A: The differences in the manner in which Reform and Orthodox Jews practice
their tradition is grounded in their view of the Hebrew Scripture (Bible) and
the status of other sacred texts, such as the Mishnah and Talmud. There are also
law codes, such as the Mishneh Torah (by Moses Maimonides) and the Shulchan
Arukh (by Joseph Caro) which guide the life of Orthodox Jews. For Orthodox Jews,
the Hebrew Scriptures is a divinely-authored text and therefore every
commandment contained therein must be obeyed. The Mishnah and Talmud are
considered to have virtually the same status and are called Oral Torah. Reform
Jews, however, understand the texts to have been written by human beings -- our
ancestors. In my personal opinion, the texts are certainly divinely inspired and
reflect our ancestors' best understanding of God and their covenant with God, as
well as their view of God's will, but that is not the same as being
divinely-authored. Hence, Reform Jews read the texts through the spectacles not
only of a religious person, but those of the scholar as well. Some institutions
are considered to be a product of the cultural milieu and societal norms of the
ancient Near East when the Hebrew Scriptures were written down, and do not speak
to our lives today. In addition, Reform Jews do not ascribe to the Mishnah and
Talmud the same authority which Orthodox Jews do. While the Talmud and law codes
guide the lives of Orthodox Jews, it is more accurate to say that they inform
the lives of Reform Jews.
These differences in
perspective can be seen in every aspect of life: how holy days and festivals are
celebrated, how kashrut (the laws of keeping kosher) are kept, how the prayer
service is organized and conducted, etc. But it is not accurate to generalize
and say "All Orthodox Jews do this..." or "All Reform Jews do
that..."
To learn more about the
Orthodox perspective, I recommend to you the books of Rabbi Maurice Lamm and
Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin. To learn about the Reform perspective, I recommend the
following books published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis: Gates of
Mitzvah (life cycle) Gates of Shabbat (observing the sabbath) Gates of the
Seasons (holy days and festivals)
In addition, if you are
interested in the perspective of the Conservative Movement on these same issues,
I recommend Rabbi Isaac Klein's "A Guide to Jewish Religious
Practice."
Written by Rabbi Amy
Scheinerman, Columbia, MD
Q: What is the most fundamental
difference between Reform Judaism and Orthodox Judaism? How does this difference
then manifest itself in the ways these two respective groups live their lives in
response to God?
A: The fundamental difference is the approach to Torah and the implications
of that approach. The Orthodox believe that it comes directly from God and so
cannot be changed. All we can do is "understand" (they wouldn't even say
interpret) it, and the right to do so has devolved upon rabbis, descendants of
the Pharisees who probably began teaching during the Babylonian Exile. The
"authentic" understanding of the Torah is encapsulated in the "halachah," the
law (literally, "way"). God is thus the law-giver whose literal words must be
obeyed. From this comes the concept of MITZVAH, which means
"commandment."
For Reform, the Torah is the
God-inspired attempt by Hebrews/Israelites/ Jews to understand their
surroundings and their relationship with God. While it is a holy document, the
Torah is rooted in the past, and we can even sometimes discern the circumstances
under which certain sections were written down. Reform thus sees development in
Judaism, not just through the biblical period but thereafter as well, so that we
can continue the process of helping Judaism evolve by coming to our own
understandings. We also recognize that Jews in various places developed varying
customs and understandings, again proof to us that Judaism is not and never was
monolithic. When Reform Jews relate to God, they do so on a more personal and
less mechanistic level than one would through halachah, though I must add that I
am sure that many Orthodox Jews also have a very "personal" relationship with
God, and many Reform Jews do feel that God demands certain behavior of them. The
fact is, Judaism has never really imposed a "belief" on people, though obviously
the halachah system implies a specific understanding of God.
Written by Rabbi George
Stern, Temple Beth Torah, Upper Nyack, NY
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