Finding Tradition in the Modern Torah World

Thoughts on making sense of change within Judaism

Boruch Clinton

Not everything here is directly relevant to Rabbi Hirsch’s teachings, but those teachings were certainly the inspiration behind this short book.

So what’s it all about? Given how radically the practice of mainstream Orthodoxy has changed over the past 350 years, individuals seeking to live a more traditional Torah lifestyle will naturally want to know whether they’ll face any serious obstacles. Are the new rules somehow binding? Are they necessarily in conflict with traditional practice? What, actually, are the sources for the innovations?

Feel free to join me by reading these essays and adding your thoughts in the comments. Together, perhaps we can come to understand this thing better.


Contents:
Tradition vs. Kabbala
How Are We Supposed to Pray?
Between Frankfurt and Tzfas
How We Choose What We Observe
Radical Goals
Other Modern Innovations
Some Older Changes
Understanding Nefesh Hachaim


Download the entire book as a PDF file (for free)

Or: Purchase a physical version


A dialog about Rabbi Hirsch’s relationship with kabbala:

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