rabbi Shmuel Hain 28 Orthodox Forum 2.0: Thoughts on Kol Hamevaser, the Jewish thought magazine of the Yeshiva University student the Future of the Orthodox Forum body, is dedicated to sparking discussion of Jewish issues on the Yeshiva University Jonathan Ziring 29 campus and beyond.The magazine hopes to facilitate the religious and intellectual An Interview with Rabbi Robert S. growth of its readership and serves as a forum for students to express their views Hirt on a variety of issues that face the Jewish community. It also provides opportunities Shlomo Zuckier 31 Book Review: The Relationship for young scholars to grow in their intellectual pursuits and mature into confident of Orthodox Jews Believing in Jewish leaders. Kol Hamevaser is published on a monthly basis and its primary con- Denomination and Non-Denomi- tributors are undergraduates, although it also includes input from RIETS Roshei Yeshivah, YU Professors, and outside scholars. In addition to its print magazine, it nation Believing Jews also sponsors special events, speakers, discussion groups, conferences, and shabba- This magazine contains words of Torah. tonim. The magazine can be found online at www.kolhamevaser.com. Please treat it with proper respect. 2 www.kolhamevaser.com Volume IV, Issue 3 Judaism and Nature Letter to the editor Editorial Women’s Learning: Public Policy and The Dialectical Nature of “Nature” BY: Sarit Bendavid with the world surrounding us, is dynamic and Personal Commitment should constantly be re-evaluated. n Sefer Bereshit, humankind is charged with BY: Dean Karen Bacon opment of Jewish educational public policy and The theme of this edition concerning Ju- a dual role. On the one hand, we are cele- daism and its relationship with nature is incred- in the responsibility assumed by each individ- brated as the pinnacle of creation, the sur- ibly broad, which is reflected in the range of n a recent issue of Kol Hamevaser,i Fran ual. I rounding natural world set in place to provide article topics. Jonathan Ziring considers differ- Tanner reflected on the state of women’s Thus, having barely touched the surface, we for us. We are told to “fill the earth and subdue ent possibilities of how to understand the IJewish education and concluded by chal- have listed three driving forces for Jewish edu- it,”i to rule over the flora and fauna and exploit essence of man, whether above nature or within lenging the reader to consider whether our cur- cation: the intellectual transmission of the Jew- natural resources in order for humanity to it, as well as the relation between Jew and Gen- rent situation is ideal or in need of development. ish conversation (the texts), the affective progress in this world. On the other hand, we are tile within this context. Chesky Kopel investi- In structuring her analysis, Ms. Tanner equates development of the individual personality, and told to “watch it and guard it,”ii to protect nature gates the true nature of the yetser ha-ra (evil Torah study with the study of Gemara. In her the cultivation of value-driven behavior. and ensure that it is not abused, for we are inclination), and Danny Shulman examines the words, “R. Soloveitchik began paving this path Stopping at this point, let us return to the merely members of the natural world, on equal religious value of spirituality that falls outside for women [i.e. Torah study], instituting issue at hand, framed as two distinct questions: footing with the rest of its inhabitants. These two the realm of Halakhah. Eli Putterman provides Gemara at the Maimonides School and later es- what should be the nature of women’s Jewish facets of humanity, of being above nature while us with insight on the philosophy of Yeshayahu tablishing the first Gemara shi’ur for women in education as expressed in public policy, and also existing within it, describe the dialectical Leibowitz, specifically in relation to natural Stern College.”ii Against this yardstick of the does this absolutely define and restrict the ap- human experience in relation to our physical sur- morality. Additionally, an interview with R. formal study of Gemara within a beit midrash proach that might be preferred by individual roundings. David Horwitz, rosh yeshivah at RIETS, is in- construct, Ms. Tanner suggests that women’s women? The same question can be asked not only cluded, which discusses issues relevant to our education, both in quality and quantity, is sorely In the absence of strong precedents for concerning our relationship with the physical theme. lacking. But this focuses on methodology, and women’s education, I would argue for flexibility world, but also with the natural forces that guide Another path of exploration in this issue con- I would rather turn our attention to the ultimate rather than rigidity. More specifically, I would us from within ourselves. Do the mitsvot reflect cerns our relationship to the physical land and goals and objectives of Torah study. In this re- suggest a public policy that has clear goals, in- our natural tendencies, or are they something the animals that inhabit it. Toviah Moldwin ex- distinct which demands that we disobey our in- gard, let us consider some broad questions and cluding, but not limited to, the ones described amines the relationship between man and ani- herent desires? Jewish thinkers seem to have mals, focusing on meat consumption, while trends in education generally and particularly as above, with multiple routes to achieve those conflicting opinions on the influence that human Kaitlyn Respler discusses the value of sensitivity they relate to women’s Jewish education. goals. All the routes should share some com- nature has on Halakhah. For instance, there are towards animals that Judaism promotes. Tali Public policy must take into account at least mon denominators: the development of analyt- differing approaches towards prayer, which is Adler presents an overview of Judaism’s sensi- two important stakeholders: the community and ical and linguistic skills to study text, the the expression of our relationship with the Di- tivity towards the natural world, especially fo- the individual. Where the needs and wants of cultivation of an understanding of the halakhic vine. While some believe that prayer should not cusing on Judaism’s land ethic, and Adam both coincide, establishing public policy and ad- process, and the acceptance of the responsibility be forced, but should rather flow naturally when Hertzberg compares the theology of the film hering to that policy can be relatively simple. for being a part of a masorah-dedicated com- we truly feel motivated, others maintain that we Avatar to Kabbalistic and Hasidic ideas about When that coherence does not exist, policy in- munity. Beyond these overarching goals, must transcend our natural desires and compel our connection with nature. evitably is driven by the needs of the commu- women should feel free to intensify their studies ourselves to have kavannah (intent) at set times. Issues raised by science and rational thought nity, although the individual may yet have the in the directions to which their hearts and minds The cover image of this edition, a copy of a are also tackled by a number of writers. Ariel freedom to pursue less traveled roads. In the draw them. For some, this may lead to a com- painting by Marc Chagall titled “The Magic Caplan explores the question of how we should United States, educational policy has been tra- mitment to the formal study of Gemara, for oth- Flute,” seems to reflect the complex relationship accord our traditional views of Creation with ditionally aimed at preparing an educated citi- ers it will lead to studies in Mahashavah (Jewish between Man and Nature. Produced in 1966 as evolutionary theory, and Jerry Karp specifically zenry. More recently, political leaders have philosophy) or biblical parshanut (exegesis), a poster advertisement for the Metropolitan focuses on theistic evolution and the different been asserting that educational policy should be etc.