Modern Orthodox Judaism: A brief overview
The philosophy of Judaism is as broad and diverse as its four thousand years would suggest. The past century and a half, however, has clearly been one of the most dramatic times in both Jewish history and Jewish thought. The emancipation of European Jewry, or haskalah, the Holocaust, the rebirth of the State of Israel and the rise of the American Jewish community have all dramatically impacted the way Jews act and feel about themselves, G-d and their faith. Different groups of Jews have responded to these events in different way, leaving what had once been a fairly monolithic faith splintered in to many radically different streams. One of these streams, Modern-Orthodoxy, has undergone a renaissance in recent years, and is one of Judaism's fastest growing sects.Modern Orthodox Jews believe in the omnipotent, omniscient God of the Bible. "Attribute to the Lord all glory and power" (Psalm 29). The God of Orthodox Judaism is the creator of the world ("In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1"), and the master of history (I am the Lord your God, who took you out of Egypt). He is personally involved in human affair, and revealed his will through prophecy
- feasting on the flesh of the leviathan, to the spiritual, kabalistic idea of reuniting with the Ein Sof, or infinite. After-Life The one issue where Judaism is least clear about is what lies in store for people after death. There is a general consensus, backed strongly by the Bible, that human beings possess an immortal soul which continues to exist after death. Modern thinkers have argued that since it is impossible to live without accepting information based on authority and that since it is hard to imagine an intrinsic authority more valid than parental authority, that believing because "my parents said so" is indeed a valid argument. There, it is believed, God transmitted to Moses the text of the Torah in front of the entire congregation of Israel. Rambam, as Maimonides is often called, took great pains never to subdivide G-d in to aspects. The Rav wrote many books, the most famous of which is Halachic Man. The idea of the devil as we are familiar with it today does not exist in Judaism. Classical IssuesFree WillThe Torah states unequivocally that Man has the free will to choose between right and wrong. God does not merely request humans to do well, but rewards those who follow his commands and punishes those who fail. TraditionOrthodox Judaism believes that not only was the written text of the Torah given to Moses at Mount Sinai, but an interpretative oral tradition as well. The devil, or Satan, described in the bible functions mostly as a symbolic accuser of man. He also began the first Modern-Orthodox elementary school, called Maimonides Torah Academy, in Brookline Massachusetts. Many people feel that modern-day science has done much to confirm belief in G-d. Sources in the Talmud take a much more limited approach toward human freedom, saying "Everything is decided in heaven, except for the fear of heaven.
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
