Orthodox Judaism

Overview

Recall questions on what Orthodox covers, the origin of the Torah and halakhic authority, the range of Orthodox communities, Samson Raphael Hirsch, literal readings, B Brown on Orthodoxy, synagogue practice and daily observance, and Robinson.

What you need to know

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Questions from this subtopic

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1. 1

   What does the label Orthodox actually cover?

   Model answer

   It is a modern term, and Orthodox Jews often point out that they are simply keeping Judaism as it was. It came into use in the nineteenth century to distinguish those who held to the traditional understanding of revelation and law from Reform. It covers a wide range of communities that agree on the binding force of halakhah while differing sharply on much else.

2. 2

   What do Orthodox Jews believe about the origin of the Torah?

   Model answer

   That God gave the Torah to Moses at Sinai, and that the interpretation transmitted with it is equally from God. Because the whole body is held to be divinely given, its commandments are binding as they stand, and no rabbi or assembly has the authority to abolish one on the grounds that the times have changed.

3. 3

   How is halakhic authority exercised in Orthodox Judaism?

   Model answer

   Through decisors trained in the sources, who answer questions in writing. A new question, on medical treatment or on electricity or on business practice, is decided by reasoning from Talmud, codes and previous rulings. Change happens through this process, by extension and application, rather than by declaring an old law void.

4. 4

   Describe the range of communities within Orthodoxy.

   Model answer

   Modern Orthodoxy combines full observance with secular education and engagement with wider society. Haredi communities minimise that engagement and are led by their leading rabbinic authorities. Hasidic groups are organised around a rebbe and a devotional tradition, while the Lithuanian tradition that once opposed them centres on Talmud study in yeshivot. Religious Zionists give the modern State of Israel positive religious significance, and Sephardi and Mizrahi communities have their own rulings and customs.

5. 5

   What did Samson Raphael Hirsch argue for?

   Model answer

   Hirsch, in nineteenth-century Germany, argued that a Jew could be entirely faithful to the commandments while taking a full part in European culture and learning. His formula of Torah together with worldly engagement gave Modern Orthodoxy its founding argument, and he built it as a deliberate alternative both to Reform and to withdrawal.

6. 6

   Why is Orthodoxy often said to be defined more by practice than by theology?

   Model answer

   Because Orthodox Judaism has no single authorised system of doctrine, and Orthodox thinkers differ widely on questions such as the nature of divine providence, while agreeing closely on what one must actually do. Revelation is treated as the fixed point, and belief about it is expressed through obedience rather than through a worked-out theology.

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