Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 7: The Tower of Babel, Nations vs. Justice

Fathom Summary:

Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer 

Meeting Purpose

Reviewing Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's philosophy on the modern state.

Key Takeaways

• The Sovereign State as a "Tower of Babel": Modern states are a materialization of the Tower of Babel's "let us make a name for ourselves" ethos, making them the primary source of war by recognizing no law higher than their own.
• International Law Is Powerless: "International law" is not true law but an arbitrary arrangement, powerless to compel strong nations because it lacks a sovereign enforcement mechanism.
• Sovereignty Corrupts Justice: The state's claim to absolute sovereignty replaces justice with loyalty ("my country, right or wrong"), creating both internal social conflict and external war.
• The Democratic Dilemma: Democracy's attempt to temper sovereignty with a separation of powers (Montesquieu) is fragile, especially in states without a written constitution, as seen in Israel's current judicial crisis.

Topics

The Sovereign State & International Anarchy

• Breuer (d. 1946) views the modern sovereign state as a materialization of the Tower of Babel's "let us make a name for ourselves" ethos.
• This sovereignty makes the state the sole source of law, recognizing no higher authority.
• Result → International relations become a "society of nations" based on might, not law.
  • Treaties are mere ceasefires, not true peace.
  • "International law" is an arbitrary arrangement, not true law, because it lacks a sovereign enforcement mechanism.
  • This powerlessness is evident in forums like the League of Nations and the UN.

Sovereignty vs. Justice

• Breuer argues that sovereignty replaces justice with loyalty ("my country, right or wrong").
• This creates a "double war":
  • Internal: Social conflict from a lack of absolute justice.
  • External: War between states.
• Breuer's 1940s perspective contrasts with earlier optimism (e.g., Rav Kook, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch) about society's ethical evolution, recognizing that nationalism was not being superseded.

Types of States & Citizenship

• Breuer categorizes states by their national composition:
  • National State: Homogenous population; the state fully absorbs the nation's will.
  • Multi-National State: Multiple nationalities (e.g., Austro-Hungarian Empire); the state limits its will to benefit member ethnicities.
  • Covenantal State: A multi-national state formed by agreement among its constituent nations.
• Citizenship: A legal concept from the French Revolution intended to create unity by treating all people as equals.
  • Breuer's Critique: This ideal fails in practice, as states still grant different rights to citizens vs. non-citizens.

State Constitutions & the Democratic Dilemma

• Breuer identifies three constitutional structures:
  • Absolute State: Will is determined by a single leader (monarch, president).
  • Democracy: Will is determined by the people via a parliament.
  • Totalitarian State: Will is determined by a single party's ideology (e.g., Nazi, Communist).
• The Democratic Dilemma:
  • Democracy's attempt to temper sovereignty is the separation of powers (Montesquieu).
  • Purpose: To prevent the state's will from completely absorbing the individual.
  • Fragility: This system is vulnerable, especially in states without a written constitution, as seen in Israel's current judicial crisis.

Next Steps

• Continue the discussion, focusing on Breuer's concept of a "Torah state" and how it could function in the modern era.

 

Of Bein HaZmanim and of Rabbi Sorotzkin, a Podcast with Rabbi Mayer Schiller and Rabbi Ben Waxman

Fathom Summary:

Meeting Purpose

Analyze recent Haredi rabbinic statements and their underlying worldview.

Key Takeaways

• Recent rabbinic statements (by R' Aaron Levy, R' Sorotzkin) infantilize yeshiva students, creating a self-serving mythology that elevates their Torah study above all other service, including IDF duty.
• This worldview is rooted in an extreme interpretation of Torah Lishma (study for its own sake), which justifies a positive form of gaiva (pride/arrogance) to maintain social status and insulate the community.
• The resulting cognitive dissonance—e.g., supporting right-wing politics while rejecting the IDF—is enabled by extreme insularity, which fosters ignorance and moral blindness.
• The community's silence on these statements may signal indifference, a response to the perceived ineffectiveness of constant criticism.

Topics

The Problem: Recent Rabbinic Statements

• R' Aaron Levy (Video):
  • Advice: Pamper yeshiva students during Ben Hazmanim (vacation); don't ask them to help or criticize late sleeping.
  • Analogy: Compared students to IDF soldiers returning from a war zone, implying their spiritual struggle is equivalent to physical combat.
• R' Sorotzkin (Mishpacha Podcast):
  • Contradiction: Stated students are "partners with God" for creating a chiddush (new insight), yet also advised parents to tell them to help with dishes if idle.
  • Political Stance: Voting for a Haredi party by choice is "destroying Torah"; the only valid vote is blind obedience to rabbinic instruction.

The Root Cause: An Extreme Worldview

• Positive Gaiva (Pride/Arrogance):
  • The yeshiva system is based on gaiva, a strategy to elevate the status of students who were historically looked down upon.
  • This pride is framed as a necessary tool for waging "war" against external pressures (e.g., army service) and internal competition.
• Extreme Torah Lishma:
  • The worldview stems from R' Chaim Volozhin's interpretation of Torah Lishma as study purely for its own sake, detached from worldly application.
  • Contrast: Other views see Torah Lishma as a guide for life (R' Samson Raphael Hirsch, Kotzker) or a means to dveikus (connection to God) (Baal Shem Tov).

