Norman Lamm

Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm
	Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm
Denomination	Orthodox
Yeshiva	RIETS
Position	Rosh Yeshiva
Organization	Yeshiva University
Position	Chancellor
Semicha	RIETS
Nationality	United States of America

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Rabbi Dr. Norman (Nachum) Lamm (born 1927 in Brooklyn, New York, United States) is a major American Modern Orthodox Jewish communal leader. He is presently the Chancellor of Yeshiva University.

He was the third President of Yeshiva University (YU), and the first to be born in the U.S.. He also holds a Ph.D. in Jewish Philosophy. He is a disciple of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik (Modern Orthodoxy's most influential scholar), who ordained him as a Rabbi at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS, the YU rabbinical school) in 1951.

[edit] Youth

In his youth, Lamm attended the Haredi yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. At Yeshiva College (YC, the forerunner of YU) he obtained a degree in Science in 1949, at which he excelled. He was the secular studies valedictorian of his class. He also attended a secular postgraduate college, the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He considered a career in science, but was persuaded by Rabbi Dr. Samuel Belkin, the second President of Yeshiva University (successor of Rabbi Dr. Bernard Revel), to join the faculty at YU.

[edit] Career

Lamm spent 25 years as a pulpit rabbi. He served as rabbi at the Jewish Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan (1952-54), rabbi of Congregation Kodimoh in Springfield, MA, and assistant rabbi at New York City's Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun.

He obtained his Ph.D. in 1966, and was elected President of Yeshiva University in August, 1976. When he took over the institution he helped save it from looming bankruptcy and raised its endowments.

[edit] Theology

As a Modern Orthodox Jew, Lamm's theology somewhat resembles the corpus of classical rabbinic Jewish principles of faith. While not demanding that every Jew literally accept each of Maimonides' 13 principles of faith, the faith that he preaches and teaches is consistent with these teachings. He believes that God exists, that God can reveal his will to mankind, and that the Torah (five books of Moses) is (plus or minus scribal errors) an exact transcription of God's revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai. As an Orthodox Jew, he believed that Judaism's oral law, as recorded in the Mishnah and Talmud, represent an accurate and authoritative understanding of how God wants mankind to understand the Hebrew Bible. In accordance with standard Orthodox Jewish theology, he holds that halakha, loosely translated as "Jewish law", is normative and binding on all Jews.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Torah Umadda

Dr. Lamm is a major proponent of the idea of "Torah Umadda" - "Torah and science or more generally the environing culture of our days" - a philosophical paradigm which aims at "synthesizing" Torah learning and secular knowledge. Dr. Lamm argues that the underlying philosophy of Torah Umadda can be traced back to the Talmud and to Maimonides and that it is inspired by the work of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in the mid 19th century in response to the Enlightenment. He claims that Torah Umadda and Hirsch's Torah im Derech Eretz are to a large extent complementary - both value the acquisition of secular knowledge and both demand adherence to halakha.

[edit] Centrist Orthodoxy

Dr. Lamm is a well known voice of "Centrist Orthodoxy" (which is used in distinction from Modern Orthodoxy) regarding itself as the "center" between the "left wing" branches of Orthodox Judaism, such as the leftmost fringe of Modern Orthodoxy and Rabbi Avi Weiss's "Open Orthodoxy," and the movements of the "right wing" such as Haredi Judaism.

[edit] Relationship with non-Orthodox Judaism

Lamm is a strong critic of Reform Judaism's attempt to unilaterally redefine Jewishness. In response to their declaration that a person can be considered Jewish with only a Jewish father, and not a Jewish mother, Lamm stated that this was "The single most irresponsible act in contemporary Jewish history." (Landau, P.292) Nonetheless, he has worked over the years to keep lines of communication open between Orthodox and Reform Judaism, in the hopes that Jewish unity can be maintained.

Lamm was a proponent of working with Reform and Conservative Judaism in the now-defunct Synagogue Council of America.

