This shiur concludes the book “The Emergence of Ethical Man”. (It is not yet decided whether there will be one final shiur or not).
Rav Soloveitchik discusses two concepts of G-d as king – one ontological and one ethical. One political/autocratic and one covenental/democratic.
Rabbi Triebitz also quotes from this book: The Invention of Hebrew (Traditions) and shows parallels between the ideas there and the ideas of the Rav.
In summary, the shiur is about different relationships between G-d and the world (and other gods and the world).
We hope you enjoy these shiurim.
At the moment, these shiurim are free of charge because Rabbi Triebitz has generously volunteered his time and there are no overheads. If you would like to show your appreciation to Rabbi Triebitz, please contribute to this site by pressing the ‘donate’ button on the side of the page. Contributors will receive American tax receipts for charity upon request.
You can watch and download the shiurim below. As always please send any comments, thoughts, ideas or criticisms to admin at hashkafacircle.com
Video of shiur 09
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In last week’s shiur Rabbi Triebitz explained that Rav Yosher Ber understands Adam and Eve as aesthetic beings.
Rabbi Soloveitchik continues with a discussion of Abraham, and shows that he is the correction for the sin of Adam and Eve.
“The charismatic personality must free himself from the place where he was born…”
In this Rabbi Soloveitchik echoes Bergson’s concept of radical religion, where man leaves his home and seeks his own path.
We also find the concept of loneliness – “A lonely man finds a lonely G-d”. This is the first prerequisite for prophecy.
What is the ethics of charismatic man?
How can freedom loving and anti-authoritarianism be a source for ethics?
The charismatic person revolts against a non-moral legalistic society, whose ends and objectives often collide with the basic tenets of a natural, living morality. He refuses to obey an external authority and to accept the dicta of a society that is guided by a highly technical, though magical, civilization. He prefers spontaneity to artificiality, improvisation to the routine. The moral law is revealed to him by his God, who is at once friend, comrade and master, and who speaks from beyond and within his own personality. The source of the law is the mahazeh, the prophetic vision, not the royal decree. The charismatic person discovers the ethos himself.
Rabbi Triebitz skips chapter 9, and goes to discuss chapter 10 – the next charismatic man – Moshe Rabbeinu. There are many parallels between Avraham and Moshe. The major difference between them is that Moshe has both freedom, and submission/determinsim. “Angelic role”.
What is the source for Rav Soloveithik’s distinction between freedom and determinism, such that the synthesis of both leads to ethics. This is not from Bergson. It seems to be the Rav’s innovation.
However the source of these ideas is (according to Rabbi Triebitz) kabbalah, which is Jewish philosophy.
In the lecture notes he explains that “radical naturalistic” interpretations are kabbalistically motivated.
I want to thank Elijah very much for his efforts in recording this entire series of shiurim, and particularly this shiur (because I couldn’t make it). He has also spent weeks trying to work out the best lighting system for the shiurim. If you notice the improvement in this shiur please let me kn0w (and i’ll pass it on to Elijah). Thank you.
We hope you enjoy these shiurim.
At the moment, these shiurim are free of charge because Rabbi Triebitz has generously volunteered his time and there are no overheads. If you would like to show your appreciation to Rabbi Triebitz, please contribute to this site by pressing the ‘donate’ button on the side of the page. Contributors will receive American tax receipts for charity upon request.
You can watch and download the shiurim below. As always please send any comments, thoughts, ideas or criticisms to admin at hashkafacircle.com
Video of shiur 08
Click here to download the shiur as an flv file Ethical Man 08
(you may have to right click on the link and click ‘save target as’)
Click here to download the shiur in audio mp3 format Ethical Man 08
AND FOR APPLE I-POD USERS:
Click here to download the shiur in mp4 video format Ethical Man 08
The greatness of the Rav was taking ideas from philosophy and integrating them into his Jewish philosophy. Seeing his sources and inspiration allows for a better and deeper understanding of the Rav’s work.
We hope you enjoy these shiurim.
At the moment, these shiurim are free of charge because Rabbi Triebitz has generously volunteered his time and there are no overheads. If you would like to show your appreciation to Rabbi Triebitz, please contribute to this site by pressing the ‘donate’ button on the side of the page. Contributors will receive American tax receipts for charity upon request.
You can watch and download the shiurim below. As always please send any comments, thoughts, ideas or criticisms to admin at hashkafacircle.com
Video of shiur 07
Click here to download the shiur as an flv file Ethical Man 07
(you may have to right click on the link and click ‘save target as’)
Click here to download the shiur in audio mp3 format Ethical Man 07
AND FOR APPLE I-POD USERS:
Click here to download the shiur in mp4 video format Ethical Man 07
In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz goes through chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5 in The Emergence of Ethical Man.
He begins with a recap of ‘Lonely Man of Faith’ and the concept of Adam I and Adam II. Adam I is intellectual and technological. Adam II is ethical and religious. Rabbi Triebitz shows how both Adams are in ‘Ethical Man’.
Then Rabbi Triebitz learns through a piece from Rav Kook’s ‘Four Kevatzim’ (vol. 4) in which he expresses ideas similar to those in ‘Ethical Man’.
We hope you enjoy these shiurim.
At the moment, these shiurim are free of charge because Rabbi Triebitz has generously volunteered his time and there are no overheads. If you would like to show your appreciation to Rabbi Triebitz, please contribute to this site by pressing the ‘donate’ button on the side of the page. Contributors will receive American tax receipts for charity upon request.
You can watch and download the shiurim below. As always please send any comments, thoughts, ideas or criticisms to admin at hashkafacircle.com
Video of shiur 06
Click here to download the shiur as an flv file Ethical Man 06
(you may have to right click on the link and click ‘save target as’)
Click here to download the shiur in audio mp3 format Ethical Man 06
AND FOR APPLE I-POD USERS:
Click here to download the shiur in mp4 video format Ethical Man 06
Rabbi Soloveitchik discusses ‘The Emergence of Sin’ (p.95ff).