By Rabbi Gil Student
Kodesh Press
New York, 2024
342 pages
Reviewed by Rabbi Steven Gotlib
In 2009, Rabbi Aharon Feldman of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel published The Eye of the Storm with the goal of presenting “a calm view of raging issues” including Zionism, feminism, Chabad messianism and more. Its publication led to a fierce yet respectful debate on the pages of this very magazine between Rabbi Feldman and his once-schoolmate Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein, zt”l.1 Rabbi Lichtenstein saw their exchange as an opportunity for dialogue “which could focus, constructively, upon our ability, and that of our talmidim, to foster our common cause of advancing avodat Hashem, personally and communally, rather than upon reciprocal and competitive fault-finding denigration.” Unfortunately, the dialogue between Rabbi Feldman and Rabbi Lichtenstein remains notable as an exception to the tone of general discourse rather than a rule.
The relocation of many communal debates to the internet has only exacerbated this issue, as relative anonymity and an inability to process tone does little but add heat to already fiery arguments—arguments which themselves become more numerous as new societal developments unfold faster than ever before in history. This too often leads to a proliferation of polemics and a dearth of depth.
Here is where Rabbi Gil Student comes in. In the introduction to his new book, Articles of Faith: Traditional Jewish Belief in the Internet Era, Rabbi Student writes that, while polemical writing has an important place within communal discourse, it is also dangerous. “If we examine things with a polemic mindset, if we lack the internal balance to first examine carefully and thoughtfully and only then render judgment, we will make tragic mistakes” (xxxi). It is for this reason that Rabbi Student introduces an important prerequisite to his engagement with controversial ideas from his left and right, from Open Orthodoxy to Chareidim: “I try to take the ideas seriously and charitably. First I try to understand what people are saying and only then do I criticize their ideas, if appropriate” (xxxiii).
Rabbi Student goes on to apply this critical openness, as I would call it, to a variety of topics within the realms of belief, technology, community, sacred texts and Israel. Topics such as postmodernism, artificial intelligence, women’s ordination, Biblical criticism, Religious Zionism and more are addressed with a unique combination of care and calm. Rabbi Student himself, though falling more often on one side than the other, does not fit neatly into existing categories on the right or left and acknowledges his “hashkafic homelessness” in the book’s Afterword. In so doing, though, he provides a comfortable home for many who find ourselves, as he put it, too right for the left and too left for the right yet deeply desiring to live alongside our mesorah. In his words, the book represents “one long search, one big attempt, to do the right thing. May G-d help all of us follow the right path so that we can thrive spiritually” (297).
Examining just one chapter of Articles of Faith will give readers a clear understanding of both Rabbi Student’s approach and the importance of this book for our current moment. Chapter Five is titled “Torah Authority in the Internet Age.” Rabbi Student acknowledges that the internet has facilitated an unprecedented increase in Torah learning but has also contributed to a decrease in attention span and comes with many challenges. On a communal level, however, the internet has also led to a weakening of respect for Jewish leadership. In response to the mass of attacks against traditional religious leadership (indeed, traditional religion and religious values writ large) that is common on the internet, Rabbi Student suggests that:
The only effective defense to mockery is sophistication. Rabbis need to become PR mavens, savvy in the judicial use of social media to convey a message. . . . We cannot defeat mockery outright, but we can wage a good fight. That effort, however, requires a willingness to use the right weapons. Leading rabbis need to follow basic PR ideas like staying positive, learning what your opponents are saying and trying to convince bystanders and not your opponent. (76)
Halachic Judaism, Rabbi Student suggests, may well have been brought into its democratic age thanks to the internet’s ubiquity—an age in which anyone can “amass impressive arguments and even produce seemingly informed articles” with minimal background in learning . . .
So too, the internet has allowed for anyone, of any hashkafah, to be able to find Torah sources to defend whatever position they may wish. Halachic Judaism, Rabbi Student suggests, may well have been brought into its democratic age thanks to the internet’s ubiquity—an age in which anyone can “amass impressive arguments and even produce seemingly informed articles” with minimal background in learning, if any such background at all (78). This has led to a world in which people must be convinced, rather than simply informed, of how to live in halachically and hashkafically appropriate ways. Today, Rabbi Student argues, “all rabbis must clarify their views in depth before subjecting them to the inevitable challenges. This method will not prevent challenges, but it will convince many readers and will gain the respect of many others who find themselves forced to think hard about the subject” (80).
The whole of Articles of Faith can be read as Rabbi Student responding to this challenge by showing his work and making as strong a case as possible for approaching issues with the nuance he is known for. Nowhere is this clearer than Rabbi Student’s treatment of the contemporary controversy over women’s ordination, brought to the fore by proponents of what many call “Open Orthodoxy.” While the halachic question was addressed by a panel of leading rabbanim and roshei yeshivah,2 Rabbi Student explores the philosophical questions that many were talking about in shul and around their Shabbat tables:
While we defer to halachic scholars, in internalizing their conclusions the thinking person needs to consider each value and how important it is to him personally and to Judaism in general. Not every “slippery slope” argument is conclusive, and sometimes specific values are so powerful that they override all other considerations. Some innovations are relatively unobtrusive and don’t offend other values, while others are accompanied by a momentum and agenda that all but guarantee further changes in the near future. . . . Evaluating religious values requires careful attunement to communal trends and, more importantly, to the rhythms of Judaism, something accomplished only through extensive study and with great sensitivity. This type of values-analysis will yield confusing and occasionally contradictory results. . . . Depending on the specific practice, the measures on the scale will tip in different directions. (176)
This style of in-depth analysis and unwavering willingness to wade into difficult subjects is what makes Rabbi Student’s approach so refreshing. This is especially so for those of us who follow in the dialectical tradition of Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik, living as halachic men and women in the tension between the real and the ideal. As Rabbi Student writes, we “use the term ‘Modern Orthodox’ not because we have found a way to resolve all difficulties, but because we are willing to acknowledge the importance of multiple values. And we attempt to balance their demands without negating them” (176). This will sometimes give more weight to modernity and sometimes less, but if done right it will always remain Orthodox.
In an age where nuance is too often neglected and emotions burn bright, Articles of Faith is a much-needed elixir that will remind readers of the value in thinking through what we believe and how we ought to live as part of an ever-expanding global village. Rabbis will learn important communication skills while laypeople will be able to accessibly engage in high-level discourse about subjects that are too often foggy and above their heads. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to take the next step in living as a thoughtful and engaged Orthodox Jew.
Notes
1. “‘Dear Reb Aharon,’” Jewish Action 70, no. 4 (Summer 2010): 6–9, https://jewishaction.com/letters/dear_reb_aharon/.
2. https://www.ou.org/assets/Responses-of-Rabbinic-Panel.pdf.
Rabbi Steven Gotlib is marketing manager at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and associate rabbi at Mekor Habracha/Center City Synagogue in Philadelphia.