While strongly disagreeing with the theology and religious practices of non-Orthodox forms of Judaism, Rabbi Lamm has been one of the most outspoken leaders in Orthodoxy for cooperation with Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. In the 1980s Lamm, along with other American and Israeli Orthodox rabbis, worked with Conservative and Reform rabbis to come up with solution to the "Who is a Jew?" issue. In 1989 and 1990 Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir spearheaded an effort to create a solution to the "Who is a Jew?" issue. A plan was developed by Lamm, and Shamir appointed Israeli Cabinet Secretary Elyakim Rubenstein, who negotiated secretly for many months with rabbis from Conservative, Reform and Orthodox Judaism, including faculty at Yeshiva University, with Lamm as Rosh ha-Yeshiva. They were planning to create a joint panel that interviewed people who were converting to Judaism and considering making aliyah (moving to the State of Israel), and would refer them to a bet din that would convert the candidate following traditional halakha. All negotiating parties came to agreement: (1) Conversions must be carried out according to halakha, (2) the bet din (rabbinic court) overseeing the conversion would be Orthodox, perhaps appointed by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, and (3) there would be a Committee consisting of representatives of all three groups to interview potential converts as to their sincerity. Many Reform rabbis took offense at the notion that the bet din must be strictly halakhic and Orthodox, but they acquiesced. However, when word about this project became public, a number of leading haredi rabbis issued a statement denouncing the project, condemning it as a "travesty of halakha". Rabbi Moshe Sherer, Chairman of Agudath Israel World Organization, stated that "Yes we played a role in putting an end to that farce, and I'm proud we did." Norman Lamm condemned this interference by Sherer, stating that this was "the most damaging thing that he [Sherer] ever did in his forty year career." (Landau, p.320)

Lamm wanted this to be only the beginning of a solution to Jewish disunity. He stated that had this unified conversion plan not been destroyed, he wanted to extend this program to the area of halakhic Jewish divorces, thus ending the problem of mamzerut. (Landau, p.320)

In 1997 the issue of "Who is a Jew?" again arose in the State of Israel, and Lamm publicly backed the Neeman commission, a group of Orthodox, Masorti (Conservative) and Progressive (Reform) rabbis working to develop joint programs for conversion to Judaism. In 1997 he gave a speech at the World Council of Orthodox Leadership, in Glen Springs, N.Y., urging Orthodox Jews to support this effort.

Lamm told his listeners that they should value and encourage the efforts of non-Orthodox leaders to more seriously integrate traditional Jewish practices into the lives of their followers. They should welcome the creation of Reform and Conservative day schools and not see them as a threat to their own, Lamm said. In many communities, Orthodox day schools, or Orthodox-oriented community day schools, have large numbers of students from non-Orthodox families. The liberal movements should be appreciated and encouraged because they are doing something Jewish, even if it is not the way that Orthodox Jews would like them to, he said. "What they are doing is something, and something is better than nothing," he said in his speech. "I'm very openly attacking the notion that we sometimes find in the Orthodox community that `being a goy is better'" than being a non-Orthodox Jew, he said in an interview.

(Source: Cohen, 1997)

In his speech Seventy Faces he warns his listeners that there will be an "unbridgeable and cataclysmic rupture within the Jewish community" unless Jews from all the denominations, including Orthodoxy, listen to each other and try and find a way to work together. In this speech (now an essay) he rejects maximal ideas of religious pluralism, especially relativism. He denies that non-Orthodox Jews have halakhic legitimacy, explaining that their views on halakha do not have normative status. However he goes onto affirm a moderate form of religious pluralism, and holds that Orthodox Jews must accept that non-Orthodox rabbis are valid Jewish leaders, and possess spiritual dignity. He holds that marriages that are officiated at by non-Orthodox Jews can be halakhically valid, but not so and non-Orthodox divorces. Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jews must find ways to work together.

[edit] Views on abiogenesis, evolution and science

Originally trained as a scientist, Dr. Lamm has maintained an interest in the interface between science and Judaism. In his 1971 essay The Religious Implications of Extra-Terrestrial Life, Lamm writes about scientific developments concerning abiogenesis and evolution, the creation of life on Earth, and the then developing scientific consensus that life could possibly evolve on other planets outside of our solar system (i.e. extraterrestrial life. He writes

...the fact remains that most of the highly respected scientists of our day, eminent in their fields, do believe that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe....No religious position is loyally served by refusing to consider annoying theories which may well turn out to be facts. Torah is "a Torah of truth," and to hide from the facts is to distort that truth into a myth. Of course, it must be repeated that the theories here under discussion have not (yet) been established as true. But they may be: and Judaism will then have to confront them as it has confronted what men have considered the truth throughout the generations.

