By Marc B. Shapiro - Saul Lieberman and the Orthodox (2006-06-20) [Paperback]

by Marc B. Shapiro

One of the foremost scholars of the Talmud in the last century, Saul Lieberman (1898–1983) is also an intriguing and controversial figure. Highly influential in Orthodox society, he left Israel in 1940 to accept an appointment at the Jewish Theological Seminary, a Conservative institution. During his forty years at the Seminary, Lieberman served in the Rabbinical Assembly as one of the most important arbiters of Jewish law, though his decisions were often too progressive to be recognized by the Orthodox. Marc B. Shapiro here considers Lieberman’s experiences to examine the conflict between Jewish Orthodoxy and Conservatism in the mid-1900s. This invaluable scholarly resource also includes a Hebrew appendix and previously unpublished letters from Lieberman.

Genres: Jewish, Judaism

Paperback

First published June 5, 2006

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has only 51 pages of English text, so it is really more of a journal article than a traditional "book."

But for what it is it is interesting: it describes the relationship between Saul Lieberman (a Talmudic scholar who came from an Orthodox background to teach at a Conservative seminary in 1940) and Orthodox Jews. Major Orthodox scholars took a wide range of positions towards Lieberman: some anathemized him, others continued to rely on his scholarship, while still other split the difference in a variety of ways (for example, by citing his scholarship without mentioning him).

Shapiro has lots of interesting little sidebars about the Orthodox/Conservative relationship, painting a general picture of increased polarization. In the early 20th century, Conservative and moderate Orthodox synagogues were barely distinguishable. But Conservative rabbis gradually became more and more willing to make halachic decisions without giving the most traditional Orthodox rabbis veto power, and Orthodox rabbis responded with hostility by treating Conservatives as schismatics. In the second half of the 20th century, the two groups became more polarized, Orthodoxy becoming much more strict, Conservatism less so.

[C P · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very clever essay trying to bring Lieberman's works back into the acceptable Orthodox fold, and to argue against excommunicating valuable scholars in general. I agree with his intent but I have to say, reading the other reviews here, that Zev Leff's take on Shapiro's Thirteen Principles ("I cannot recommend it to the general public, who can be easily misled . . . for the discerning reader . . . this book will provide an interesting historical perspective") applies exactly.

Shapiro's eclectic style, in which he wastes not a single interesting research find, fits my tastes exactly. I've rarely looked more excitedly at a page of footnotes.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rabbi Saul Lieberman, the greatest Talmudist of the 20th century, is virtually unknown in the community that cares most about the Talmud—the Orthodox. That wasn’t always so. How, Shapiro asks, did Rabbi Lieberman go from a revered figure among the Orthodox to one hardly remembered? The answer lies not only in the details of his biography but also in the boundaries that observant American Jews erected between themselves during his lifetime. Whether those boundaries did more harm than good is the question behind the question.

[Marsha Altman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for explaining some of the ways in which the split between traditional Judaism and Conservative Judaism helped shaped modern Orthodoxy in America. Beware: this book is not very long. It's only about a hundred pages, and half of those are letters written in Hebrew that he provides for documentation. I bet this was Shapiro's thesis project or something.

[Amitai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small, but full of fascinating sources and insights.

[Steve Gross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much exciting here. A rather academic view of how Lieberman was accepted/rejected by the Orthodox.