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Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox Jewish peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America. It covers a range of topics including philosophy and theology, history, law, and ethics.
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- 1 weeks ago55 min
Reconceiving Conceptualism
The recent annual convention of TRADITON’s publisher, the Rabbinical Council of America, was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the work of our journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought. Our editor Jeffrey Saks had a chance to conduct a session with Itamar Rosensweig, whose “Reconceiving Conceptualism” opens our recently released Spring 2026 issue. The essay is an argument for method in Torah study as part of the pursuit of knowledge. Rosensweig asks if and why the so-called conceptual method (a.k.a. Lomdus) is typically favored in our own learning and teaching because it’s somehow more “authentic” and “true”? Saks inquired what Rosensweig set out to do in the essay and touched on pedagogical and practical suggestions for ways to more effectively implement Lomdus and utilize its tools in our shuls and schools. This was of particular relevance to the rabbis and educators in attendance, many of whom raised questions and offered gentle pushback throughout the discussion. In fact, the essay has already generated a healthy amount of response and we hope to be publishing some of that in the near future. Watch a video of this discussion on YouTube. Rabbi Dr. Itamar Rosensweig is a Rosh Yeshiva and associate professor of philosophy at Yeshiva University, a dayyan at the Beth Din of America, and rabbi of the Merion Shtiebel. The conversation was recorded by TorahAnytime at the RCA Convention in Suffern, NY, on May 11, 2026. The post Reconceiving Conceptualism appeared first on Tradition Online.
- 2 weeks ago40 min
Fear and Faith in Religious Life
What is the relationship between fear and faith? This question is explored in Rivka Kahan’s recent essay, “Fear and Faith in Religious Life” (TRADITION, Spring 2026). In this episode Kahan discusses these topics with our podcast host, Mali Brofsky. Together, they think through their strategies to show their students that emotions such as fear are not only acceptable but are actively explored and embraced within our tradition. Kahan outlines three primary frameworks for understanding fear within Jewish thought: Malbim posits that faith acts as a source of strength that helps a person overcome fear, serving a “buoy” to faith by providing inner strength. Abravanel suggests that fear is necessary for true faith, which is understood as the commitment to follow God’s will despite experiencing fear. Finally, the Midrashic approach holds that maintaining a level of worry reflects moral humility. Brofsky notes that these models are not mutually exclusive; rather, individuals may cycle through them depending on their circumstances. The speakers discuss how extreme confidence, even when based on faith, can inadvertently lead to hubris, and argue that experiencing anxiety or unworthiness can foster moral refinement and humility. They close by discussing the difference between individual and national fear, and how to maintain a healthy faith balanced with humility in times of national challenge—something all too familiar to our readers these days. Rivka Kahan’s TRADITION essay will appear in her forthcoming book, which explores human emotions through the lens of Tanakh and its commentaries, to be published as part of Kitvuni Fellowship of Matan. She teaches post-high school students at several institutions in Israel and develops educational and scholarly resources for AlHaTorah.org. Mali Brofsky, MSW, a member of TRADITION’s editorial board, is a senior faculty member at MMY and a social worker in private practice. The post Fear and Faith in Religious Life appeared first on Tradition Online.
