Emes Ve-Emunah: Sources for an Ancient Universe.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Sources for an Ancient Universe.

My response to letters from Jewish Press readers is up on the Jewish Press website located here. I go into a bit more detail about Rabbi Kaplan's thesis there than I have in on this blog. However I highly recommend that the website for Rabbi Kaplan’s thesis be accessed (included in my response to letters in the Jewish Press) for the full impact of his essay. It is well worth the time... as much for his attitude about those who reject science out of hand as for the sources he cites.

My outlook on Judaism is based mostly on the teachings of my primary Rebbe, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik from whom I received my rabbinic ordination. It is also based on a search for spiritual truth. Among the various sources that put me on the right path, two great philosophic works stand out: “Halakhic Man” and “Lonely Man of Faith” authored by the pre-eminent Jewish philosopher and theologian, Rabbi, Dr. Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Of great significance is Rabbi, Dr. Norman Lamm's conceptualization and models of Torah U’Mada and Dr. Eliezer Berkovits who introduced me to the world of philosophic thought. Among my early influences were two pioneers of American Elementary Torah Chinuch, Rabbis Shmuel Kaufman and Yaakov Levi. The Yeshivos I attended were Yeshivas Telshe for early high school and more significantly, the Hebrew Theological College where for a period of ten years, my Rebbeim included such great Rabbinic figures as Rabbis Mordechai Rogov, Shmaryahu Meltzer, Yaakov Perlow, Herzl Kaplan, and Selig Starr. I also attended Roosevelt University where I received my Bachelor's Degree - majoring in Psychology.