Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud ("The Oral Law") and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh ("Code of Jewish Law"). It is governed by these works and all the Rabbinical commentary and further codification of them written throughout the last millennium. The role of Rabbi in Orthodox Judaism is to interpret and apply classical Rabbinical rulings and logic to any given question or situation.

The development of Orthodoxy

Unlike the modern denominations of Judaism, Orthodoxy is not a single movement or school of thought. There is no single rabbinic body to which all its rabbis are expected to belong, or any one organization representing its member congregations. In the United States at the present time, there are a number of Orthodox congregational organizations such as, for example, Agudath Israel, the Orthodox Union, and the National Council of Young Israel -- none of which can claim to represent even a majority of all Orthodox congregations.

Related Topics:
Agudath Israel - Orthodox Union - National Council of Young Israel

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What the exact forms of Judaism were during the times of Moses or during the eras of the Mishnah and Talmud cannot be exactly known today in all its details, but Orthodox Jews maintain that contemporary Orthodox Judaism maintains the same basic philosophy and legalistic framework that existed throughout Jewish history -- whereas the other denominations depart from it. It may be said that Orthodox Judaism, as it exists today, is an outgrowth that stretches from the time the Ten Commandments were granted by God at Mount Sinai and the growth of that system of jurisprudence that can be traced and studied within Judaism's primary works commencing with the Torah, Tanakh, Mishnah, Talmud, the oral law, and rabbinic literature ongoing until the present time.

Related Topics:
Moses - Mishnah - Talmud - Legalistic - Jewish history - Ten Commandments - God - Mount Sinai - Jurisprudence - Torah - Tanakh - Oral law - Rabbinic literature

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In the early 1800s, elements within German Jewry sought to reform Jewish belief and practice in response to The Age of Enlightenment and the emancipation. In light of modern scholarship, they denied divine authorship of the Torah, declared only those biblical laws concerning ethics to be binding, and stated that the rest of halakha (Jewish law) need no longer be viewed as normative (see Reform Judaism).

Related Topics:
German - The Age of Enlightenment - Emancipation - Reform Judaism

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At the same time, there were those German Jews who actively maintained their traditions and adherence to Jewish law while simultaneously engaging with a post-Enlightenment society. This camp was best represented by the work and thought of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. Hirsch worked to reconcile traditional Judaism with the social realities of the modern age, which he termed "Torah im Derech Eretz". While insisting on strict adherence to Jewish beliefs and practices, he encouraged secular studies, including history and modern philosophy; he also encouraged limited integration into the non-Jewish community. This form of Judaism was termed "neo-Orthodoxy". Some have claimed that this later developed into Modern Orthodox Judaism, but others believe Hirsch never intended his views to enable a movement that would break with classical Orthodoxy.

Related Topics:
Jewish law - Samson Raphael Hirsch - Torah im Derech Eretz - Modern Orthodox Judaism

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In the twentieth century, a large segment of the Orthodox population (notably as represented by World Agudath Israel movement formally established in 1912) disagreed, and took a stricter approach. For a few of them, the motto "Anything new is forbidden by Torah" was appealing, but they too followed various routes of observance and practice. The leading rabbis of Orthodoxy viewed innovations and modifications within Jewish law and customs with extreme care and caution. Some today refer to this form of Judaism a "Haredi Judaism", or (controversially) "Ultra-Orthodox Judaism". Unfortunately, in some circles, the label "Haredi" has taken on pejorative meanings as with "Orthodox" and certainly as in the case of "ultra-Orthodox".

Related Topics:
World Agudath Israel - 1912 - Haredi Judaism

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The various approaches have proved resilient. It is estimated that presently there are more Jews studying in yeshivot (Talmudical schools) and Kollelim (post-graduate Talmudical colleges for married students) than at any other time in history. In 1915 Yeshiva College (later Yeshiva University) and its Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinical Seminary was established in New York City for training in a Modern Orthodox milieu. Eventually a school branch was established in Los Angeles, CA. A number of other smaller but influential Orthodox seminaries, mostly Haredi, were also established throughout the country, most notably in New York City, Baltimore, and Chicago. The Haredi yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey is the largest institution of its kind.

Related Topics:
Yeshivot - Talmud - Kollel - Yeshiva University - Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinical Seminary - New York City - Los Angeles - Haredi - New York City - Baltimore - Chicago - Lakewood, New Jersey

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