- Mar 11, 20261h 46m
A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E8): The Content of the Covenant of Egypt – The Jewish Existential Community
A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 8: Delivered February 26, 1959 Jewish loneliness should be transformed into the kind of prophetic solitude that embraces the uniqueness of Jewish destiny. Jewish uniqueness is expressed by the covenant. Just as the prophets felt compelled to relay their message despite the burden involved, even to the degree that they would be harmed for doing so, we too must accept our covenant on that level of commitment, as something we are compelled to do and cannot cast off. What is the content of this covenant? God established two covenants. At the Exodus from Egypt, He calls the people an am, implying the togetherness and unity of peoplehood. At Sinai, with the giving of the Torah, He calls them a goy, referring to a political nation. These are the two covenants, but the focus of this lecture is the Egyptian covenant. Am refers to an existential community. Because it involves God, it commits the numinous side of man, compelling Man to draw himself out from his seclusion to join other people, even people he doesn’t like, in this community of I, thou, and He, i.e., God. In practical terms, the covenant of Egypt creates a community of shared history, but also of shared experiences on three levels: 1. shared interests, 2. shared feelings or emotions, and 3. shared responsibilities. 1. Shared interests mean that all Jews share the same fate and no one can escape it, and even assimilation does not help. 2. Shared emotional involvement means that we must feel compassion and co-suffering with others of the community, as well as joy with others of the community. 3. Shared responsibilities mean, first, that we are morally accountable to one another. We must answer for the conduct of our brother to a degree that no other nation must. We share collective liability in the eyes of non-Jewish society, and also in the eyes of the Torah. The mitzvah of sanctifying God’s name and the prohibition of profaning God’s name are based on this community of collective responsibility and liability. So is the prohibition of squealing. Secondly, besides moral accountability for one another, shared responsibilities refer to a unique sense of justice, according to which we are accountable by law to support one another. This is the mitzvah and halakhah of tzedakah, which, unlike charity, can be compelled by authority. Tzedakah is not a moral but a juridic requirement. Tzedakah is the halakhic expression of the existential community of am. Jump to: 00:01:17 Prophecy and prophetic solitude as a burden 00:15:35 The two covenants, at the Exodus and at Sinai 00:25:15 The existential community 00:40:12 Community of shared interests 01:01:41 Community of shared emotional involvement 01:03:20 Community of shared responsibilities 01:30:37 Tzedakah as justice Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E8): The Content of the Covenant of Egypt – The Jewish Existential Community appeared first on Tradition Online.
- Mar 4, 20261h 39m
A Jewish Philosophy of Man (e7): Prophetic Loneliness as the Solution to the Problem of Jewish Loneliness
A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 7: Delivered February 12, 1959 Different people experience loneliness and aloneness differently. Some people are so preoccupied with how they impress others, with their public persona, that they lack rootedness in their own, private world. When society loses interest in such people, the resulting loneliness becomes a kind of torture, infused with despair and defeat. On the other hand, there are other people who never forget their own, private, numinous world, even as they remain committed to and even sacrifice for the outside world. If rejected by the crowd, this person remains secure in his or her unique self, confident in the special, singular message that only he or she can bring to the world. This is not loneliness but the great experience of aloneness, or what may be called prophetic loneliness. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, and all prophets experienced this aloneness, when the crowd was unwilling to receive their unique message. While loneliness for the first kind of person is paralyzing, prophetic solitude drives creativity. The prophet does not withdraw from society, but all while engaging with and giving to society he paradoxically distances himself from society, remaining in a world for himself. This dichotomy is reflected in Abraham’s description of himself as a resident and a stranger. The two kinds of people, the lonely and the alone, are manifested in two aspects of our lives, fate and destiny. When man confronts a world unsympathetic to his quest for meaningfulness and accepts defeat, that is fate. When man, in the face of such adversity, refuses to yield and asserts his own creative vision, that is destiny. We all inevitably oscillate dialectically between the two. When one measures self-esteem by accomplishment and conquest, that is majesty, but if, facing defeat, one returns to live within oneself, then majesty turns into dignity. The solution to the problem of Jewish loneliness, of the alienation of the Jew from society, is to make this transition from loneliness to prophetic solitude. The modern Jewish State is not the solution to our loneliness. In fact, it increased the loneliness of the Jew. If the Jew would cultivate dignity instead of majesty, would stop craving praise and acceptance from others and embrace his own unique destiny, many of his problems would be solved. This means changing from ivri to Yisrael, from fate to destiny. How is this Jewish uniqueness characterized? We are a covenantal community, a community of the committed, bound by obligations taken on at the dawn of our history. Jump to: 00:01:16 Different kinds of people experiencing loneliness and aloneness differently 00:17:39 Prophetic loneliness 00:37:59 Fate and destiny 01:02:40 Majesty and dignity 01:12:18 The problem and solution of the alienation of the Jew from society Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (e7): Prophetic Loneliness as the Solution to the Problem of Jewish Loneliness appeared first on Tradition Online.
