The Boldness of a Halakhist: An Analysis of the Writings of Rabbi Yechiel Mechel Halevi Epstein’s "The Arukh Hashulhan" (Judaism and Jewish Life) - Hardcover

Fishbane, Simcha

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1934843032 ISBN 13: 9781934843031

Publisher: Academic Studies Press, 2008

Synopsis

The Boldness of a Halakhist analyzes the writings of Rabbi Yechiel Mechel Halevi Epstein (1829–1908), author of the Arukh Hashulkhan, a bold and unusual approach to Jewish law. Based primarily on the original text of Rabbi Epstein's legal codes and homilies, this work covers topics such as women, modernity, customs, and secular studies. It analyzes the rabbi's approach to Jewish law and Jewish life, designed to promote the spiritual welfare of Jews under the pressures of growing secularization and Russification. Although based upon the principles of the traditional judicial process, the rabbi’s rulings demonstrate a profound understanding of the contemporary social and historical reality facing the Jews of Russia at the turn of the century.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Simcha Fishbane is a Professor of Jewish Studies in the Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Touro College, New York. He has published extensively on Jewish subjects and texts. Dr. Fishbane’s publications include Deviancy in Early Rabbinic Literature (2007); The Boldness of an Halakhist (2008); The Shtiebelization of Modern Jewry (2011); The Impact of Culture and Cultures Upon Jewish Customs and Rituals (2016); The Rabbinic Discussion about Bat Mitzvah Celebrations (2017); and The Jewish Intellectual Tradition: A History of Learning and Achievement (2021), co-authored with Alan Kadish and Michael A. Shmidman.

Edition details

• Publisher: Academic Studies Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1934843032
• ISBN 13: 9781934843031
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208