Elli Fischer: Can Israel Follow Jewish Law? [Zionism 3/4]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Religion & Spirituality, Judaism

4.6 • 638 Ratings

🗓️ 8 May 2023

⏱️ 111 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This series is sponsored by Unpacking Israeli History.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Elli Fischer— a writer, translator, and editor—about the relationship between Jewish law and the Jewish state.

For almost 2,000 years, we were able to maintain a system of Jewish law without the convenience of a homeland. Yet now, when we have our own state, Jewish law seems more difficult and complicated to implement than ever.

In this episode we discuss:

What is the effect of halacha on the Jewish state and the effect of the Jewish state on halacha?
How can halacha and society be integrated in Israel?
What is it about the nature of halacha that puts it outside the domain of the current systems of government?

Tune in to hear a conversation about the role of Jewish religion in the Israeli government.

Interview begins at 19:27.

R. Elli Fischer is an independent writer, translator, and rabbi. Previously, he was the OU-JLIC rabbi and campus educator at the University of Maryland. He holds BA and MS degrees from Yeshiva University, rabbinical ordination from Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, and is working toward a doctorate in Jewish History at Tel Aviv University. He is a founding editor of The Lehrhaus, a web magazine of contemporary Jewish thought. His original writing on religion and politics in Israel, the interplay between legal and nonlegal elements of the Talmud, Jewish religious culture, and Central European Jewish History have been widely published. He is the translator of By Faith Alone: The Story of R. Yehuda Amital and the editor of R. Eliezer Melamed’s Peninei Halakha series in English.

References:

Ezekiel
The Invention of Jewish Theocracy: The Struggle for Legal Authority in Modern Israel by Alexander Kaye
Halakha and the Challenge of Israeli Sovereignty by Asaf Yedidya
Isaiah
Sefer Lev ha-Ivri by Rabbi Akiva Joseph Schlesinger
“Ivri Anochi” by Benny Friedman
Rabbi Elli Fischer's translation of Peninei Halakha
State of Halakha: Israel's History in Jewish Law by Aviad Tabory
The Politics of Torah: The Jewish Political Tradition and the Founding of Agudat Israel by Alan L. Mittleman

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi friends, a few months ago we advertised the birth of a new community in Israel.
0:05.4	Eden Bait Shemesh, a community tailored made for all those of us in need of a five-year plan,
0:12.7	and let's face it, we are living in a time when every single one of us should be drafting the five-year plan for our futures in Israel.
0:20.5	Our own listeners from within the 1840 community have purchased in Eden, an opportunity which
0:26.4	they will longingly watch unfold into a reality, a shul, and a community.
0:32.1	I am so proud that the leaders behind Aden are none other than Rabbi Benny and Khani Krohn. I know them personally because they are the rabbi and Rebitten of my own
0:42.4	personal community and they are the ones leading this new development community. And I know for my own life that
0:49.6	their stewardship, their leadership is you know this is going to be a welcoming, joyous, incredible
0:55.7	community where everyone is going to be able to feel comfortable and build a home.
1:00.2	On June 29th, Eden will be hosting a webinar to speak in detail about the vision for this project.
1:07.6	In order to register, please click the link below or email info at
1:12.7	Edenbateshemesh.com to find out more. Once again, that's info at Edenbateshemesh.com
1:20.2	to find out more. The Koran Tanakh of the land of Israel offers a groundbreaking way to experience the Hebrew Bible,
1:31.2	spearheaded by editor-in-chief David Arnowitz and featuring a fresh English translation by Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Zatzal.
1:40.8	This edition brings the biblical world to life by blending the sacred text with cutting-edge
1:47.1	insights from archaeology, history, and ancient near-eastern studies. Unlike traditional editions,
1:54.1	this Tanakh places the events, laws, and prophecies of the Bible into the rich, historical,
2:00.3	cultural, and geographic context in which they
2:03.3	occurred, offering a deeper, more accurate understanding of the text. Readers explore the world of
2:10.0	the Tanakh as it truly was, from architecture and politics to poetry and language, making ancient
2:16.6	stories vivid, relevant, and alive.
2:19.9	Five volumes are currently available. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Samuel,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from 18Forty, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of 18Forty and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.