Tradition Podcast

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Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox Jewish peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America. It covers a range of topics including philosophy and theology, history, law, and ethics.

Episodes

  1. 3D AGO

    A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E4): Judaism’s View of Man as a Lonely Being

    A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 4: Delivered December 18, 1958 Judaism rejects the Classical view of Man as a universal, as a mere representative of the whole, but it also rejects the modern individualistic view. The Jewish view should be reconstructed from halakhic sources, from rules and laws which are uniquely Jewish, and not from medieval Jewish philosophical sources which too often fell under the influence of Aristotle and do not reflect a genuinely Jewish view. Judaism claims that Man is a lonely, solitary, singular being. This is not the same as the modern individualistic view which, although it prioritizes the individual over the community, sees all individuals as identical, interchangeable, and replaceable. This experience of separateness and estrangement, says the Jewish view, divides Man both from the rest of Creation in general and also from fellow individuals. This loneliness, though it remains a source of distress, is not a destructive emotion but rather an ennobling experience, a source of Man’s greatness and dignity. This singularity of Man is the meaning of Man’s being created in God’s image, for it reflects God’s singularity and loneliness. This loneliness is the heart of Jewish prayer, which emphasizes the petition over the hymn, distress over comfort. Judaism opposes the family pew in order to make prayer a solitary experience. Too much emphasis on peace of mind, comfort and success shuts out God. The essence of human loneliness is an inwardness that cannot be observed by the outsider, and cannot be fully communicated in words. Man has a depth existence, not just a surface existence. All other objects in the world have only a surface existence. There is more to Man than his works and his surface accomplishments. But Man also has a surface existence. These two sides of Man are reflected in contradictions between the first two chapters of Genesis regarding the Creation story. The incommunicable side of Man is called numinous Adam, and the relatable side is called kerygmatic Adam. Jump to: 00:01:15 Two modern theories of man’s relationship to the community 00:13:38 Reconstructing a genuinely Jewish view from the Halakhah 00:16:46 Man as a lonely being 00:23:23 Man’s loneliness and uniqueness reflecting God’s loneliness and uniqueness 00:44:48 Loneliness and Jewish prayer 01:10:35 Audience questions and responses 01:17:46 The definition of loneliness as having a depth-existence 01:50:26 Man’s dualism derived from the first two chapters of Genesis Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E4): Judaism’s View of Man as a Lonely Being first appeared on Tradition Online.

    2h 1m

  2. FEB 4

    New/Old American-Jewish Realities

    For much of the modern era, Jewish life rested, quietly but decisively, on an implicit promise. Power would be constrained by law. The State would bind itself to rules not solely invented for its own advantage. The weak would be protected not by benevolence but by structure. Jews, long practiced in the arts of minority survival, understood and benefited from this promise. Chaim Strauchler’s recent essay “New/Old American-Jewish Realities” at TraditionOnline.org asks what happens when those norms and rules begin to fray. He suggests that antisemitism is not a bug but a feature of unrestrained power. Reassessing R. Moshe Feinstein’s vision of America as a “nation of hesed,” he contends that Judaism has always prepared for moral loneliness—surviving not through kindness of strangers, but through internal discipline, law, and covenantal courage. Chaim Strauchler, an associate editor of TRADITION, is rabbi of Cong. Rinat Yisrael in Teaneck. He joined our journal’s editor Jeffrey Saks to discuss the essay and some of the response it’s been garnering. The post New/Old American-Jewish Realities first appeared on Tradition Online.

