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Modern Orthodox Judaism (or Modern Orthodox or Modern Orthodoxy) is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize traditional observance and values with the secular, modern world.
Modern Orthodoxy draws on several teachings and philosophies, and thus assumes various forms. In the United States, and generally in the Western world, "Centrist Orthodoxy" — underpinned by the philosophy of Torah Umadda ("Torah and Knowledge/Science) — is prevalent. In Israel, Modern Orthodoxy is dominated by Religious Zionism; however, although not identical, these movements share many of the same values and many of the same adherents http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0411/is_4_47/ai_54600118#continue.
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Modern Orthodoxy comprises a fairly broad spectrum of movements each drawing on several distinct, though related, philosophies, which in some combination provide the basis for all variations of the movement today; these are discussed below.
In general, Modern Orthodoxy holds that Jewish law is normative and binding, while simultaneously attaching a positive value to interaction with the modern world. In this view, Orthodox Judaism can “be enriched” by its intersection with modernity; further, “modern society creates opportunities to be productive citizens engaged in the Divine work of transforming the world to benefit humanity”. At the same time, in order to preserve the integrity of halakha, any area of “powerful inconsistency and conflict” between Torah and modern culture must be avoided. http://shma.com/feb01/berman.htm.
Modern Orthodoxy, additionally, assigns a central role to the "People of Israel" Rabbi Norman Lamm: Some Comments on Centrist Orthodoxy. Modern Orthodoxy, in general, places a high national, as well as religious, significance on the State of Israel, and Modern Orthodox institutions and individuals are, typically, Zionist in orientation. An additional manifestation is that involvement with non-orthodox Jews will extend beyond "outreach" to continued institutional relations and cooperation; see further under Torah Umadda.
Modern Orthodoxy traces its roots to the works of Rabbis Azriel Hildesheimer (1820-1899) and Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888). Note that while Hildesheimer\'s role is not disputed - comprising distinct philosophic and pragmatic contributions - Hirsch\'s role is less clear, with some Hirsch scholars arguing that his "Torah im Derech Eretz" philosophy is in fact at odds with that of Modern Orthodoxy; see further below and in the Hildesheimer article .
Hirsch’s Torah im Derech Eretz (תורה עם דרך ארץ – “Torah with the way of the Land”) is a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism which formalises a relationship between halakhically observant Judaism and the modern world. Hirsch held that Judaism requires the application of Torah philosophy to all human endeavor and knowledge compatible with it. Thus, secular education becomes a positive religious duty. "Judaism is not a mere adjunct to life: it comprises all of life... in the synagogue and the kitchen, in the field and the warehouse, in the office and the pulpit... with the pen and the chisel" http://www.ucalgary.ca/%7Eelsegal/363_Transp/Orthodoxy/SRHirsch.html. Hirsch\'s vision, although not unqualified, extended to the sciences as well as to (German) literature, philosophy and culture. Torah im Derech Eretz remains influential to this day in all branches of Orthodox Judaism.
Note that Neo Orthodoxy, the movement descended from Hirsch’s Frankfurt community regards itself as positioned, ideologically, outside of contemporary Modern Orthodoxy; see further below.
Azriel Hildesheimer, along with Rabbi Hirsch, was insistent that for Orthodox Jews living in the west, there was no possibility to segregate oneself behind ghetto walls. On the contrary, modern Jewish education, must teach Jews how best to confront and deal with modernity in all of its aspects http://www.yutorah.org/_shiurim/%2FTU9%5FShapiro%2Epdf.
His approach, "Cultured Orthodoxy", was defined as representing "unconditional agreement with the culture of the present day; harmony between Judaism and science; but also unconditional steadfastness in the faith and traditions of Judaism" http://www.yutorah.org/_shiurim/%2FTU9%5FShapiro%2Epdf.
He was, however, "the pragmatist rather than the philosopher", and it is his actions, rather than his philosophy, which have become institutionalized in Modern Orthodoxy http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0411/is_n1_v42/ai_13796421/print, and through which his influence is still felt.
