Torah im Derech Eretz

When Hirsch first came to Frankfurt in 1851, he proclaimed Torah im Derech Eretz as the "banner" for his congregation, the Israelitische Religionsgesellschaft — the phrase has since been synonymous with Hirsch as well as with his philosophy. As seen, Hirsch was not unique in extending Derech Eretz to include broad knowledge of the secular world; rather, his role was to formalize a philosophy of Derech Eretz that incorporated a practical response to modernity. In Hirsch's view, derech eretz refers not only to livelihood, but also to the social order, with the associated mores and considerations of courtesy and propriety, as well as to general education. Hirsch thus developed the concept of derech eretz to embrace Western culture while maintaining strict adherence to Jewish law.

Worldly involvement

Hirsch seeks to demonstrate in all his writings that the combination of Torah and Derech Eretz is not only possible but necessary if Judaism is to dominate not only the religious sphere of personal and communal life, but the secular, mundane sphere as well. To Hirsch, the fulfillment of Torah — Derech Eretz — therefore requires worldly involvement and general participation in society, as facilitated by the requisite knowledge.

"Judaism is not a mere adjunct to life: it comprises all of life. To be a Jew is not a mere part, it is the sum total of our task in life. To be a Jew in the synagogue and the kitchen, in the field and the warehouse, in the office and the pulpit ... with the needle and the graving-tool, with the pen and the chisel — that is what it means to be a Jew." ("Religion Allied to Progress")

Secular culture and education

In Hirsch’s view, Judaism must "include the conscientious promotion of education and culture". Hirsch speaks of the Mensch-Yisroel ("Israel-man"), the "enlightened religious personality" as an ideal: that is the Jew who is proudly Jewish, a believer in the eternal values of the Torah, but also possessing the ability to engage and influence contemporary culture and knowledge. "The more, indeed, Judaism comprises the whole of man and extends its declared mission to the salvation of the whole of mankind, the less it is possible to confine its outlook to the synagogue. [Thus] the more the Jew is a Jew, the more universalist will be his views and aspirations [and] the less aloof will he be from ... art or science, culture or education ... [and] the more joyfully will he applaud whenever he sees truth and justice and peace and the ennoblement of man."

Jewish law

Importantly, Hirsch was very clear that Derech Eretz in no sense allows for halakhic compromise. In his view, Judaism is "an untouchable sanctuary which must not be subjected to human judgment nor subordinated to human considerations" and "progress is valid only to the extent that it does not interfere with religion". He states that "the Jew will not want to accomplish anything that he cannot accomplish as a Jew. Any step which takes him away from Judaism is not for him a step forward, is not progress. He exercises this self-control without a pang, for he does not wish to accomplish his own will on earth but labours in the service of God." In The Nineteen Letters of Ben Uziel Hirsch remarked that it would have been better for the Jews not to have been emancipated if the price they had to pay was assimilation. (See also,reforms within Jewish practice in Modern Orthodoxy.)

Interpretation

See also the discussion on this point, in the article on Rabbi Hirsch.

The philosophy of Torah im Derech Eretz can be interpreted narrowly, broadly, and even more broadly. This distinction arises particularly in light of Hirsch’s insistence as to faithfulness to Jewish law and tradition. Under the "narrow interpretation", exposure to gentile philosophy, music, art, literature, or ethics must be functional. Under the "broad interpretation", this exposure is permissible, and even required, for the sake of the domination of Torah over all worldly matters. Under the "broader interpretation" this exposure is permissible as a synthesis and compliment to Torah.

Thus as regards involvement in the secular world, the “narrow interpretation” essentially limits Derech Eretz to a gainful occupation; permissible knowledge would be limited to functional and occupation related knowledge, and (possibly) secular knowledge that enables one to better interpret and understand the Torah. The "broad interpretation” encourages the study of secular knowledge in order to apply Torah outlook and philosophy to the broadest range of human knowledge. The "broader interpretation" permits the general acquisition of secular culture and knowledge for their own sake.

