Hirsch And The Horeb

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch lived after the emancipation when the reform movement was forming. Rabbi Hirsch wrote the Horeb as an orthodox response to the reform movement. The Reform movement eliminated much of halachic observance from their practice. Furthermore, in certain circles of the time, varying degrees of observance without any clear rhyme or reason became the norm. The influx of secularization and traditional beliefs made serious headway in berlin Jewry. Jews started to look at the non- Jews and compare their Jewish ideals and beliefs. Many Jews who grew up with secular values started to look at Judaism questioningly since they started to put Judaism up to the light of secular values. The reform movement tried to bring together Judaism with general studies and in doing so would make changes to Judaism in order to accommodate the general secular knowledge. The reform movement caused many Jews to feel as though being Jewish was a burden and everything worthwhile was from the outside and not with in Judaism. A Jew should use the prism of Judaism to evaluate the times which he is living with hope that true Judaism will be revitalized. Not evaluate Judaism in light of times. This is shown through Rav Hirsch’s teaching of Torah Im Derech Eretz. At this time Jews were both German citizens and Jews. They were apart of German life, but were Jewish. This put them in a difficult place in the time of equality. Rav Hirsch had to mend the ties between the two forces (German and Jew) in turn he came up with the concept of Mentch - Yisroel. It is one concept that goes hand and hand, Jews are both human and Yisroel.

All of the pleasures on earth are created for man. The highest level of potential according to Rav Hirsch is what he c...

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... such as, Yeshivos and Kollim follow that mindset. Some even go as far to say that this concept is a sin and only Torah should be studied and nothing else. Judaism is from within and should be built up through Mitzvos and Halacha. Jews should not struggle when faced with secular values. Even now a days with their modern views a Jew should be proud of Judaism and see the value in orthodox views and traditional views and practices. Rav Hirsch strongly declared that “Never at any time will the Jew sacrifice one iota of his Judaism at no time will he bring his Judaism in conformity with the time… In every age, he will regard it as his task to evaluate the time and its conditions from the Jewish viewpoint”.. Judaism should always feel fresh and current and can be applied to every age with new circumstances created by every period of history.