Leaves of Faith: The World of Jewish Learning, Volume 2Where its predecessor dwelt primarily upon the content, mode, and practitioners of Torah study, this volume focuses upon issues--some theoretical, others pragmatic; some current, others timeless--which concern the practice and implementation of Torah. It opens with an inquiry into whether, and to what extent, Halakhah recognizes the validity and value of an ethic which, in some sense, lies beyond its scope. This is followed by two essays--focused upon events in Israel but of more general significance, as well--which deal with the character--and bounds of Jewish polity. Tangentially related is the subject of the next chapter--straddling the communal and the personal--regarding the parameters of tolerance. The next several chapters treat more purely personal topics--response to suffering, Shabbat prayer, and shemittah. They are followed by discussions of aspects of the sensitive areas of conversion, abortion, and the Israeli chief rabbinate, commingled with two essays, more sociologically oriented, on Jewish self-identification and communal service, and an exchange concerning Baruch Goldstein. These are, in turn, followed by two chapters focused upon modern or centrist Orthodoxy, particularly. The volume concludes with a series of responses to major questions posed in various symposia, in which participants were asked, descriptively and prescriptively, both to evaluate the current Jewish scene and to chart a suggested course for its future direction. |
Contents
Chapter | 1 |
Independent of Halakhah? | 33 |
Chapter 3 | 57 |
Brother Daniel and the Jewish Fraternity | 57 |
Chapter 5 | 117 |
Chapter 6 | 153 |
Thoughts About Shemittah | 179 |
Chapter 8 | 189 |
A Halakhic Perspective | 241 |
Chapter 12 | 255 |
Chapter 13 | 261 |
Chapter 15 | 309 |
Directions for American Orthodoxy | 347 |
The State of Klal Yisrael | 355 |
e The Source of Faith Is Faith Itself | 363 |
Sources of Essays in Leaves of Faith vol | 369 |
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Common terms and phrases
apostate aspect authority Avot Avraham Bava Mezia berakhah Berakhot bet din centrist character cited clearly commandment commitment concept concern confronted constitutes contemporary context course defined Devarim divine elements Eretz Yisrael ethic existence factor fetus gemara Gentile gerut Halakhah halakhic halakhot haredi Hashem Hazal Hence Hilkhot human ideal ideological individual Israel issue Jewish Jewry Judaism Knesset Yisrael lifnim mi-shurat ha-din Maimonides meshumad mishnah Mishneh Torah mizvah mizvot modern modern Orthodoxy moral Moreover Nahmanides Nevertheless normative obligation one's Orthodoxy perspective petition posek position practice prayer presumably principle problem prohibition question Rabbenu Rabbi Rambam Rashi recognize reference regard rejection relation relevant religion religious respect Ribbono shel Olam Rishonim Sanhedrin scope secular sense Shabbat shemittah Shemoneh Esreh social specific spiritual status supralegal Talmud tefillah Tehillim term teshuvah tevilah tion tokhahah toleration Tosafot tradition values Yeshiva Yevamot דבר לו