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Jewish Tradition and the Non-Traditional Jew (The Orthodox Forum Series)

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"Jewish Tradition and the Non-Traditional Jew", is a fascinating journey into the minds of highly respected scholars in the Orthodox Rabbinate. The great dilemma currently faced by traditional Judaism, is well presented and on some points resolved in this volume. It is a collection of papers that was presented at the 2nd Orthodox forum in New York. Two of the papers include a brief account of non-observance and the Rabbinic view throughout Jewish history. It was incredible to discover some of the ways in which non-observant Jews in medieval times were reprimanded for such actions as desecrating the Sabbath. In some cases severe punishment such as "lashes" was enforced.

The majority of the book deals with how non-observant Jews should be "dealt with" in modern times. The Rabbis cite many passages from the teachings of great Jewish sages presenting a case against using violent penalties such as death and stoning for non-observant actions. They argue that Jews of all "denominations" that do not adhere to Halakhic laws, are still part of the Jewish people and are simply in need of the proper guidance. It is ironic that the Orthodox Rabbis in this volume, in a sense "justify" the actions of non-observant Jews by citing the teachings of Halakhah, and yet they refute the case presented by early Reform Jews that were attempting to justify their position by using the same teachings.

I have to conclude by saying that it doesn't matter whether you are a Reform, Conservative or Orthodox Jew, you will find this book absorbing. It is definitely worth reading, if not just to come to terms with how Orthodoxy views the behaviour of other Jewish denominations and whether or not there will ever be reconciliation between them.

This little book is really two very different books. The first two chapters discuss the history of relationships between rabbis and their less observant congregants. The first chapter focuses on the Middle Ages, drawing a distinction between Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities. Sephardic communities, like today's rabbis, tended to rely on persuasion rather than coercion, and included less observant Jews. By contrast, some Ashkenazic communities were more state-like; in some communities, freedom of religion was not an option, as congregants were flogged for ritual violations. The second chapter similarly addresses how Ashkenazic rabbis reacted to the birth of Reform Judaism in the 19th century; many rabbis chose to be more stringent than before, out of a fear that any change would lead to a "slippery slope" of liberalization.

The second half of the book is more noble but less interesting, basically saying that frum (ritually observant) Jews should be nice to non-frum Jews so the latter will become more frum.

This 1992 book is part of a series; other volumes in the series are: Engaging Modernity: Rabbinic Leaders and the Challenge of the Twentieth Century (Orthodox Forum Series), Rabbinic Authority and Personal Autonomy (The Orthodox Form Series), Tolerance, Dissent, and Democracy: Philosophical, Historical, and Halakhic Perspectives (Orthodox Forum Series), Israel as a Religious Reality (Orthodox Forum Series), Toward a Renewed Ethic of Jewish Philanthropy (Orthodox Forum), Modern Scholarship in the Study of Torah (Orthodox Forum), Tikkun Olam: Social Responsibility in Jewish Thought and Law (Orthodox Forum Series), Yirat Shamayim: The Awe, Reverence, and Fear of God (The Orthodox Forum), Jewish Perspectives on the Experience of Suffering (Orthodox Forum Series), etc.

The editor wrote in the Preface to this 1992 book, "And if they cannot accept any other interpretation of Judaism as valid, then clearly Orthodox Jews will have serious problems with those Jews who do not accept those interpretations as legitimate expressions of Judaism and certainly with those who propogate them as a matter of religious principle and personal prerogative. Yet, many contemporary Orthodox Jews find it very difficult to accept the practical implications of this position... While some continue to argue that halakhah today indeed mandates hating other Jews, others find such a conclusion to be indefensible and untenable."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"In bemoaning the motives of the Reform leaders, many of the respondents underscored the desire of the innovators to ingratiate themselves with non-Jews and to assimilate." (Pg. 48)
"Our original question, then, remains: How can Maimonides conceive of a simultaneous mitzvah of love and hatred, both on the emotional level? Maimonides believes, in my view, that it is psychologically and therefore legally possible to maintain a position of ambivalence." (Pg. 148)
"Since Maimonides is the supreme rationalist, who holds that metaphysics is beyond halakhah, and that the loftiest goal is the forming of correct concepts about the Deity, it is in the area of ideas and theory that the test of faith takes place. It is in that realm, rather than in behavior, that one stands or falls as a Jew." (Pg. 157)
"Most people especially in our days but in days of yore as well, abandon religion not because they are sure it is false. They leave it because they are unconvinced, in doubt, and pehaps uncertain whether any kind of certainty can ever be attained... In other words, they are not 'deniers' but 'nonbelievers.' On the basis of this distinction, we maintain that the great majority of nonbelievers of today are not equivalent to the 'apikores' ('heretics') of talmudic times." (Pg. 166-167)