Halakhic Man

Welcome to our new series (of indeterminate length) on Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s “Halakhic Man”. Texts will eb visible on the screen of our interactive classroom, but you may find it useful to acquire a copy of the book (either in its original English 1983 JPS English edition or the newer expanded, 40th anniversary edition: https://jps.org/books/halakhic-man-40th-anniversary-edition
In the meantime, attached is the opening section and accompanying notes (including the all-important footnote#4).
Please be in touch with any questions or feedback: jeffreysaks@gmail.com and joint he class WhatsApp group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BA8WmqxnkKvJDSy9lOhKbV

Opening of Halakhic Man with discussion of the role of dialectic in the work and in the Rav’s thought.
Links to some of the essays mentioned:
On the Rav’s 1935 visit to Eretz Yisrael (including his meeting with Rav Kook): “Rabbi Soloveitchik Meets Rav Kook,” Tradition 39:3 (2006): https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/webyeshivamedia/Jeffrey+Saks+Bibliography/Rabbi+Soloveitchik+Meets+Rav+Kook.pdf
On his potential candidacy foe Chief Rabbi (1959-60): ): “Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and the Israeli Chief Rabbinate: Biographical Notes (1959-60)” B.D.D. 17 (2006): https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/webyeshivamedia/Jeffrey+Saks+Bibliography/Rabbi+Joseph+B+Soloveitchik+and+the+Israeli+Chief+Rabbinate+(BDD+17).pdf
Join us in Prague, Vienna and Budapest (June 21-30): https://agnonhouse.org.il/summer2026
The class will NOT meet next week (Dec. 9) on account of a wedding in the community.

With apologies for the disruptions in the schedule, this course resumes tomorrow (Dec. 23) — taking a bite out of the “famous” footnote 4 of Halakhic Man.
Join the course WhatsApp group at: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BA8WmqxnkKvJDSy9lOhKbV

We will continue in Halakhic Man from section 1:II (p. 5 and on) on the divergent ways in which Cognitive Man and Homo Religiosus view reality. Attached here is a link to the 2 essays by R.R. Reno in the journal First Things on his reading the Rav as a Christian. The first (“Loving the Law”) is the one I mentioned last week.

The two outlooks of homo religiousus vs. cognitive man reflect the twofold nature of existence itself. We’ll explore (Chap. 1:III, pp. 8-13). How do we know that we know what we know and what we don’t know?

On Tues Jan 18 we’ll finish up HM 1:III about the dual ways of viewing the “two faces of reality.” We’ll then circle back to Rudolph Otto and the experience of awe at encountering God. If you need a drop of background, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idea_of_the_Holy

Circling back to Rudolph Otto and the experience of awe at encountering God. If you need a drop of background, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idea_of_the_Holy

ALSO: I commend this just-released archived series from R. Soloveitchik toy our attention. The first lecture in the recordings is particularly relevant tot he passages we’ve been exploring in “Halakhic Man”: https://traditiononline.org/jpm

We now consider how Halakhic Man encounters reality (starting from section 1:VI on p. 19).

You amy find having the attached chart handy to be useful.