Hirsch himself appears to have embraced the middle "broad interpretation", albeit with the qualifications above: he praised Friedrich Schiller at the dais of school meetings, and on a regular basis quotes secular scientists in his Torah commentary. "Torah im Derech Eretz, as used by our sages, means the realization of Torah in harmonious unity with all the conditions under which its laws will have to be observed amidst the developments of changing times" (Gesammelte Schriften vii p.294).

On the other hand, Hirsch cautioned as to the danger of scientific knowledge leading one away from God; further, his schools, unlike others in Germany at the time, taught modern (business) languages as opposed to classical languages. Famously, in his commentary to Leviticus 18:4-5, Hirsch clearly delineates the relationship of secular knowledge and Torah, where Torah is “ikkar” (עיקר), the essential, while secular knowledge is “tefel” (טפל), secondary or supplementary to Torah. He states that "[w]e are confident that there is only one truth, and only one body of knowledge that can serve as the standard... Compared to it, all the other sciences are valid only provisionally".

Neo-Orthodoxy: the \"Breuer\" communities

In 1851, Hirsch was called to become the rabbi of the break away Orthodox community of Frankfurt am Main. This community soon became the model for “modern communities” strict in adherence to Orthodox practices, hence the term neo-Orthodoxy (and sometimes, "Frankfurter Orthodoxy"). Solomon Breuer, Hirsch's son-in-law succeeded him after the latter's death; wary of establishing a dynasty, the Frankfurt community did not appoint his son, Rabbi Dr. Joseph Breuer, to be his successor. Following Kristallnacht, Breuer and his family emigrated to Antwerp, and then to New York. Once in New York, Breuer started a congregation among the numerous German refugees in Washington Heights, which closely followed the customs and mores of the Frankfurt community. The congregation, Khal Adath Yeshurun, is colloquially known as "Breuer's". Rabbi Shimon Schwab, also a native of Frankfurt, served as the second Rabbi of the "Breuer" community, until his death in 1994. Solomon Breuer and Joseph Breuer are often regarded as Hirsch's intellectual heirs, while Schwab is often regarded as equally aligned with the more traditional Lithuanian orthdox communities.

The Breuer community has cautiously applied Torah im Derech Eretz to American life, narrowing its application over time. Schwab warned of the dangers of contemporary moral attitudes in secular culture and literature, and emphasized that followers of Neo Orthodoxy therefore require a strong basis of faith and knowledge, and must exercise caution in engagements with the secular world.

Schwab also frequently emphasized that Torah can never be regarded as parallel with the secular knowledge. "Torah study is the highest duty of the Jew", and "even to suggest that anything can be parallel to Torah is a blasphemy of the highest order; Torah is above all, and everything else in life must be conducted in accordance with the Written and Oral Torah." Still, entry into commerce or the professions is seen as a valid component of Torah life, to be facilitated by an appropriate secular education (with the caveat that campus life is "incontestably immoral"). "Carrying on one's professional life in consonance with the halakha is in itself a practice of Torah." One must "establish the Torah's primacy over the modes of business and professional life so that his behavior transforms even that 'mundane' portion of his life into a sanctification."

The community is positioned ideologically outside of both Modern Orthodoxy and Haredi Judaism ("Ultra-Orthodoxy"). As regards Haredi Judaism, Schwab acknowledged that although Neo Orthodoxy is not the path openly espoused by the majority of today's Roshei Yeshiva, the "Torah Only" and Torah Im Derech Eretz camps can exist side-by-side. "As long as one is prompted solely by Yiras Shamayim ("fear of Heaven") and a search for truth, each individual has a choice as to which school he should follow." Practically, the community is fully engaged with haredi Agudath Yisrael of America, while it shuns the more modern Orthodox Union.

The movement is somewhat distant from Modern Orthodoxy. Schwab regards Modern Orthodoxy as having misinterpreted Hirsch's ideas: regarding standards of halakha as well as the relative emphasis of Torah versus secular; see discussion under Torah Umadda. Further, Breuer, influenced by Hirsch's philosophy on Austritt (secession), "could not countenance recognition of a non-believing body as a legitimate representative of the Jewish people”. For this reason, he was "unalterably opposed to the Mizrachi movement, which remained affiliated with the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency".

