'' Rabbi Johnny Solomon ravjsolomon@gmail.

com '' October 2013

Lilmod ULeLimmud: Rabbinic reflections on the

halakhic issues concerning The Limmud Conference
Much has been written in recent weeks about the Limmud Conference. However, little of this has either involved a meaningful examination of what Limmud is, or incorporated a meaningful presentation of the halakhic issues involved. The purpose of this paper is to fill this void and, hopefully, guide future conversations to focus not on politics, power or press releases, but rather, on Jewish values, Jewish texts and Jewish debate. A. HOW TO APPROACH NEW SITUATIONS While many have strong feelings concerning the permissibility or otherwise of the Limmud conference, it has become clear that part of the struggle in formulating a meaningful response has been the paucity of halakhic texts that address such settings. The reason for this is simple. Whether you are pro Limmud or anti Limmud, it is crucial to recognise that Limmud has created a new setting wherein those Jews who do not usually pray together, still have the opportunity to talk together and learn from each other. Given this, we must begin with a simple question. How does the halakhic tradition approach new situations? And like all good Jewish debates, there are two answers to this question. When God commanded Adam You may definitely eat from every tree of the garden, but from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, do not eat1 either God provides permission to eat from every tree of the garden that He specifies, or prohibits the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. The key distinction between these two approaches is whether we approach new situations with a presumption that they are forbidden unless proven to be permitted, or permitted unless proven to be forbidden. While some halakhists take the former approach, and thereby in the absence of clear proof that a new situation is permitted, presume it to be forbidden, I believe2 that we should approach each new situation with the presumption that it is permitted, while at the same time carefully considering whether there may be reasons why it could be forbidden. It is in this spirit that I begin this examination.

Bereishit 2:16-17 I have also been guided to adopt this approach by the many great teachers from whom I have learnt This approach is also supported by numerous halakhists and commentaries.
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B. THE LIMMUD CONFERENCE Limmud is a world-leader in cross-communal, multi-generational, volunteer-led Jewish learning experiences, [and] it has become British Jewrys premier adult education initiative, with over 7,000 people involved in at least one Limmud activity each year. Its flagship event, the week-long Limmud Conference.. [is] annually attended by over 2,000 participants.3 One of the defining features of Limmud which was not only radical when it was founded, but which has caused it to be attacked and criticised by a minority of the establishment in every decade since, is that it is a truly cross-communal organisation As such its activities are open to any type of Jew from all areas of the community- regardless of affiliation.4 As a result of this, [Limmud] attracts to its events a greater mix of different types of Jew from the widest range of backgrounds than can be found at almost any other Jewish learning event.5 Yet, despite claims of some of its critics to the contrary, Limmud does not consider itself to be ideologically pluralist, and nor does it desire to be. Rather than saying that it values every stream, denomination or political learning equally and that each are valid and contain equally important truths, Limmud simply says that it has no wish to engage in that debate at all.6 Rather, Limmud does not participate in legitimising or de-legitimising any religious or political position found in the worldwide Jewish communityLimmud has no part to say in the debates between/across denominations. Limmud will programme its events in such a way as to avoid religious or political conflict.7 C. PREVIOUS STATEMENTS CONCERNING LIMMUD & HOW TO EXAMINE NEW SITUATIONS In light of the previous statements, taken from the Limmud mission statement and a paper about the nature and impact of Limmud,8 it is clear that associating the term pluralism to Limmud is not a fair representation of what Limmud is or how it functions. While it may be easier to make statements about the nature of pluralist conferences, the subtlety of what Limmud is itself demands a more nuanced halakhic response. While Rabbis often look for legal precedence to guide and inform their decision-making, I believe that direct reference to sources such as the Responsa of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein concerning Orthodox associations with the
Raymond Simonson, Limmud: A unique model in Transformative Jewish Learning in International Handbook of Jewish Education Part 2 (ed. Helena Miller, Lisa D. Grant, Alex Pomson), Springer Publications 2011 p. 862 4 Ibid. p. 863 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 http://www.limmud.org/home/mission/ 8 written by the then Executive Director of Limmud, Raymond Simonson
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'' Rabbi Johnny Solomon ravjsolomon@gmail.com '' October 2013

