Dr. Jacobs' Study of ill(iimonides' Principles
t)f Faith Likely to Arouse Italakhic Dispute
Dr: Louis Jacobs, whose differ- trary, the remarkably courage-
Zionists' views, his references to
,nces with the chief rabbi of the ous manner in which he grap-
pre-Herzian Zionists like Rabbi
British Isles over the interp•eta-
pled with the intellectual pro-
Kalischer,
to the late Chief
lion of halakhic rules created a blems of HIS day and his pas-
Rabbi Kook and his love for the
sensational tot roversy resulting sionate striving for a viable syn-
Halutzim, his reference to Re-
in his being ba rued as principal of thesis between what was then
form Jewish attitudes beginning
Jews' College a id his removal. from the new knowledge and the old,
with the Pittsburg Platform,
his pulpit. ► ay have stirred up
provides sufficient evidence that
offer material for varied discus-
/additional ' untroversy with his if Maimonides were alive today
sions. Dr. Jacobs emphasizes
"Principles of the Jewish Faith," and familiar with the range of
that "there is nothing in the
pubiished by Basic Books (404 present-day Bible studies he • traditional Jewish belief which
Park, S., NY 16).
would face the issue with the
suggests that man has no part
His nook s an "analytical study" same fearlessness."
to play in the work of redemp-
of the 13 articles of faith
lion."
While Dr. Jacobs' approach is
enunciated by Maimonides. Ile theological, he makes use also of
The following assertions in Dr.
poses man
questions. and his discoveries in fields of research. Jacobs' conclusions merit special:,
answers •
extremely interesting. Dr. Jacobs summarizes Maimon_ attention:
e at times they appear contradi• - ides' 13 articles of faith thus:
If the distinction between tradi-
theories and traditional
thr Y - and on ly b y means of a
Belief in the existence of God, tional
thoroughgoing studyc
li
t•I
i
°-
--;"•). Belief in God's unity, Belief in practices he granted, certain con-
Jacobs• views do we get the full god's
,
elusions flow from it. The tradi- '
G od s incorporeality, Belief
Belief in •
meaning of his thesis.
that God tional Halakhah rarely allows his
God's ete ' , B .1'
is to be worshipped, Belief torical considerations to obtrude
He discusses
theism
and
on its own categories. The Halak-
atheism, fundamentalism and ob-
in prophecy, Belief in Moses as the
hah knows of 'heavy' and 'light'
s•urantism, and
he leads his
greatest of the prophets, Belief'
that the Torah was given by God precepts but this kind of distinc
readers through vast areas of
it)icoliitefiss, b:segd., on traditional factual
learning. At the very outset, in
to Moses, Belief that the Torah is '
beliefs as to the ori- •
his preface, he asserts: "Nowhere 1 immutable, Belief that God knows .
gin of the precepts. Since, on our
is the conflict between the facts
the thoughts and deeds of men, .
Belief that God rewards and pun- . account, it is the historical experi-
and the older formulation seen
the people of Israel which
more clearly than with regard to
fishes, Belief in the advent of the , rice of
Maimonides' eighth principle of
Messiah, Belief in the resurrec- serves as the source of the author- '
ity. under God, for Jewish obser-
faith—that the Torah is divine.
tion of the dead.
vance, it follows that precept of
To give up this principle is to
So many avenues open up here little significance in the Halakhah
abandon Judaism as a religion.
for discussion that Dr. Jacobs' ap- may come to assume much signifi-
But to accept it in the way it is
formulated by the great medae- proaches, evaluating Maimonides' cance through the emphasis it has
val sage of Cordova is to tie emphasis on faith, cover every as.. received in Jewish life and history.
Judaism down to fundamental- pect of religious thought. On the . Conversely, a precent of great sig-
Ism and obscurantism. This is question of the resurrection of the . nificance in the Halakhah may pass •
not, of course, to denigrate Mal- dead,• for example, he draws upon intu the background as a result of
mo/tides by suggesting that he Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr's view that : Jewish life and experience. Thus,
the whole historical, temporal pro- the Synagogue and its worship are,
was an obscurantist. On the eon- cess is fulfilled "at the end of ' from the Halakhic point
of view,
days," that "the doctrine of the far less important than the duty
resurrection
of
the
body
implies
of
living
in
the
Sukkah
during
the
Is Life in Israel Easier
that eternal significance belongs . festival of Tabernacles. But judged
on Heart ? Study Begun to the whole unity of an histori- by the experience of the Jewish i
cal realization insofar as it has people and by the capacity of oh-- !
BOSTON (JTA)—A pilot study brought all particularities into the servanees
to serve the basic Jewish
to determine whether there are
differences in the incidence of harmony of the whole. Consumma_ ideas. the former set of obser-
tion is thus conceived not as ab- vanes are far more important than
Schwartz Funcl for Leader Training
Established at Hebrew University
Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, executive vice-president of the Israel
Bond Organization (left) receives the Scopus Award, the highest
honor of the American Friends of the Hebrew University, from
Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Avraham Harman. The presentation
in New York marked the inauguration of the Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz
Fund for Leadership Training at the Hebrew University. The Fund
will support a wide range of teaching and research programs, in-
cluding student and faculty exchanges.