Torah Umadda (תורה ומדע - "Torah and secular knowledge") is a philosophy concerning the secular world and Judaism, and in particular secular knowledge and Jewish knowledge. It envisions a personal (as opposed to theoretical) "synthesis" between Torah scholarship and Western, secular scholarship, entailing, also, positive involvement with the broader community. Here, the "individual has absorbed the attitudes characteristic of science, democracy and Jewish life and responds appropiately in diverse relations and contexts" http://www.yutorah.org/_materials/ACF4B2B.pdf. The resultant mode of Orthodox Judaism is referred to as "Centrist Orthodoxy".
This philosophy, as formulated today, is to a large extent a product of the teachings and philosophy of HaRav Joseph Soloveitchik (1903-1993), Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University. In "Rav Soloveitchik\'s" thought, Judaism, which believes that the world is "very good", enjoins man to engage in tikkun olam. "Halakhic Man" must therefore attempt to bring the sanctity and purity of the transcendent realm into the material world http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/rav/rav13.htm. Centrist Orthodoxy is the dominant mode of Modern Orthodoxy in the United States, while Torah Umadda remains closely associated with Yeshiva University. Torah Umadda is related to Hirsch\'s Torah im Derech Eretz, but see below for a comparison between the two.
Modern Orthodoxy draws on the teachings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1864 – 1935) - both as regards its views on Jewish Peoplehood and as regards the interaction with the secular world.
“Rav Kook” saw Zionism as a part of a divine scheme finally to result in the resettlement of the Jewish people in its homeland, bringing salvation ("Geula") to the Jewish people, and the entire world. In Rav Kook’s thought Kodesh and Chol (sacred and profane) play an extremely important role. Here, Kodesh is the inner taam (reason) of reality and the meaning of existence while Chol is that which is detached from Kodesh and is without any meaning; Judaism, then, is the vehicle "whereby we sanctify our lives, and attach all the practical, secular elements of life to spiritual goals which reflect the absolute meaning of existence - G-d Himself" http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/rk1-kook.htm].
In Israel, the Religious Zionism of the "Dati Leumi" (דתי לאומי, "National Religious") dominates Modern Orthodoxy. Here too, the ideological basis is largely drawn from the teachings of Rav Kook http://www.wzo.org.il/en/resources/view.asp?id=1219, and there is therefore much overlap; philosophical differences, as well as other "non-modern" forms of Religious Zionism, are discussed below.
Various, highly differing views are offered under the banner of Modern Orthodoxy, ranging from traditionalist to revisionist. In addition, some elements of Haredi Judaism ("Ultra-Orthodox Judaism") appear to be more receptive to messages that have traditionally been part of the Modern-Orthodox agenda. At the same time, Modern Orthodoxy’s left wing may appear to align with more traditional elements of Conservative Judaism. Thus, in clarifying its position, it is useful to discuss Modern Orthodoxy with reference to other movements in Judaism.
Although there is some question as how precisely to define the distinction between Modern Orthodoxy and Haredi Judaism, there is basic agreement that they may be distinguished on the basis of three major characteristics: http://www.edah.org/backend/JournalArticle/4_1_waxman.pdf
A fourth difference suggested, relates to the acceptability of moderation within Jewish law. Both Modern Orthodoxy and Ultra Orthodoxy regard Halakha as Divine in origin, and as such, no position is assumed without justification in the Shulkhan Arukh and in the Acharonim. The movements differ, however, in their approach to strictures (chumras) and leniencies (kulas).
(As to the contention that Modern Orthodoxy\'s standards of observance of halakha are, in fact, "relaxed," as opposed to moderate, see below under Criticism.)