- Mar 2, 202619 min
Rav Moshe’s Legacy
Ta’anit Esther marks the 40th Yahrzeit of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. Those old enough to remember his passing no doubt recall the feeling of colossal loss for the Gadol and Posek HaDor. But, now, four decades on, we must also consider his enduring legacy for Jewish life and law. To help us out with that our editor, Jeffrey Saks, catches up with R. Moshe Kurtz — the rabbi of Cong. Sons of Israel in Allentown, PA, and the author of Meoros Moshe, which anthologized R Feinstein’s teachings on Pirkei Avot. Our readers also know him as the author of our “Unpacking the Iggerot” column at TraditionOnline.org. The post Rav Moshe’s Legacy appeared first on Tradition Online.
- Feb 25, 20261h 53m
A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E6): Judaism’s Glorification of the Anonymous Person
A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 6: Delivered February 5, 1959 Continuing with the idea of Judaism’s glorification of the anonymous person, the Talmud says that the participants in the annual “kallah” Torah lectures receive divine reward not according to their intellectual achievements, but according to the amount of discomfort they put themselves through in order to participate. Thus, the diligent ignoramus could receive more reward than the accomplished scholar. Judaism stresses axiological democracy, the equal worth of the great scholar and the little person. Modern Man has yet to live up to this ideal of axiological democracy, and the biggest challenge of today’s State of Israel is to live up to this ideal. The Talmud captures this axiological democracy in its dictum, “How do you know that your blood is redder than the blood of your neighbor?” Although Judaism’s moral code recognizes the common right to dignity, such that we may not judge or embarrass anyone, it places special emphasis on the dignity on the humble and lowly person, with special injunctions against harming the deaf, blind, orphan, widow, and stranger. Rabban Gamliel the Prince, under the order of execution by the Romans, considered that perhaps he deserved his fate due to once making a widow feel unimportant. This sense of tenderness towards the downtrodden reflects God’s own behavior and attitude towards the poor and oppressed, as described in Scripture. Peretz’s story “Bontzye Shweig” illustrates this idea as well. This analysis leads to the problem of Jewish loneliness, which requires distinguishing between two different feelings, loneliness and aloneness. Loneliness comes from others inevitably rejecting one’s message, one’s kerygma. Aloneness comes from the numinous uniqueness inherent in each person. Loneliness brings with it destructive emotions, whereas aloneness is a creative and motivating force. Every person must suffer the loneliness of rejection at some point in life. Next lecture will discuss how Judaism tries to solve the problem of loneliness. Topics triggered by audience questions include the Rosenberg trial, historical controversies among Jews, establishment of a Sanhedrin in Israel, and standardized text for prayer. Jump to: 00:01:15 The Talmudic dictum that reward is granted according to effort 00:08:17 Axiological democracy in Judaism, modern society, and the State of Israel 00:26:24 The human right to dignity and the prohibition to embarrass people 00:44:27 Judaism’s concern with the socially anonymous person 00:59:30 Imitatio Dei, imitating God, and the story of the death of “Bontzye Shweig” 01:26:29 Introduction to the problem of Jewish loneliness Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E6): Judaism’s Glorification of the Anonymous Person appeared first on Tradition Online.
