Volume VIII, Issue 3 March 22, 2015 2 Nissan 5775 Kol HamevaserThe Jewish Thought Magazine of the Yeshiva University Student Body Of Blood and Hope: Jewish Community: Building a Community: Lessons Learned with Models and Ideals Max Profeta by Chaim Goldberg Communal Cry: The Paradox of Tefillah Be-Tsibbur by Yakir Forman Elu V’elu Divrei Elokim Chayim and the Question of Multiple Truths by Jennifer van Amerongen Rabbi Shimon Shkop’s Imitatio Dei and the Value of Fun by Arieh Sklar www.kolhamevaser.com EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Kol Hamevaser Jewish Community: Models and Ideals SHOSHANA HALPERN The Jewish Thought Magazine of DOVI NADEL the Yeshiva University Student Body ASSOCIATE EDITORS ELEORAH SANDMAN Editor’s Thoughts: Is there an Ideal Jewish Community? 3 RAPHI OZAROWSKI Editors Reflections on the Concepts of a Jewish Community in the 21st Century. KOL HAMEVASER KOL Shoshana Halpern STAFF WRITERS Building a Community: Lessons Learned with Max Profeta 3 DANNY ABBOUDI Of Blood and Hope: Reflections on the concept of , a visit to Max Profeta, SAM BERKOVITZ Kiddush Hashem SAMUEL DRATCH and the uniqueness of the Yeshiva University community. SIMA GROSSMAN Chaim Goldberg ALEX MAGED TUVY MILLER Communal Cry: The Paradox of Tefillah Be-Tsibbur 5 DANIEL SHLIAN A conceptual halakhic analysis of what constitutes tefilla be-tsibbur with SHAUL YAAKOV MORRISON ramifications regarding rabbinic perspectives on the concept of a Jewish community. MIRIAM PEARL KLAHR Yakir Forman SARAH ROBINSON ARI SCHWARTZ Rabbi Shimon Shkop’s Imitatio Dei and the Value of Fun 8 A continuation of a column on famous rabbinic personalities of Yeshiva’s University’s past. LAYOUT EDITORS This article focuses on Rabbi Shimon Shkop’s shorts tenure at YU, a unique approach to naval- MIRIAM JACOBSON bi-reshut ha-torah in his thought, as well as a disccusion of Modern Orthodoxy’s approach to fun. YAAKOV SCHIFF (Layout for this Issue) Aryeh Sklar WEBMASTER Joining the IDF: An American Religious Zionist’s Dilemma 11 DANIEL SHLIAN A Yeshiva University student grapples with the question of returning to America while his peers join the IDF; his reflections through the prism of history, halakhah, and philosophy, COPYEDITORS in pursuit of a more concrete understanding of his sense of responsibility. MICHAL SCHECHTER Dovi Nadel SIMA GROSSMAN Moshe Strikes the Rock: Failed Leadership, or Failed “Followership?” 14 An examination of the emotional tension and cause of failed leadership in the story of The Waters of Merivah. Alex Maged When Nature Rebels: Insights from Rabbi Soloveitchik’s The Lonely Man of Faith 16 Personal reflections and analysis of an important work by Rabbi Soloveitchik. ABOUT KOL HAMEVASER Elianne Neuman Kol Hamevaser, the Jewish Thought magazine of the Yeshiva University student body, is dedicated to sparking discussion of Elu Va-elu Divrei Elokim Hayyim and the Question of Multiple Truths 18 Jewish issues on the Yeshiva University campus and beyond. The magazine hopes to facilitate the religious and intellectual A discussion of the possibility for multiple truths in Halakhic texts. growth of its readership and serves as a forum for students to Jennifer van Amerongen express their views on a variety of issues that face the Jewish community. It also provides opportunities for young thinkers to engage Judaism intellectually and creatively, and to mature into “Lovers of Humanity”: Rav Kook, Christianity, confident leaders. and the Ongoing Censorship of His Writings 20 Kol Hamevaser is published monthly and its primary Aryeh Sklar contributors are undergraduates, although it includes input from RIETS Roshei Yeshivah, YU professors, and outside figures. In addition to its print magazine, Kol Hamevaser also sponsors Evolution Of A Revolution: A Review of special events, speakers, discussion groups, conferences, and Joshua by Rabbi Michael Hattin 23 shabbatonim. We encourage anyone interested in writing about or A thorough and insightful review of a book that continues the trailblazing discussing Jewish issues to get involved in our community, approach to Tanakh study emerging in contemporary times. and to participate in the magazine, the conversation, and J.J. Kimche our club’s events. Find us online at kolhamevaser.com, or on Facebook or Twitter. 