NL18 – Reawakening the Forgotten Spirit of Judaism

(pages 263-279)

Any wrong developments in Yisrael is due to their faulty understanding of the Torah. The Sages taught that the destruction of the first Temple was caused by studying Torah without the commitment to fulfill it. (This is the meaning in  ב”מ, פ”ה א of שלא ברכו בתורה תחילה – that they didn’t make a blessing on the Torah prior to learning.)

The Transmission of the Spirit of the Torah

Originally the basic concepts were recorded in writing (תורה שבכתב) and the broader applications and the spirit and inner life were to be transmitted through the Oral Law (תורה שבעל פה). In the course of time, due to exile and tribulations, there was a need to put the laws that had been transmitted via the Oral Law into writing; the Mishna, while still keeping the spirit to oral transmission. Later it was necessary to put much of the practical application of the Mishna into writing; the Talmud, but the spirit was still transmitted orally. Eventually the ability to safeguard the transmission of the spirit of the Oral Law and Tanach (Scripture) was in danger and so aggados were included into the Talmud, but still, they remained in veiled form, requiring oral explanation of their inner meaning.

The Torah teachings and their spirit continued to be taught through the two main academies (of Babylonia, for the next 500 years. This was the how Judaism looked during the period of the Geonim -GS) until jealousy and errors of thought caused them to come to an end.

(This brought us to the period of the Rishonim). The Torah went into exile but the inner spirit was mostly misunderstood, (with the exception of some exceptional individual personalities).

Spanish Jewry

Lacking an understanding of the spirit of the Torah, Spanish Jewry studied Greek philosophy from Arab sources. From those sources they came to understand that the ultimate aim in life was to perfect oneself in perceiving the truth. They felt that Judaism was lacking in spirit and only demanded action. This created a great conflict within them and they felt that Judaism didn’t speak to them.

The Major Flaw of Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed

Having been educated within an uncomprehended Judaism (RSRH’s words) and Arab/Greek philosophical scholarship,  the Rambam was compelled to resolve this conflict within himself (RSRH’s words). He wrote Guide for the Perplexed, מורה נבוכים. While we owe much to the Rambam for writing his major halachic work, which helped preserve the nation’s adherence to and understanding of Halacha, this philosophical work was fundamentally flawed. It attempted to reconcile Judaism with the prevalent ideas outside of Judaism rather than creating a system from within the teachings of the Torah to understand life. To the Rambam, the highest achievement was understanding truth. Mitzvos were merely guides to understanding and to correct errors, such as idolatry which would be irrelevant at a time and place where idolatry wasn’t being practiced. Mishpatim became merely rules of prudent behavior. Chukkim became rules of health. Edos were given in part to promote philosophical purposes. His system didn’t attempt to find symbolic meaning which would have eternal value. His explanations of mitzvos often didn’t take into account many details of the mitzvos.

As a result of the Rambam’s approach being well accepted, mitzvos came to be regarded as devoid of inner meaning. Instead, mitzvos were adapted to foreign concepts. Mitzvos, came to be neglected and even hated. Mitzvos were eventually discarded since people could arrive at the foreign concepts without them. The study of mitzvos became unimportant as they were viewed as just methods to arrive at those concepts.

Rishonim’s Response to the Rambam’s Moreh Nevuchim

The Rishonim fought the Rambam, going to the other extreme; misquoting sources and claiming that it is forbidden to seek meaning in mitzvos, even Edos. In addition the study of Tanach was rejected, based on another misunderstanding. (see sources in the book – GS)

The drive to be creative in Torah without another outlet led to “dialectic subtleties” (פלפול). (Talmudic acrobatics. – GS)

Misunderstood Kabbalah

At that time arose the study of Kabbalah of which RSRH offers no opinion, as he isn’t a student of Kaballah. It seems to be a repository of the spirit of Tanach and Talmud, but is also misunderstood by the masses.

The choices that remained (in France and Germany as opposed to Spain) became studying “witted dialectics of the Talmud” or a misunderstood Kabbalah interpreted to be a form of “magical mechanistic manipulation”.

In time, the Shulchan Aruch was written, an extract from the Talmud and Rambam. Originally intended to be a handbook for scholars with the latest results of Talmudic scholarship. It became widespread and studied by the masses, who only focused on one part of it (אורח חיים) which dealt with prayers and the holidays. The rest was left for scholars. As a result, Judaism came to be regarded by the the masses as only focusing on those areas with no relevance to life.

Then came the Emancipation, when Jews had more freedoms.

At that time arrived a brilliant man, Moses Mendelssohn. Like the Rambam, his spiritual growth came from influences outside of Judaism. He was a student of metaphysics and aesthetics and he viewed the Torah from those perspectives. While he remained committed to halachic observance, his views derived from another world. He could be a religious Jew and yet be greatly respected, as “a German Plato”.

Naturally, his followers took the next step away from the Torah and dropped observance. They studied the Rambam’s Moreh. Tanach was studied philosophically and aesthetically. They added the study of the humanities. Judaism was no longer studied as instruction for life and about life through the Talmud and Tanach. Tanach became books of poetry. Talmud study and halacha were dropped. Their main aspiration was to achieve the right thoughts. All those detailed discussions of the Talmud were viewed as an unnecessary burden and were often ridiculed. One could skip observance and just be a good, enlightened person. (This was the birth of the Reform Movement. – GS)

The Confrontation of Hirsch’s Time:

Two opposing world views emerged, each one flawed. Those that remained faithfully observant remained (at the time of Hirsch’s writing, 1835) uninspired and were just going through the motions. Those that had abandoned observance thought that they were doing Judaism a service by teaching humanism without the Torah, helping their fellow Jews to integrate into society and avoid persecution.

Hirsch’s Appeal and Solution:

We must study the authentic sources about Judaism; The Tanach, Talmud and Midrash to understand Judaism’s views about God, the world, mankind and Yisrael.

Learn the language of Tanach, listen to its lessons about history taught by Yishayah, find God in nature through the words of Tehillim.

With that, study Talmud in that spirit. Study the details of halacha understood to be expounding on the ideas found in Tanach.

Study Aggadah as expression of the same spirit disguised in allegorical form.

Education of the young should include preparation to earn a living. Teach that earning a living will later be part of life and the end goal of life. Teach priorities of duty vs. pleasure.

RSRH ends this letter with four pages of inspiring encouragement. There will be better times and the proper education of our youth will bring about this change. In time, the pendulum of history will swing in the other direction. He concludes by asking his readers to understand the significance of the period they are living through and the importance of even a small minority to commit to live the right way and educate the next generation in the right spirit.