Rabbi Dr. Moshe Zemer
An essential reference work for any
thinking student of religion.
Innovative and provocative, Evolving Halakhah affirms
the system of traditional Jewish law, Halakhah, as a developing
and moral structure, flexible enough to accommodate the
changing realities of each generation. In this accessible
analysis of Halakhah, Moshe Zemer issues a clarion call to
follow the ancient and modern principles of evolving Halakhah,
which demands ethical deeds, the discovery of holiness in the
Commandments, a critical approach to the Tradition, and
responsibility of the entire Community of Israel. These
principles are viewed as the framework in which the other
commandments are applied.
To Jews who sometimes see no choices but
those of fundamentalist rigidity on the one hand, or total
rejection of tradition on the other, Zemer argues instead for
awareness of the inherent flexibility of the halakhic system.
Halakhah, he argues, has had many voices, and has changed to
meet every generation’s needs. Equipped with this view,
liberal Jews can reclaim their tradition from a conservative
rabbinic establishment that all too often—especially in
Israel—has seen the voice of strictness as more authentic
than the voice of lovingkindness.
The product of Zemer’s thirty-five
years of work in the Israel Movement of Progressive Judaism, Evolving Halakhah includes
chapters on matters ranging from personal status, especially
marriage and conversion, through the “political”
Halakhah of a response to the intifada. It shows that the
traditional framework for understanding the Torah’s
commandments can be the living heart of Jewish life for all
Jews—including Reform, Reconstructionist, Conservative,
and Modern Orthodox.
“For those of us who have argued
that the traditional Halakhah [Jewish law] is far more open,
pluralistic and compassionate than it has been made to be, Dr.
Zemer now provides a detailed documentation of that position
... an indispensable resource for understanding the core of
Jewish tradition.”
—Dr.
Neil Gillman, professor of
Jewish philosophy, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America
“In its own right, an important link
in the chain of liberal Halakhah ... deserving of assessment
and respect as a collection of responsa.”
—Rabbi
David Ellenson, Ph.D., president,
Hebrew Union College–Jewish
Institute of Religion
“Through this scholarly yet
accessible book, Zemer challenges those who have allowed
Halakhah to become rigid and callous. Zemer brilliantly
demonstrates that justice and compassion provide the basis for
authentic halakhic decisions and demands acceptance for his
progressive approach.”
—Rabbi
David Teutsch, president,
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
“Grounded in the tradition of
adaptation and renewal, Zemer’s voice is vital to our
survival today.”
—Rabbi
Naamah Kelman, coordinator,
Beit Midrash, a Liberal Yeshiva, Jerusalem
“Finally, a text for liberal Jews
enabling us to encounter Halakhah as a significant and
meaningful structure in our lives.”
—Rabbi
Sheldon Zimmerman, vice president,
Jewish Renaissance and Renewal, United Jewish Communities
“An extraordinary achievement, for
it both projects deep respect for Halakhah and contributes to
its development. Rabbi Zemer searches for traditional
precedents that allow for flexibility and reflects a Halakhah
that walks in the footsteps of Hillel rather than of
Shammai.”
—Rabbi W.
Gunther Plaut, editor, The Torah: A Modern Commentary
“ [Zemer’s] point is that the
traditional Orthodox approach to Halakhah has been and can be
flexible and morally sensitive ... thoughtful Orthodox Jews
should take a careful look at this book ... Commands respect
for its learning, its moral sensitivity, its careful argument,
and its moderate and reasonable tone.”
—The
Jerusalem Post magazine
“Provocative…. Sure to be
controversial, this book will help all Jews understand why they
believe—or don’t believe.”
—Library
Journal
Rabbi Dr. Moshe Zemer is founding director of the Freehof Institute of
Progressive Halakhah in Tel Aviv, where he lives. A
congregational rabbi for over thirty-five years, he is one of
the rabbis who established the Israel Movement for Progressive
Judaism, and serves as president of its Rabbinical Court. Zemer
has edited a series of books on Jewish law and published many
articles about Halakhah, and is currently senior lecturer in
Rabbinics at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of
Religion in Jerusalem.