    26 min

  3. FEB 4

    A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E3): Three Approaches to Man

    A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 3: Delivered December 4, 1958 Modern philosophy knows of three approaches to the question, what is Man: the Biblical, the Classical Greek, and the modern scientific views. The Classical Greek and Biblical anthropologies agree that man is unique and incongruous with the natural order, while the modern scientific view considers man as just a more skilled animal. The Classical and Biblical views also agree that the uniqueness of man is not granted to him as a gift but as a task to be achieved. The two also agree that the intellect is the greatest tool available to man to develop his uniqueness. They disagree, however, as to whether the development of the intellect is the final goal or just a tool to achieve a greater goal. The highest form of human engagement for Judaism is something beyond intellectual achievement, something to be identified and discussed not now but in a future lecture, but for now we can say that Judaism is not logocentric as the Greeks were. Judaism also differed from the Classical Greek view of Man in that the Classical view concerned itself with Man as a universal, anonymous being, with Mankind, with the community, and not with the individual, lonely person. They saw the individual as a meon, which in Greek means a non-existence or semi-existence, while the general species is an ontos on, a true existence. Individual Divine Providence, in this view, depends on the degree to which the single person contributes to society. This Greek “class absolutism” measures the worth and dignity of an individual by his usefulness to society. Greek democracy is based on political equality, not axiological (value) equality. Axiological equality measures the worth of a person based not on his contribution to society but on his intrinsic value. This question of class absolutism vs. axiological democracy has tremendous practical implications on how and why to allocate social services. The Classical view yields a theory of social services based on pragmatic, not moral, concerns that would favor those who have the most to contribute to society. Children would be prioritized over the elderly and gifted children over the mediocre. Education would serve not what is best for the child but what would best serve society. Judaism has a different view, which will be discussed in a future lecture. Jump to: 00:02:46 Three anthropologies regarding the essence of Man 00:06:17 Whether Man is unique or just a more skilled animal 00:14:29 The uniqueness of Man as a task and challenge, not a gift 00:38:49 Human intellect as the final goal, or just a tool to a achieve a greater goal 00:59:40 Classical Greek thought on the priority of society over the individual 01:24:03 Practical implications of Greek “class absolutism” on social services Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM   The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E3): Three Approaches to Man first appeared on Tradition Online.

    1h 51m

  4. JAN 28

    A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E2): Methodology for a Jewish Religious Anthropology, from Metaphysical to Practical

    A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 2: Delivered November 20, 1958 The unique Jewish viewpoint should be placed in the context of Occidental (Western) thought and religion. However, we must avoid the danger of applying the categories and the question-set of the scientific world view, which is fundamentally pragmatic and utilitarian, to the paradoxical religious experience. We are not interested in a psychology of religion or anthropology of religion, but in a religious psychology and religious anthropology. That is to say, we don’t want to know what psychology or anthropology have to say about religion, but what religion has to say about psychology and anthropology. The task of formulating a Jewish anthropology is further hindered by the fact that Judaism, unfortunately, never formulated an original philosophy, but has been mostly apologetic, due to the shyness of our leaders about publicly expressing details about our most intimate relationship with God. Instead, Jews express religiosity through laws that correlate to that inner experience. The Halakhah holds an untold story about the Jewish religious experience that is difficult to unravel, but that is the task of Jewish anthropology. Like science, Jewish anthropology operates with a system of dynamic, a priori postulates, but while scientific postulates are inductive, relying on experimentation and observation, Judaism’s postulates are deductive, like mathematics. Judaism therefore provides a metaphysic of man, certain presupposed axioms about the nature of Man, although it remains open to adjusting some of its postulates in the face of newly encountered religious realities. It also allows multiple axioms about Man that contradict one another. On the other hand, Judaism also felt the need to transpose this metaphysic into a practical, functional, living creed through the Halakhah. It translates speculative metaphysics into concrete action by way of man’s emotional life. Jump to: 00:01:18 Placing Jewish religious philosophy in the context of Western thought 00:03:15 First problem: error of describing religion in scientific terms 00:29:19 Second problem: Jewish shyness about expressing the private religious experience 00:58:05 Comparing Judaism’s a priori postulate system with that of science 01:04:04 Translating the Jewish metaphysic of man into concrete action through Halakhah 01:07:25 The role of creativity and metaphysical postulation in science 01:17:19 Judaism’s attention to man’s emotional life, and the logic and duties of the heart 01:38:45 Audience questions and responses, and reading assignment for next lecture Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM   The post A Jewish Philosophy of Man (E2): Methodology for a Jewish Religious Anthropology, from Metaphysical to Practical first appeared on Tradition Online.

