The Oral Tradition of the Written Law 04

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This series of shiurim is sponsored anonymously and is l’ilui nishmat Michael Yirmiyahu (Jeremy) haCohen Barkan.

Last week Rabbi Triebitz explained that the Vilna Gaon, in Safra de-Tzne’uta explains that the three concepts of Sefer, Sapar and Sipur correspond to chochma, binah and da’at.
In other words, the Gra views sefer as the text, sapar as the interpretation, and sipur as the speech connecting to the tradition.
When a person recovers the meaning of the text he connects directly in conversation with the author of that text. He is able to recover the oral tradition as transmitted from Moshe Rabbeinu.

In the footnote 1 there the Gra writes: “With these three books the world was created, and the Torah was given…”

This means that the Vilna Gaon understood that there was an earlier oral tradition, which was redacted by Moshe Rabbeinu (at Divine command) at the time of the Giving of the Torah.

We find a similar idea in the Rashba. In his responsa (vol 1 number 12) he writes that “the text does not keep the exact words, but retains the intent – even in the text of the Torah itself”
This means that the Rashba held that the written text was created from an earlier oral tradition.

Even though Rav Chaim Heller (in his introduction to Sefer HaMitzvot) rejects this responsa and claims that it must be a forgery, the Rashba is basing himself on Ramban’s commentary on Chumash. See Bemidbar 2:14 and Devarim 2:10

Next week Rabbi Triebitz will look more closely at Ramban’s understanding of Chumash, and we will see that he understood that Devarim is a commentary on Shemot.

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.

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The Oral Tradition of the Written Law 03

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This series of shiurim is sponsored anonymously and is l’ilui nishmat Michael Yirmiyahu (Jeremy) haCohen Barkan.

In the last two shiurim Rabbi Triebitz showed how there was an oral tradition of the written Torah before it was actually written down. There is an argument between Amoraim as to how the writing process happened. Rabbi Yochanan says that Moshe Rabbeinu redacted existing texts (megillah, megillah nitna) whereas Reish Lakish claims that the entire text was created without any written precedent.

In this shiur Rabbi Triebitz compares these two approaches to the two views of Rav Tzadok HaCohen and the Vilna Gaon.

In Resisei Laila (p. 65a) Rav Tzadok writes that Moshe Rabbeinu represents the yesod of da’at. The function of da’at is to combine the two mochin of chochma and binah. Binah represents the details, chochma is the ‘big picture’. Da’at combines the two. Therefore Moshe was like a redactor (a la Rabbi Yochanan) turning the details of the ‘megillot’ into the big picture of the Torah.
Further on, in Resisei Laila (p. 69a) Rav Tzadok explains that the month of Adar (which is the month when Moshe was born and died) is the shoresh of da’at which represents the combination of chochma and binah.

Rav Tzadok also says that although Moshe was the greatest prophet in Jewish history, a chacham is greater than a prophet (chacham adif me-navi). Therefore the insights of the Arizal, which come from Ruach HaKodesh (chochma) are higher than those of Moshe Rabbeinu. (This argues with Rambam who writes in Moreh Nevuchim 1:52 that Moshe was also the greatest chacham – Rabbi Triebitz alluded to this last week in his resolution of the apparent contradiction between the 7th and 8th of Rambam’s Principles of Faith).
For an overview of prophecy versus ruach hakodesh see Ramban on parshat Tetzave and Rabbeinu Bachaye on Devarim 33:8)

In contrast, the Vilna Gaon, in Safra de-Tzne’uta explains that the three concepts of Sefer, Sapar and Sipur correspond to chochma, binah and da’at.
In the introduction to that book, by Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, he explains that the Safra is like the Mishna for which the Zohar became the ‘Gemara’. He says that the view of the Gaon is that the principles of kabbalah were passed down from person to person, going back to Moshe Rabbeinu.
This the view of the Gra is more similar to that of Reish Lakish that there was a creation of Torah without any written precedent.

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.

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The Oral Tradition of the Written Law 02

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This series of shiurim is sponsored anonymously and is l’ilui nishmat Michael Yirmiyahu (Jeremy) haCohen Barkan.

Chazal worked with the assumption that there was an oral tradition before the Torah was written down. Here are some examples of this:

Parshat Vayera (Bereishit 18:20-22)

Rashi ad loc. mentions the concept of tikkun soferim.

Look at Tosefot Bava Metzia 60b (s.v. lama chilkam hakatuv) who discusses why the Torah chose to use two separate phrases for the same halacha.

According to Rabbi Yochanan, who says that the Torah was given as separate scrolls, we cannot say that at the end of 40 years Moshe simply glued all the scrolls together, because of the concept of “there is no earlier or later in the Torah” which means that there must have been another, later, redaction.

Look at Lech Lecha (Bereishit 16:8).

Talmud Berachot 7b

Tosefot asks why the Talmud does not learn from the earlier mention of ‘Adon’ a few verses earlier (verse 2). He answers that Brit bein ha-Betarim occurred several years before the war of the kings.