Both Modern Orthodoxy and Neo Orthodoxy, the movement directly descended from Hirsch’s Frankfurt community, have combined Torah and secular knowledge with participation in contemporary western life, and thus some maintain that there is a degree of practical and philosophical overlap between the two. The movements are nevertheless distinct, and in general, Neo-Orthodoxy has taken a more qualified approach than Modern orthodoxy, emphasizing that followers must exercise caution in engagements with the secular world.
Note though that differences between the movements may be more than a question of degree: Hirsch scholars argue that Hirschian philosophy is at odds with that of Modern Orthodoxy see, for example: Joseph Elias\' introduction to The Nineteen Letters. Feldheim,1995. ISBN 0873066960 , while Modern Orthodox scholars maintain that Modern Orthodoxy accords with Hirsch\'s worldview see, for example: Norman Lamm Torah Umadda: The Encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Knowledge in the Jewish Tradition. Jason Aronson, 1994. ISBN 1568212313 . These philosophical distinctions (though subtle), manifest in markedly divergent religious attitudes and perspectives; in fact, Shimon Schwab, second Rabbi of this community in the United States, is described as being "spiritually very distant" from Yeshiva University and Modern Orthodoxy Prof. Chaim Waxman Dilemmas of modern orthodoxy: sociological and philosophical .
From the viewpoint of Neo-Orthodoxy, that movement differs from Modern Orthodoxy (and particularly Centrist Orthodoxy) on three main counts See, for example, Joseph Elias\'s Introduction to "The Nineteen Letters", Feldheim, 1995. ISBN 0873066960; note also that others claim that these distinctions - save the last one - are unclear and/or unsubstantiated given the selective nature of the evidence. .
Broadly defined, Religious Zionism is a movement which embraces the idea of Jewish national sovereignty, often in connection with the belief in the ability of the Jewish people to bring about a redemptive state through natural means, and often attributing religious significance to the modern State of Israel. (This attitude is rejected by most Haredim - but not all, particularly the Hardal movement.) Thus, in this sense, Religious Zionism in fact encompasses a wide spectrum of religious views including Modern Orthodoxy.
Note however, that Modern Orthodoxy, in fact, overlaps to a large extent with “Religious Zionism” in its narrower form (\'Throughout the world a "religious Zionist day school" is a synonym for a "modern Orthodox day school"\' Rav Yosef Blau Religious Zionism And Modern Orthodoxy ). At the least, the two are not in any direct conflict, and generally coexist Charles S. Liebman Modern orthodoxy in Israel, sharing both values and adherents. Further, in practice, except at their extremes, the differences between Religious Zionism and Modern Orthodoxy in Israel are not pronounced, and they are often identical, especially in recent years and for the younger generation Shlomo Fischer Fundamentalist or Romantic Nationalist?: Israeli Modern Orthodoxy .
Nevertheless, the two movements are philosophically distinct on two broad counts.
Applying the above distinction, in Israel today Modern Orthodoxy - as distinct from Religious Zionism - is represented by only a handful of institutions: the Religious Kibbutz Movement, Neemanei Torah V’Avoda, the Meimad political party, and the Shalom Hartman Institute (some would include Yeshivat Har Etzion and Yeshivat Hamivtar / Ohr Torah Stone Institutions).
In some areas, Modern Orthodoxy’s left wing appears to align with more traditional elements of Conservative Judaism, and in fact some on the left of Modern Orthodoxy have allied with the formerly Conservative Union for Traditional Judaism. Nonetheless, the two movements are completely distinct. Rabbi Avi Weiss - from the left of Modern Orthodoxy- stresses that Orthodox and Conservative Judaism are “so very different in … three fundamental areas: Torah mi-Sinai, rabbinic interpretation, and rabbinic legislation” http://www.yctorah.org/downloads/articles/aw-open-orthodoxy.pdf.
In general, Modern Orthodoxy does not, therefore, view the process by which the Conservative movement decides halakha as legitimate - or with the non-normative weighting assigned to halakha by the Conservative movement. In particular, Modern Orthodoxy disagrees with many of Conservative Judaism’s halakhic rulings, particularly as regards issues of egalitarianism. See further on the Orthodox view and the Conservative view.
