Returning to the Oral Tradition
Harvey Hames’ analysis of the role of Halacha in the State of Israel offers an important perspective on this complex historic-religious conundrum (When Democracy and Halacha Collide, February 17). There is, however, another critique of the rabbinic tradition that is overlooked in Hames’ op-ed. Halacha is, in effect, the offspring of an oral tradition, the Torah shebe’al pe. The designation of a so-called “Oral Torah” is not simply a technical matter regarding the method of transmission — oral vs. written. It is a profound appreciation of the organic nature of Torah, that Torah is an ongoing revelation deeply embedded within the life of the human community.
The real challenge for halachic Jews is to move beyond text and to restore that vibrant, ongoing, revelatory quality that is the true legacy of our ancient rabbinic sages. How do we create that human community-based halacha that imbues our modern, contemporary lives with a vital sense of Torah values and sanctity? I would propose that is the way forward, both in Israel and the Diaspora.
Richard C. Lederman
Silver Spring, Md.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
