 |
| Tzohar founder, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow - Is he an Apikores? |
But I can’t help commenting on a paper by Professor Adam Ferziger published in Academia.
It addresses the academic study of the Torah and posits that versions of it are becoming more acceptable among Orthodox rabbis. This is mostly happening in the more modern Orthodox factions. I do not believe there are any Charedi rabbis of note that delve into these things let alone see it as a legitimate enterprise. That's because as Professor Ferziger notes - academic bible studies that tend to point to multiple authors of the Torah are - and have always been - beyond the pale! ...understandably considered pure unadulterated Apikursus (Heresy).
That was so even as recently as the late 1960s when the highly respected Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, a Modern Orthodox thinker broached the possibility of adding it to the Yeshiva University (YU) curriculum.
That idea was quickly put to bed back then by Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, a Harvard PhD (in English Literature) who was Rav Soloveitchik's son in law and one of his prize students. He was then already recognized as a Talmudic Authority and rejected it outright for what it was - dabbling in Apikursus.
Not long after that event, Rav Lichtenstein made Aliyah to become a co-Rosh Yeshiva (together with founder Rav Yehudah Amital) of Yeshivat Har Etzion - better known as the Gush. The Gush is a serious Religious Zionist Yeshiva where vigorous Torah study takes place. It is considered to be one of the best of its type in Israel.
Not long after that event, Rav Lichtenstein made Aliyah to become a co-Rosh Yeshiva (together with founder Rav Yehudah Amital) of Yeshivat Har Etzion - better known as the Gush. The Gush is a serious Religious Zionist Yeshiva where vigorous Torah study takes place. It is considered to be one of the best of its type in Israel.
Times have changed. Professor Fertziger notes that today some of the thinking inspired by Academic Torah study is not automatically rejected anymore. And it is with high irony that it is happening mostly in Israel among the Religious Zionist students of Rav Lichtenstein.
Considering the vehement opposition by Rav Lichtenstein to this type of study - let alone accepting some of its conclusions, it is surprising to say the least that some of his top students departed from their mentor's path on matters of faith!
But... that happened. Here is an excerpt from Professor Ferziger's paper:
Professor Ferziger suggests that it is Rav Lichtenstein himself who opened the door to this type of thinking. Like his father in law he was unique among great religious figures in that he went outside the traditional areas of religious study and incorporated some of the secular knowledge he accumulated as a means to better understand certain portions of the Torah. He in essence did therefore open that door. But I reject that assertion. Because as Professor Ferziger himself notes - Rav Lichtenstein understood the limits of academic study when it came to matters of faith. He had an abiding Emunah in the faith of his forefathers and did not veer from that. And he made that clear to his students!
I guess some of them didn't listen. To say this is shocking is an understatement. Rabbi Cherlow does believe that the events at Sinai happened. But still, the idea for example that the Patriarchs were fictional characters cannot be seen as anything but a denial of the Torah in my view. Which means you may as well be an atheist. Or at least an agnostic.
Besides - if you are led to believe that the Patriarchs were fictional characters because of the proofs of the bible critics, what is to stop you from believing that the events at Sinai never happened? Why believe one thing and not another if both are based on similar proofs?
Bible critics have argued vigorously that the events at - or surrounding - Sinai did not happen since it is impossible for there not to have been any archaeological evidence of it. And to date there has not been a single artifact found to indicate that it did. And that is not for a lack of trying.
There could not have been over a million people crossing the desert for over 40 years from Egypt to Israel without a shred of archaeological evidence left behind. If that is all made up by a bunch of human beings trying to fool us all for generations as being the word of God I don't see how any rational thinker can remain a believer in Judaism - or any other faith based religion.
So why indeed do I believe? That is what Emunah is all about.
I consider myself to be a pretty rational thinker. I tend reject non rational explanations of the Torah. That is one reason for example I do not delve into Nistar (Kabalah). I freely admit that I don't understand it. I cannot relate to a spiritual world that I cannot understand or experience with the 5 physical senses. That is God's domain. Not humankind's.
But there is one obvious exception to that. God is a Spiritual Being. I firmly believe in Him. And I believe He interacts with humankind; He gave us a Torah; ...and the events described therein actually happened. Regardless of the 'proofs' against it. That is what Emunah is all about. If it could all be scientifically proven, we wouldn't need Emunah!