- Feb 18, 20261h 43m
A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E5): The Dialectical Approach to the Individual and the Community
A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 5: Delivered January 15, 1959 The two Creation accounts reflect not a split in the text but a split in Man. Judaism has a dialectical view of Man, accepting mutually exclusive positions. Man was created alone as a unique and solitary being, but he was also created in a relationship with the Thou, in a communal existence. Man craves both, opposite modes of existence, oscillating like a pendulum between surging towards relationships with others and withdrawing into oneself. Judaism, unlike Catholicism, allows divorce, because only the kerygmatic side of Man can commit to another person, not the numinous side. We are limited in our ability to connect with other personalities due to the numinous aspect of Man. For numinous Man, the question “who am I” is unanswerable, since the I is an eternal mystery beyond rationalization, like a tune I can feel but that cannot be sung. Judaism insists that the worth of the individual is to be judged not by kerygmatic contributions to the community, but by the very fact that the person exists. The dignity of Man comes from the image of God which is found in numinous, not kerygmatic, Man. Judaism revolutionized social philosophy with this idea, upsetting the Classical view of Man. A series of halakhic laws demonstrates Judaism’s “doctrine of idealization of anonymity,” meaning, the chosen-ness of the unknown, forlorn individual. One such law states that if a band of heathens demands the surrender of one person, or else the whole city will be destroyed, we do not turn over the one person, even if that person is a criminal. Another example of such a law is the obligation on whomever finds it to bury an anonymous dead body, even if the High Priest would consequently have to cancel the Yom Kipur atonement service. The uniqueness of each person is the foundation of Judaic ethics. However, the dialectical approach says that although we treat others according to their intrinsic, numinous worth, I myself must not rely on my intrinsic worth but am obligated to contribute to the community. Discussions prompted by audience questions include Holocaust decisions to save only a part of the community by handing over another part, Judaism’s attitudes towards war, towards parochialism vs. universalism, towards body and soul, and towards religion and ethics. 00:01:15 Dialectical interpretation of the Creation story in Genesis 00:23:25 Inability of institutions like marriage to commit one’s numinous side 00:51:16 Judging the worth of the personality not by kerygma but by numinous existence 01:03:44 Halakhah prohibiting the handing over of one person to save the city 01:07:54 Questions from audience and responses about war and Holocaust situations 01:18:55 Halakhah of finding an anonymous corpse 01:29:45 Questions from audience and responses about radical individualism and other topics Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E5): The Dialectical Approach to the Individual and the Community appeared first on Tradition Online.
- Feb 15, 202645 min
Understanding a Jewish Philosophy of Man
This episode of the Tradition Podcast opens with the voice of Rabbi Joseph B. Solovetichik, recorded in 1958, the very year our Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought was founded. The Rav was speaking as part of a series of lectures which TRADITION has recently presented in digitally remastered form as “A Jewish Philosophy of Man.” In this course R. Soloveitchik asks: What is the unique contribution of Judaism towards our understanding of the most enigmatic figure in all of creation, man? How is this understanding reflected in the halakha? What does this unique perspective teach us about the relationship between Jews and the modern world? We are grateful to Rabbi Dr. Mark Smilowitz — who joins us on the podcast to discuss his work in assembling this resource and its enduring importance for Jewish thought and life. At TraditionOnline.org/JPM you too can “enroll” in this course and learn directly, as it were, from the Rav. Our website curates the recordings along with transcripts of the lectures, and summaries which help situate this material within the framework of the Rav’s other teachings and writings (very many of which appeared in the pages of TRADITION). A special digital 262-page companion volume containing all that accompanying written material is available for download online or as a print book at Amazon.com. Mark Smilowitz is a veteran educator in the United States and in Israel and earned his doctorate from the Hebrew University for work explaining Rabbi Soloveitchik’s approach to the relationship between halakha and philosophy. Read his “The Lonely Man of Faith as Halakhic Philosophy” (TRADITION, Spring 2023). The post Understanding a Jewish Philosophy of Man appeared first on Tradition Online.
About Tradition Podcast
Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox Jewish peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America. It covers a range of topics including philosophy and theology, history, law, and ethics.
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