Torah im Derech Eretz

Torah im Derech Eretz (Hebrew תורה עם דרך ארץ - Torah with "the way of the land") is a philosophy of Orthodox Judaism articulated by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), which formalises a relationship between traditionally observant Judaism and the modern world. The resultant mode of Orthodox Judaism is known as Neo-Orthodoxy.

Neo-Orthodoxy: The "Breuer" Communities

In 1851 Hirsch became the rabbi in Frankfurt am Main. This community soon became the model for ?modern communities? strict in adherence to Orthodox practices, hence the term neo-Orthodoxy. Solomon Breur, Hirsch?s son-in-law succeeded him on his death in 1888, who was in turn succeeded by his son, Rabbi Joseph Breuer. Following Kristallnacht Breuer and his family immigrated to Antwerp, and then to New York. Here, Breuer started a congregation with the numerous German refugees in Washington Heights, which closely followed the customs and mores of the Frankfurt community. The congregation, Khal Adath Yeshurun, is colloquially called "Breuer's". Rabbi Shimon Schwab, became second Rabbi of the "Breuer" community. Solomon Breuer, Joseph Breuer and Shimon Schwab are often regarded as Hirsch's intellectual heirs.

Related Topics:
1851 - Frankfurt am Main - Solomon Breur - 1888 - Joseph Breuer - Kristallnacht - Antwerp - New York - Washington Heights - Khal Adath Yeshurun - Shimon Schwab

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The Breur community has cautiously applied Torah im Derech Eretz to American life - Schwab warned of the dangers of contemporary moral attitudes in secular culture and literature, and emphasized that followers of Neo Orthodoxy therefore require a strong basis of faith and knowledge, and must exercise caution in engagements with the secular world. Scwhab also emphasized that Torah can never be regarded as parallel with the secular. "Torah study is the highest duty of the Jew", and "even to suggest that anything can be parallel to Torah is a blasphemy of the highest order; Torah is above all, and everything else in life must be conducted in accordance with the Written and Oral Torah." Still, entry into commerce or the professions is seen as a full component of Torah life, to be facilitated by an appropriate secular education (with the caveat that campus life is "incontestably immoral"). "Carrying on one's professional life in consonance with the halakha is in itself a practice of Torah." One must "establish the Torah's primacy over the modes of business and professional life so that his behavior transforms even that 'mundane' portion of his life into a sanctification."

Related Topics:
American life - Torah study - Written - Oral Torah - Halakha

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The community is positioned ideologically outside of both Modern Orthodoxy and Haredi Judaism ("Ultra-Orthodoxy"). As regards Haredi Judaism, Schwab acknowledged that although Neo Orthodoxy is not the path favoured by the majority of today's Roshei Yeshiva, the "Torah Only" and Torah Im Derech Eretz camps can exist side-by-side. "As long as one is prompted solely by Yiras Shamayim ("fear of Heaven") and a search for truth, each individual has a choice as to which school he should follow." The community has a limited involvement with the Agudath Yisrael of America.

Related Topics:
Modern Orthodoxy - Haredi Judaism - Roshei Yeshiva - Agudath Yisrael of America

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The movement is somewhat distant from Modern Orthodoxy. Schwab regards Modern Orthodoxy as having misinterpreted his grandfather's ideas: firstly as regards standards of halakha and secondly as regards the relative emphasis of Torah versus secular; see discussion under Torah Umadda. Further, Breuer, influenced by Hirsch's philosophy on Austritt (secession), "could not countenance recognition of a non-believing body as a legitimate representative of the Jewish people?. For this reason, he was "unalterably opposed to the Mizrachi movement, which remained affiliated with the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency".

Related Topics:
Halakha - Torah Umadda - Austritt - Mizrachi - World Zionist Organization - Jewish Agency

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