What is the place and significance of progress in Traditional Judaism? This problem assumes additional importance in our own generation, when the rush of events, the increased momentum of life and the rapid growth of new and more complex sciences and philosophies leave the Traditional Jew in a maze of perplexity, striving to reconcile his faith with the newer systems of thought and lacking clearly defined criteria for the successful adaptation of Traditional Judaism to the contemporary intellectual environment. The very nature of the problem posed is difficult to treat. We cannot deny the existence of a progressive motion in Judaism without denying history, logic and science. At the same time, we cannot postulate unlimited change of any part of Judaism; to do so would be to reduce “Judaism" to a meaningless catch-word, and to strip Torah and Halacha of their very essence."Progress" in Judaism cannot be investigated as an isolated phenomenon. 'The examination of this problem must he based upon an understanding of the very form in which the dynamics of Halacha Judaism are manifested, both within Halacha itself and in the relation of Halacha to other systems, ideas, and concepts. This relationship is the substance of Jewish Philosophy. The preliminary phenomenon, the form of the dynamics of Judaism, is “conflict." To study these phenomena, their interrelationship and their application to the approach of the Traditionalist to modern life is the purpose of this essay.One of the most important aspects of Judaism[1], and one which can be said to set it apart from most other religions, is its constant engagement in conflicts of various sorts. Judaism is not a system at rest; it is a system in motion. The thinking, observing Jew cannot be intellectually or religiously static, because his very religion is based upon the resolution of a conflict, invites conflicts with other systems of thought, and predicates the path to ultimate Halachic perfection upon conflict. We are so a…

The very kind and gracious words said about me here this evening were intended, I am sure, to gratify me and make me feel happy. Yet their effect has been just the opposite. I feel more embarrassed than honored. When the famous Chassidic Rebbe, Reb Chaim Sanzer, the "Divrei Chaim," one day traveled through some of the cities where he was known and loved, he once took his son along with him. In one city the reception accorded him was particularly warm, and the compliments (which, it so happens, were richly deserved) flew fast and thick. They praised him as the Rashkabehag, as the greatest saint and scholar of his day, etc. When they had left, Reb Chaim's son noticed that his father had a fallen look on his face and was by no means happy. When his son pressed him for an explanation, Reb Chaim replied with a story: You know that the honors and salutes accorded a general are much greater than those given to a colonel. It once happened that a general was recalled by his headquarters by his superiors to undergo a court-martial. When he entered, he was given the general’s salute. The verdict was against him inside the room, and he was found guilty and demoted to a colonel. When he left, the guards, not knowing of the decision, again gave him the grandiose general’s salute. Only then was his heart pained and pierced to its core. My very dear friends, you have given me a general’s salute, and I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I have not reached a colonel’s rank. Your words only make me that much more aware – painfully so – of what is expected of me. Would that I could deserve the panegyrics of the speakers and the distinguished guests and the honor given me by all of you that have come today. Nonetheless, I am grateful – deeply grateful – to all of you: speakers, officers, family members, distinguished guests, and neighbors. I can, at this time, do no more than promise that I shall devote all of my energies to deserve your praise. And if I may continue that military …

(1) 3 steps to Jerusalem (2) suggested by major הלכה (the must you not know) sidra: פסח שני... only it טמא or בדרך רחוקה (3) מתנ׳ פסחים אינו הי דרך רחוקה? – מן המודיעים ולחוץ כמדתה לכל רוח (15 miles) – דברי ר״ע; ר״ע אומר: מאיסקופת העזרה ולחול (4) understand ר״ע – but ו״א? – yet see that mom can be in Jerusalem ובאיסוק בפת העזרה & yet be miles away (5) story Rabbi to חסיד, often שמ״ע: ״שלום עליכם״ – just came back from business trip (6)

“Tradition” is perhaps one of the most misunderstood and maligned words in our contemporary vocabulary. It has been misconstrued by some as the very antithesis of “progress” and as a synonym for the tyranny that a rigid past blindly imposes upon the present. For others the word evokes different associations. Tradition becomes for them the object of sentimental adoration, the kind of nostalgic affection which renders it ineffective and inconsequential, like the love for an old and naive grandmother — possessing great charm, but exercising little power or influence. What then do we mean by “tradition,” and why have we decided to publish a journal by that name in an age when man has broken the shackles of gravity and is on the verge of the conquest of the heavens themselves, an age which seems to have broken completely with the past which nurtured it?By “tradition” we mean neither a slavish adherence to old formulas, nor a romantic veneration of “the good old days” which strips the past of all meaningfulness for the present. In our conception of “tradition” we do not concentrate exclusively on the past at all. The word itself comes from the Latin tradere which means to hand down, to transmit, to bequeath. Similarly, its Hebrew equivalent masorah derives from the root מסר which means “to give over.” The focus of Tradition is, then, the future and not the past. “Tradition” is thus a commitment by the past to the future, the promise of roots, the precondition of a healthy continuity of that which is worthy of being preserved, the affirmation that the human predicament in general, and the Jewish situation in particular, are not frighteningly new, but that they grow out of a soil which we can know and analyze and use to great benefit.What, exactly, does this “tradition” consist of, this “tradition” we want to “give over” to our readers, to our future? It is the cumulative historical experience and wisdom of the people of Israel and the totality of its divinely revealed ins…