The Consequences: Contradictions & Insularity

• Cognitive Dissonance:
  • Politics: Supporting right-wing politics while rejecting the IDF, which executes those policies.
  • Curiosity: Encouraging independence in Torah study while demanding conformity in all other areas of life.
• Infantilization:
  • Treating grown men as children who need to be told whether or not to help at home.
  • Analogy: The Gra vs. Baal Shem Tov debate on prioritizing study over family needs, highlighting the tension between these worldviews.
• Insularity & Denial:
  • Physical separation (Haredi-only cities) fosters ignorance of external realities.
  • Example: A Haredi boy unaware of ongoing conflicts in Israel.
  • Example: MK Maklev's claim that one cannot be both a soldier and a serious learner, despite evidence to the contrary.
  • Example: The Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah's letter to the Supreme Court, rejecting the court's authority while simultaneously engaging with it.

Parashat Ekev: Start Easy!

A BHP Productions video on the Parasha.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/I4CFQwInPXNATfQSMNOeRV

 

Rischa D'Araisa Season 13 Finale: From Micro to Macro: Forgoing and Forgiving

 

Rischa D'Araisa Season 13 Finale:

From Micro to Macro:

Forgoing and Forgiving

in our interpersonal relationships can change our whole society

https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/120764

The Holiday of the 15th Day of Av (Tu B'Av) - Ta'anit 20b-31a, Uganda Shiur

Uganda Shiur - July 27

VIEW RECORDING - 34 mins (No highlights)

Meeting Purpose

To explore the historical significance and customs of Tu B'Av.

Key Takeaways

• Tu B'Av (15th of Av) was historically a major holiday, second only to Yom Kippur in joy, because it marked the resolution of several national crises.
• Historical resolutions included lifting inter-tribal marriage bans, ending the wilderness generation's deaths, and securing burial for the Beitara dead.
• A central custom was a matchmaking dance, where women in borrowed white garments would dance in vineyards for men to find wives.
• Tu B'Av marks a seasonal shift, signaling the end of summer wood-cutting and the start of longer nights, prompting increased Torah study.

Topics

Historical Significance & Joy

• The Mishnah in Tractate Taanit (30B) states Tu B'Av and Yom Kippur were the two happiest days for the Jewish people.
• The Gemara provides multiple reasons for Tu B'Av's joy, each marking a resolution to a national crisis.

Reasons for Tu B'Av's Joy

• Inter-Tribal Marriage Permitted
  • Problem: A Torah law initially prohibited inter-tribal marriage to prevent inheritance from leaving a tribe's land.
  • Resolution: Sages interpreted the law as applying only to the first generation entering Israel.
  • Outcome: The marriage barrier was removed on Tu B'Av, fostering unity.
• Tribe of Benjamin Reintegrated
  • Problem: The other tribes ostracized Benjamin and swore an oath not to intermarry after a severe incident (Judges 19-21), threatening the tribe's survival.
  • Resolution: Sages interpreted the oath's wording ("none of us") to apply only to the generation that swore it, not their descendants.
  • Outcome: The oath was dissolved on Tu B'Av, allowing intermarriage and saving the tribe.
• Wilderness Generation's Deaths Ceased
  • Problem: As punishment for the Sin of the Spies, 15,000 people died annually on Tisha B'Av for 40 years.
  • Resolution: In the 40th year, no one died on Tisha B'Av. The full moon of Tu B'Av confirmed the calendar was correct, proving the decree had ended.
  • Outcome: God's highest level of prophecy returned to Moses, as the nation was now worthy.
• Pilgrimage to Jerusalem Restored
  • Problem: After the kingdom split, King Jeroboam blocked northern Jews from Jerusalem, forcing worship at golden calves in Bethel and Dan to prevent a return to the southern kingdom.
  • Resolution: The last northern king, Hosea, removed the guards on Tu B'Av, allowing free pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
  • Outcome: Though short-lived before exile, this act was celebrated as a return to unity.
• Beitara Dead Buried
  • Problem: After the failed Bar Kochba revolt, Romans left hundreds of thousands of Jewish dead from the Battle of Beitara unburied for 70 years.
  • Resolution: Romans finally permitted burial on Tu B'Av.
  • Outcome: A blessing was added to the post-meal prayer, thanking God for the bodies not decomposing and for enabling their burial.
• End of Wood-Cutting for the Temple
  • Problem: The Temple required dry, worm-free wood for the altar, which was only available in summer.
  • Resolution: Wood-cutting ceased on Tu B'Av, as the sun's strength weakened and the wood would no longer dry properly.
  • Outcome: A celebration, "the breaking of the axe," marked the end of the season and the trees' respite.

Tu B'Av Customs & Symbolism

• Matchmaking Dance
  • A central custom where women in borrowed white garments danced in vineyards for men to find wives.
  • Modesty: Borrowing clothes ensured no one felt ashamed of their own garments.
  • Ritual Purity: Garments required immersion in a mikvah (ritual bath) before use to ensure ritual purity.
• Women's Messages to Suitors
  • Beautiful: "Set your eyes toward beauty, for a wife is for beauty."
  • Distinguished Lineage: "Set your eyes toward family, for a wife is for children."
  • Less Attractive: "Acquire your purchase for the sake of Heaven, provided you adorn us with golden jewelry."
• End-of-Days Dance of the Righteous
  • A metaphor for the future redemption, where the righteous dance in a circle around God.
  • Symbolism: The circle represents that all sincere paths to God are equally valid and precious, as all points are equidistant from the center.

Tu B'Av's Modern Significance

• Seasonal Shift: Marks the start of shorter days and longer nights.
• Torah Study: Prompts a gradual increase in nightly Torah study.
  • Rationale: Longer nights provide more time for learning.
  • Proverb: "One who adds to his nightly Torah study will add years to his life."
• Preparation for Rosh Hashanah
  • Tu B'Av is 40 days before the 25th of Elul, the day creation began.
  • This aligns with the Gemara's teaching that a heavenly announcement for a future marriage is made 40 days before conception.
  • Conclusion: Tu B'Av is a time to begin preparing and praying for a good year ahead.