Modern Orthodoxy clearly differs from the approach of Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism, which do not consider halakha to be obligatory.
The philosophical spectrum within Modern Orthodoxy has been redefined by various challenges from both the right and the left over the last 30-40 years. Among the issues have been the extent to which Modern Orthodoxy should cooperate with the more liberal denominations, support secular academic pursuits combined with religious learning, and embrace efforts to give women a larger role in Jewish learning and worship http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/15764/edition_id/307/format/html/displaystory.html, the acceptability of modern textual criticism as a tool for Torah study is also debated.
To the ideological right, the line between Haredi and Modern Orthodox has blurred in recent years (some have referred to this trend as "haredization" http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/orthostate.html). In addition to increasing stringency in adherence to Halakha, many Modern Orthodox Jews express a growing sense of alienation from the larger, secular culture http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/orthostate.html. Here “the balance has tipped heavily in favor of Torah over madda … [and many] have redefined "madda" as support for making one\'s livelihood in the secular world, not culturally or intellectually engaging with it” http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/orthostate.html.
At the same time, adherents on the ideological left have begun to develop new institutions that aim to be outward looking whilst maintaining a discourse between modernity and halakhah. The resultant Open Orthodoxy seeks to re-engage with secular studies, Jews of all denominations and global issues. This movement has its own Yeshiva in New York, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah. Some within this movement have experimented with orthodox egalitarianism where gender equality solutions are found through halakhah. This has led to women taking on more leadership roles. Others in this movement are increasingly re-engaging with social justice issues from a halakhic point of view http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/subdivisions/modernorthodoxy_2.shtml.
Generalisations concerning Modern Orthodoxy are difficult to draw, and, as such, any criticism may be aimed at a straw man. This section deals with criticism relating to standards of observance and to social issues; as regards its philosophy see "Criticism" under Torah Umadda.
There is an often repeated contention that Modern Orthodoxy has lower standards of observance of traditional Jewish laws and customs than other branches of Orthodox Judaism http://www.hashkafah.com/index.php?showtopic=1926&st=20. This view is largely anecdotal, and is based on individual behaviour, as opposed to any formal, institutional position: http://yuweb.addr.com/v63i9/news/edah.shtml Template:Cquote2
Whereas the Modern Orthodox position is (generally) presented as "unquestioned allegiance to the primacy of Torah, and that the apprehension of all other intellectual disciplines must be rooted and viewed through the prism of Torah" http://yuweb.addr.com/v67i7/culture/toyou.html, Haredi groups have sometimes compared Modern Orthodoxy with early Reform Judaism in Germany: Modern Orthodox Rabbis have been criticised for attempting to modify Jewish law, in adapting Judaism to the needs of the modern world.
Note that claims of this nature have been commonplace within Orthodox Judaism since the first "reforms" of Samson Raphael Hirsch and Azriel Hildesheimer. Thus, in Europe of the early 1800s, all of Judaism that differed from the strictest forms present at the time was called "Reform". Then, as now, Modern Orthodoxy took pains to distance its "reforms" - those which could be justified as based on the Shulkhan Arukh and poskim – from those of the Reform movement, which could not.
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The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. This section has been tagged since December 2007. |
Some observe http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0411/is_n1_v42/ai_13796421/print that the ability of Modern Orthodoxy to attract a large following and maintain its strength as a movement is, (ironically), inhibited by the fact that it embraces modernity - its raison d\'être - and that it is highly rational and intellectual.
Many Orthodox Jews find the intellectual engagement with the modern world as a virtue. Examples of Orthodox rabbis who promote or have promoted this worldview include:
There are a few organizations dedicated to furthering Modern Orthodoxy as a religious trend: The largest and oldest are the Orthodox Union (Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America), which sponsors youth groups, kashrut supervision, and many other activities and its rabbinic counterpart, the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA). Both have Israel and diaspora (outside the land of Israel) programs.
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