.
The City Committee of Farband, L.Z.O.
and Detroit Israel Histadrut Campaign
heart disease as between Ameri-
cans who have emigrated to Israel sorption into the divine but as the latter. (This is not of course.
loving fellowship with God . . . . - to denigrate the observance of the
and their brothers and sisters liv-
On the 12th principle. on Sukkah, which also serves as the
ing in the United States has been
the Coming of the Messiah, Dr. vehicle for the furtherance of cer-
inaugurated at the Harvard School
of Public Health.
The study, being conducted by
Dr. Ascher J. Segall, wil: try to
determine whether differences in
modes of life in the U. S. and in
Israel. including nutrition and oc-
cupation. may be associated with
differences between siblings in the
risk of developing heart disease.
The school's department of edi-
pemiology has requested 't h a t
Americans who have brothers or
sisters who have migrated to Israel
contact the department to co-
operate in the initial phases of the
study.
Takes Great Pleasure
in Presenting
ePhh.ainl- ail1211.,ark
Jacobs, accounting for the Zion- tarn basic Jewish ideas.) Similarly.
ist assertion that God helps those in the Halakhah the Sabbath is
more significant than Yom Kippur
who help themselves, points out
but in Jewish experience both are
that "at the most, religious Jews
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 6, 1965 at 8:30 P.M.
in the MORRIS L. SCHAVER AUDITORIUM
I
are prepared to see in the emer- of the greatest significance, though
19161 Schaefer
it is Yom Kippur which has come
gene of the new State the 'be-
possess
the
greatest
significance
1 REFRESHMENTS
ginning of the Redemption.'" Dr, to
DONATION 50c
t of Jewish loyalty. For the
Jacobs' analysis of the religious H
a saa
al ka
t et i i t is a greater offense
to eat leaven on Passover than to
marry out of the faith but, histori-
cally considered, the latter offence
is far greater than the former. For
CAMDEN. N.J. iJTA) — A state- the Halakhah it is a more severe
ment opposing a plan for "released religious offense to shave with a
tone" in the public schools of razor than to eat forbidden food.
neighboring Stratford Borough was but the one offense has frequently
adopted here by the Camden Jew- been overlooked in Jewish life,
ish Community Relations Council, while the dietary laws are recog-
Ort in Warsaw Steps Up
wh ch also expressed dissatisfac - nized even by many of those who
Vocational Training Plan
iron with the manner in which the do not keep them as belonging to
LONDON (JTA)—The Ort Vo- Stratford Board of Education plans an essential Jewish expression of
the quest for holiness in life and
cational School in Warsaw has an- to poll parents on this issue.
a powerful means of self-identi-
nounced the reintroduction in 1965
Morton C. J acobs, chairman of as
fication with the peoplehood of
of a course in leatherworking in the ..ECRC, said in the statement Israel."
addition to the current instruction that figures have shown that, in
Thu • we see flexibility—and the
in electromechanics. knitwear man- some school districts where
"re- approach of Dr. Jacobs, his recog-
ufacture, radio and television en- , leased time" is permitted, so that nition of all aspects of Jewish
gineering, tailoring and dress-, pupils may attend religious in- thinking, his adherence to the faith
making. struction in church schools, only while acknowledging the negations,
In addition to the full courses, 25 per cent of the children use the make
his work stand out as a bril-
the school offers refresher courses "released" hour for such religious liant analysis of the principles of
in hair dressing and other trades.; school attendance. Those children the Jewish faith.
The students are also given instruc- who remain in school, he said, re- i
tion in Jewish and general cul- ceived no instruction during that THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
tural subjects. •
, hour.
. 10— Friday, January 1, 1965
N.J. Jewish Council Hits
Released School Time
"May His Coming Be Blessed"
The students who studied together with him at the
different American Yeshivas, take this opportunity to bid
A
Hearty Welcome to
Rabbi Yitzchok Sheiner
Dean of the Kaminetzer Yeshiva of Jerusalem
who is visiting with us in Detroit.
We are honored that this great scholar has graced
our city with his presence, bringing the light of Torah,
the honor of Zion, and the glory of Israel to our midst.
Rabbi Emanuel E. Cohen, Rabbi Joseph Cohen, Mr. Yehudoh Elchonen,
Rabbi Sholem Flam, Rabbi Israel Flam, Rabbi Avrohom Abba
man,
Freed-
Rabbi Sholem Goldstein, Rabbi James B. Gordon, Rabbi Chains
Schloss, Mr. Som Shoenig, Mr. Abraham Silverstein.
The 27th Anniversary Banquet of
The Council Of Orthodox Rabbis and Merkaz
SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 1965 - 6 P.M.
COBO HALL
The Entire Jetvish Community Is Invited to Attend
JULIUS ROTENBERG,
GENERAL CHAIRMAN
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 342-6260
MORRIS BRANDWINE
CO-CHAIRMAN