The God Who Hates Lies
Confronting & Rethinking Jewish Tradition
-
- $19.99
-
- $19.99
Publisher Description
Covenant & Conscience—A Groundbreaking Journey to the Heart of Halakha
"Anyone curious about the Jewish way of life, yet dissatisfied with much of contemporary Jewish theology and practice—repelled, perhaps, by the cheap and vulgar apologetics of those who seek to justify and sustain some of the tradition's systematic immoralities, who smugly deny expression to any doubt or uncertainty, claiming a monopoly on absolute truth—is invited to join me on this pilgrimage."
—from the Introduction
In this deeply personal look at the struggle between commitment to Jewish religious tradition and personal morality, Dr. David Hartman, the world’s leading Modern Orthodox Jewish theologian, probes the deepest questions at the heart of what it means to be a human being and a Jew.
Dr. Hartman draws on a lifetime of learning, teaching and experience as a social activist to present an intellectual framework for examining covenantal theology as it is applied to religious life. As much an expression of his impassioned commitment to Jewish law as it is testament to a lifetime of intellectual questioning and courage, this bold examination of the halakhic system offers fresh insights into Judaism and the quest for spiritual nourishment.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With this insightful and thought-provoking work, Hartman, an Orthodox (former pulpit) rabbi and founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Israel, offers a new, highly provocative approach to Jewish law that grapples with the place of personal morality in a culture that values, above all else, fidelity to its legal code. The author confronts highly charged issues, including a woman's place in religious life, especially as it pertains to leading services and participating in a minyan, and the current state of limbo for the aguna (those who are refused a divorce by a spouse). He cites the opinions of early and contemporary Torah luminaries, but implores, with heartfelt anguish, the acceptance of innovative approaches within observant Judaism. For Hartman, individual suffering, aspirations, and emotions must be accounted for when negotiating religious legalities, a precedent, he claims, that can be found among the earliest Talmudic rabbis who learned to interpret the rules with ingenious and law-abiding maneuvers. Passionate, intelligent, and honest, this volume, although certain to engender contention and controversy, is equally equipped to open an important and meaningful dialogue within the Orthodox community.
