Jewish Thought and Philosophy

To think Jewishly is to stand at the edge of certainty and still choose to believe, question, and seek. Jewish thought lives in the tension between faith and doubt, law and freedom, eternity and change.

  • The Perfect Torah versus The Evolving Torah

    The Philosophy of The Mei HaShiloach and Its practical Consequences

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Yehuda DovBer Zirkind

    This is the sixth part of our discussion on the philosophy of the Chassidic thinker, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica, author of the Mei HaShiloach, a most unusual work which in many ways goes far beyond the established norms of orthodox Halacha as we know it today. Yehudah DovBer Zirkind continues to discuss Rav Cardozo's observations, and adds much important information and insights of his own.

  • The Perfect Torah Versus the Evolving Torah – Part 5

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Yehuda DovBer Zirkind

    The Mei HaShiloach’s highly unusual teachings are becoming more and more relevant in our days, as we face greater challenges to Halacha and the Jewish lifestyle. Among these challenges are the establishment of the State of Israel, numerous religious crises, and the challenge of modernity. Can Halacha—which can no longer rely on the strict adherence to its rules, but gets more and more dependent on its ideological and spiritual message and spirituality—guide us in the future?

  • The Perfect Torah Versus the Evolving Torah – Part 4

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Yehuda DovBer Zirkind

    In these trying times, it is of great value to focus on spiritual matters that may move us to a different plain. This will give us comfort, broaden our minds and enlarge our souls, as we carefully follow all the health regulations prescribed by our authorities. Here is the fourth part of Yehudah DovBer Zirkind’s reflections on the ideas of the Mei HaShiloach and my own comments.

  • The Message of The Corona Virus

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    The new reality in the age of COVID-19 forces us to break with the monotony that most of us are used to. Almost all of us jump into routine every morning – whether it’s a job, or the need to sleep, eat, or entertain ourselves. And now, the corona virus suddenly forces us to rethink everything, making us wonder what this life of ours is really all about.

  • The Perfect Torah Versus the Evolving Torah – Part 3

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Yehuda DovBer Zirkind

    The two different approaches to the Torah: the “perfect Torah” and the “evolving Torah” approaches are related to a broader theological question about the nature of the mitzvot: Do the mitzvot reflect God’s ultimate and unconditional will (kvayachol), or do they reflect God’s instrumental will for humanity, providing an instruction manual for how to redeem the world? In other words, is the main purpose of the mitzvot for the sake of God (i.e. that humankind should fulfill God’s wishes) or for the sake of man (i.e. that God’s plan for humanity should be realized)?

  • The Perfect Torah versus the Evolving Torah – part 2

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Yehuda DovBer Zirkind

    The giving of the Torah has radically altered the course of Judaism and we cannot revert to a pre-Torah age. Nevertheless, Rabbi Cardozo believes that the vision and spirit of this formative era, i.e. the vibrancy of an inchoate and incipient Judaism - or to borrow a metaphor from biology, a “stem cell” based Judaism - should be kept alive and maintained as a counterweight against the ethos of textual fixation and rigid Halachic codification which is so prevalent within the contemporary Orthodox Jewish world.

  • The Perfect Torah vs. the Evolving Torah

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Yehuda DovBer Zirkind

    Part 1 of a series discussing the ideas of the Chassidic master, Rabbi Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica, Poland (1800-1854), also known as the Mei Hashiloach, after the title of the book containing his teachings.

  • Rembrandt and the Quest for Integrity

    75 Years After the Holocaust

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Theodicy and Yom HaShoah by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Rembrandt reminds us that if we want to really live we must show flawless integrity and demonstrate great authenticity. It is all about making a genuine contribution to the world, with no regard for gain, and even being prepared to pay the price of one’s rank and position in the conventional community. A person must make sure that he can look himself in the mirror at the end of his life and say, I lived my life; it did not just pass me by.

  • The Unorthodox Education of Moshe Rabbenu

    In Defense of Heresy

    In Converting to Judaism, Education, Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Moses and Parashat Shemot by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Judaism was born out of opposition, rebellion and protest. It overthrew and outlived mighty empires and gave the world a radically new understanding of itself. Judaism has nothing to fear. It has prevailed over all those who criticized it but has also learned much about itself by listening to opposing voices. Through these voices, it has been able to sharpen its own claims and if necessary change its mind when the inadequacy of these claims has become clear. Only in this way will it continue to play a central role in the future of mankind.

  • The Talmudic Olympic Games

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo

    Last week, something remarkable happened. Thousands of Jews from all over the world came together to study the last page of an old book with the ineffable anticipation of starting to study it all over again from page one and not to lose a minute.

  • Two New Podcasts: On the Jewish Mission and the Most Difficult Mitzva

    In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Yael Shahar

    Dear Friends, Shalom u-vracha. Although we have received several new gifts, for which we are most thankful, our financial situation has still not been resolved. The unfortunate “witch hunt” against some of my ideas seems to continue and has created much financial damage to our programs, projects and writings. As I have stated before, I […]

1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 20