The dual role of Moshe Rabbeinu as recipient of the scrolls, and as final editor, explains the apparent contradiction in Rambam’s 13 Principles. In the 7th principle, Rambam stresses that Moshe was the most suitable to receive the Torah because of his great intellect. Yet in the 8th principle, Rambam states that Moshe was like a scribe copying from a text, which implies an activity which does not require great intelligence (and in fact intelligence may be a disadvantage for such a task).

Next week Rabbi Triebitz will show how this idea is understood by Rav Tzadok HaCohen and by the Vilna Gaon.

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.

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The Oral Tradition of the Written Law 01

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This series of shiurim is sponsored anonymously and is l’ilui nishmat Michael Yirmiyahu (Jeremy) haCohen Barkan.

In this series of shiurim Rabbi Triebitz will examine how Chazal viewed the Written Torah, and how it developed.

The starting point is the Talmud in Gittin 60a where there is an argument between Rabbi Yochanan and Reish Lakish about how the Torah was given. Rabbi Yochanan says it was given as separate scrolls, and Reish Lakish says it was given as a complete document.

Rabbi Triebitz then moves on to look at Temurah 15b and Sukkah 20a.

He also uses the Epistle (Iggeret) of Rav Sherira Gaon

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 01

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Ethical Man 10

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This shiur is l’ilui nishmat Michael Yirmiyahu (Jeremy) haCohen Barkan.

This is the concluding shiur in the series, and is an overview of the entire book “The Emergence of Ethical Man.”

Rabbi Triebitz asks the following question:

Rav Soloveitchik has reduced man to a naturalistic being, so is there any room for spirituality in the Rav’s system? Is there any transcendence in Judaism?

Rav Tzadok explains (likutei maamarim 5a) that kabbalah is the ‘internal’ of Greek wisdom.

Rav Soloveitchik describes his vision of the future as a merger of ontology and ethics. It is clear that through understanding the relationship of the two, that Rav Soloveitchik would have said that the historical evolution of naturalism and natural ethics is the external embodiment of an internal movement where ethics and ontology merge.

The overarching theme is that by understanding Scripture in a contemporary scientific way on is able to create a vision which is an outergarment of a spiritual garment which is only alluded to in this book.

Chovot HaLevavot says that in matters of hashkafa there is no Sanhedrin, and it is rather based on tradition and intellect. Rav Soloveitchik is continuing in this path, using modern thought to understand Torah and Torah to understand modernity.

We have seen many comparisons between the thought of Rav Soloveitchik and Rav Kook. In Shemonah Kevatzim Rav Kook presents a veiw of techiyat hameitim which sounds very similar to the Rav. Rav Soloveitchik could not have known these works of Rav Kook which were only published last year, but the themes of using science and integrating it with hashkafa is the common idea to both of them.

At first glance they would appear to be very different – the one a kabbalistic mystic with chasidic tendencies, the other a rational philosopher influenced by his grandfather and the Brisker derech.

Yet they both arrived at similar conclusions that science informs our understanding of Torah.

Rav Triebitz discusses the ways in which the challenges to Judiasm from contemporary scientific, archeological and theological thought can be resolved with traditional Judaism. He suggests that ‘The Emergence of Ethical Man’ can serve as an example of remaining a traditional religious Jew in the face of the challenges of modern thought.

I want to thank Elijah so much for all the work he has done to make these shiurim happen on the internet. He recorded, uploaded, and most of all thought about how to make the videos as good as possible. 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

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Ethical Man 10
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Ethical Man 09

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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.

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Ethical Man 09
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Ethical Man 08 – Avraham Avinu

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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

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Ethical Man 08
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Ethical Man 07 – Ethical Development

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In the Emergence Of Ethical Man (Meotzar Horav) Rabbi Soloveitchik discusses ‘The Emergence of Sin’ (p.95ff).

The demonic personality expresses itself in a change in man’s personality.

Rav Soloveitchik brings Santayana, Nietsche and Bergson as his sources.

Rabbi Triebitz claims that Rabbi Soloveitchik draws inspiration from Ernst Cassirer and especially his book An Essay on Man: An Introduction to a Philosophy of Human Culture

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

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Ethical Man 07
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Ethical Man 06 – Man as Animal

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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

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Ethical Man 06
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Ethical Man 05 – Evolution to Animal

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In this Shiur Rabbi Triebitz continues with ‘The Emergence of Ethical Man’. Rav Soloveitchik shows how there was an ‘evolution’ from plant-like to animal-like to human. He demonstrates this with verses from Bereishis, relating to eating animals, and the soul which is in the blood.

Rabbi Soloveitchik also has a radical understanding of sacrifices, stemming from his synthesis of ethics and ontology. He concedes that the pagan concept of human sacrifice is indeed the will of G-d, however it must be tempered with G-d’s ethics, which forbid human sacrifice, and instead transform it into animal sacrifice.

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 05

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Ethical Man 05
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Ethical Man 05