Conservative moment would be a misapplication of precedence because Limmud is not Conservative/Masorti. Therefore, how are we supposed to address new situations such as Limmud? The simple answer is that the halakhic process demands that we examine each new situation as they are, rather than by projecting on them what we think/want them to be. When God wished to punish the , we are told ' 9 - God descended to see the city and the tower that the sons of man had built to which our Rabbis noted that from here we learn that judges should not convict defendants until they see and understand the evidence.10 Consequently, in light of the unique nature of the Limmud conference, I believe that it would be nigh impossible to judge the acceptability or otherwise of the Limmud conference format and atmosphere unless such a judgement is informed by a personal and honest evaluation.11 D. UNACCEPTABLE BELIEFS AND THE HALAKHIC ISSUES CONCERNING THE LIMMUD CONFERENCE Much has been written in recent years about the nature of Jewish belief and the significant differences that exist concerning core beliefs between Orthodox and non-Orthodox denominations. Consequently, many of those who have questioned the permissibility of attending Limmud have referred to its cross-denominational approach wherein a wide range of topics and speakers are included in the programme, including those who reject core beliefs. In fact, there appear to be three halakhic issues which arise when discussing the permissibility or otherwise of attending the Limmud Conference. Those are: a) The negative impact of an environment wherein beliefs and values contrary to halakha are shared and promoted, b) The problems concerning learning Torah from
Bereishit 11:5 See Rashi on Bereishit 11:5. For the same principle concerning the city of Sdom, see Bereishit 18:21 11 As Rabbi Yitzchok Schochet noted in his blog having returned from his first Limmud: I dare say I did it. I ventured into the unknown and I survived. I lived to tell the tale. I went to Limmud. I am not saying this to gloat or to rub it in my Orthodox brethrens faces. I am saying it because upon return all I could ask myself was, "where was I until now?"I encountered Jews from all walks of life and from countries all around the world. They were all there for but one reason: to learn. Upon arrival I walked into an informative session on the life of Rav Amital. The first thing that struck me was how almost every man in the room was wearing a yarmulke and almost every woman had her hair covered. Wait a minute! This is Limmud! The bastion of pluralism and secularism, where no orthodox Rabbi shall dare tread! What are these religious looking people doing here? Was it out of respect for the speaker, the subject matter, or is Limmud really something more so much more, than otherwise assumed. http://www.shul.co.uk/readArticle.php?article=301
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'' Rabbi Johnny Solomon ravjsolomon@gmail.com '' October 2013

individuals whose beliefs and values run contrary to halakha, and c) The legitimization of beliefs and values such as those espoused by some non-Orthodox denominations which are contrary to halakha and in-so-doing, the legitimization of these denominations themselves. I will now address each of these halakhic issues. a) The negative impact of an environment wherein beliefs and values contrary to halakha are shared and promoted We are taught in the book of Mishlei - Distance your way from her14, which was explained by the Rabbis of the Talmud15 to mean that we should stay far away from places of heresy. Based on this comment, halakhic authorities such as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein16 have warned against placing oneself in an environment where you will be confronted by beliefs and values contrary to halakha. However, unlike the settings which are addressed by Rabbi Feinstein (as mentioned above), Limmud is a different case altogether. While those with beliefs and values contrary to halakha may share and promote these ideas, such a sharing occurs within the sessions at Limmud and not by Limmud itself. In fact, Limmud clearly states that to ensure that informed choices can be made, we ask presenters to provide biographies.17 Thus, while the statement of certainly applies to some sessions at Limmud, it does not apply to Limmud itself. Were it to be so, it would be equally forbidden to visit a public library given that it certainly contains books that are contrary to Jewish beliefs and values! b) The problems concerning learning Torah from individuals whose beliefs and values run contrary to halakha A second halakhic issue concerning the Limmud Conference involves learning Torah from individuals whose beliefs and values run contrary to halakha. While the Talmud informs us that Rabbi Meir studied Torah from his teacher, Elisha Ben Avuya and was able to eat the date and throw the kernel,18 this was an exceptional situation and therefore we are told that we should not study Torah from such an individual.19 Here too, while this concern certainly applies to some sessions at Limmud, it does not apply to Limmud itself. As Rabbi Yehuda Black of Kenton Synagogue recently commented, the way I see it is that Limmud is a supermarket and you can buy all kinds of products off the shelves. Some of which might have a Hechsher and others not.20
Mishlei 5:8 Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zara 17a. 16 Iggrot Moshe, YD 2 No. 107, OC 1 No. 139, OC 3 No. 25, 17 http://www.limmud.org/home/mission/ 18 Talmud Bavli, Haggiga 15b 19 Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 246:8. See also Responsa Yabia Omer Vol. 7 YD 19 20 http://jewishnews.co.uk/community-leaders-accuse-strictly-orthodox-rabbis-of-shocking-failure-ofleadership/
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'' Rabbi Johnny Solomon ravjsolomon@gmail.com '' October 2013

