Joseph Dov SoloveitchikCritiques

In questo volume vengono presentati per la prima volta al pubblico italiano aspetti del pensiero del maggiore autore della corrente neo-ortodossa dell'ebraismo americano contemporaneo. Raccolte e redatte da un suo valente discepolo, si propongono venti lezioni che ripercorrono i temi più scottanti del mondo ebraico oggi: dal rapporto fra laicismo e normativa tradizionale, fra fede e morale ai grandi interrogativi sull'Olocausto e lo Stato d'Israele, il ruolo del rabbinato, le conversioni, il dialogo interreligioso. Il pregio particolare di quest'opera non sta soltanto nella lucidità delle argomentazioni, che combina una vasta preparazione filosofica agli studi rabbinici tradizionali, ma anche nello stile vivido e fortemente comunicativo che riesce a trascinare il lettore nell'atmosfera della lezione orale originale. (fonte: retro di copertina)

This is my first ever reading experience with the Rav, which is actually surprising to me. Nonetheless, the experience was enriching. While I don't necessarily agree with a fine heap of his finer points, the educated clarity is refreshing. I always say that books should make me reach for a dictionary. This one certainly did, especially for fascinating latin phrases.

The book opens with an eloquent d'var torah, which serves as the basis for the entire book's message, which is: we must be engaged in this world on the spiritual and secular planes. One will not do without the other. One necessitates the other.

Just like Kosher Nation made me appreciate kashrus, so did this book make me appreciate prayer. In a single paragraph, he explained its purpose better than anyone ever has to me.

Certainly I will be reading more of his works. What took me so long? Well, philosophy has always been difficult for me to wrap my head around, but my recent onslaught of reading has made things easier.

Perhaps now I'll revisit Kant and actually understand what he's saying.

I read this on a plane ride to Israel, to put myself in the proper and appreciative frame of mind. The Rav's insights are marvelous and unique, and the 6 knocks gave me lots of pause and reflection. It made me think, a lot, and me realize, plenty. I fell a little more in love with his teachings, and a lot more in love with Israel.

I read this over the High Holidays, to put me in the proper frame of mind. It seems the Rav's books do this trick for me: as Kol Dodi Dofek gave me a better appreciation for Israel, and as Lonely Man of Faith gave me great inside into the title topic, so did this book give me a solid understanding - and newfound respect - for the assembly, order, and construction of the Yom Kippur prayers.

I had to read this twice before I had even a basic understanding of what he was talking about. If you can get through the book in the first run, you are a better person than I am. It is remarkably dense, but is a very important book in Jewish philosophy.

Rabbi Soloveitchik (1903-1993) needs no introductions, least of all to American readers. Known simply as “the Rav”, he is arguably the most prominent Jewish thinker and philosopher of US Jewry in the 20th century. He was less well known in Israel, even though some of his pupils became famous rabbis and religious leaders there (most prominently Rabbi Aharon Lichetenstein, head of the Har Etzion yeshiva, married to Rabbi Soloveitchik’s daugther). All this started changing in the last few years, as the leading Israeli publisher began publishing the Hebrew versions of the Rav’s writings and lectures. The book “אדם וביתו” (A Man and his Home) is part of this series, known as the “MeOtsar HaRav” series (from the treasure of the Rav).

The book deals with two main aspects of Jewish family life. The first topic is married life and marital union, covered in three essays: “Adam and Eve”, “Marriage” and “Redemption of Marital Relationship”. The second topic deals with parenting and the relationships between parents and their children, also covered in three essays: “Natural and Redemptive Parenting”, ”Honouring and Fearing Parents” and “Torah and Shekhinah (Presence of God”.

As usual, the Rav’s essays are a wonderful blend of Jewish thought (Torah, Midrash, Rambam) and general philosophical thought, a mix that is so sorely missed from most of today’s Jewish religious discourse. The Rav manages to illuminate well-known mitsvot, such as the duty to respect one’s parents, in a totally new light, bringing humanity and compassion into otherwise “dry” Torah decrees. His writing may be a little difficult for those not familiar with philosophical terms, but at least the Hebrew edition of the essays are translated in a way that makes the text accessible to almost everyone.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (1903-1993) was a highly respected rabbi and teacher and the mentor of over 2,000 rabbis. He had a PhD from the University of Berlin, wrote his doctoral dissertation on the philosopher Hermann Cohen, and was considered a leading authority on Jewish law. He was the chief rabbi of Boston and taught the senior class at Yeshiva University for four decades. His lectures were praised for their depth and breadth.

His The Lonely Man of Faith is a philosophical and religious classic that was first published in 1965. This revised edition translates Hebrew words, adds references, restores the original chapter division, and contains an introductory essay by Reuven Ziegler who explains the book.

