Dear Lily, Many thanks for your letter on the Lamm MS. I am not quite certain what gives me, the midwife, so much personal pride in your reaction to the baby, but I was delighted at your response. As I see it, the problems now are relatively simple. (1) As to the rearranged table of contents: it makes a good deal of sense to me. I did check with Norman's original order for the materials, and yours is closer to it than the one I suggested and he was nice enough to accept. May I suggest some minor modifications in your own suggestion, and explain my reasoning. I like the widening circles of the three major divisions you have set out. But I think they could be a little more logical in progression, though that is not a necessity. Thus, I think starting with the Agnon is enough to grab anyone's interest and keep him in the book for the rest of the way.But it seems to me item Z, *Imitating God*, belongs in the last section with *Men to God: The Big Questions*. And since it is somewhat difficult, that is a good place for it. But *Conflict Among Jews* (why not simply *Conflict Among Neighbors?* since its content is quite universal) could well come in the early section since it deals with the sort of animosities that corrupt face-to-face relations.Another not-so-important idea would be to rearrange Part II, where it seems to me that business comes before community leadership — i.e., your chapter 6 should precede chapter Z. Business is not as broad as community organization and might well come before it. And that would allow us to go from community leadership to the dialogue chapter, which is a sort of inter-community issue.I can see the desirability of brief introductions to the three parts of the book. Wolf did not do this, but Kling did. I only hasten to add that Kling's were very brief, and I think we should keep anything of this sort to the briefest space necessary to stake out the specific theme of the following chapters.But I don't particularly get moved by adding ano…

Lily Edelman spoke to you today. They want to scrap the whole book, which satisfies you because it was too watery. She will send you a new contract, considering all previous partial payments as null and void. What she wants is a book on the compassionate society, to include what you think appropriate, from any author, no matter how many times, and from any source. Borowitz will have nothing to do with it, and you need not fear that his restrictions are any longer operative. She will let you know more details in a letter that she will be sending you.You need approximately another 150 pages of manuscript. Think of adding:

Dear Gene: Enclosed is the article I talked to you about last week. I would very much like it go go as is, if space permits. Do call me if there are any problems about it. All my best wishes for a gemar tov. Cordially yours, Rabbi Norman Lamm

Dear Norman, Shubert has asked for a chance to respond to your response. On reviewing the exchange, I (and Nat) found it to be of such intrinsic merit that we believe it is worth printing. I’ve asked Shubert to send a copy of his next response to you directly, so that you may then make your final comment if you wish. But I think the material should commit you both. The material should not be designed as between issues! The exchange should be a head to head at my insistence for editorial purposes. We will hold the material exchange for two episodes and then print the 4 pieces at once. I do think the clearest case from your original statement is at stake and the meaning of the theological “center” to Judaism is a common man’s one as the definition of the current polarization is clear. Hence to open a symposium is apt – and that is what the “exchange” will mean. We shall break our self-imposed strategy that each of the two should respond in full to Shubert’s response to your response. Forward to you with response to my request for a statement. All my best – Gene

Dear Norman – I want to send you a heartfelt mazel tov and on one level or two, I have no difficulty with it. That you deserve this job both in terms of your personal capacity and by contrast to others, is perfectly plain. That it will be good for American Orthodoxy and Yeshiva is more than probable. If anything, I had not expected that Yeshiva would have enough courage to appoint a council of independent men and allow it amount of independent voice and direction. But having done so, they merit the mazel tov. But when I think of the endless morass of finances and administration you are now thrown into – woes and aggravations most of us can image – then I’m not so sure what mazel it is that you’re getting. I can only hope that gradually you will find a way to keep it in its place and that because you are willing to live with it you will be permitted to exert a new measure of leadership to Orthodoxy and all of us. May the new post bring you much blessing, for it will surely be a blessing to the community – Gene