In recent years a number of American Jewish writers have returned to an ancient Jewish vocation: prophesying. Having seemingly exhausted all studies of the past and the present, they have turned to the future and the prediction of what it holds for the American Jewish community. With a certain glee, these prognosticators – including sociologists, historians, professors, and novelists (all non-traditional) – have prophesied the demise of Orthodox Judaism. Orthodoxy, they tell us, does not stand a chance. Its following will dwindle down to a few insignificant die-hards who will themselves sooner or later be assimilated by some form of “modernistic” Judaism. Torah and Tradition, they report, have no place in the future. One ought not be dismayed by such reports from non-Orthodox circles. Without a commitment to Torah one cannot, after all, truly know its inner vitality and its uncanny capacity for attracting the hearts of Jews and surviving in all environments. What is disturbing is the underlying pessimism one sometimes detects in some – by no means all – observant and loyal Jews. Are we indeed a vanishing race? Is Israel doomed to remain an alman, deprived of the company of Torah? The question is one of great importance. First, it affects a principal tenet of our faith: the eternal loyalty of Israel to God. Second, there is the question of morale. No one wants to be identified with a lost cause. Third, the answer to that question will determine the policy of Orthodox Jews vis-à-vis the general Jewish community. Our answer to the question is a resounding “No.” Orthodox Judaism is here to stay, and it can and will survive even in the free and democratic atmosphere of modern America. We say not only Ha-shem melekh (the Lord reigns) and Ha-shem malakh (the Lord reigned) but Ha-shem yimlokh (the Lord will reign). It is our sacred duty to believe, and act upon the basis of the belief, that the Torah which survived the persecutions of Hadrian, the interdictions of Antioch…

Moetzet Harabanut Harashit hemlita sheen issur nisssuim im bnei Israel vechol harabanim messadre hanissuim lebarer kol mikre lefi oraot harabanut – nekuda tzarich lishloah rav laheda behdu habaki betiv guittin vekidushin – Harav Harashi Nissim.

Dear Haham Gaon, I sincerely regret that because of our different schedules it was impossible for me to meet you personally in England to carry on the conversation we had begun in New York on the problems of Indian Jewry. I do hope, however, that as soon as my reports are written up after my return to New York please G-d, copies will be made available to you. Meanwhile I am turning to you on a problem of immediate importance. I have just returned to Bombay from Calcutta where the community is now paralysed because of controversies precipitated by Beth Din policies and by personality problems with Rabbi [redacted].As of this past week the Jewish Association has terminal the contract of [redacted]. Two factions, pro and anti-Rabbi, are stubbornly opposed to each other. The straw that broke the camel's back was the problem of how strict to be in accepting converts. The Beth Din had adopted a policy which was almost absolutely exclusivist. [redacted] favoured a more liberal attitude. The latter thereupon proceeded to perform his own conversion withoutBeth Din’s authorisation and the entire Beth Din resigned. Since then the local Hazanim have undertaken to perform conversions upon their own authority, but this has largely been stopped due to the exertions of [redacted] and others. The Jewish Association has publicly called for elections to the Beth Din in about two weeks.At a conversation with all factions – and I shall give you many more details at some later date – I have got their agreement to postpone elections to Beth Din, to organise synagogues under the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of India and to have the Union be the sponsoring agency of the Beth Din. All factions agreed to submit to the discipline of the Beth Din provided that all members of the Beth Din will subscribe to the general principles I have proposed pending your approval.I have told them that I will not give them the exact talks of my proposals, but that it will officially have to come fro…