Rabbi Soloveitchik interprets the Bible’s Genesis 1 and 2 as teaching about two types of people, Adam I and Adam II. He uses the word “man,” as in the book’s title, but he is referring to men and women, Jew and non-Jew. Adam I symbolizes the individual who focuses outside himself. He studies the sciences and is creative; he seeks to improve the world, its people and environment. Adam II looks inwardly at his own personality. He wants to control himself. He is submissive to God and faith. He thinks that faith should be the directing force of his life. He believes that faith is accepting traditional ideas as the truth even though science, one’s senses, and experiences may deny its truth. He yearns for an almost mystical intimate relationship with God. He feels incomplete and inadequate without God.

Rabbi Soloveitchik states that God wants people to combine the attributes of Adam I and II, practicality and religion. People should study science and work for technological progress, but they should also have faith and seek union with God.

He believes that while God wants people to combine both characteristics, the combination of these two different approaches to life creates inner tensions in man. The person who can combine both does not feel at home in the community of Adam I people or those of Adam II. Therefore he is lonely, and by lonely the rabbi means that the person feels unique, unlike others, and unable to communicate his feelings to others. Even when he tries, he is misunderstood. There is no real solution to this problem; it is human nature for the ideal man, the one who combines I and II characteristics, to be unique.

When Rabbi Soloveitchik wrote his book, the world was made up of Adam I people and he emphasized that they should move toward the Adam II type by developing faith. Today, the situation is reversed. The world has become very conservative. Fundamentalism is on the rise. Education is despised by religious people. The rabbi would most likely encourage a movement toward Adam I.

This book is not easy to read. Rabbi Soloveitchik very frequently uses large words that most people do not understand and he doesn’t define them. He refers often to ideas presented by others without stating what they said. He writes with long sentences with thoughts within thoughts. Yet, as previously stated, this is a classic that people refer to frequently. Thus despite these difficulties, and even if readers disagree with the rabbi about the importance of faith, or how he defines it, it is well worth one’s time to read the book because the basic idea about the uniqueness of people who go beyond the ways and thinking of the general population and the tensions they feel is correct.

Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's And From There You Shall Seek was originally published in Hebrew in 1978 and appears in English here for the first time. Soloveitchik uses The Song of Songs as the starting point for an extended argument on the necessity of following Jewish law, or halakah, in order to build a meaningful relationship with God. Soloveitchik was a seminal voice in the Modern Orthodox movement and his writings reflect many aspects of Modern Orthodox theology and worldview- the importance of education, of engagement with society at large and of combining studying and living halakah with the performance of good deeds and righteous acts.

Soloveitchik begins his treatise with an analysis of the Song of Songs as the longing of man for God- man constantly cleaves to God, constantly longs for God, but God is elusive and slips away just as man believes he will finally unite with Him. So how then to join with God? Soloveitchik argues that man joins with God through engagement with the world, studying Torah, living Torah through obedience to halakah and studying Torah through recitation and study of the works of other Torah scholars. He ends by suggesting that man stays close to God by being part of a larger community and identifying with the fate of the Jewish people.

Soloveitchik's purpose is not to explain or justify individual aspects of halakah but to present an argument which advocates for its adoption as a whole and connects halakah to a deeper relationship with God; this he does persuasively and passionately. His work here is intellectually rigorous and challenging but still accessible and it is highly recommended for academic collections of Judaica and for those seeking a greater understanding of Modern Orthodox theology and principles.

The foundation of the machzor is the edition published by Artscroll, although they indicate that in places where Artscroll's translation does not support the Rav's interpretation, they have altered their English. There are extensive footnotes identifying places where the Rav's practice differs from Artscroll's Hebrew text; thus, unless one is davenning at the Maimonides School, one can use the text as printed and be saying the same thing as one's neighbor. I think if I were trying to use the Rav's nusach (words) I'd be driven crazy by having to use the footnotes.

The typography is much nicer than what I've gotten used to from Artscroll. Twenty years ago, I was thrilled by Artscroll's clarity, but as the years have passed and other siddurim have started to take advantage of computers, Artscroll has started to feel very pareve. This machzor is much improved. I can't identify the font they used for the Hebrew; it's a bit like Hadar. It's got a nice look to it and has a lot more page presence than Hadassah, which Artscroll usually uses.

But all that is window dressing. The point of buying these machzorim was for the insights of the Rav. And so far I am not disappointed. The introductory essays are enlightening and inspiring. (I hope to write about them a separate posting.) The bottom-of-page commentaries, instead of being short elucidations on individual words or phrases, are mini-essays about more significant themes. They took advantage of the duplication of the Musaf Amidah to provide two different commentary streams, one based on the Rav's writings and one based on his audiotaped lectures.

In short, I have great expectations that these machzorim, despite their technical flaws, will deepen my understanding of the Days of Awe and help me to make better use of this transformative time to become a better person and a better Jew.