Maimonides, over eight centuries ago, was faced with the widely accepted Aristotelian theory of the eternity of the universe, which ostensibly contradicted the Biblical conception of creation in time. Maimonides demonstrated that Aristotle had not conclusively proved the eternity of matter, and that since eternity and creation were philosophically equally acceptable alternatives, he preferred to accept creation since this theory was the one apparently taught in Genesis. Nevertheless, Maimonides averred, were the Aristotelian theory convincingly proven, he would have accepted it and reinterpreted the verses in Genesis to accommodate the theory of the eternity of matter.

It is this kind of position which honest men, particularly honest believers in God and Torah, must adopt at all times, and especially in our times. Conventional dogmas, even if endowed with the authority of an Aristotle - ancient or modern - must be tested vigorously. If they are found wanting, we need not bother with them. But if they are found to be substantially correct, we may not overlook them. We must then use the newly discovered truths the better to truly understand our Torah - the "Torah of truth."

Lamm's writings on this subject are prominently featured in the "What Is Out There?" featurette, on disk two of the two disk special edition of 2001: A Space Odyssey. This featurette offers the views of various scientists and philosophers on the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

[edit] Writings

In 1971 Dr. Lamm wrote Faith and Doubt: Studies in Traditional Jewish Thought, which was released in a second edition in 1986 and a third and up-dated edition in 2007. This book is a personal examination of his religious beliefs.

In the 1980s many in Modern Orthodox Judaism felt battered by criticism from Orthodoxy's theological right-wing. Many Orthodox Jews began to perceive Modern Orthodoxy as less compelling, and possibly less authentic, than Haredi Judaism. As such Dr. Lamm wrote a principled theological defense of Modern Orthodoxy in Torah Umadda: The Encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Knowledge in the Jewish Tradition and its theology of Torah im Derekh Eretz.

In 1999 Dr. Lamm wrote The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary, in which he offered an in-depth history of Hasidic Judaism, the spiritual movement founded in the 18th century by Israel ben Eliezer, better known as the Baal Shem Tov. Through examination of primary sources, Lamm illustrates the development of Hasidic theology, from the 18th to the 20th century.

In 2000 Dr. Lamm wrote The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism for a general audience not familiar with Jewish theology; this work focused on how a proper understanding of Judaism would lead a practitioner to spirituality. This work was a rejoinder to the viewpoint that religious, observant Judaism was dry and legal, as opposed to spiritual and meaningful.

Lamm's brother, Rabbi Maurice Lamm is also a well known rabbi, writer and organizer.

[edit] Actively retired

Dr. Lamm recently stepped down as President in 2003, and was succeeded by Richard Joel, who became the fourth President of YU and the first layman to hold the office. He is a former attorney who also led the Bnai Brith's international Hillel student organization. Richard Joel had previously been associate dean and professor at YU's Cardozo Law School and was an assistant district attorney in New York City.

Dr. Lamm was given the active position of Chancellor of YU [1] after 27 years as President. He still maintains his title as Rosh HaYeshiva ("head of the yeshiva") of YU's rabbinical school - RIETS. He was installed in the new position created for him as Chancellor of Yeshiva University in June of 2003. He continues to play a role in the affairs of the institution over which he presided for a quarter century.

[edit] Controversy

Dr. Lamm has always been a lightning-rod for criticism as well as praise, the criticism mainly stemming from his handling of controversial issues facing the Jewish community, such as co-operating with the non-Orthodox branches regarding conversions (giur) of gentile spouses to Judaism. He was also a controversial figure within the university, with a group of senior rabbis and rabbinical students breaking away from the Yeshiva in 1999, in a dispute with Lamm. He has written a number of books including perhaps his most controversial, Torah U'Maddah, which was subject to extensive critique when published. Also controversial is Dr Lamm's essay on Homosexuality in Judaism in the 2005 Encyclopedia of Judaism edited by Jacob Neusner. He recommends JONAH, an association that aims to make gay men capable of heterosexual marriage.

[edit] Some Quotes

" ... a moral consideration of the utmost importance for us: we must respect individual differences, yet we must coordinate, work together, and act as one."

"Group action -- yes; group thinking -- no"

"Mutual commitment to ideals -- yes; the stifling of all dissenting notions -- no."

"This principle of unity of the whole along with respect for individual differences is symbolized ... in the Mishkan, the Tabernacle."