It is no small thing that the greatest minds of the Torah world and academia in the 20th century (people like Rav Solovietchik, Rav Lichtenstein, and Nechama Leibowitz) repudiated academic study of the bible and considered it heresy. They were rational thinkers and had Emnuah. These are the people I look to for guidance. Which is what Rabbis Yuval Cherlow and others like him apparently failed to do.
*As always, this post (or any post like it) is not meant to open up a debate on belief in God or the truth of Judaism. This blog assumes both. That is our starting point. Any attempt at it will not be tolerated and deleted upon discovery. I ask any potential commentators to respect my wishes. Thank You.
But... that happened. Here is an excerpt from Professor Ferziger's paper:
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow is one of the leaders of the RZ moderate camp. A prized student of Lichtenstein’s at YHE and founder of the Tzohar rabbinic organization, he heads the Yeshivat Amit Orot Shaul in Ra’anana. Cherlow has written openly of his willingness to accept the possibility that multiple verses in the Torah, not just the final passages, were not authored by Moses—as long as one believes that the Torah itself is of Divine origin.This understanding is in direct contradiction to the eighth principle of belief of Maimonides. Furthermore, Cherlow does not feel bound to the Bible’s historical account on a factual level...Many other such distinguished alumni of the Gush have a variety of similar opinions regarding the academic study of the Torah.
Professor Ferziger suggests that it is Rav Lichtenstein himself who opened the door to this type of thinking. Like his father in law he was unique among great religious figures in that he went outside the traditional areas of religious study and incorporated some of the secular knowledge he accumulated as a means to better understand certain portions of the Torah. He in essence did therefore open that door. But I reject that assertion. Because as Professor Ferziger himself notes - Rav Lichtenstein understood the limits of academic study when it came to matters of faith. He had an abiding Emunah in the faith of his forefathers and did not veer from that. And he made that clear to his students!
I guess some of them didn't listen. To say this is shocking is an understatement. Rabbi Cherlow does believe that the events at Sinai happened. But still, the idea for example that the Patriarchs were fictional characters cannot be seen as anything but a denial of the Torah in my view. Which means you may as well be an atheist. Or at least an agnostic.
Besides - if you are led to believe that the Patriarchs were fictional characters because of the proofs of the bible critics, what is to stop you from believing that the events at Sinai never happened? Why believe one thing and not another if both are based on similar proofs?
Bible critics have argued vigorously that the events at - or surrounding - Sinai did not happen since it is impossible for there not to have been any archaeological evidence of it. And to date there has not been a single artifact found to indicate that it did. And that is not for a lack of trying.
There could not have been over a million people crossing the desert for over 40 years from Egypt to Israel without a shred of archaeological evidence left behind. If that is all made up by a bunch of human beings trying to fool us all for generations as being the word of God I don't see how any rational thinker can remain a believer in Judaism - or any other faith based religion.
So why indeed do I believe? That is what Emunah is all about.
I consider myself to be a pretty rational thinker. I tend reject non rational explanations of the Torah. That is one reason for example I do not delve into Nistar (Kabalah). I freely admit that I don't understand it. I cannot relate to a spiritual world that I cannot understand or experience with the 5 physical senses. That is God's domain. Not humankind's.
But there is one obvious exception to that. God is a Spiritual Being. I firmly believe in Him. And I believe He interacts with humankind; He gave us a Torah; ...and the events described therein actually happened. Regardless of the 'proofs' against it. That is what Emunah is all about. If it could all be scientifically proven, we wouldn't need Emunah!
It is no small thing that the greatest minds of the Torah world and academia in the 20th century (people like Rav Solovietchik, Rav Lichtenstein, and Nechama Leibowitz) repudiated academic study of the bible and considered it heresy. They were rational thinkers and had Emnuah. These are the people I look to for guidance. Which is what Rabbis Yuval Cherlow and others like him apparently failed to do.
*As always, this post (or any post like it) is not meant to open up a debate on belief in God or the truth of Judaism. This blog assumes both. That is our starting point. Any attempt at it will not be tolerated and deleted upon discovery. I ask any potential commentators to respect my wishes. Thank You.