    1h 44m

  5. JAN 21

    JPM Lecture 1: Introduction to the Jewish Philosophy of Man

    A Jewish Philosophy of Man: A Lecture Series by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik Lecture 1: Delivered November 6, 1958 Judaism, and religion in general, is a cognitive venture, seeking to intellectually grasp the world, and is not merely an emotional or ethical gesture. Unlike the scientist, who, until recently, was mostly interested in knowing the outside world, and unlike other Western religions, which focused their attention on theology, Judaism is concerned mainly with Man. It stresses a religious anthropology, a religious doctrine of Man. Although Judaism is theocentric, it is “anthropo-oriented.” God remains a Deus-absconditus, hidden and unknowable. Our experience of God is antithetical, because we experience Him both as infinitely distant and intimately close. Christianity deals with this dichotomy by dividing between an unapproachable God-father and an accessible God-son. Judaism deals with the same dichotomy by dividing between our intellectual and emotional religious experiences of God. Judaism has no theology because intellectually God is an enigma, and all statements about God are understood not interpretively but normatively, as attributes for us to imitate. Therefore, Judaism’s primary question is about Man, not God. Judaism’s doctrine of man is guided by a series of questions, including, the problem of Man’s dichotomy as being both part of and above the animal world, the question of what trait is Man’s unique endowment, and, whether this unique characteristic is inborn or must be earned. Further questions include the relationship between solitary and communal existence, the problem of the dichotomy of mind and soul, and the question if Man is primarily a creature of intellect or of will. The lecture ends with responses to questions from the audience that include critiques of Buber, Kierkegaard, and Mordecai Kaplan’s Reconstructionist Judaism. Jump to: 00:02:42 Not presenting a definitive philosophy of Judaism, but a subjective reflection 00:08:07 Religion as a cognitive gesture 00:21:30 Judaism’s unique focus on understanding Man 00:33:32 Christian vs. Jewish approaches to the dichotomy of the Man-God experience 00:54:06 A list of the questions about Man that concern Judaism 01:04:56 Questions from the audience and responses Access lecture summaries and course materials at www.TraditionOnline.org/JPM   The post JPM Lecture 1: Introduction to the Jewish Philosophy of Man first appeared on Tradition Online.

    1h 26m

  6. 2025-12-21

    Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity

    Eli Rubin’s Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity (Stanford University Press) presents a groundbreaking study of Chabad Hasidism. Through close readings of primary texts, historical analysis, and engagement with modern philosophy, Rubin, a scholar and Chabad insider, traces the historical evolution of the movement’s theology. The result is an indispensable work for anyone wanting to better understand Chabad’s intellectual and historical trajectory. Todd Berman, author of a recent TRADITION review of Rubin’s book, conducted an in-depth interview with the author at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi. The discussion examined Rubin’s argument that modernity, viewed through the Kabbalistic lens of tzimtzum and cosmic “rupture,” profoundly reshaped modern thought in addition to the inner intellectual life of Chabad-Lubavitch and its spiritual vision. A key focus of the conversation was how Rubin’s ideas speak to the challenges faced by young Modern Orthodox students and how mystical and existential thought can enrich their search for meaning, faith, and identity in the modern world. Rabbi Eli Rubin is a contributing editor at Chabad.org. He received his Ph.D from University College London.  Rabbi Todd Berman is the Director of Institutional Advancement at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi where he teaches Jewish Thought and Halakha. The conversation was recorded live at Jerusalem’s Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi on December 4, 2025, and contains questions from students in the audience. The post Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity first appeared on Tradition Online.

