Rav Shagar’s complex writings show that the path between relativism and fundamentalism is not an easy one. It requires a passionate religious faith that is not afraid of the real and profound differences that exist in this world. It may live on a razor’s edge, but it is the only place where true tolerance is possible.
Rabbi Hayyim Angel has made a significant contribution to Jewish thought in this volume and has done it interestingly and well.
Within the boundaries of normative Judaism, dissent is respected and even encouraged. But beyond those boundaries, dissent is not tolerated. Intellectual freedom gives way to the authority of tradition. A problem arises: What exactly are the boundaries established by tradition?
Today’s conference recognizes that the presence and voice of diverse religious groups—working alone and together—potentially make immense contributions toward building a genuinely active and interactive social harmony and promote a sense of moral accountability within the social order.
Misha Edel concentrated his gaze one last time on the black ,contorted mask that had made him famous. The snout, or some would say the curved trunk ,would have to be shortened, he decided, the jaw cover tightened to produce the sound he wanted.
So if life is ever changing, and we are always changing, what can we rely upon? Can we accept that the nature of life is change, and discover God within that change?
Da’at Torah, the notion that leading decisors can issue binding opinions on matters outside the scope of halakha, or Jewish law, is a central concept that distinguishes Hareidim from the Modern Orthodox. The former accept da’at Torah as a given; the latter do not.