It’s well worth reading Yair Sheleg’s profile of Talmud scholar and recent Israel Prize recipient David Weiss Halivni. Among the interesting facts revealed by the article: Halivni studied in the same Hungarian heder as Elie Wiesel and the Satmar Rebbe.
The profile also illuminates the relationship between the traditionalist and reform-minded elements of the Conservative movement’s Jewish Theological Seminary.
He says he never felt any tension between his Orthodox world and his work at JTS. “The group that led the seminary was Orthodox in its way of life. Nor were prayers mixed [with men and women together].” …
In 1983, Halivni announced his dramatic resignation from JTS, after it decided to ordain women for the rabbinate. In his letter of resignation he wrote: “It is my personal tragedy that the people I daven (pray) with I cannot talk to and the people I talk to I cannot daven with. However, when the chips are down I will always side with the people I daven with. For I can live without talking, I cannot live without davening.” (MORE)
(via FailedMessiah)
daven
Pronounced: DAH-vun, Origin: Yiddish, to pray, following the Jewish liturgy.
Talmud
Pronounced: TALL-mud, Origin: Hebrew, the set of teachings and commentaries on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law. Comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara, it contains the opinions of thousands of rabbis from different periods in Jewish history.