לכבוד הרב הגאון רבי איסר יהודה אונטרמן שליט״א, הרב הראשי לתל־אביב־יפו והמחוז. נראה לי להזכיר את מעמדי לפני כחודשיים: אני הוא הרב הצעיר אשר זכה לבקר את כבוד תורתו בעת ביקורך בהודו מטעם איגוד הקהילות האורתודוקסיות בארה״ב, לפני כארבעה חודשים. אז ביקשתי לשוחח עימך בענייני בני הקהילה היהודית בהודו, אשר זכיתי להכירם. קהילה זו קטנה ונידחת, מבודדת בים האלילות, ואף שאין בה אלא רב אחד ובני עלייה מועטים, הרי הם נאמנים לדתנו, לתורתנו ולעמנו, ומקיימים מצוות כפי יכולתם. סיפרתי אז לכבודו כיצד הרפורמים והקונסרבטיבים למיניהם עושים כל מאמץ לחדור אל תוך אותה קהילה, ואיך הצלחתי להבהיר, על סמך חותמות ומסמכים, כי רוב הקהילה מזדהה עם מתנת התורה ודרך האורתודוקסיה. הסברתי אז שלמיטב ידיעותיי, קהילת בומביי עומדת בפני מאבק חמור מאוד. כמעט שהפתרון היחיד הוא להעלותם ארצה, אך קשה מאוד לעודדם לכך, ובייחוד בגלל בעיית הגירותם לישראל. ידוע היטב לכבודו פרשת הדברים והתפתחותם מסביב להטלת ספק ממזרות עליהם מטעם יוצאי בגדד. עתה נעשה הדבר חמור וריאלי יותר, שכן הנושא עומד בפני כמה בתי דין, למיטב ידיעתי. עפ״י הידיעות האחרונות – הן שפורסמו בעתונות כאן והן שקיבלתי מהודו – הועלתה השאלה שוב על הפרק בארץ, והעניין מעסיק גם כאן. ראשי העדה ההודית מתמרמרים משמועות אלו, רואים בהן בזיון, וכתבו דברי מחאה חריפים. אזכיר בקצרה את מרוצת הדברים: התעודות שנמסרו עד כה נוטות ברובן להחמיר, אך הרב נסים שליט״א אמר שיש הכרח בפסק ברור. הרב נסים עומד בסירובו להתערב בעניין ולהכיר בנישואין שנערכו מטעם בית דין כלשהו בארץ, ואף בתשובות שהזכרתי, אך המליץ על פנייה לרב שמואל רוזובסקי שליט״א, ר״ם בישיבת פוניבז׳. הרב נסים הבטיח שאם תתפרסם חוות־דעת זו, וגדולי הרבנים יגיבו עליה ויתירו, יסכים גם הוא. פנינו אפוא לרב רוזובסקי פעמיים ושלוש, ואף ערכתי ביקור אצלו ונגשתי אליו בהשתדלות הרב כהנמן שליט״א, אך העלינו חרס בידינו – אין קול ואין עונה. ומה יועיל לנו אם לאחר שנים של סחבת ודיחוי יוחלט סוף־סוף להיתר, ובינתיים ח״ו תתייאש העדה הזאת, וכל עבודתנו ומאמצינו להשיבם לחיק היהדות המסורתית ירדו לטמיון. לכן, בשמי, בשמם ובשם חבריי מהסתדרות הרבנים ואיגוד הקהילות החרדיות של ארה״ב, הנני פונה עוד פעם אל כבודו לבל יחמיץ את השעה, ולהוציא פסק ברור וקים – אם להיתר ואם…

Dear Mr. Manasseh: A puzzling misunderstanding seems to have developed here in New York concerning the confidential information I gave you about the Joint Distribution Committee's $2500 grant to the Sassoon School. I was under the impression that [redacted] gave ne this information, and [redacted] in turn does not recall where he got it from and believes that his was [redacted]. [redacted] in turn, remembers only that I told him about it.Whatever the case may be it is by now irrelevant. [redacted] has just informed me that the Joint has decided to give much more than $2500 to the school. They are to receive, at least for this year, $500 per month. An equal amount is to be given to the Kadoorie School, and another sum is to be allocated for the orphan asylum, etc. The total of $6000 per year should give considerable impetus to the school.Meanwhile I have been in contact with [redacted] and the impression I get is that he would like as much as possible not to be involved in the local controversies. He also said it is not up to him to choose the members of the committee, but that he would see what he could do about recommending the names I submitted to him and which I received from you.I do hope things will work out and that you will be able to rally community support to the cause which unites us and for the organizations in Bombay which are working towards the achievement of our ideals.Sincerely,Rabbi Norman Lamm

Dear Rabbi, I acknowledge with thanks receipt of your letter of May 25, and I hasten to explain the circumstances that led us to the action resorted to. I have absolutely no doubt that the entire World Jewry (except of course those who issued such prohibition) must be appalled at such atrocity. You could imagine our feelings on learning the news and especially when our non-Jewish friends and acquaintances taunted and ridiculed us. There were fortunately no mass protect meetings but every person of Jewish faith, we met, pestered us with the questioned us ״what is the orthodox Union doing about this affair?״ The day the reports appeared in the Press, I got in touch with Mr. Kelman and through him requested the Consul to issue a statement immediately to the Press, denying the facts as far as the Government of Israel was concerned and that he would investigate the matter. Had this been done, there would have appeared very few or no letters in the Press, condemning the decision and the silence of the Government, over such a touching issue. He did issue one after eight days, which slightly worsened matters (copy enclosed).A meeting of the Executive was convened and a resolution adopted, which was released to the Local Press with the solo intention of toning down the agitation of the masses. Fortunately, Rabbi Gotthold sent me the following telegram, which though vague, somewhat relaxed the tension on being released to the Press."Resolution of the Union Orthodox Jew Congregations of May Seventeenth based on unfounded misleading information stop allegations about Israel Jewish religious authorities decision vicious and dangerous fabrication please correct you misinformation shalom Gotthold Ministry for Religious Affairs."The report appeared in the French trees in the first instance and was earned by the Press Trust of India in the Indian Express (not the Times of India). But the French papers appear to have picked up the news from the Israeli papers like the 'Haaretz' and …