    1h 1m

  7. 2025-12-15

    Mrs. Cooperman’s Shabbat

    This week we’ll celebrate Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, Hanukka—and all readers of TRADITION know what that means: Its Mrs. Cooperman’s Shabbat and a chance to check in with our distinguished editor emeritus, Rabbi Emanuel Feldman. 30 years ago, R. Feldman published one of our journal’s most memorable essays, “God and Mrs. Cooperman” (Winter 1995). Like other memes that have emerged from our pages—Adam I and Adam 2, Majesty and Humility, Rupture and Reconstruction—the concept of a “Mrs. Cooperman Shabbat” is now a handy heuristic to help us organize a way of thinking about contemporary religious life and what’s been lost, and what’s been gained, as Orthodoxy has flourished since the original Mrs. C sat in the pews of R. Feldman’s father’s Baltimore shul over 80 years ago. R. Feldman joined our current editor, Jeffrey Saks, to discuss how his perspective on these issues have evolved over his long life. The post Mrs. Cooperman’s Shabbat first appeared on Tradition Online.

    17 min

  8. 2025-11-23

    Rabbi Sacks on the Joys and Dangers of Leadership

    TRADITION is pleased to share this recording of a talk by Dr. Erica Brown delivered through Yeshiva University’s Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership, commemorating the recent 5th yahrzeit of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. Brown speaks about her contribution to TRADITION’s special issue on the Intellectual Legacy of Rabbi Sacks, titled “Staying Alive: The Dangers of Leadership” (open access at TraditionOnline.org). The essay examines the theme of leadership in a variety of R. Sacks’ works, exploring both his methodology and how to situate his thinking within the broader academic discipline of leadership. R. Sacks focused on how to inspire and motivate lay and professional leaders within the Jewish community. To that end, he distilled his wisdom into seven principles of leadership, which reflected the leadership dilemmas and crises he faced and during his own tenure as Chief Rabbi. Dr. Erica Brown, consulting editor at TRADITION, serves as a Vice Provost at Yeshiva University and is the founding director of its Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks-Herenstein Center for Values and Leadership. Watch a video recording of this session. Learn more about the special issue dedicated to Rabbi Sacks’ Intellectual Legacy, and order your copy (print or for Kindle). The post Rabbi Sacks on the Joys and Dangers of Leadership first appeared on Tradition Online.

    58 min

  9. 2025-11-16

    Radical Resilience: Hope, Agency and Community

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks believed that, out of the science of positive psychology, and in conversation with cognitive behavioral therapy, a new Musar movement could be established. In this episode of the Tradition Podcast, Tamra Wright and Mordechai Schiffman begin to unpack what this might mean in light of their co-authored essay “Radical Resilience: Hope, Agency and Community,” from TRADITION’s recent special issue on the intellectual legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. They are joined for the conversation by that volume’s co-editor, Samuel Lebens. Together, our three guests explore the relationship between hope, agency, and community; they consider whether Rabbi Sacks was unduly harsh on optimists; and discuss why he placed more faith upon philosophically inspired psychology than upon the main contemporary schools of academic philosophy. What does it mean for Torah to be in conversation with a science like psychology? What does it mean for students of a rabbi to turn their critical gaze towards their late teacher, who now becomes an object of their ongoing research? Watch a video recording of this conversation. See details of the special double-issue of TRADITION and order your copy. Rabbi Dr. Mordechai Schiffman is an assistant professor at Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School and the associate rabbi at Kingsway Jewish Center. Dr. Tamra Wright is a Senior Research Fellow at the London School of Jewish Studies. Rabbi Dr. Samuel Lebens is an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Haifa.     The post Radical Resilience: Hope, Agency and Community first appeared on Tradition Online.