2 www.kolhamevaser.com Volume VIII Issue 3 Jewish Community: Models and Ideals Jewish Community: Editor’s Thoughts: Is there an Ideal Jewish Community? By Shoshana Halpern The reading it as an admonition to not veer should meet in a separate room but in myriad of explanations and interpretations fourth from normative communal practice. the same building as the regular minyan. that can exist for one source.iii This idea Mishnah in the second chapter of Pirkei What makes a particular practice This essentially ameliorates the problem that Judaism is a religion of multiple truths Avot teaches “al tifrosh min ha-tzibbur-- normative? The designation “normative” of separating from the community. The implies that a Jewish community does not do not separate from the community.” implies behavior that is standardized borders that define where a community need to have one uniform practice and Community is an integral aspect of and anticipated. The constant struggle starts and ends can be murky; often we hashkafah; therefore, one must wonder: Jewish practice and we have mitzvot between individual values and traditional find ourselves being part of more than one is there really a singular ideal Jewish such as those that fall under “devarim Orthodox Judaism provides fertile ground community whose values may or may not community? I think the ideal community is she-bikedusha” that cannot be done by for this debate on both uptown and harmonize. one where multiple opinions and practices individuals. Judaism does not allow us downtown Yeshiva University campuses. This issue of Kol Ha-Mevaser are studied, respected and examined, to live in isolation. The gemara in Taanit “Al tifrosh min ha-tzibbur” and similar attempts to tackle some of the challenging through lenses that foster spiritual growth says, “When the people find themselves sources are often used as the basis for questions that come up when talking and a positive sense of belonging. in trouble, let not a man say, I will go an argument about why practices should about the concept of Jewish community. into my home and eat and drink, and all not change. However, it is important to While reading this issue and reflecting on **** will be well with me.”i As members of ask ourselves who is the referred our community, let us try to remember tzibbur Shoshana Halpern is Editor-in-Chief of a community we are obligated to care to in these discussions? For instance, that the exhortation not to “separate from Kol Hamevaser. She is a senior at Stern for one another. Rav Yisrael Salanter when Women’s the community” also carries the reverse Tefillah Groups were first College majoring in psychology. explained that people should view their becoming popular, a major objection to message. We must strive to ensure that we fellow Jews’ physical needs as their own them was that women who participated don’t make a community that people want spiritual needs.ii Perhaps, this is one way would be separating themselves from to separate themselves from. Midrash to interpret Hillel’s statement, “Do not the tzibbur. Rabbi Avraham Weiss in Bamidbar Rabba teaches that there are i. Taanit 11a separate yourself from the community.” his book, Women at Prayer: A Halakhic “shiviim panim la-Torah.” The phrase ii. http://www.mussarinstitute.org/ When your community needs help you Analysis of Women’s Prayer Groups literally translates “there are seventy iii. Midrash Bamidbar Rabba 13:15-16 must help them. However, an alternative makes the argument that to solve the issue faces of the Torah,” and this principle is interpretation of Hillel’s statement is of “al tifrosh” Women’s Tefilah Groups classically used to explain the Of Blood and Hope: Building a Community: Lessons Learned with Max Profeta • By Chaim Goldberg sion? Why do we care to know a random in Egypt. One of several reasons In Parashat historical fact, such as what they named a given by the Midrash for this com- Vayechi, after Ya’akov’s death, the To- nearby city? Why do we need the seem- mand is that Ya’akov was afraid his Looking to rah spends numerous verses describing ingly random historical perspective of the burial place would become a place advertise to the the narrative of the mourning process for non-Jewish onlookers? of idol worship . YU student body? Ya’akov as well as his funeral procession On one level, I believe this ques- Why, according to the Mi- to Eretz Yisrael. Amongst what is a rath- tion gives us a window into understand- drash, is Ya’akov worried about er lengthy description, there’s one verse ing an earlier statement made by Ya’akov. his burial place turning into a place We’re the place for you! which seems somewhat unnecessary; not of idol worship? Our knowledge misplaced or irrelevant, but perhaps extra- Creating a community of the Egyptian culture of mum- neous. The Torah tells us, “Va’yar...Va’yo- mifying and pyramid-like tombs Be in contact with us at meru eivel kaveid zeh l’Mitzrayim, al kein is not an easy task. provides one answer. However, kara shemah ‘aveil Mitzrayim.’” “And the Through Max, the YU our verse illuminates Ya’akov’s [email protected] people of Cana’an saw the mourning (tak- community has been concern even more clearly, for we to find out about ing place for Ya’akov) in see even when his funeral proces- Goren Ha’atad blessed to discover advertising opportunities. (a place) and said, ‘What an intense (liter- an oft-hidden sense sion was merely passing by, it still ally, “heavy”) mourning this is for Egypt!’ of unity amongst warranted the naming of a city after Therefore they called the name of the its student body.