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1969

A Hedge of Roses: Jewish Insights Into Sex and Marriage, Part 2 (1969)

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Letter to Jewish Life Responding to Review of A Hedge of Roses (1966)

I appreciate your review of A Hedge of Roses and the attention it has drawn to the ideas presented therein. However, I feel compelled to respond to several misconceptions that were advanced in the critique. It was never my intention to present Halakhah as a mere sociological construct – nor to judge its validity on pragmatic grounds alone. On the contrary, my argument was and remains that the Halakhic system is rooted in Divine command – but that it also contains within it profound insight into the human condition and a deep concern for human dignity.Whereas some may see halakhic restrictions as merely arbitrary or outdated, I sought to illuminate the human wisdom embedded in Divine law – not to substitute one for the other. The reviewer mischaracterizes this approach as apologetic. It is not. It is explanatory. One may choose to ignore the psychological, emotional, and social ramifications of Halakhah – but that does not mean they are not there.Moreover, the critique that I "water down" Halakhah in order to accommodate modern readers is entirely unfounded. At no point do I advocate leniency where none exists – nor do I suggest that Halakhic norms should bend to the spirit of the age. Rather, I propose that we not shy away from offering meaningful explanations where they exist – and where they may help those who seek to live a Torah life in a modern world do so with greater commitment and understanding.Finally, I am disheartened by the implication that writing in an accessible style for a broad audience is itself suspect. The challenge of translating Torah values into a language that resonates with contemporary readers is not a betrayal of tradition – it is an essential component of our task as Jewish educators and communicators.If we cannot articulate the moral beauty and spiritual depth of our tradition in ways that can be heard, we risk leaving the field to those who reject it altogether. That, in my view, would be the true apology – and it would be one that no …
Marriage & Sexuality

Correspondence

Exchange with R. Rackman about "A Hedge of Roses" and the Jewish Concept of Time (1966)

Dear Norman, Thanks very much for sending me a copy of your A Hedge of Roses. It is beautifully done. However, I was really intrigued by your chapter on the sanctity of time. Beginning with page 75 you make a point which I had made in my first essay in Tradition. I thought it was original and I had offered it with tongue in cheek. Are there Gedolim who have advanced this thought? If so, I would be gratified to know. I, too, came upon the same conclusion almost twenty years ago. Best wishes from house to house for a Chag Kasher ve-Someach, Yours as ever, Rabbi Emanuel Rackman
Marriage & Sexuality

Correspondence

Exchange with Yisrael Kashkin about "A Hedge of Roses" and the Purpose of Mitzvot (2005)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, Several months ago we got together at your office to discuss Modern Orthodoxy and some related issues. This followed my epistolary request to meet you in person and your gracious offer for the same. I wanted to follow up by saying thank you again and by sending you two items of interest. The first is a photo of the first page of the Rav’s letter to the secretary at the Maimonides School. Seth Faber didn’t have a photocopy of this page so I snapped a copy using my Palm device. The image isn’t the best but it shows the Rav, the Rav’s salutation and subject, and the early part of the text. The second item is a photocopy of the piece from Hedge of Roses that I had commented on. My difficulty with the piece is twofold. Firstly, the piece says that the woman’s sense of the holiness of her time far exceeds that of a man. I don’t know how such a thing can be known. But I also don’t know why it is necessary to create a context out of the matter. It should say that I do recognize the era in which this was written and the temptation to address the cries of feminism in such a manner – not that I agree with the approach. Secondly, and most importantly, the piece suggests that the purpose of mitzvahs is to counter our deficiencies. Mitzvahs do function in part in this way (Rav Hirsch on Vayikra). But mitzvahs also engage a pre-existing kedushah. We see this principle in Yevamos 5a where the Gemara discusses the presence of a specific commandment obligating Cohanim to shave their heads if they are struck with leprosy. The Gemara says that the extra push is needed because Cohanim have extra kedushah. We see in general that spiritual growth obligates a person in additional mitzvah related activities, not less. Indeed, the Zies Ra’anan (Magen Avraham) says that men are obligated in positive time-bound commandments because they have a stronger yetzer tov than women do (Commentary on Yalkut Shemoni, Shmuel 1:1). The practical ramification of all this is twofold. Firs…
Marriage & Sexuality

Speech

Hedges, Roses, and Thorns: Sex and Sexuality in the Mesorah (Yom Iyun: Sexuality

Rabbi Lamm explores topics of sex and sexuality in the Jewish tradition.
Marriage & Sexuality