    47 min

  10. 2025-11-12

    Historical Realities and Educational Methodologies

    As part of the Tradition Today Summit, held on November 9, 2025, convened by Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Studies and TRADITION’s publisher the Rabbinical Council of America, we hosted a community wide public Keynote Address by Rabbi Dr. Jacob J. Schacter on “Historical Realities and Educational Methodologies: Then and Now.” This was the capstone to a daylong closed conference exploring “Educating Our Children to Be Ovdei Hashem in a Modern World: Challenges and Opportunities.” Evening Keynote Address Program Greetings: R. Jeffrey Saks, Editor, TRADITION R. Chaim Strauchler, Rinat Yisrael & TRADITION R. Menachem Penner, Executive Vice-President, RCA Lecture: R. Dr. Jacob J. Schacter, Yeshiva University Respondents: R. Dr. Michael Berger, Dean, Azrieli Graduate School Ms. Miriam Krupka Berger, Associate Principal, Ramaz Upper School Rabbi Dr. Jeffrey Kobrin, Rosh Yeshiva & Head of School, North Shore Hebrew Academy View the lecture’s accompanying source packet. The Tradition Today Summit was hosted at Congregation Rinat Yisrael, in Teaneck, NJ, and supported by Henry and Golda Reena Rothman     The post Historical Realities and Educational Methodologies first appeared on Tradition Online.

    1h 44m

  11. 2025-11-11

    Tradition Today Summit

    On Sunday, November 9th, 75 Jewish educators, rabbis, lay-leaders, and thought leaders gathered for the second Tradition Today Summit, convened together with Yeshiva University’s Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education and TRADITION’s publisher, the Rabbinical Council of America, on “Educating Our Children to Be Ovdei Hashem in a Modern World: Challenges and Opportunities.” Together we considered what we can do as a community to educate the next generation of committed Ovdei Hashem? How can students be guided to engage deeply with Jewish life and learning while navigating the challenges of a rapidly changing world? Questions such as these define the landscape of contemporary Jewish education. This second Tradition Today Summit explored how we confront these issues in different contexts: from the New York area to so-called “out-of-town” communities; from American gap-year programs in Israel to local schools and synagogues. Classical Jewish sources, Hasidic thought, and ideas from general educational teachings provide valuable perspectives for addressing these concerns. Central issues to be considered include the role of technology in the classroom and students’ lives more broadly, strategies for supporting different types of students, and models for fostering genuine spirituality. The discussion will highlight the range of approaches within Modern Orthodoxy and the broader challenges facing Jewish education today. View the program schedule. The conference proceedings will appear in an upcoming special issue of TRADITION. Listen to the opening remarks of the assembly with Rabbi Jeffrey Saks (Editor of TRADITION), Rabbi Etan Tokayer (President, RCA), and Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman (President, Yeshiva University). The post Tradition Today Summit first appeared on Tradition Online.

    26 min

  12. 2025-11-09

    Not By Might

    In this episode of our podcast, Tzvi Sinensky,  co-editor of TRADITION’s special issue on the intellectual legacy of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, speaks with author Alex Israel about his essay in the volume, “Not by Might: Aversion to Power in Rabbi Sacks’ Writings.” They begin with Rabbi Sacks’ 2016 debate with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin on the pages of The Jewish Review of Books about Judaism’s complicated relationship with power. From there, the conversation turns to Rabbi Sacks’ reading of Genesis as a rejection of myth and his vision of “Divine Image” as a moral counterweight to power. They discuss how Rabbi Sacks imagined a covenantal society bound by a shared narrative, and how he might have responded in the wake of October 7th. Watch a video recording of this conversation. See details of the special double-issue of TRADITION and order your copy. Rabbi Alex Israel, author, podcaster and international lecturer, teaches at Midreshet Lindenbaum, Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi, and the Rabbi Sacks Legacy. Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Sinensky is Director of the Lamm Legacy Project, and Director of Judaic Studies at Main Line Classical Academy. The post Not By Might first appeared on Tradition Online.

    47 min
  • 12 Episodes

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About

Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought is a quarterly Orthodox Jewish peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Rabbinical Council of America. It covers a range of topics including philosophy and theology, history, law, and ethics.

Information

  • Creator
    Tradition Online
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Tradition Online
  • Show Website
    Tradition Podcast

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