Word: soloveitchik
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...Soloveitchik has rarely granted interviews and, as a perfectionist who is constantly rethinking his ideas, has always hesitated to commit his formulations to print. But now two new publications have made this master of Halakha (traditional law) accessible to a broad U.S. audience. The first: Halakhic Man (Jewish Publication Society; 164 pages; $12.95), a translation of a major manifesto published in Hebrew in 1944. The second, just issued for the High Holy Days, is Soloveitchik on Repentance (Paulist Press; 320 pages; $11.95). Compiled by an Israeli disciple of Soloveitchik's, Pinchas Peli, Repentance is based on transcriptions...
Halakhic Man, a sweeping defense of the validity and excitement of pursuing the religiously observant life in the modern world, makes much of humanity's God-given creativity. According to Soloveitchik, "God left an area of evil and chaos in the world so that man might make it good," purposely flawing the perfection of his own material creation to leave room for the improvements that could be made by his obedient creature...
...Kippur discourses, Soloveitchik explores the nature of humanity's less exalted side: sinfulness. As the Rav sees it, the intellect plays hardly any role in the soul's move from sin toward repentance, nor is the "ethical sense" very powerful. Rather, says Soloveitchik, contrition is an "aesthetic experience" of revulsion against sin's corruption...
...Repentance book comes not from a Jewish house but a Roman Catholic one, evidence of the Rav's universality. Says Father Lawrence Boadt, an editor for Paulist Press: "We thought this would be a very effective book for Christians. Soloveitchik is one of the greatest mystical thinkers in the United States." Catholic enthusiasm for the book is also significant because in 1964, during the Second Vatican Council, Soloveitchik announced his opposition to theological discussions between Jews and Christians. Interfaith talks, he wrote in one of his rare essays, must be limited to secular topics. Though his policy encourages some...
...demands by right-wing Orthodoxy to end cooperation with Conservative and Reform Jews in such organizations as the Synagogue Council of America and the New York Board of Rabbis. The Rabbinical Council of America, which represents the Modern Orthodox movement, years ago referred the matter to its reigning authority, Soloveitchik. He never ruled that such cooperation was permissible, but he did not condemn it either. As a result, concourse still takes place. Says Orthodox Rabbi Walter Wurzburger, former Synagogue Council president: "I dread to think of the future of Orthodoxy without...