"Each of us must have tucked away in some corner of his and her brain a contrarian -- or ipkha mistabra -- compartment whose function it is to seek out views other than those we readily consent to because they swarm around us. The devil’s advocate can well turn out to be an angelic emissary. And swimming against the stream may be the best way to avoid drowning."

"Conventional dogmas, even if endowed with the authority of an Aristotle - ancient or modern - must be tested vigorously. If they are found wanting, we need not bother with them. But if they are found to be substantially correct, we may not overlook them. "

"In Judaism, there are 613 biblical commandments, and the Talmud says that the chief commandment of all is study."

"Judaism is an intellectually based religion, and the single most important theme is that of study."

"No religious position is loyally served by refusing to consider annoying theories which may well turn out to be facts."

[edit] References

[edit] Works by Dr. Lamm

Menachem Mendel Kasher, Norman Lamm, Leonard Rosenfeld (Editors). Leo Jung Jubilee Volume Essays in Honor on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday. N.Y.: The Jewish Center Synagogue, 1962.

Norman Lamm, The Royal Reach, (Feldheim, 1970)

Norman Lamm, A Hedge of Roses: Jewish Insights Into Marriage, (Feldheim, 1977)

Norman Lamm The Religious Implications of Extra-Terrestrial Life, Chapter 5 of Faith and Doubt - Studies in Traditional Jewish Thought, (New York, Ktav, 1971)

Norman Lamm, Faith and Doubt: Studies in Traditional Jewish Thought, Ktav; 2nd edition 1986, ISBN 0-88125-000-7

Norman Lamm, Seventy Faces: Divided we stand, but its time to try an idea that might help us stand taller, Moment Vol. II, No. 6, June 1986 - Sivan 5746

Norman Lamm, Torah Lishmah: Torah for Torah's Sake : In the Works of Rabbi Hayyim of Volozhin and His Contemporaries, (Ktav, 1989

Norman Lamm, Torah Umadda: The Encounter of Religious Learning and Worldly Knowledge in the Jewish Tradition, Jason Aronson, 1990 ISBN 0-87668-810-5

Norman Lamm, 'Halakhot Va-halikhot', Mosad ha-Rav Kuk, 1990

Norman Lamm, The Religious Thought of Hasidism: Text and Commentary, Michael Scharf Publication Trust of Yeshiva University, 1999, ISBN 0-88125-440-1

Norman Lamm, The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism, Jewish Publication Society of America, 2000, ISBN 0-8276-0713-X

Rabbi Lamm's response to Noah Feldman's July 22, 2007 New York Times Magazine essay "Orthodox Paradox" was published on August 2, 2007. Rabbi Lamm's article, "A Response to Noah Feldman," was published at the website: http://www.forward.com/articles/11308/

[edit] Articles by Rabbi Lamm

HaPardes, November 1977: ברירה ורשות

HaPardes, October 1983: דיני ממונות בשלשה

Bais Yitzchok, 1985: בדין לבישת בגדי כהובה שלא בשעת עבודה

HaPardes, March 1985: ברוך שם כבוד לעולם מלכותו ועד

HaPardes, May 1986: לענין ספירת העומר

Bais Yitzchok, 1987: קריאת שם הולד על שם אדם חי

HaPardes, May 1987: אין קידוש אלא במקום סעודה

HaPardes, April 1988: צדקה וחסד

HaPardes, July 1992: כעס בהלכה ובמוסד היהדות

HaPardes, November 1993: הכרת הטוב בהלכה

HaPardes, June 1994: מודה במקצת הטענה ישבע

HaPardes, April 1995: כהן בעל תשובה שהרב את הנפש ועע"ז

HaPardes, May 1995: דין כהן שהרג את הנפש אם ומתי מותר לו לישא

[edit] Works relating to Dr. Lamm

Debra Nussbaum Cohen, Orthodox leader speaks out on Jewish unity, breaking long silence, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, December 5, 1997

David Landau Piety & Power, 1993, Hill & Wang, NY

[edit] External links

Yeshiva University official website
Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary official website
Rabbi Lamm and controversy over gays at YU schools (1995)
Rabbi Lamm's Eulogy for Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin (1995)
Response of a supporter to a public criticism by the Haredi leader Rabbi Elya Svei
Interview with President Norman Lamm (1999)
Seventy Faces: Divided we stand, but its time to try an idea that might help us stand taller
Orthodox leader speaks out on Jewish unity, breaking long silence