Contemporary influence

Torah im Derech Eretz remains influential as a philosophy in Orthodox Judaism. Although usually associated with the "Breuer"community of Washington Heights, the philosophy remains an important influence in Modern Orthodox Judaism and, to some extent, in Haredi Judaism. (See also Divine Providence for discussion of derech eretz in contemporary Orthodox Judaism.)

Modern Orthodoxy

Modern Orthodoxy derives some inspiration from Torah im Derech Eretz, particularly regarding ideas about the synthesis of Judaism and secular culture. Organizations on the left of Modern Orthodoxy have embraced the third "broader interpretation", although critics say that their relatively relaxed stance in halakha in fact positions them outside the realm of Torah im Derech Eretz.

In fact, the "broader interpretation" is largely identical to Torah Umadda — Torah and secular knowledge — a philosophy of Modern Orthodoxy closely associated with Yeshiva University. Critics say the "broader interpretation" (i.e. Torah Umadda) is distinct from Torah im Derech Eretz in terms of core emphasis. Torah Umadda aims at synthesizing Torah learning and secular knowledge in the individual, and thus "We prefer to look upon science and religion as separate domains..." (Samuel Belkin,YU inaugural address, 1943). This form of Modern Orthodoxy has come to be known as Centrist Orthodoxy. Torah im Derech Eretz, however, aims at the domination of Torah over secular knowledge and the application of Torah thought to secular knowledge, rather than as a complement to it.

Neo-Orthodoxy

As above, the "Breuer" community continues to closely apply the philosophy. However, since World War II, the community, of necessity, appears to have moved slightly away from the middle "broad definition" toward the "narrow definition". Rabbi Breuer saw the risk of misinterpretation of his grandfather's ideas (and confusion with Torah Umadda) especially post-war. He repeatedly stated that compromising on Jewishness and halakha was at variance with Torah im Derech Eretz. Further, Neo-Orthodoxy differs from the approaches above in its understanding of the relationship between Torah and secular: thus, Isaac Breuer, Hirsch's grandson, avers that "Rabbi Hirsch's fight was not for balance and not for reconcilement, nor for synthesis and certainly not for parallel power, but for domination - for the true and absolute domination of the divine precept over the new tendencies"; see further discussion in the article on Rabbi Hirsch.

Haredi Judaism

Today, the Haredi "Yeshiva" communities adhere to the "narrow interpretation" as an educational philosophy. Torah im Derech Eretz is the basic idea that shapes the curriculum of the Bais Yaakov school system. (In fact, in her Seminary in Kraków, Sarah Schenirer taught Rav Hirsch's writings in German. The teachers spoke German and the Polish students learned German.) Similarly, the "narrow interpretation" guides the curricula at boys' high schools.

Other Haredi communities, the "Torah only" school, are further distant from Torah im Derech Eretz. Since World War II there has been an ideological tendency in that camp to devote all intellectual capabilities to Torah study only — in schools, yeshivot and kollels. Thus, the optimum course to be adopted in all cases is to devote oneself to full-time Torah learning for as long as possible; "to go out into the world is a course to be adopted only when there is no other alternative" (Aryeh Carmell). Here, the Hirschian model is seen as horaat sha'ah, a "time specific teaching" intended to apply to the special circumstances of Western Europe in the 1800s.A strong case can actually be made for the fact that the "Torah only" is in itself a horaat sha'ah adopted in the wake of the destruction of the major torah centers during the Holocaust. (Levi 1990) (Note that Hirsch himself addressed this contention: "Torah im Derech Eretz ... is not part of troubled, time bound notions; it represents the ancient, traditional wisdom of our sages that has stood the test everywhere and at all times." (Gesammelte Schriften vi p.221); see further under Joseph Breuer.)

Sources

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Torah im Derech Eretz

Derech Eretz: The way of the land

Appropriate behaviour and good character

Earning a livelihood

Knowledge of the natural world

Knowledge of culture and society