Book review – Talmudic Philosophies
Mark Twain supposedly said, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” Whoever said it made the insightful point that rambling is easy, but clarity and conciseness demand real effort and thought. Twain apologized for not having time to write succinctly. Briefly communicating complex ideas demonstrates understanding and high skill.
Nothing makes this point clearer than the 1,400-page volume The Empty Wagon: Zionism’s Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft by Rabbi Yakov Shapiro, which, despite its length, lacks depth and sophistication.
In contrast, Talmudic Philosophies, barely more than 100 pages, illustrates how profound ideas can be conveyed succinctly and the author manages to say more in a single footnote than Shapiro does in 1,400 pages.
Dr. Eli Hirsch is a professor of philosophy at Brandeis University with expertise in metaphysics and epistemology. He was also a student of HaRav Aharon Kotler of Lakewood.
While the Talmud is the source of all halachic and theological guidance, in Talmudic Philosophies (Institute for Jewish Research & Publications), Hirsch shows how philosophy shapes the Talmud. I recommend this book for anyone seeking a concise and insightful exploration of the philosophical dimensions within Talmudic texts.
This brief book has four essays exploring philosophy and Talmudic analysis. Rather than being disconnected, Hirsch shows important links between the Talmud and philosophy. The first three chapters cover metaphysics and epistemology, while the last essay addresses ethical philosophy.
Hirsch discusses the Talmudic concept of bererah, or retroactive clarification: a legal principle under which a present act can, in some cases, determine the legal status of a past event.
The rabbis of the Talmud had to contend with Aristotelian philosophy, and bererah ran headfirst into it. As Aristotle famously held, there are no present facts about future contingencies.
Hirsch writes that he struggled with the ideas around bererah for two years, writing that he periodically gave up in total despair, given the complexities of the issue.
Another Talmudic concept, panim hadashot, literally means new faces but also a new thing. It connects to the philosophical concept of identity.
Hirsch relates this to Shabbat 112B: if a ritually impure sandal breaks and is repaired, is it the same sandal or a new one? This question carries significant philosophical and halachic implications.
One can study much Talmud without grasping the rabbis’ deep thought. Hirsch showcases the depth and breadth of rabbinic analysis.
He writes that as a philosopher, he has never been able to take seriously any position that repudiates common-sense ontology. He finds the Talmudist’s earnest preoccupation with ordinary objects uplifting. And notes that from the rabbis’ perspective, the metaphysics of the ordinary has to prevail, because their deepest theory of the world demands the existence of such things as dishes and sandals.
Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik said that if he were to add to Maimonides’ 13 Principles of Faith, his 14th principle would be that the values and legal constructs of the Torah are timeless and have absolute relevance to every generation and location.
It’s not just that the values and legal constructs of the Torah are timeless, but also the philosophical aspects. I recommend Hirsch’s collection of four essays for readers interested in fascinating and brilliant insights into the philosophy of the Talmud, delivered in a brief yet intellectually stimulating form.
