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Oct. 18, 1966

Letter to R. Zeilingold about Whether Judaism Is the Only True Religion (1966)

General Jewish Thought
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Definitions of Judaism (1961)

The authoritative code of Jewish law is known as the Shulhan Aruch, the “Prepared Table.” The names of its four component volumes are only remotely connected with their contents, but they can serve to put into focus for us the major definitions of Judaism as such. For while the question “What is Judaism?” has not evoked as much bitter controversy as has the related “What is a Jew?” its implications are just as far-reaching. Yoreh Deah. Judaism is an intellectual discipline. It teaches us true deah, authentic knowledge about G-d and man— more about man than about G-d, for the Torah is G-d’s view of man, not man’s view of G-d. There are those who would confine religion to the realm of poetry, myth, and symbol, and divorce it from hard reality, knowledge, and the search for truth. Judaism cannot abide such separation from deah. Choshen Mishpot. Judaism is a divinely revealed system of righteous and ethical living. It regulates the relations of men with their fellow men on the basis of mishpot or justice. Judaism is not just an ethic, but neither is it merely a ritual. Its glory is in its fusion of both the duties towards G-d and the obligations to man in one whole.Even ha-Ezer. Judaism is a source of tranquility and per- sonal and social happiness. While it must never be reduced to a “peace of mind” cult, a spiritual tranquilizer, neverthe- less it is a source of faith and confidence. “From whence shall come my help?” asked the Psalmist. And he answers, “my help (ezri) comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalms 121:1,2),Orach Chayyim. Judaism is, above all, a way of life. Through the Halochah, every aspect of life becomes significant. Every action, no matter how trivial, becomes an opportunity to sanctify the Name of G-d. As the way of life for Israel, it becomes a celebration of life itself. “And he shall live by it”—Torah enhances life and makes life worth living. “It is a tree of chayyim for them who hold it.”Notice that no mention has been made of the…
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Letter from Ruth Kobrin about Faith and Doubt (1967)

Dear Rabbi Lamm, many, many thanks for your kind comments about my article. Several years ago, I had read Tillich's gem of a book The Dynamics of Faith. At that time I entertained the hope that a person of imposing Orthodox stature might also express the prevailing spiritual anxiety which is the milieu of the Jewish intellectual world. Your superb article “Faith and Doubt” has made an honest recruit of me. What you refer to as a daily renewal of commitment, I call mending fences, and each...
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Letter to Dr. Eckstein about His Article on Religion, Science, and Naturalism (1967)

Dear Jerry: Thanks for your undelayed response and the reprints. On the premise that a philosopher cherishes honesty over courtesy, I do hope you will forgive my remarks. After reading your letter, I was going to reaffirm my respect for psychiatry – though by no means my unreserved adulation of Freud and his followers. However, I then read one of jour articles, "The Fall and Rise of Man," and decided to react only briefly – you are quite right about my being quite busy, especially in this season. I find, Jerry, that, as I have always suspected, you are brilliant, but that you suffer from the same defects as do Reik and others of this school. You have weaved an elaborate web of theory based on Freud, Reik, Fromm, and an eclectic study of genesis (its "myths"), and you conclude with a lecture to unrepentant theologians who still seek to protect "religion" against "science" and remain closed to your triumphant version of naturalism which will, no doubt, conquer all. If I’ve put it somewhat crudely, it’s only to emphasize my feeling that this is a case of hubris (not personal, of course) if I’ve ever seen one.Does your Reikian reconstruction of the ”rise”of man really qualify as ”science?” Do you really believe that only the benighted theolo-glans ** especially those of us who still cling to old Biblical "myths" — are disdained by ”scientists?" Certainly you are aware that, without at all deprecating psychiatry, a good case can be made out for psychoanalysis being "unscientific•”Frankly, your analysis **and I had the same feeling when reading Reik’s essays (in German) on tefillin and shofar -* is a superb derashah. with no more authentic claim on ״science'1 than any good sermon or fanciful pilpul can claim to be peshat. The major differ* ence is that when I preach a "gut vort',’ or elaborate a pilpul — No. 1: I know it isn't academically accurate; No.2: I have no pre* tenses as to its scientific validity; No.3: I don't attempt to give it the appearance of scientific va…
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