by R. Yitzchak Blau
Rabbi Shalom Carmy began serving as editor of Tradition in 2005. Spring 2005, his first issue, includes a number of interesting articles.
Dr. Yoel Finkelman analyzes two groups within the Religious Zionist world. The “right” wants to influence the larger Israeli community but has moved towards increasing isolationism which renders influence more difficult. The “left” has failed to attract a significant following and has struggled to establish boundaries that maintain a coherent identity.
Rabbi Elyakim Krumbein advances a theory of the virtue of humility. He argues that humility is not self-nullification. In fact, a certain kind of self-esteem actually enables humility whereas lack of self-worth can engender arrogance.
Dr. Daniel Statman offers a critique of the religious worldview of Yeshayahu Leibowitz. According to Leibowitz, Judaism makes no statements about science, history, or the nature of God; it is simply commitment to a life of mizvot. Statman shows how this goes well beyond Rambam’s theory of negative attributes and that it threatens to denude religious life of all meaning.
For the link to the entire issue, see here