Read Online Faith and Freedom Passover Haggadah with Commentary from the Writings of Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits Reuven Mohl 9781602803336 Books

Product details Hardcover 160 pages Publisher Urim Publications (March 1, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1602803331

Faith and Freedom Passover Haggadah with Commentary from the Writings of Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits Reuven Mohl 9781602803336 Books Reviews

• "Faith and Freedom" came to my attention through a review written by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo, whose work I follow and deeply respect. Although it's a Passover Haggadah that may be used at the Seder table, "Faith and Freedom" is really more of an introduction to the thinking of Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits, an important figure in post-Holocaust Judaism. Since Rabbi Berkovits never wrote a commentary on the Haggadah, the material used here was selected from his writings by the editor, Rabbi Reuven Mohl, and applied to appropriate Haggadah texts; and while the contexts (i.e. the original sources vs the Haggadah) may be entirely different, the comments are nevertheless often quite illuminating.
  
  Rabbi Berkovits's orientation reflects his training and vocation as a philosopher (he received his PhD. from the University of Berlin and headed the philosophy department at Hebrew Theological College in Chicago), thus some of the commentary isn't easily accessible. I had to read a number of statements several times over to grasp their meaning, and even then I wasn't sure if I had it right. Explanatory footnotes would have been helpful; but these are exceptions, not the rule. The matching of relevant commentary to text by the editor also must say a great deal about Rabbi Mohl, although what that is I cannot begin to guess. As far as what was decided upon to gloss, in some cases whole sentences are discussed, but more typically it's a word here, a phrase there. In fact the whole thing has a rather spontaneous feel to it, as if you were engaged in a conversation with Rabbi Berkovits who shifts from topic to topic in a stream of consciousness kind of way.
  
  There are numerous comments that jump off the page as the product of a very creative mind. For example, of the bracha that includes the words "Who has chosen us [the Jewish people] from among all people," the editor has selected this comment "The chosen people satisfies a need for divine concern for all men. Why the Jews? No matter whom He would have chosen, they would have to become Jews." And this, on the discovery of truth "In theoretical discussions man strives to delve into the ultimate depth of the truth; but when he decides that he has reached it, it is still only his own human insight that affirms that he has indeed found it." In other words, G-d doesn't hand man an envelope with the answers in it at the end of the search. One final example "The Word addresses each generation anew. The Word is eternal because it is capable of eternal unfolding; it depends on when one reads it and who the reader is." I can see why Rabbi Cardozo was so enthusiastic about "Faith and Freedom" as there are parallels in thinking reflected in Cardozo's own recent book, "Jewish Law as Rebellion," a brilliant argument for a more adaptive Halakah.
  
  Highly recommended as a deeply original compendium to be studied before the Passover holiday.
• I've completed my first (of what I hope are many more) readings of Faith and Freedom. Reuven Mohl's initial book, focusing on the Passover Haggadah, is a most worthy achievement and one that I intend to share it with my family.
  
  Dr. Mohl incorporates the enlightened writings of noted religious philosopher Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits, to provide commentary throughout the Haggadah. Utilizing the context of Passover, there is profound insight and wisdom, and even liberation from the enslavement of ignorance, contained in Faith and Freedom.
  
  I have truly benefited from reading the book and recommend it without reservation.
• Hungarian-born scholar Eliezer Berkovits (1908-1992) was a highly respected Orthodox rabbi. He was educated in Berlin, Germany, where he received his PhD. He authored 19 books in several languages.
  He held fast to traditional beliefs such as that the Israelites met God at Sinai where God gave them both the Written and the Oral Torahs. He felt that halakha, Jewish law, is necessary to control people from acting against their own and society’s best interest. He explained that during the Holocaust God “hid his face,” hester panim, because God wants humans to use their free will even if they do so in a harmful fashion. He stressed the importance of Zionism. Although he recognized that women are not treated well in matters of marriage and divorce, and believed that both sexes are equal, he did not encourage changes in Jewish law.
  This commentary on the Haggadah was not composed by Rabbi Berkovits but is a compilation of his thoughts on the Haggadah taken from his various writings. The rabbi explains some of his ideas with short stories and with some reminders of history. The Foreword to the book is by Rabbi Berkovits’ son who writes warmly about his dad. He mentions a few ideas about him and about the Seder. He said, for example, “He believed that a redeeming vision of hope for the human spirit can only come from an ongoing human encounter in the fulness of life with the Eternal Word.” The editor of this Haggadah adds an Introduction where he offers some ideas of the rabbi and praises him, saying, for example, that he “was a pioneer in examining many crucial present-day ideas within a halakhic framework.” Both emphasized his view of the need to obey halakha.
  Some parts of the collection of commentaries may appear to some readers as somewhat mystical to rational thinkers, such as myself, but I nevertheless found what was said to be interesting and thought-provoking, certainly worth reading. Some examples of the commentaries are How was Passover and the Seder celebrated in concentration camps during the Holocaust? In Judaism, the sacred and the profane are not related. What distinguishes the holy and mundane? What makes the Shabbat holy? People need to understand the concept of the creation. Are Jews a chosen people? How is sanctification of life achieved? Why does the history of Judaism begin with Jews being outside of Israel?
  All the many practices during the Seder are explained. The sources of all the quotes are given so that readers can go to the source for more details. For example, Why do we recline during the Seder? What constitutes a wise son? Why do some Jews have the practice to eat a hard-boiled egg at the Seder?
  In short, this is a splendid book that will help teach its readers much about Judaism, Passover, and the Seder in an interesting way.
• Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Berkovits was a noted philosopher, this haggadah, gleaned from his writings, provides unique insights into the theological aspects of the seder. This has numerous insights, and his explanations of the root causes of anti-Semitism are especially insightful. This is a thought-provoking haggadah, from a fascinating thinker, and is a great introduction to the philosophy of Berkovits, a generation after his death, to many people who may not be aware of him.