To take this metaphor one step further, one could argue that just as the Beit Din works tirelessly to ensure kosher food is stocked in UK supermarkets, surely those who believe that their contributions are kosher should be equally pro-active in ensuring that their products can be found at Limmud.21 c) The legitimization of beliefs and values such as those espoused by some non-Orthodox denominations which are contrary to halakha and in-sodoing, the legitimization of these denominations themselves. Unlike other settings, Limmud does not require its speakers to share platforms with those of different religious attitudes (although many of the most enlightening sessions do involve such events!). Therefore, attendance at, and participation in Limmud does not force any theological compromises on any respective speaker. It is analogous to contributing an article for a book22 or newspaper that includes essays from authors of different beliefs and values. In fact, it should be noted that a more extreme position was itself defended by the late former Chief Rabbi HaRav Lord Jakobovits ztl, referring to his activities in the 1950s and 1960s. Normally, on my American lecture tours I accept invitations to speak on Conservative and Reform as well as Orthodox platforms. I believe the Torah was given to all Jews, and I am obliged to teach it to any section of the community when invited to do so. Obviously, I have nothing other than Orthodox Judaism to proclaim.23 And in response to the claim that his presence would be viewed as an endorsement of, or at least the legitimization of, beliefs and values of such non-Orthodox denominations, HaRav Jakobovits responded, I also do not think that anyone would misinterpret my appearance as extending recognition or credibility to non-Orthodox Judaism. I and my teachings are known well enough, I believe, not to have my presence taken as any kind of endorsement whatsoever. On the contrary, I hope my presence and my presentations help to enhance the respect for Torah teachings.24 Given that Limmud is itself neither a Masorti or Reform platform, but rather, a setting where speakers from across the community can learn and teach, it is clear that attendance at the Limmud Conference in no way confers legitimacy to such
It could further be argued that failing to provide such kosher products at Limmud make those who choose not to attend Limmud somewhat responsible for any non kosher food that is consumed. For example, authorities such as Rabbi Mordechai Yaakov Breisch (Responsa Helkat Yaakov 3:136) assert that inaction on the part of religious leaders itself constitutes the contravention of placing a stumbling block before the blind (Vayikra 19:14). 22 See Rabbi Yuval Cherlows presentation about the appropriateness of contributing to such a book. , , : '' , '' ' 23 Dear Chief Rabbi: From the Correspondence of Chief Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits on Matters of Jewish Law, Ethics and Contemporary Issues, 1980-1990 (ed. Jeffrey M. Cohen), Ktav Publishing House, 1995, p. 258 24 Ibid. pp. 258-259
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denominations especially where the speakers are recognised as representing Orthodox beliefs and values. E. CONCLUSION If one approaches each situation with a presumption that they are forbidden unless proven to be permitted, I recognise that some may struggle to find compelling evidence regarding the Limmud Conference to overturn such a presumption. However, from the examination above, while the attendance of sessions including presentations that run contrary to halakha, and the attendance of sessions by speakers that are explicit in their rejection of core beliefs and values of Torah remains halakhically problematic, there is no prohibition per se of attending the Limmud Conference. On the contrary, those who can offer sessions at Limmud that present beliefs and values that reflect halakha in a spirit that enhances the respect for Torah teachings, should be praised.

Rabbi Johnny Solomon, ''